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A while back my manual 997 rear end stepped out slightly, exiting a tight bend on a B road, a bit damp & giving it a bit of gas. I was slightly un nerved as this never happened before even in the wet. Anyway, put it to the back of my mind. Now a few days ago exiting a roundabout, new tarmac and again slightly damp conditions it fish tailed left and right while I was going ( I thought pretty straight) although accelerating fairly hard from 2nd to 3rd). Now definitely un nerved. Plenty of tread on tyres. New bushes, drop links and arms on rear suspension recently, All OPC and Still under warranty. Any thoughts appreciated.
Marley71 said:
A while back my manual 997 rear end stepped out slightly, exiting a tight bend on a B road, a bit damp & giving it a bit of gas. I was slightly un nerved as this never happened before even in the wet. Anyway, put it to the back of my mind. Now a few days ago exiting a roundabout, new tarmac and again slightly damp conditions it fish tailed left and right while I was going ( I thought pretty straight) although accelerating fairly hard from 2nd to 3rd). Now definitely un nerved. Plenty of tread on tyres. New bushes, drop links and arms on rear suspension recently, All OPC and Still under warranty. Any thoughts appreciated.
Probably just due to less grippier road surface at this time of year. Tyres will follow the camber when they spin up hence slight fish tailI got this a couple of months ago (damp road patches, 981 Boxster S), so whilst I understand how this can happen (in my case too much throttle before fully unwinding the steering) what I thought was this is the exact scenario that traction control is supposed to prevent. It seems to do little in my scenario. (Sport mode was on but traction control should have been active)
Edited by Green1man on Tuesday 15th January 20:58
Marley71 said:
A while back my manual 997 rear end stepped out slightly, exiting a tight bend on a B road, a bit damp & giving it a bit of gas. I was slightly un nerved as this never happened before even in the wet. Anyway, put it to the back of my mind. Now a few days ago exiting a roundabout, new tarmac and again slightly damp conditions it fish tailed left and right while I was going ( I thought pretty straight) although accelerating fairly hard from 2nd to 3rd). Now definitely un nerved. Plenty of tread on tyres. New bushes, drop links and arms on rear suspension recently, All OPC and Still under warranty. Any thoughts appreciated.
In the absence of a better explanation: It's a rear engine car, you gave it some welly on cold, greasy roads and the driver aids didn't completely iron out your over-exuberance. Which they won't always.The rear end of a 911 won't always lose traction and be corrected by driver aids in the predictable manner they teach at the Porsche Experience Centre. Weight transfer, slippery roads and the fact that the systems can only do a certain amount to mitigate a lack of talent has seen me sideways a few times!
It’s the time and temp of year for it. As others have said could be the road surface too.
Took the GT4 out for a morning run to one of my weekly training sessions last week. Exiting Small round about less than 20MPH and the car wanted to move about on-throttle. No big deal, just be on your toes, have an understanding of what you’re driving and enjoy it.
Took the GT4 out for a morning run to one of my weekly training sessions last week. Exiting Small round about less than 20MPH and the car wanted to move about on-throttle. No big deal, just be on your toes, have an understanding of what you’re driving and enjoy it.
Roads definitely feel greasy at the moment with the time of year, have been unnerved with fish tailing on one occasion in the last couple of weeks going down a country road with sudden short rise then immediately camber on a twisting section. Know the road reasonably well and not had problem before. This is in a Cayman S so imagine potential for rear moving maybe even greater in 911. Scary stuff when unexpected.
Edited by T1547 on Wednesday 16th January 10:36
By eerie coincidence this has just happened to me. Exiting a T junction, medium gas and the back end slid out 30 degrees or so. No major drama, but unusual nonetheless.
The temperature was 9 degrees and it was only a bit damp, no leaves or other obvious contaminants.
Must be a curious time of year.
It does serve as a reminder that the driver aids are only that and not a proxy driver.
The temperature was 9 degrees and it was only a bit damp, no leaves or other obvious contaminants.
Must be a curious time of year.
It does serve as a reminder that the driver aids are only that and not a proxy driver.
You reached the limit of grip of the tyres, simple as that.
If it concerns you I'd suggest either doing some "experimentation" in a large clear car park so you get a better understanding of what input from you causes this to happen and what you can do to pull it back or go and get some tuition from someone who will take you through the process in a more structured and safe environment.
It's nothing to be scared of and unless you are boing a total div its almost always possible to gather the car up without much drama and carry on with your journey.
Or go and buy a 90's bmw and get comfortable with hanging the tail out EVERYWHERE!
If it concerns you I'd suggest either doing some "experimentation" in a large clear car park so you get a better understanding of what input from you causes this to happen and what you can do to pull it back or go and get some tuition from someone who will take you through the process in a more structured and safe environment.
It's nothing to be scared of and unless you are boing a total div its almost always possible to gather the car up without much drama and carry on with your journey.
Or go and buy a 90's bmw and get comfortable with hanging the tail out EVERYWHERE!
Its probably just snotty roads. Limits of grip are changing constantly and the easiest way of breaking grip is to ask the car to accellerate and turn at the same time - especially from low speeds. Its also the easiest situation to recover from and helps make motoring journalists look like heros. Its a little more difficult to deal with oversteer caused only by lateral forces - which unforunatley can have to opposite effect on motoring journalists. Either way, you will have just learned a valuable lesson in exactly where the grip levels are on that particular day. Just bank the grip info and dont exceed them again on that day. The following day there may be 10% more grip at the exact same place but conditions may appear the same. On a busy road there are all sorts of factors effecting grip.
Steve Rance said:
Its probably just snotty roads. Limits of grip are changing constantly and the easiest way of breaking grip is to ask the car to accellerate and turn at the same time - especially from low speeds. Its also the easiest situation to recover from and helps make motoring journalists look like heros. Its a little more difficult to deal with oversteer caused only by lateral forces - which unforunatley can have to opposite effect on motoring journalists. Either way, you will have just learned a valuable lesson in exactly where the grip levels are on that particular day. Just bank the grip info and dont exceed them again on that day. The following day there may be 10% more grip at the exact same place but conditions may appear the same. On a busy road there are all sorts of factors effecting grip.
Understand what you are saying but what un nerved me i'm 99% sure i had it pointing straight after leaving the roundabout (up a slight hill). Had the car 2 years now and amazed how it handled. Maybe i was just getting a bit over confident, it is my first Porsche and had never had a rear wheel drive before.Marley71 said:
Steve Rance said:
Its probably just snotty roads. Limits of grip are changing constantly and the easiest way of breaking grip is to ask the car to accellerate and turn at the same time - especially from low speeds. Its also the easiest situation to recover from and helps make motoring journalists look like heros. Its a little more difficult to deal with oversteer caused only by lateral forces - which unforunatley can have to opposite effect on motoring journalists. Either way, you will have just learned a valuable lesson in exactly where the grip levels are on that particular day. Just bank the grip info and dont exceed them again on that day. The following day there may be 10% more grip at the exact same place but conditions may appear the same. On a busy road there are all sorts of factors effecting grip.
Understand what you are saying but what un nerved me i'm 99% sure i had it pointing straight after leaving the roundabout (up a slight hill). Had the car 2 years now and amazed how it handled. Maybe i was just getting a bit over confident, it is my first Porsche and had never had a rear wheel drive before.If you've not done a Porsche Experience course they are well worth doing. For a while at least you'll be more relaxed with finding your car suddenly sideways. In fact I have one I received as a gift that I cannot use and could let you have cheaply (if Porsche allows re-assignment that is).
Green1man said:
I got this a couple of months ago (damp road patches, 981 Boxster S), so whilst I understand how this can happen (in my case too much throttle before fully unwinding the steering) what I thought was this is the exact scenario that traction control is supposed to prevent. It seems to do little in my scenario. (Sport mode was on but traction control should have been active)
Sport Mode allows the back end to step out more....can’t remember the increased angle but it’s one of the things people forget. Certainly true on a 997, might be different on later cars.Edited by Green1man on Tuesday 15th January 20:58
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