The 350z is forgiving!!

[hensh65]

Just thought I would share a scary experience I had last night and just to see if anyone else has had similar scares!

 

Had the Zed nearly a year and drove it in all conditions. This was my first RWD car and found my heavy right foot was causing a few issues. I had to treat the car with a lot more respect than I had shown any car I have ever driven. Now I would say I am more than able to handle the car but still find every now and again it puts me in my place.

Last night I was driving round a corner onto a dual carridge-way and was caught in 2 minds. Was thinking about heading up the carridge-way or cutting off for the motorway which is a slip road just on the inside of the corner. I decided I would go onto the motorway and put the foot down (first mistake) This was mid corner, was in 2nd gear going around 35-40 mph before I decide to plant it. Just as I was about to change the back end came away as the ground was moist and my foot was too heavy.

 

2nd mistake was I dropped the clutch only reason I can think why I done this was due to me thinking about changing before I lost the back.

Now side ways at around 60mph on a busy road with the clutch down,,, managed to correct the steering and got the back in.

3rd mistake was I went back into 2nd just as I caught the back and lost it again corrected it again though which is why I love my car is that even when its out of control, it is controllable if that even makes sense

It is a lesson I keep having to learn, dont over do it in the corners espcially in the wet Just glad I got away with it this time.

 

Does this sound familiar?

[bamdc2]

Haha, glad you saved it!!

 

My only dodgy experience was having the Z step out me on a roundabout at 30 ish mph while in 3rd gear! No heavy foot, just decided to go (was very heavy rain). Scared the crap out of me!!

 

A few wiggles every now and again when im too heavy handed but apart from that im too worried to give it anything when its anywhere near a damp road. I have only ever tried a drifting taster session once and it was awesome, but far to nervous to try it in my lovely Z!

 

Really need to get down to a big car park and practise!

Edited December 6, 2013 by bamdc2

[14N]

I did a drift taster session in the hope it would teach me some more about car control. What it in turn actually did do is teach me how easy it is to get the @rse end out and has invariably made my right foot lighter in tricky/damp/greasy conditions.

 

Glad you saved it though. Make sure you learn from the experience, especially after all the work that has gone into your car this year

[ZEUS]

Most ive had is a few wiggles too, id like to think that after years of riding motorbikes in all conditions and on track that I can read the road conditions in my car aswell and back off if its wet or greasy.

[GIXXERUK]

Never had this in my 350 but I have in the 370, not nice ! I was on a straight road but it was damp and I'm sure I hit a patch of diesel while accelerating in 3rd, actually thought I would 360 it !

[Jay-350z]

Learn to drift, go to a few drift days, you will become much more comfortable when you loose the back end, and there will be no more silly mistakes. Or just leave the traction control on. .

[peteman35]

I did a drift taster session in the hope it would teach me some more about car control. What it in turn actually did do is teach me how easy it is to get the @rse end out and has invariably made my right foot lighter in tricky/damp/greasy conditions.

 

Glad you saved it though. Make sure you learn from the experience, especially after all the work that has gone into your car this year

 

This^^^

 

Learning when you can and cant plant it in the corner is the main thing.

[AMT]

Yep its amusing in winter lol. Glad you and you're car were ok!

[The Chubby Ninja]

new pants time kris! Glad u never wrapped it. Iv had a good few near misses with it but ive been taking it pretty easy lately with the weather

[GMballistic]

Glad to hear you didn't wrap it up after all the hard work your girlfriend has put into this car (and you of course).

[andywatson]

Hi fellers,

 

May be a stooopid noobie question but is this with the ESC off? Only had mine a week and finding it twitchy with the ESC on, coming from an E46 M3 Which stayed planted with the aids on - I am finding it interesting Lol

[downhuman]

Mine can twitch with the ESP on - if you push it. Seems to 'catch' the issue before it develops but also makes me reassess what I'm doing so never 'forced' through the intervention - not sure if it would let you, but never tried on the public road

[Ekona]

ESC cuts power, which can seriously upset the car. I hated it, but then it's also exactly what you need if things have gone wrong and you're about to jump on both pedals to save yourself.

 

Good holding on Hensh, you'll learn for next time and be a much better driver for it

[Easty]

Had it about a month back,

On a slip road going from a motorway to another motorway. . .

I love the corner/curve and when on the bike quite happily go round it well into 3 figures and in my old car FWD even in the damp I could go round it about 90ish. . .

Decided as it was a little damp I'd take it a bit easy and came round between 70-80 suddenly the back end decided it didn't want to be at the back any more lol

I just wanted to thank the guy who ever set the Traction control up on the Z's haha

She really snapped sideways I corrected and then the TC took over and sorted everything out. .

It wiggled a few times then straightened :-D

 

Really twitchy moment I then sat at 50 all the way home haha

 

 

[Easty]

Mine can twitch with the ESP on - if you push it. Seems to 'catch' the issue before it develops but also makes me reassess what I'm doing so never 'forced' through the intervention - not sure if it would let you, but never tried on the public road

 

Mine twitches with it on but it sorted it's self out,

I find different road conditions makes it kick in slightly sooner or slightly later. . .

 

[Pete87]

I find the 350z much more forgiving than my old 200sx im not sure if its the wide wheels or the coilovers but i have much more faith in this than i ever did in my 200sx. Glad you ok dude but like others have said just learn from it.

[hensh65]

Thanks a lot guys sometime you do need a little scare just to remind you that you arent lewis hamilton see there is a few questions about the actually conditions.

 

This was with traction control on! I also have mpss on the back that are scrubbed in only 2 months old. But if you push beyond the car and your capabilities then you run the risk of being in trouble!

[Dblock]

Just be careful mate. If its cold the tyre aren't as soft or grippy as they normally are. Glad to hear you got out of it though.

[docwra]

8 sets of rear tyres in 13 months says I may have found myself in a similar situation once or twice.

[Dicky]

Lost the back end in mine once, going around a long slow corner, wasn't going to fast either. Lost confidence after that. But since fitting 20mm spacers all round my confidence level has shot up as the car seems much more planted. Might be worth splashing out!

[WhackyWill]

Glad you saved it, enough bent Zed's out there.

 

Look on eBay at the ones that get broken I leave the TC on in Winter.

[Neilp]

Lost the back end in mine once, going around a long slow corner, wasn't going to fast either. Lost confidence after that. But since fitting 20mm spacers all round my confidence level has shot up as the car seems much more planted. Might be worth splashing out!

 

He doesn't run oem wheel sizes and stretch tyres, Albeit Michelin supersports. I think the stretch tyres wouldn't have helped. It's common for the tyres to let go suddenly when stretched.

 

You need to stop goin go-kart racing! You're too used to the on off pedal

[Jared350z]

Sounds like you should take up drifting ha ha I love it when that happens, well I do it on purpose, the only thing I wish I could change is have a cable throttle rather than the electric one but doesn't stop me loving my Zed.

 

Even happier to hear you didn't fudge your car up!

[r37]

Im allways losing the back end of my car, I live near a quarry, a mine and am surrounded by fields. So the roads are constantly covered in mud or dust. On one particular set of bends there have been 4 accidents in the last month due to mud on the road and people thinking their nigel mansell. Running 295/30/18 tyres on the rear doesnt help either, Worst one so far was the 4 wheel drift i had on afformentioned bands this morning. Luckily nothing oncoming and managed to pull it back in just before coming off the road. Cant wait for the snow.

[Ekona]

Im allways losing the back end of my car,

On purpose, good skills. By accident, you need to re-evaluate your driving.

 

No offence intended, not picking on you, I think I know exactly what you mean. Just using your post as a reference to make a point.