Who has ordered a 2007 IS model already and have the chance to play it with VDIM off?
#16
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by Shinobi-X
To be fair, disabling VDIM does not mean you may thereby drive wrecklessly. Many times, these stability systems are put in place to interfere well before the tires or chassis have exceeded their limits (for the most part grip)- it shouldn't be confused with the implications behind the suggested aggressive or even wreckless driving. In fact, the systems are very reactive, and cannot predict what lies ahead of the road, making the car unpredictable at times. You can experience greater lateral G's without crossing the threshold into unsafe territory, for the above reason, by disabling traction and stability programs. For a performance oriented sedan, Toyota still went a bit conservative on the performance end with the IS. Its apparent that their IS cannot compete with the likes of their competition in feel or handling, especially if they don't provide the consumer with the ability to actually 'drive' the car (another mistake was lack of a manual). By their own advertisement, the system isn't supposed to be very intrusive, while providing increased performance, but its obvious that it doesn't, and in fact offers just the contrary. BMW and other brands make equally safe, and great handling cars, without as much electronic assist; but as any driver should know, any assist program should not be adopted as a substitute for a drivers ability. Traction control isn't necessarily a safety item, as it can be hazardous in a few situations when power cut is initiated before grip is lost. With a VDIM disable feature (which can be toggled), it provides IS owners with the ability to explore the cars chassis and suspension, and drive in the fashion it was built for.
#18
Lead Lap
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by 15951
I'm still not understanding what the big deal is with the VDIM switch. I paid a lot of money for this vehicle to have safety features like this, and wouldn't disable it if I could. There are a few people running quarter miles and carving canyons on the weekend, but for the other 99.9% of us Lexus buyers, the VDIM kill switch is absolutely useless. I can still drive the car aggressively...just not wrecklessly.
Maybe it's the demographics of this forum. I would say the posters in this forum aren't representative of the average Lexus buyer, though.
Maybe it's the demographics of this forum. I would say the posters in this forum aren't representative of the average Lexus buyer, though.
97% of the vehicles on the road today have absolutely no stability/VDIM computers, and yet the vast majority of those drivers do not drive recklessly. Along those same lines, I have had over a dozen vehicles in the past 15 years of driving, and this is the first one with VDIM, and I'm still alive!
#19
I've had to totally redesign my VSC defeat module because I can't get the microprocessor I wanted. It's still on the breadboard and I haven't had time to debug the new one. Pretty laborious job really. It'd be nice if Lexus would just fix the issue...
#20
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by Kamikaze2b
97% of the vehicles on the road today have absolutely no stability/VDIM computers, and yet the vast majority of those drivers do not drive recklessly. Along those same lines, I have had over a dozen vehicles in the past 15 years of driving, and this is the first one with VDIM, and I'm still alive!
#21
Lead Lap
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by 15951
Kids didn't wear seatbelts in cars 30 years ago, and most of them lived. Gee, maybe we should regress based on that logic.
Great post!
#22
The thing is, there'll always be some douchebag that'll assume electronics will save his/her a**. Given that, I think Toyota should have more confident in their product in that it can handle the higher speed or higher cornering speeds. There's no point designing a great chassis, slapping on great tyres, then have the electronics cut power at the slightest hint of under/over steer. I think the electronics should allow such to happen so that the average Joe will go "oh.. I'm going too fast, the car will understeer and the stability control will save me AFTER it shows me what happens" rather than cut power/apply brakes before it happens and the average Joe won't know what he/she did was beyond the limits of the conditions of the road.
#23
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by Kamikaze2b
I've given this issue some thought and I agree. The federal government should mandate that every car on the road today regardless of age should be retrofitted with VDIM or stability control, air bags, and ABS. If the owners are unable to pay for these changes the vehicles should be confiscated and crushed. We absolutely cannot have all of these death traps on our highways!!!
Great post!
Great post!
Last edited by 15951; 07-08-06 at 01:09 PM.
#24
Lead Lap
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by 15951
Totally missed my point. If you bought the car and have the feature, it's of no use to disable it on public streets if it can be of assistance in keeping you (and others driving around you) safe. That's just my opinion - no reason to get your panties in a bunch about it.
And you missed mine. My point was that I have owned numerous cars (and 7 motorcycles) over the past 15 years. None of them had any sort of stability control, and yet I somehow lived. I paid $45k for MY car, and as a mature adult I should have the ability to easily disable this "safety feature" when I want to.
I love my car, but the plethora of electronic nannies Lexus has installed will make me think twice when it comes to buy another.
Last edited by Kamikaze2b; 07-08-06 at 07:26 PM. Reason: typo
#25
Cycle Savant
iTrader: (5)
Originally Posted by Kamikaze2b
And you missed mine. My point was that I have owned numerous cars (and 7 motorcycles) over the past 15 years. None of them had any sort of stability control, and yet I somehow lived. I paid $45k for MY car, and as a mature adult I should have the ability to easily disable this "safety feature" when I want to.
I love my car, by the plethora of electronic nannies Lexus has installed will make me think twice when it comes to buy another.
I love my car, by the plethora of electronic nannies Lexus has installed will make me think twice when it comes to buy another.
Of course, people have a choice whether or not to wear seat belts, buy cars with airbags or VDIM, or maintain their cars to be as safe as possible on the road such as with good tires and efficient windshield wipers. Choice is nice; pro-choice makes everyone happy (sort of...).
However, I think that the most important thing is not how you can control your car safely, but how well others can control their cars safely. You can be the best driver out on the road, but that doesn't mean that the eight cars that are boxing you in while driving on the road are as good.
How would you feel if you are the best driver out on the road and used the "VDIM Off" switch, and the teenager on a cell phone putting on makeup while going 90 mph also had the "VDIM Off" switch? Is that a risk you are willing to take? The VDIM Off switch will be a double-edged sword...
#26
Lexus Test Driver
Originally Posted by HaveBlue
I've had to totally redesign my VSC defeat module because I can't get the microprocessor I wanted. It's still on the breadboard and I haven't had time to debug the new one. Pretty laborious job really. It'd be nice if Lexus would just fix the issue...
Part of your problem is that the red wire is crossed with the orange one, and the second resistor from the bottom should be grounded to the negative terminal of the relay. Or, of course, you could just splice an RW-438a into the power circuit and switch it with the oscillator. Should work either way.
#27
Lead Lap
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: May 2006
Location: FL
Posts: 526
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Always wondered if someone could do a module that inserted into the system that would tell the computer that emulates the parking brake/brake pedal sequence. Unfortunately any technical knowledge as to designing something like that has faded away into the sunset years ago.
Whenever I do the brake dance I feel like I've picked up a Playstation controller and am using a cheat sequence, dang Japanese and their video game cars! =)
Whenever I do the brake dance I feel like I've picked up a Playstation controller and am using a cheat sequence, dang Japanese and their video game cars! =)
#28
Racer
iTrader: (3)
Originally Posted by PhilipMSPT
However, I think that the most important thing is not how you can control your car safely, but how well others can control their cars safely. You can be the best driver out on the road, but that doesn't mean that the eight cars that are boxing you in while driving on the road are as good.
How would you feel if you are the best driver out on the road and used the "VDIM Off" switch, and the teenager on a cell phone putting on makeup while going 90 mph also had the "VDIM Off" switch? Is that a risk you are willing to take? The VDIM Off switch will be a double-edged sword...
How would you feel if you are the best driver out on the road and used the "VDIM Off" switch, and the teenager on a cell phone putting on makeup while going 90 mph also had the "VDIM Off" switch? Is that a risk you are willing to take? The VDIM Off switch will be a double-edged sword...
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
blk06is350
IS - 2nd Gen (2006-2013)
16
08-04-06 09:11 PM
Mixman
IS - 2nd Gen (2006-2013)
16
04-30-06 06:52 PM