Back on Track

[optronix]

By "manually turn them off" I mean just that- go into the settings in the dash via the steering wheel and uncheck all the boxes. You may have to do this every time you cycle the power for some settings (auto-braking may be the culprit here but I can't completely recall... still no issues with it activating on track whether on or off). But I haven't had any issues driving on track or on the road with lane change assist activating if it's not actually turned off. Can't help you there if you're experiencing different.

And by "not about lap times", I mean I don't think this is an ideal platform for hardcore track rats. I mean, I guess it could be but that's not why I bought the car; I just want it to be able to survive for the 1-2 times a year I'll have it on a race track, and to have fun while I'm out there.

Will it keep up or even outpace cars in a higher tier "class" of sports car? Hell yes. As I mentioned I did it myself and I'm not that great or experienced a driver... AND I was intentionally sparing my OEM brakes and fluid on long straights and was sacrificing a shit ton of time in doing so. I was probably going about 7-8/10ths, 6/10ths on the straights, and did not get passed all day. This was also in novice class but they did a show of hands prior to the session and I was still one of the less experienced drivers out there... small sample size but it's all I've got.

Autocross, similar story but I have far more autocross experience under my belt (still nothing compared to the serious guys who go out every weekend...)- for every Porsche I place ahead of there's a fucking Miata or BRZ that's a full second ahead of me. I generally place top ~40% or so in my local PCA events, but probably among the top 5-10% with non-200 TW tires. I actually expect to be knocking on the door of FTD once I make a couple necessary tweaks including tires but I'm maxing out mine and the car's potential on OEM gear. And there's always an asshole in a GT3 on RE-71RSs that crushes everyone.

But where I draw the line as far as what I expect out of this car is trying to be that guy with the Garmin Catalyst trying to shave that last .2 seconds off a PR. Sure it could do that, just check out Zygrene's channel for evidence... but it's actually his channel that helped me realize that there are probably better choices for people that want that out of a car, to go TRULY 10/10ths. It just seems that in order to get to that level you'd have to compromise so much of what makes the car a great road car. But that's also just about my personal goals for the car. Zygrene is truly the best example for that though; he's living that Grid Life with his ITS and seems to be enjoying the hell out of it while also driving it every day... but that's not for me. Brakes, springs, tires, maybe a rear sway bar and a couple things to make it a little noisier in a good way and that should set me straight.

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[StingertimeNC]

The car trying to steer itself is because of the lane centering feature being turned on. The button on the steering wheel, right lower corner, pic of steering wheel with the two lines on either side is this feature. Shut that puppy off and you'll be set. I doubt it would work on a track as the camera has to be able to find the lines on the road. but it's still annoying in all cases, so I just keep it off always.

I keep traction control on the reduced mode on the track. It does kick in occasionally and drag the rear inside brake a bit, but most of the time I don't notice it, likely because I'm not pushing the car that hard. I may get myself to the point where I feel comfortable with it fully off, not sure yet. I don't go to the track regularly enough unfortunately. Just 2 times a year for a couple of days, so every time I go I'm learning again. That's ok, just doing it for fun.

Also, our car doesn't show oil temp on any gauge unfortunately.

I also turn off emergency braking before the start of each session, maybe one other thing I turn off too, but can't remember off the top of my head.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

The car trying to steer itself is because of the lane centering feature being turned on. The button on the steering wheel, right lower corner, pic of steering wheel with the two lines on either side is this feature. Shut that puppy off and you'll be set. I doubt it would work on a track as the camera has to be able to find the lines on the road. but it's still annoying in all cases, so I just keep it off always.

I keep traction control on the reduced mode on the track. It does kick in occasionally and drag the rear inside brake a bit, but most of the time I don't notice it, likely because I'm not pushing the car that hard. I may get myself to the point where I feel comfortable with it fully off, not sure yet. I don't go to the track regularly enough unfortunately. Just 2 times a year for a couple of days, so every time I go I'm learning again. That's ok, just doing it for fun.

Also, our car doesn't show oil temp on any gauge unfortunately.

I also turn off emergency braking before the start of each session, maybe one other thing I turn off too, but can't remember off the top of my head.

That's the rub, I know I've turned off the lane centering stuff. I'm trying to recall now if I restarted the car inbetween, and if maybe that turned it back on. I know it wasn't active in the dash when it kicked in on me, but it also kicked in like lane departure warning, not lane centering. There were no lanes it was departing though, just reflections.

Yeah I know there's no oil temp. That sucks to be missing on a turbo car, but I'm hoping I can pull it via obd2. If so I can setup alerts to my phone mounted on the dash.

What group do you typically go out to the track with? Sim time I've found to be super helpful when I can't get enough seat time. That's how I learn a new track before going out typically.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

By "manually turn them off" I mean just that- go into the settings in the dash via the steering wheel and uncheck all the boxes. You may have to do this every time you cycle the power for some settings (auto-braking may be the culprit here but I can't completely recall... still no issues with it activating on track whether on or off). But I haven't had any issues driving on track or on the road with lane change assist activating if it's not actually turned off. Can't help you there if you're experiencing different.

And by "not about lap times", I mean I don't think this is an ideal platform for hardcore track rats. I mean, I guess it could be but that's not why I bought the car; I just want it to be able to survive for the 1-2 times a year I'll have it on a race track, and to have fun while I'm out there.

Will it keep up or even outpace cars in a higher tier "class" of sports car? Hell yes. As I mentioned I did it myself and I'm not that great or experienced a driver... AND I was intentionally sparing my OEM brakes and fluid on long straights and was sacrificing a shit ton of time in doing so. I was probably going about 7-8/10ths, 6/10ths on the straights, and did not get passed all day. This was also in novice class but they did a show of hands prior to the session and I was still one of the less experienced drivers out there... small sample size but it's all I've got.

Autocross, similar story but I have far more autocross experience under my belt (still nothing compared to the serious guys who go out every weekend...)- for every Porsche I place ahead of there's a fucking Miata or BRZ that's a full second ahead of me. I generally place top ~40% or so in my local PCA events, but probably among the top 5-10% with non-200 TW tires. I actually expect to be knocking on the door of FTD once I make a couple necessary tweaks including tires but I'm maxing out mine and the car's potential on OEM gear. And there's always an asshole in a GT3 on RE-71RSs that crushes everyone.

But where I draw the line as far as what I expect out of this car is trying to be that guy with the Garmin Catalyst trying to shave that last .2 seconds off a PR. Sure it could do that, just check out Zygrene's channel for evidence... but it's actually his channel that helped me realize that there are probably better choices for people that want that out of a car, to go TRULY 10/10ths. It just seems that in order to get to that level you'd have to compromise so much of what makes the car a great road car. But that's also just about my personal goals for the car. Zygrene is truly the best example for that though; he's living that Grid Life with his ITS and seems to be enjoying the hell out of it while also driving it every day... but that's not for me. Brakes, springs, tires, maybe a rear sway bar and a couple things to make it a little noisier in a good way and that should set me straight.

Yeah, all fast setups are based on the tire you want to run. The more aggressive the tire, the more aggressive the suspension needs to be. If you're really into doing HPDE lapping for max performance or driver development, you'll probably eventually settle on either a clubsport car with a modestly aggressive setup (this would be like a Porsche gt car or anything else running near -2.0 camber) or you'll look for a dedicated car you can cage and stick slicks on. This car as it is does fall into the clubsport category

Thing is, if your car is setup for slicks or even 100tw treaded tires, you're doing at least -3.0 camber, high on castor, and typically running very high spring rates. At this point, even if you swap to street tires, the car isn't necessarily road safe. With one wrong pothole or bump in the road, you could go flying. I know a few people that have gone this route only to roll their car on an on ramp. Not to mention the attention required to keep a high strung car from drifting everywhere on the highway.

My goals for this car are purely clubsport. I don't want it so aggressive that it's not street drivable with my kids in it, nor do I want to cage it and compromise street safety. It's purely street fun and probably 3 to 4 weekends per year of private "relaxation day" or instruction.

My 370z racecar is what my track addiction normally sets loose on. Caged, running -3.7 camber, nearly 9 degrees of castor, 3" off the ground with modified pickup points, full Ti spherical ball suspension, 14k/10k custom valve coil setup, antisurge fuel delivery, baffled oil pan, aero, proper brake ducting, gutted, no headlights, and it makes 297whp all day, every day, regardless of weather while weighing 3160lbs with all fuel/wet and driver.

This is not a street car. It would be a nightmare on the street. Comfy, sure, but the amount of focus it would take to drive 20 miles on the highway without wrecking would give you a headache. You can feel it drive over a coke can, nevermind that 4" dip in the road that would send it into a ditch, . It's awesome on track though, and with a 19gal fuel tank that can run to full empty without fuel starve, you can beat on it for a looooong time before taking a break.

 

[StingertimeNC]

That's the rub, I know I've turned off the lane centering stuff. I'm trying to recall now if I restarted the car inbetween, and if maybe that turned it back on. I know it wasn't active in the dash when it kicked in on me, but it also kicked in like lane departure warning, not lane centering. There were no lanes it was departing though, just reflections.

Yeah I know there's no oil temp. That sucks to be missing on a turbo car, but I'm hoping I can pull it via obd2. If so I can setup alerts to my phone mounted on the dash.

What group do you typically go out to the track with? Sim time I've found to be super helpful when I can't get enough seat time. That's how I learn a new track before going out typically.

Yes, Lane departure, that's the other thing to turn off when you turn off emergency braking.

I don't think OBD2 can give you real oil temp, even the Type R is just a guesstimate.

I would love a Sim setup and even went so far as to order some stuff to start to set one up, but then Fanatec was having some issues delivering product, so I got spooked and canceled the order, then never picked it back up again.

The only track I've been to is VIR. I go to TrackDaze events. They are the lowest cost organizer and events are always run pretty well, and not too crowded. VIR is only 2 hours for me and it's a great track. Between Track fees, Insurance, brakes and fluid, lodging, etc. I can do 4 days a year for roughly $4,000 all in. Not bad, but not something I want to get too crazy about. I'm also pretty conservative on the track. It's a blast of course and a rush like no other.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Yes, Lane departure, that's the other thing to turn off when you turn off emergency braking.

I don't think OBD2 can give you real oil temp, even the Type R is just a guesstimate.

I would love a Sim setup and even went so far as to order some stuff to start to set one up, but then Fanatec was having some issues delivering product, so I got spooked and canceled the order, then never picked it back up again.

The only track I've been to is VIR. I go to TrackDaze events. They are the lowest cost organizer and events are always run pretty well, and not too crowded. VIR is only 2 hours for me and it's a great track. Between Track fees, Insurance, brakes and fluid, lodging, etc. I can do 4 days a year for roughly $4,000 all in. Not bad, but not something I want to get too crazy about. I'm also pretty conservative on the track. It's a blast of course and a rush like no other.

Are you saying it doesn't report an oil temp to the ecu from a sensor anywhere? That would be surprising omission.

4 days for $4k is actually pretty good! If I'm taking out my Z, I'm typically spending around 1700$ per event, not including food, lodging, or other minor travel expenses. This is assuming I do 8 to 10 events per year. Fewer events makes the cost go up per event.

Don't give up on sim life! Even if you just buy a relatively cheap wheel, you can tune it with a proper curve/power map for iracing and have a lot of fun! You don't get any butt feel from a sim, and that's a huge part of it for me, but you do get all the visual and steering feedback at braking, turn in, and track out. Since you've driven Vir in real life, driving it in a sim would give you a whole new view

 

[StingertimeNC]

OK, I may get there eventually. I'm kind of afraid it will be fun at first, then collect dust. LOL.

Yes, no oil temp as far a I know and have read. It's actually calculating an estimate based on coolant temp and possibly other factors. There's no physical sensor.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

OK, I may get there eventually. I'm kind of afraid it will be fun at first, then collect dust. LOL.

Yes, no oil temp as far a I know and have read. It's actually calculating an estimate based on coolant temp and possibly other factors. There's no physical sensor.

I get that. I know quite a few people who have built full on rigs and then collected dust for months or years. It definitely depends on how busy you are and what time you can make. I tend to go in waves.

Bummer on the oil sensor, but at least it won't cut power on me when the oil hits 310F, lol.

 

[StingertimeNC]

LOL on oil temps. One thing to keep in mind is for track work, the stock intercooler seems to be the best. Aftermarket stuff blocks the radiator too much then water temps go too high.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

LOL on oil temps. One thing to keep in mind is for track work, the stock intercooler seems to be the best. Aftermarket stuff blocks the radiator too much then water temps go too high.

That's pretty typical, it's always a give and take with the two. People forget bar and plate intercoolers exchange more heat because they "touch" more air, basically blocking underhood airflow, which also makes the hood louvre less effective.

One of the best ways to control heat is duct tape. Just tape up all the seams in the grill and ensure no air is leaking around. Ideally a grill opening should be 1/3rd the size of the heat exchanger surface area, and then exit should also be 1/3rd. That's why I'd love for someone to develop a hood louvre insert that would open up the stock one for more air flow. If nothing else, I could easily fab up a piece to triple or quadruple the airflow out.

Here's some fun reading about front end aero/cooling (front bumper section at the bottom) : https://www.professionalawesome.com/diy-downforce/

 

[Victorofhavoc]

I got excited about finally setting a date to take the car out on track, so I just ordered some ti shims and a fresh bottle of rbf600.

Now waiting on my mechanic to make some time for me for an alignment. Finding a great mechanic is almost as hard as booking time with them. This guy did a better alignment on my racecar in the paddock in 20 mins than any other shop has been able to do on their rack. It's not magic, but somehow his alignments never slip while everyone else's tend to. Forearms of steel I guess...

I also need to make time with the dealer still. Need to chase two buzzes and replace the fender that's peeling off. I'll probably have them do an oil change as well and grab a sample for Blackstone. Might be nice to do a sample of the oil pan oil and of the fresh stuff going in for baseline, so I'll have to dig around for my sample bottles.

 

[egxflash]

I've owned 3 subaru, so I am no stranger to rattles. Those cars are often pitiful. Forester xt with a door vibrating and rattling so badly in winter that you keep a stick in the car to hold down the door card so it doesn't drive you mad... ? Been there!

Funny you mention this because my wife's Ascent with 60k on the clock doesn't rattle while my Acura does.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Funny you mention this because my wife's Ascent with 60k on the clock doesn't rattle while my Acura does.

Nice! Our crosstrek wasn't the worst, but there were definitely a lot of random small noises.

My friend has one of the first year ascents in Colorado and he mostly loves it. He did have an a pillar just randomly fall off one day while driving, and that has rattled a lot for him, but otherwise they really like it. They traded their forester for a q3, though. When I drove the ascent it was pretty quiet overall.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

These are pretty nice, and improve the key feel a lot. I've never used fob covers before, but I like this way too much. They're also only 12$ or so on Amazon!

 

[StingertimeNC]

Hey, what would you recommend as far as Brake pads for light/medium track duty? stock rotors and RBF 660 fluid.

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