Neech

Here’s the scenario:

From a stop that pitches down slightly onto the street that I'm making a left on. There’s some bad pavement I go over while making the left. It's a busy street so I have to hit the pedal some-what hard to even up with the flow of traffic.

So, there’s a good amount of torque at the wheels in this left hand turn and then I hit the bad pavement. Well, the VAS kicks in and begins to treat it as the wheel is slipping over the bump. Fine, a little traction control. I'm past that bad spot and 3 seconds later, and here's the weirdness, the VSA light comes on and one of the front wheels feels like its braking. Actually the left wheel was braking because I had to correct right not hit oncoming traffic. It did this twice in a matter of one second to the point I had to correct it back into my lane.

This is the 2nd time this has occurred in the same spot so it's not a fluke as I thought the first time. 2001 has LSD and I'm no expert but I was speculating that the VSA thought there was still slip in the right tire and was trying to (incorrectly) keep me straight. Like I said, I have no idea the inner workings of this but it was rush hour and it would have been a mess if it pulled me over to the left. Any thoughts?

Samer007

was there snow, or ice. There might have been a lost of traction, when that happens the engin will idles for a bit to gain taction.

That had happend to me once or twice, but it always happens when there is bad traction (bad tires, pavement, ice or snow)

Neech

Sorry, should have mentioned this. It was completely dry both times. That would have explained it but, no. It's been pretty dry here.

EricL

ARE you sure the feeling of the brake being applied is only to the one side (The VSA can also "throttle down" the engine with its own throttle plate)?


The reason I ask is....

I had an experience that was repeated over a hairpin curve that was covered with rocks and sand. There was a definite power kill when the car has its wheel hit a 2-3" sandstone/granite rock in the road (there was a bit of sand on the road as well, but the car did not feel like it was understeering or losing traction). The VSA feeling was similar to a massive application of brakes. I went back over the same section (hairpin) and tried this again, and there is something about the "interruption" of smooth wheel movement that made the VSA really get "upset" and want to prevent full application of power. The problem DID NOT occur on other similar hairpins that were "rock free."

I don't know if this correlates to your "experience", but I have a feeling that the VSA has some "unexplored" modes in it. I think the wheel speed sensor detects a sudden bump, break, or rock as a break in traction.

You did say "bad pavement" didn't you -- meaning "lumpy"/"bumpy"/"broken"/etc ???

Ultimac

Call me crazy, but I swear that the steering wheel feels lighter when VSA is off like it is easier to turn-in. Also seams to be a little less TQ steer on bumpy surfaces . How many people drive with it off a lot. I do, except when its raining.