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How useful is the 370z traction control in the wet


andyvvc

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Sounds like a daft question. But the TC on both my 350z's (in the wet) can be 'dangerous' on some occasions when trying to pull out of a wet road junction.

 

If i pull out from a junction with a little bit too much power (perhaps due to excess grease on that bit of road, or loose stones, or a heavy right foot etc) the car completely cuts rear power and leaves you stranded in the middle of the junction, slowly juddering out. Not ideal if another car emerges from round a bend at excessive speed and you need to get out of the way...

 

Does the 370z offer better 'slip' and a more refined control when it cuts the TC on in similar circumstances? ie does the 370 actually allow the rear wheels to spin a little but controls the loss of traction in a more subtle manner allowing a safer and quicker exit from a junction?

 

Turning the TC *OFF* in the 350 in the wet is one solution - but that then leaves the driver at the mercy of his/her own ego/ability/mental alertness which isnt always an ideal place to be :blush:

 

I've seen a few reviews online where reviewers (in the wet) have said the 370 offers a more subtle form of TC - infact one video clearly highlights this as a 350z in the wet tries to drift out of a junction and gets stopped by the TC abruptly, but a 370 drifts quite politely out of a corner without much oversteer and with some decent forward motion. (Both instances look more like drift attempts though and not genuine 'normal' junction pull aways in the wet - hence me asking about the TC in a more 'real world' situation)

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*Tried* to follow you B)

 

It's really the junction pull outs in the wet that im interested in. I've had a few near-misses recently thanks to the 350z TC at junctions just stopping all forward motion completely for seconds on end (in the wet). I'm intrigued to know if the clunky TC of the 350z has been refined at all in the 370 - mainly for normal driving at junctions in the wet, that kind of thing.

 

Most of the time the TC in mine is off..unless its raining badly. It's in these situations that, occasionally, the TC in the 350 feels more like an enemy than a friend :lol:

 

I'm running Falken 452s with 6mm of tread...not the best tyre ever, but not ditch-finders either. These might be contributing the the TC getting muddled on occasions i guess.

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I know what you mean and can recall several times in my previous 350, when I used to keep the TC on, that on hairpins and sometimes at junctions the TC got in the way. Certainly became more noticeable with tyre wear.

 

Can't say the 370 feels much different in that regard but that said it is generally accepted to have more rear end grip than the 350's, but that said, I personally like having more weight in the rear end to not only help general traction but also to help the pendulum effect when you do want the rear end to 'assist' the cornering ;)

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My 370z is far better on the TCS than the 350z (276) was. The '50 was so jerky and very voilent when the TC kicks in. The '70 is much more gentle, sometimes you can only tell its working as the light is flickering. Saying that it doesnt come on very often so hard to tell, but its certainly a lot smoother, doesnt just cut all the power, keeps power going even when its working, just reduces it enough to stop the slip.

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I agree, it certainly seems more off or on on the 350, hence like Colin it's off 99% of the time on mine, like you, Andy I found it to be more unforgiving at very low speeds. I had Falkens previously and although they were a "fair enough tyre" I've noticed a lot of improvement since changing to Vreds, ironically they have now been discontinued :thumbdown: Hopefully the replacements will be as good if not better :)

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I hate to say it, but the problem isn't the TC in the car, it's the TC at the end of your right leg.

 

 

lol - i was expecting a comment like this :lol: I'm not alone in berating the TC on the 350z - it really is too eager to step in during slow wet driving conditions. Sounds like the 370 might be a lot smoother from some comments?

 

This is what i saw originally - watch it from about 3mins 40secs in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXIZ6Y38wEI

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Yes its a lot smoother and unobtrusive IMO. Unlike the 350z where you really have to get fully off the throttle when the TC kicks in, the 370z you can keep the throttle in and let it sort it out. Personally I never have it turned off unless on the track/airfield and dont find it hampers progress on the road. It does depend how much you like to push it on the road though. And that would be questionable in the wet ;)

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