exactly wat does the VSA do...and wat happens when i click the VSA off button........

 

vsa is traction control for the car. when the wheels begins to slip or is about to it will either apply brake to the wheel that needs or reduce the throttle. turning it off will obvious stop this feature but will increase performance because the VSA does take power away from the car a bit.

 

Yeah... what he said and I also want to add it saved my a** a few times when I had my 01 CLS. U know driving like an idiot... With my experience with it, I would call it a little more than traction control. Like the name says Vehicle Stability Assist. It senses wheel speed and compares steering input with yaw sensors and makes a judgement on what the driver is trying to do. I would recommend leaving it turned on. Your owners manual has a nice write up on the vsa.

 

VSA is an unreal feature of the car. I have put my TL in some turns where it has saved my butt. It is like having a co-pilot that is smarter than we are. I do turn it off if I am going in a stright line to eat some 330's, but other than that it stays on!

04' Abyss TL
Auto
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VSA uses the anti-lock brake circuits and computer analysis to, as the above writer stated, compare each wheel's speed with the cars directional forces and the steering wheel position to conclude that you are starting to skid. It will then selectively apply the brakes to the appropriate wheels to get you straightened out and in your intended direction. Most luxury sports cars have some form of it (optional at extra cost).

LSD is a limited slip differential which only comes with the 6MT.

Interestingly, I had this experience: I bumped up against a one inch lip on the garage floor entrance and the car, which was just creeping, stopped against the lip. I gave it a little throttle to get over the lip, and the front tires broke loose. I ended up with about a foot of black rubber on my new Rustoleum Epoxy garage floor.

Even tho I have a 5AT, (no LSD), the black marks were of equal lengths on both sides. I am assuming the VSA stepped in instantaneously.

I am wondering why the 6MT has LSD if VSA does the same thing?

PS: Fantastic works to get most of the tire marks off the floor.

XP

All my surprises with the new TL have been good ones.

 

Okay so I have a question what is the difference in the light indicators I belive we have one that says "VSA" and another that is just an exclamation mark. I have noticed that the VSA blinks or goes of when I accelerate quickly and spin the wheels, but I have not seen the exclamation mark indicator go off? Any insight with out me reading the Fcuknig Manual?

 

It will only intervene when needed. At speed, you don't get more performance without it. It works very well - speaking from experience. It can save your butt. In a turn, it will understand better and faster than you what is happening to the car and what to the right thing to do is. It will be reacting already at the moment you realize "Oh shit, I'm going too fast." The actions it takes compliment what needs to be done to recover, and take a lot of the drama out of stabilizing the car. It should normally be left on. When the 'explanation point' symbol is flashing, VSA is taking action to stablize the car.

The only performance exception where you may want to diable it is launching the car - a 'drag race' launch. You can get a better launch if traction control is not intervening when wheel spin is detected.

 

You know, you can expect Ron A. any second now to come raging out of his cave with his big [RTFM] sign. Then he'll tell you on which page in the manual your answer dwells.

The first symbol that comes on and flashes tells you that the VSA is activated and working. This is sometimes accmpanied by the smell of burning EL42s (tires).

The other one comes on when you shut off the VSA to tell you "you're on your own, Bubba!" This is sometimes accompanied by the sound of crunching metal.

You pays your money and you takes your chances.

That experience which does not kill me makes me a better man.

XP

 

Just as others have said, the exclamation, flashing tells u that vsa is saving ur a**. On solid it is de-activated. The letters VSA tells you that there is a problem with the vsa system (if they are on continuously)

 

Just an FYI, the VSA is a PITA in the snow.

Haven't felt it in my TL yet (too new, no snow yet) but in all of my RL's and Legends the VSA often interprets snow as "the wheel is slipping therefore the driver must be in a precarious situation so I'll help him by braking and cutting off power as he's attempting to climb a steep hill in three inches of fresh powder with a 4x4 on his ass and the kids fumbling in their car seats".

VSA is a major safety feature 9 months of the year, but watch out for those other 3....

BJ