PSM
I had another little interaction with the PSM.
Last night I was driving home from dinner in Waterloo in the rain. The road is not very nice and full of those ridiculous little traffic circles. These circles are good for only one thing - practice. They're great for practicing the continual transitions of braking, downshifting, turn-in, getting the right aggressive line (essential as there are always curbs near by) power and out. And then do it all again. My European friends will know what I'm talking about.
Anyway on one of these circles the car decides to do a quick oversteer. My own car with summer tyres wouldn't have done this and if it had, the PSM wouldn't have kicked in but this car did it on its winter tyres and the PSM did kick in very quickly.
I'm a slow learner but at this point in time I'm pretty good at catching a slide. For me it has become instinct. Normally in a situation like that it would take just one slight correction. But what's happening with this car is that both the PSM and I are reacting at the same instant to the slide. My reaction is the right amount and at the right time. The PSM is also reacting reasonably. The problem is that the two reactions are additive. Instead of getting my little reaction and the PSM's quick stab at the brake, the two are acting together in a much bigger way.
This results in the back swinging back through centre and we both end up catching it the other way. Last night I got three quick oscillations like that. I know that if it had just been me then it would only have been one oscillation. They were reducing oscillations and very small swings but oscillations nonetheless.
No desire to turn the thing off, but I do have to wonder if it is making matters worse and not better. This only applies to this car with winter tyres. I've not noticed this on my own car with summer tyres.
Stephen
Last night I was driving home from dinner in Waterloo in the rain. The road is not very nice and full of those ridiculous little traffic circles. These circles are good for only one thing - practice. They're great for practicing the continual transitions of braking, downshifting, turn-in, getting the right aggressive line (essential as there are always curbs near by) power and out. And then do it all again. My European friends will know what I'm talking about.
Anyway on one of these circles the car decides to do a quick oversteer. My own car with summer tyres wouldn't have done this and if it had, the PSM wouldn't have kicked in but this car did it on its winter tyres and the PSM did kick in very quickly.
I'm a slow learner but at this point in time I'm pretty good at catching a slide. For me it has become instinct. Normally in a situation like that it would take just one slight correction. But what's happening with this car is that both the PSM and I are reacting at the same instant to the slide. My reaction is the right amount and at the right time. The PSM is also reacting reasonably. The problem is that the two reactions are additive. Instead of getting my little reaction and the PSM's quick stab at the brake, the two are acting together in a much bigger way.
This results in the back swinging back through centre and we both end up catching it the other way. Last night I got three quick oscillations like that. I know that if it had just been me then it would only have been one oscillation. They were reducing oscillations and very small swings but oscillations nonetheless.
No desire to turn the thing off, but I do have to wonder if it is making matters worse and not better. This only applies to this car with winter tyres. I've not noticed this on my own car with summer tyres.
Stephen
