zoomzoom_8

I have seen a couple of posts mentioning things along the lines that if you switch the DSC off the car performs even better (i guess more pickup, etc). I am not saying this is false but I was wondering how if it does? Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Chris

ezrider55

Look at some more post. I have seen to many post where someone has damaged their 8 because they turned DSC and/or TC off. Unless you are an experianced autoxer, leave it on. It is a safety feature you payed extra for, so use it. mho

zoomzoom_8

Haven't seen those, but I meant just switching it off by using the factory switch, not that mod that I read about on here with the all off switch hard wired in.

Ellar

Ooooo, you don't want to switch that off. Your car will fly off the face of the earth! What do you think is keeping it on the ground, anyway?!?

QBallz

I got the base 6spd so no DSC, and I've had zero problems, backend has never broken loose except when I wanted it to.

vdelvec

Go over a nice big puddle at 60mph.

QBallz

Has to be pretty deep, even then the 8's no worse than any other non-DSC/TC equipt car. I'm not saying DSC is worthless, I'm just saying it's not as dangerous to turn it off as most people say it is.

Ellar

Ok...

G8rboy

It's not like the RX8 is the first rear wheel drive sports car ever made... DSC and TCS are great, but they are far from necessary to keep a skilled driver from sliding off the road.

G8rboy

I don't have any hard evidence to back this up, but disabling DSC/TCS by holding the button in for ~10 seconds used to help performance on very hard accelerations- it was almost like the ECU knew on a high RPM shift you risked stepping the back-end out, and pulled back power just a hair if you had DSC/TCS enabled, causing a slight stutter or delay on the 1-2, and 2-3 high rpm shifts. That was back when I was on the 'J' flash from the factory... after the 'L' flash, I think they tweaked the program a bit because I can't feel a difference during those same hard accelerations (although it might be differences in the fuel maps that I'm feeling)... however on launching from a stop you'll still feel TCS rob you by cutting back throttle if your wheels spin (as they should for a good launch). So basically, if I'm not autocrossing, I don't bother disabling it anymore- there's really no reason to.

Razz1

Don't turn it off unless you know how to control a car in sudden violent spin outs .

wintergrn

Right... if you punch the throttle while hydroplaning, you could get into trouble. But, well, DON'T DO THAT... :D Of course, my first car had RWD and no automation whatsoever, so I guess I'm just used to controlling the back end with my right foot.

Personally, I like having DSC "just in case," but never managed to activate it this winter, except while playing in the occasional empty snowy parking lot...

TCS, on the other hand, I could live without, especially as it's implemented in the RX8. It doesn't keep the wheels from spinning, but it cuts power to limit the spin to some low rate. Doesn't really help me in the snow, and keeps you from launching as fast as you want to.

G8rboy

... and don't lift throttle in the middle of a hard turn... while the 8 is balanced much better than the RWD crap I learned to drive on that would put you into an uncontrolled spin just by looking at them wrong, it still can get away from you if you really shift weight abruptly doing that.

ltrx8

u r right Razz. its twitchy with dsc off. There will be serious problems as a result of new drivers to experienced ones as well pushing this car to its limits for the first time..I am now a believer of this and with good reason.. This car should be driven to its limits on a track first to give you a feel of it under load... The power is developed at high rpm's so when traction is broken it spins out very easily (violently). It can surprise the most experienced driver's the first time around and cause over-correction/deceleration..But once youve track driven it and become comfortable with it I dont think anything stock for under 40 grand can touch you ,except another 8...

QBallz

Um.... How aggressively do you drive on a daily basis on public roads? If it was really that easy to spin a car out then you would see about 1000 busted cars on the way to work every day.

therm8

Bah! It's not like I haven't driven much more powerful rwd cars without any sort of traction control. I leave it on, or at least mostly on, almost all the time. But when it's time to have a little fun....

It's all in knowing how to drive a rwd car properly, and knowing its limits. And that includes knowing what to do when the rear gets a little beyond its limits. This car is the easiest to recover vehicle i've ever driven.

Rasputin

I have a more radical approach : for me, disabling DSC (outside specific occasions) is like disconnecting air-bags or leaving the seat belts untightened.

Even on a track day, I left it on as it only came on when I was completely off the line anyway. It's not intrusive at all. Also at numerous occasions, in normal driving conditions, it prevented my car from drifting unexpectedly, even on dry tarmac.

F

dmp

I leave it on more often than not lately -mostly because I don't like all the little guage icons, and dummy lights on the dash.

RPIRX-8

While I agree this is a good safety feature, you can definitely tell the difference when doing high rpm shifts and launching. When trying to do a launch with even the "one touch" off you can feel and see a bog in the acceleration. However, in any sort of non-dry conditions, I leave it all the way on, don't want to chance it.

DARKMAZ8

I think the big problem is that most of these 8 drivers have never driven a rwd car in their life. I have a base 8 and have no problems in snow, rain, ect. Good Tires is key and the factory bridgetones hydroplane quite easily. We canadians got the dunlops and they handle much better in the wet.

My first car was a t2 fc and the added torque definatly made me a better rwdriver. I would never use dsc because it causes you to learn some bad driving habits and if one day that dsc breaks down you will be like a deer in headlights.

If your not comfortable in driving without dsc, I suggest you take some lessons.

staticlag

Well, its all about skill and the tires.

If have great tires and at the very least have a general idea of how to control a spin/drift, and don't get scared and do something stupid (slamming brakes, slamming gas, pulling off gas, jerking wheel), and the roads are in good condition. Then you can pretty much leave DSC and TMS off in all dry conditions.

In rain/snow, any control you might of had in being able to control a drifting/spinning car goes completely out the window. I wouldn't chance it. On water, snow, you have zero control, no amount of skill is going to save you from a flatspin on icy/standing water roads. The DSC helps in this condition by keeping you from even encountering the spin in the first place by holding back on throttle.

I would consider myself a great driver, aware of everything, knows how to control slides, great reaction time and coordination(from years of video games ).

One night a few months ago, got cocky that I could control it with DSC fully disabled on very light snow dusted roads, stock tires.

So I was accelerating completely straight, on a flat straight road, and only one of my back tires slipped on an extra slippery part of road. This sent me into a tailspin, which I did control to some extent for about 50 meters, at 60 MPH then when I totally lost it over a curb and sideways into a sapling. 6k in insurance later, I learned my lesson, no amount of skill can help you when your tires completely loose traction.

DARKMAZ8

exactly why you should invest in all season performance tires. ppl have been driving rwd cars without dsc for decades. You want to go play in the snow with performance dry tires than thats your choice but to say that dsc is needed to enjoy this car is flat out false.

iridearocket

I have dragged alot of people and the car defintely runs faster with the traction control off. Not sure why... the TCS may be limiting torque in 1st gear when you drop the hammer. I always drive with TCS off, in fact I wish I could have it permanently off. It really pisses me off when it kicks in. I even turn off the traction in the winter. The car is very agile and predicable. When the car starts sliding (which is not easy to do without trying pretty hard), the response and feedback from the car is excellent. If you're not a great driver then leave it on.

G8rboy

Exactly- all the computer controls in the world can't do **** without traction between the tires and the ground. And I also get worried seeing all these "I turned off DCS and wrecked/nearly wrecked" threads... I'm afraid FWD has created a country full of (even more) unskilled drivers.

wintergrn

I know I had to relearn some handling instincts. Years of driving understeering FWD cars nearly ruined me. It's good to be back in a car that works the right way again. (If my girlfriend's Subaru is listening, yes, AWD is nice too...)

I think the vacuum-actuated choke servo was the closest thing to an "automatic control" on my original RWD car. That said, the DSC does stay out of the way until you're actually in trouble, so I've got no problem with that. I just wish the TCS power-limiting "feature" could be disabled separately.