Traction or no traction hmmm

Hi, I've been having some trouble with my stock TC. Basically the TRC OFF light used to sometimes not come on, or glow half brightness with the ! warning light, and sometimes glow full brightness!!

I sorted this how ever by taking the assmebly apart, and finding a load of dry solder joints around the cable socket. Now it comes on full brightness everytime i press the switch!

However i was driving it around to see if the TC was working properly, and then the TRC OFF light is off the TC definatly works, as i tried it on gravel and you could feel it holding the power back plus the TRC light on the dash was flashing like mad!

I thing turned the TC off, and it seemed to be off, but it didn't wheel spin as much as i expected it to. I then tried it on tarmac but it felt like the TC was still active, becuase you could here the tyre beginning to screech, but not quite!

I have a UK TT Auto, and i know this may sound mad or daft but how easy should it be to get it to wheels spin on tarmac?!?! coz it seems reluctant too! - i dont want to be doing burnouts or anything, i just want to know how the car should behave with the stock TC off and what to look out for?!

anyway if you have any advice that would be cool

Cheers

Rooster

:flame Dev

My rather poor understanding of the TC on the Supras is it has 3 modes of operation (read this on the US Supra site).

On.

Off - (turned off in cabin with button on dash)

Really off - unplug TRAC fuse from fuse box.

Even when turned off in the cabin the traction control has a stupid-mode of operation where it will kick in if there are some really bad traction things going on. So to really disable it you need to unplug the fuse. Perhaps that is why guys in the US run without the TRAC at the drags. As I understand it though the US Supras have a different form of traction control anyway. So everything I have said may not qualify for the Jap Supras anyway..

Cheers

Andrei

I dont think its actually fesible to spin the wheels on tarmac in an auto, the pickup from the gearbox just isnt quick enough to allow you to spin them from the start, once its rolling then thats a different matter.

I believe the TC still has some level of control even when turned off. It certainly has control of some of the gearbox actions so the only way to remove it is to take the Trac fuse out.

JB

Rip out the fuse, and fit something proper like RLTC.

Originally posted by redline Rooster

[bI have a UK TT Auto, and i know this may sound mad or daft but how easy should it be to get it to wheels spin on tarmac?!?! coz it seems reluctant too! - i dont want to be doing burnouts or anything, i just want to know how the car should behave with the stock TC off and what to look out for?!

[/b]

in a stock car on a dry road it won't actually spin wheels much (if at all). - The tyres have enough traction.

I had a UK-spec TT manual, and even with full throttle in 1st gear it would still hold traction. Obviously you can always just dump the clutch ..

On a wet road it's a different matter. Do be very careful on a wet road, especially in an automatic, cos if it kicks down a gear in the wet then you're going to get big wheelspin and if you're cornering at the time, you might find yourself embedded in a ditch or hedge. A lot of people have crashed Supras on a wet road. At least with a manual gearbox, you can leave it in 5th or 6th and this will keep the torque down but in an auto, you have a bigger risk of getting into trouble. By all means experiment on a wet day when it's safe(ish) to do so - maybe a large and deserted roundabout. At least then you'll see what happens with too much power in the rain. don't say we didn't warn you if you end up stationary facing the wrong way though !

To disable traction control completely, pull out the TRAC fuse in the fuse box (near the battery). There's a diagram on the inside of the black lid so you can see which the TRAC fuse is.

haha so all in favour of ripping out the fuse say aiiiii!!!!

OK cheers guys, I just wanted to know!! i mean i dont want to do mad things like just do donuts etc *well only sometimes! *

its just since i've had the supra my TC system has been a bit funny, but know its fixed i'm just seeing what it should behave like!!!

cool, well i think i'll try the fuse out method, we've got an old airfeild near us, and planty of large carpark with nothing to hit! *always usful*

I do know what you mean about the kick down in the wet though!! i'm always careful with the throttle in the wet, but I have had an experiance where the back end wanted to go one way and the front the other!! luckily though i caught it and after cleaning the leather off it was a face full of :D :D

I've been on a skid pan course as well so that helps LOL!!!

Cheers again!

Rooster

:flame Dev

in a stock car on a dry road it won't actually spin wheels much (if at all). - The tyres have enough traction

I'M ACTUALLY QUITE GLAD that somebody's said that ! !

I've only just started TRYING, but, was getting a bit concerned that

I COULDN'T seem to spin the wheels on my JapTT ! !

I'm NOT a 'spin-it-everywhere'-type, BUT, I felt that the Soop

should be ABLE to if it was 'fit'.

I'm JUST as happy if it can't BECAUSE THE TRACTIONS GOOD

(AND THE WAY THE POWER'S FED IN !)

The Soop seems to have an 'inbuilt' pull-away-smoothing-device.

It's not really the Turbo-Lag, it just seems to do it 'gently' ? ?

THEN, after about 2secs/20mph you can go BALLISTIC -

IF you feel inclined, that is...... so are they all like that ? ?

------------------------------------------------------

I already KNOW it can spin in wet/round a sharp corner ! !

( ~180 degrees...ALMOST hit central reservation.....

...WON'T BE SHOWING OFF AT LIGHTS / ON A BEND / IN WET

ANYMORE ! ! ! ! )

:stupid:

 

The Soop seems to have an 'inbuilt' pull-away-smoothing-device.

It's not really the Turbo-Lag, it just seems to do it 'gently' ? ?

THEN, after about 2secs/20mph you can go BALLISTIC -

IF you feel inclined, that is...... so are they all like that ? ?

 

[/b]

I dont think any of the Sup's came with a launch control, thats what you mean by smooth pull away device i take it!?!?

I have a UK TT and if you stamp the throttle firmly to the metal your pinned back from 0 all the way until the top, theres no gentle pull away, infact it quite a punch?! - may be you have a LC system fitted!?! have you looked?!

Like you say though i was a bit concerned that it wouldn't spin on dry tarmac in a straight line, but when you think about it the traction from 2, 255 width tyres is immense! how ever it does still slide like a gooden on a corner!! *i've pulled the fuse out on the stock TC!* :D Yepp good fun!!! need new rubber now!! b*#cks

L8R

rooster - with less tread than before

:flame Dev

Fundamentally there is only one thing between you and the road and that's your tyres.

On old tyres I've experienced dry road wheel spin at motorway speeds if the surface provokes it. Examples being white lines and truck-ruts. With new tyres (Bridgestone S01) this only happens on wet or damp roads. Watch out when booting it to pass a slow vehicle as you cross the white line. There's just enough time for one wheel to lose traction before the LSD catches it and by then the other wheel has lost traction. The moral of the story is keep both hands on the wheel and treat Supra power with respect.

These cars will keep you on your toes - that's surely their appeal.

Its once you mod a TT that you find traction a problem. If you look at Keiths rolling road map on a different thread the kick from the 2nd turbo is so violent that the tyres will break traction everytime in the wet, and quite often in the dry if you are running serious boost (18psi +)

Once I have sorted out my mods I will get RLTC fitted as it really is a great safety measure. Lots of people have said it must remove from the driving experience but as its adjustable and turn on and offable then you can set it for whatever level of intrusion you want. And any level of setting has to be better than the stock system.

JB

I dont think any of the Sup's came with a launch control, thats what you mean by smooth pull away device i take it!?!?

No MR. RED,

what I meant was, any car which is supposedly producing

nearly 300ftlbs (?) of torque at ~1,500 revs SHOULD be

spinning wheels wether you wanted it to or not ? !

I know it pulls hard from 0-up, but it does it in a very 'controlled'

manner ? ?

I know we all have lovely big rear tyres BUT I'd still expect

SOME squeelling from standstill. Unless I'm wrong, it sounds

like no-one gets much of that ? (except manual with 'dumped'

clutch ? ?)

[ ps. sorry about 'squeelling' spelling ? ! ]

Does ANYONE spin wheels (in dry) on full throttle in auto ? ?

(standard, OR, out of interest tuned ?)

As I said, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, just happier

if I know my Soop is meant to pull away without 'fanfare'.

Fat S.

I have been driving without a TC fuse in the fuse box for well over half a yaer now and even in stock form on a wet road you can get wheel spin when the second turbo kicks in.

I've lit the rears up in fourth gear on many occasions going in a straight line on dual carriageways in the wet.

You do have to be on guard all the time if you choose not to have TC active.

I have 285 width rear tyres and still I can get them to spin in the wet when the second turbo comes on. But then again I think it's safer to not have to count on any TC to get you out of trouble because you can start to over-cook things too much and get too far over the limit.

Originally posted by Steve W

 

No MR. RED,

 

what I meant was, any car which is supposedly producing

 

nearly 300ftlbs (?) of torque at ~1,500 revs SHOULD be

 

spinning wheels wether you wanted it to or not ? !

 

I know it pulls hard from 0-up, but it does it in a very 'controlled'

 

manner ? ?

Steve W, oh right i see what you mean!! - yeah the power delivery is very smooth, but yet you do get pinned back to the seat!!! :D

I like it when i have a passenger too, as they dont expect you to plant it, and its soooooo funny watching them suddernly get pinned back as you go launching off down a dual carrage way or something!!!

excellent stuff!

I've added a relay in circuit to my TC now so i can now have TC in 3 modes - "on", "dumb mode off" or use the relay to switch it "really off" - soooo much better!!!!

L8R

Roost

:flame Dev

I'll try pulling the fuse in the morning and see if I can feel any

differences (traction, or, auto-changes).

Fat S.