Steering

[2012YellowBoss]

Gary, anyone been messing with the steering control. I have not put many miles on the car, just short runs. I like the sport, but standard feels good for the street. I doubt I will ever use comfort.

I really like that option, I am guessing that is on all premiums V6 or GT?

 

[PJWANNABE]

Gary, anyone been messing with the steering control. I have not put many miles on the car, just short runs. I like the sport, but standard feels good for the street. I doubt I will ever use comfort.

I really like that option, I am guessing that is on all premiums V6 or GT?

The 3 mode EPAS is new for all 2012 models. The 2011 came with EPAS but did not have the selectable modes.

 

[ORANGE CRUSH]

Yeah I played with mine yesterday. The sport mode felt the best to me, the comfort mode felt like my old Crown Vic, and the standard felt like my Fusion. It will most likely stay in sport mode for most of its life.

 

[cloud9]

I've only driven the car with Sport Mode, TC and Advance Track Off, and all but the first day with the shock settings on 5. ;D I should play around with the steering setting, but Sport Mode feels good to me.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Interesting. Most of the magazines liked the normal mode.

Gary, how's the difference on the shocks between 2 and 5? Have your teeth started falling out yet?

 

[cloud9]

The issue with the steering setting is you are locked into Sport Mode with Advance Trac off. I know what the car's going to do if I carry too much speed into a corner or apply too much throttle, and while I'm correcting for it, I don't want to guess what the PCM is going to do to me. I just prefer to have all that stuff off in a performance car. I like having it on my kids' Focus or wife's Explorer, particularly on wet or icy roads.

The shock settings on 5 aren't that rough. The only issue is you do probably lose effectiveness on rough roads over using setting 2. My wife commented last night how much more comfortable the Boss rode than the GT500 and that was on setting 5. I think I'll turn them back to 2 or 3 for street driving soon, but it really isn't that harsh.

 

[2012YellowBoss]

So that is on the V6 and GT base models also?

Gary, sorry I should know this, but how will advance trac effect the car at the track, in your words? I forgot about the sport turning that off.

 

[cloud9]

So that is on the V6 and GT base models also?

Gary, sorry I should know this, but how will advance trac effect the car at the track, in your words? I forgot about the sport turning that off.

It's the same for all 2012 models equipped with EPAS.

Advance Trac will apply braking to individual wheels and/or cut power to the drive wheels based on what the sensors are picking up to straighten out the car. Under track conditions you are typically on the edge of adhesion trying to push as far as you can without exceeding that threshold. If you try to lift-throttle oversteer the car will fight you and probably kill power to the rear wheels right when you want to apply it. That's the best I can explain it. I'm sure someone with more knowledge could explain it better. Bottom line is that nanny will be very active in a track environment.

 

[2012YellowBoss]

Thanks for that, makes sense. Would you still think it is better for a novice to run with it off, I think it would give me a better overall feel for the car?

So if turning off advance trac set the steering to sport, does setting the steering to sport also turn off AT, I did not see any indication of that?

 

[cloud9]

If it's your first time on track or have relatively little experience, I would recommend running in Sport Mode. It will still allow fairly aggressive driving, but if you are starting to really get sideways it will help you straighten it out.

No, you can set steering to sport mode with Advance Trac ON. It's just when you turn Advance Trac to OFF that you're locked into Sport Mode. Go ahead and turn it off by holding your brake pedal down without the car moving and holding the TC button for 5-6 seconds. The display will say Advance Trac OFF and you'll get the little yellow symbol on the speedo with the car skidding. Then go to your Info button and cycle to the steering mode. It will display Sport Mode <LOCKED>.

 

[VoodooBoss]

If it's your first time on track or have relatively little experience, I would recommend running in Sport Mode. It will still allow fairly aggressive driving, but if you are starting to really get sideways it will help you straighten it out.

I plan on doing this my first session on my first day.

 

[2012YellowBoss]

Thanks guys! Next time I will read the manual.

Been driving a V6 11 vert, and even with the limited miles on the Boss I love this option a lot.

 

[LQQK]

If it's your first time on track or have relatively little experience, I would recommend running in Sport Mode. It will still allow fairly aggressive driving, but if you are starting to really get sideways it will help you straighten it out.

I plan on doing this my first session on my first day.

I on board with this---> 8)

 

[cloud9]

Now that the Boss is in track mode, I drove the GT500 today. OMG the clutch is heavy. I think it feels like leg pressing somewhere between 100-150 lbs. I got back in the Boss to move it to another garage stall and lost all feel for it, like it's not even there. Hopefully it comes back quickly at the track. I also noticed that heel/toe in the GT500 is much easier. The pedals must be further apart in the Boss.

 

[2012YellowBoss]

Gary
When you are taking about running in sport mode and you doing the thing where you tap twice with your foot on the brake and see the message "advancetrac sport mode" and it also locks the steering in sport also? I take it you did not run at all with advancetrac off.

I will not see a difference in street driving but I have been driving in advancetrac sport mode, at least when I remember to do it.

 

[cloud9]

Gary
When you are taking about running in sport mode and you doing the thing where you tap twice with your foot on the brake and see the message "advancetrac sport mode" and it also locks the steering in sport also? I take it you did not run at all with advancetrac off.

I will not see a difference in street driving but I have been driving in advancetrac sport mode, at least when I remember to do it.

I only run with AdvanceTrac Off (unless I get caught in the rain). When you shut off AdvanceTrac, you lock steering into Sport Mode. I think Sport Mode puts the steering into Sport Mode and turns off TCS, but leaves the ESC system on. Not sure because I just prefer to have it all off or all on. I only leave it on when the road conditions are bad and I don't want to drive aggressively anyway.

 

[2012YellowBoss]

Intermediate sport mode allows drivers to push their cars hard at the track without completely disabling the safety systems, permitting more aggressive driving before the TCS and ESC systems intervene.

I found this on line and when I spoke with Jim Owens he told me that this was the best for the track and the way he would run it. I had asked if it was better shut off and that is when he showed me the advancetrac thing. Anyway you are more experienced in racing but I was just wondering if you had tried it to get a review.