[wrench]

Last night I took a turn on hard/slick snow packed intersection. The vehicle was in a "power slide", and there was this horrific shuddering from the engine or CVT, as the "slip" indicator light came on. Has anyone experienced anything like this?

 

[GripperDon]

Probably the VDC working as it should. My SLK does that all the time. I don't power slide the Mo only the roadster, NO snow or Ice here, just a roded up SLK and good old asphalt.

 

[NatasG]

you sure that it was not ABS that was causing the shudder (were you using any brakes)? If not brakes than yeah, if you have VDC than it was the VDC pumping your brakes for you.

 

[GripperDon]

Good Point, We will have to find ou if the brakes were on.

 

[Tyler_Canada]

It was the VDC. You don't use brakes during power slides.

If you disable the VDC with the "VDC Off" button, you'll be able to do power slides without that trying to stop you.

 

[GripperDon]

TRUE Forgot on the SLK it's called "ESP" and it has been switch off for so long I forgot about it even being there .

 

[wrench]

Thanks. Yes--it must have been the VDC "doing what it is supposed to do", pumping my brakes at 10 hz and killing the throttle, while I was trying to give it gas to pull myself through the turn. My only other experience with AWD was an Audi Quattro c.1990, which didn't have any electronic traction control, just that nice predictible AWD. You could punch the gas and pull yourself through a turn quite nicely.

If you havent felt the VDC kick in, you should experience it so you know what it feels like. It truly felt horrible. But, I didn't spin out...

 

[NVMYGT]

The VDC is a quirky beast. I have a fairly steep driveway and yesterday parked my car in the incline so I could move one of my other vehicles. When I got back in the MO I put it in drive and tried to pull forward, however the car would only make a meager attempt forward and backoff. I floored the car, but nothing changed. The slip light provided a little light show but I went nowhere, forwards or back.

After that I turned off the VDC and did a nice little sideways burnout all the way to the top of the driveway. The VDC is a great tool to keep you safe, but man did it spoil the fun!

 

[Eric L.]

This morning got to work a bit late and had to park on the roof of my parking structure, which had become an ice skating rink over the weekend. Completely iced over, at least 1" thick. After some slipping and sliding (i thought the SLIP light bulb was going to burn out), I managed to ABS myself into a parking space.

Unfortunately my boots don't have VDC. Walking very carefully on the ice, my attention was distracted for a moment by the sound of an ambulance (its right next to a hospital), then wham I took a major spill (imaging banana peel slip, that was what it looked like). I was carrying my laptop at the time and didn't want to see it smashed to bits, so I braced my fall with my hand, which ended up being sprained. :25:

So be careful out there WALKING on the snow/ice. Your boots don't have VDC!

 

[Tyler_Canada]

VDC is great for keeping me out of trouble, but when I want to have a little fun, at speeds less than 20 mph, I turn it off.

 

[GripperDon]

That's why it's off ALL the time on the SLK at any speed.

 

[Tyler_Canada]

But somehow I doubt you're always going less than 20mph! :runaway: