polytsx

Just spent my first full week with the new TSX and last night was the first rainfall that allowed a great opportunity to try out the VSA system, and I must say I am impressed.

VSA is very responsive, it was very effective at straightening out the car no matter how hard I tried to fishtail it. It is also a very quiet system, in my former Infinity you could really hear and feel the computer go to work. With the Acura VSA you hear and feel almost nothing, were it not for the light on the dash that comes on you might not even notice. I was surprised at how the VSA somehow does not overcorrect the car. It is definitely a fairly intuitive system.

On the whole I was very impressed with the system, and my favorite feature, much like my former Infinity, you can turn it off and really get an appreciation for the difference that VSA makes. It is a niece piece of technology to have onboard.

Now I am looking forward to the snow to play some more……

MichaelkTSX

You were trying to fishtail on purpose? Seriously.

I live in FL with heavy rain falls and hurricanes and VSA never came on. I don't care how good the system is, don't get yourself in a wreck because you drove too hard in the rain.

Powered by Honda

Doesnt VSA just shut off power to the wheel when it slips?
am I wrong?
What does it do?

Eeyore

In my experience, unless you are on snow or ice, you have to drive the snot out of the car to get the VSA to come on. Not sure I'd want to deliberately do that.

Only exception I can think of is taking off from a dead stop in the rain. Do it too fast and VSA will flash quickly.

hammer098

never came on? It always comes on, keeps you from slipping, the only indication that it fails/or is off is the warning light. just try to take a hard turn on slick blacktop then peel out and you can't cuz it cuts the power to prevent slip.

joerockt

VSA comes on for me at some point usually during every drive

Pisses me off

scratch-n-sniff

ditto

Eeyore

Geez I didn't think I drive like a grandma, but I guess compared to you guys I do.

jimmyg

All stability assist systems use a combination of power reduction with ABS. Where VSA differs from normal traction control is a yaw sensor and programing that allows it to break just one wheel, front or back or a combination to rebalance the car. I usually detect a slight ABS shutter every now and again in different situation and when I'm driving a little too agressive in slippery condition the light will blink on quickly as well.

jimmyg

I swear this car whispers in my ear every morning "go ahead, drive me like you stole me"

No, really I drive this car too hard. All the time and I can't help it. I've tried to hold back now that I've put 11K and have had to replace the OEM tires. But the more I learn about how to drive, the harder I do and the smoother it feels. I'm taking more and more trips up through the Rockies these days.
Loveland and Burthed pass are the big reasons I bought her.

polytsx

I wasn’t sure how they did it, however the yaw sensor makes sense...the VSA has an amazing ability to sense when it has “straightened” the car out…in fact the system works very much as Jimmy has described.

As for the “testing” grounds…I live in a rural area with no sidewalks and lots of 90 degree corners…perfect for this type of stuff in the rain. Picking up the new snowtires tomorrow and looking forward to the first flakes.

Mind you, VSA didn’t help with the bear that was in the driveway on the way in (seriously)…did also discover that the TSX has a pretty impressive horn for a car of it’s size….

West6MT

Haha a bear,.......yikes. Where are you? I remember one time when I was winter camping I was walking along and looked up and infront of me not too far ahead was a big moose. I hid behind a tree until it walked away so I could continue on with my dad. Those things can be crazy,....I didnt want to find out at whatever young age I was at the time.

Keeping on topic, the only time I have seen the VSA light come on was when I floored it when the road was wet. My friend was in the car and wanted to "feel how quick the car was".

aaronng

The one where VSA cuts your power off is traction control. You feel the loss of power. The 2nd part is the actualy stability assist where you can feel a vibration which is the ABS engaging eventhough you are not on the brakes (or even lightly). I've had VSA come on when I was testing in a tight roundabout. I was neither pressing the accelerator nor brake, but I felt a vibration and my car turned like it was on rails and the VSA light came on.

dontcare4urshyt

probably has something to do with you people having warped rotors.. My VSA has never come on

joerockt

Probably not...I dont...

wesleyl524

My VSA light came on about two weeks ago during a freak nor'easter here in Vermont- i'm glad it works well, but that light can be quite distracting when youre trying to ascend a steep icy hill in driving snow in the dark.

joerockt

hondatypes

this is a stupid question and a post...but ima go ahead...
ok the vsa switch..it lables vsa off....does that mean that it is always on!!! the light has never gone on like some of you have gone on. So when i see the light come on, which has a triangle and a ! in it thats when its on??? If this is so. i think they made the switch all wrong....does anyone know what im talking about.....i confused myself!!!!!!!!!

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

The VSA system is turned on every time the car is started. You can manually disable it with the button which will cause the light to stay on.

However, with the system on, the light stays off until the system is engaged. The traction control system will not trigger the light, but the yaw control will.

Any questions?

MichaelkTSX

VSA is always on, the switch turns it off. Smart of Acura since the 2nd gen TL only has (TCS or VSA) on the button which can confuse driver into thinking they are turning TCS or VSA on when they are acutally turning it off.

When the Light with the <!> comes on and stays on when you press the VSA OFF button that mean you have turn VSA off. If the <!> comes on and flash while you are driving and have VSA on, that means the system was activated by some sort of slippage.

MichaelkTSX

If TCS does not trigger the <!> light, does the TSX have a seperate TCS light?

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

No, but if there is a malfunction in the system, the VSA light will indicate it as the TCS is an integral part of the VSA.

wclark

can someone post a picture of the dash lights for the VSA? and what happens when I press that little VSA button by the steering column?

TacoBellSauce

now i can finally start having fun with my car, its about 6 months old and only 1006 miles on it
i believe that the engine is broken into enough for me to start having fun