Driving With Attessa

[GTS4WD]

Hay guys!..

Im having trouble getting my ATTESSA to kick in when I want it.

I have heard several schools of thought about this.

a) keep your foot wleded to the floor from enrty to exit. Let it kick in as early as possible, use the AWD grip to propell you past the apex and through the exit.

b) Plant your foot hard after the apex, let it kick in and use the AWD to grip and get you out of the corner.

Any thoughts?

What techniques do you use?

Am I entering the corner with not enough speed for it to kick in?

Am I on the power too late?

Im still new to it.. so I tend to brake too early and dont carry enough speed through the corner as I still have the "fear" factor of "HOLLY SHIT!.. CORNER!".. and then spit chips cos I braked too early.. My biggest fear by far is loading up the rear outside wheel with too much weight/momentum, having it slide out, spinning and hitting something. If it starts to go.. will the VLSD grab, spin the wheels, loose traction and the ATTESSA kick in?

Any advise is much appreciated!

Edited November 7, 2007 by GTS4WD

[hrd-hr30]

impossible to give you driving advice on an internet forum. the best (and safest) way to get a feel for the handling of your car on the limit is on a skidpan at low speed with low grip levels. And you'll have a lot of fun at the same time. or an advanced driver training course with one of the motorsport oriented schools.

[CeJay]

Totally agree on doing skidpans and advanced driver training. Great fun and helps you learn about the car. Just getting used to running my car in 4wd mode on the skidpan, normally used it in rwd on the skidpan until now, but it lets you experiment safely and stuff yup without wiping out another car on the road.

[noone]

Have to agree with skid pan/ track day advice above, no better way to learn than by doing

however I have been giving this ALOT of thought myself

sure i have read on here that more than 15 degrees of steering lock will prevent attesa from kicking in

I think a big part of the "trick" is to look ahead on the track and straighten up asap to aim for the corner exit

rather than hold insane mid corner speed and provoke to much understeer

its all a bit of a balancing act

I could be wrong though

[hrd-hr30]

Have to agree with skid pan/ track day advice above, no better way to learn than by doing

however I have been giving this ALOT of thought myself

sure i have read on here that more than 15 degrees of steering lock will prevent attesa from kicking in

wherever you read that, don't believe it. I can only comment on the R32 version of ATTESSA. They need to be driven much like a rwd car in terms of lines and driving style, but you can be alot more brutal on the accellerater than a similarly powered rwd car. You still need to exercise a little caution in lower gears, or low grip conditions

[sav man]

As everyone said practice in a controlled envioment is the best way. It's hard to say how to drive with ATTESSA, as eveyones car is different, mine had a rooted rear diff so I could nail it through the corners and get no oversteer. But i've got mates with R32 GT-R's with similar power that are a complete handfull cause they have aggressive diff's/rooted center diff.....

And then you have R33/R34 with faster/more aggressive ATTESSA that drives diferently again. So much more nuteral that a R32.

And ATTESSA works of the g-forces not the steering angle, so the higher the cornering force, the less front wheel torque.

[GTS4WD]

So.. ok..

excuse the noob question.. Im just here to learn.. not prove a point..

But how does the ATTESSA system work. I heard so many different stories about steering angle, understeers.

I understand that when the rears loose traction, the fronts kick in with a certain amount of front torque.

Does the ECU control it?

What are the finer points of the system?

Im looking into buying a torque split controler..

[GTS4WD]

And ATTESSA works of the g-forces not the steering angle, so the higher the cornering force, the less front wheel torque.

???

Higher G-force the LESS FWT?.. wouldnt it be more?.. to offer more grip and stop it sliding?

[hrd-hr30]

depends what G force you're talking about. For high lateral Gs (cornering) you don't want too much front torque because it will induce understeer. once you start sliding there's a reduction in lateral G force and then you want more front torque. For high longitudinal (acceleration) G forces you want more front torque for traction.

ATTESSA uses inputs from a number of sensors including throttle position, steering angle, ABS sensors for road speed and rear wheelspin, and the lateral and longitudinal G sensors, which are the main influence on the system. I doubt you'll find an exact description of the weightings given to each, but you don't need to know exactly how it works. Just the effect it has on the way the car drives, which you'll have to get a feel for. An R32 GTR is very much like driving a rwd car with very good traction.

[Duncan]

well the 32 ATTESSA is pretty slow to react, I personally think a controller is essential for better balance. the 33/34 was much better/quciker to react.

probably best to get along to some track days and try some different things, get some advice from people who can drive, like Harry said its really hard to know exactly what is happening without being in the car

[sav man]

I didn't think there was a stearing angle input for ATTESSA? I'm sure the G-Senors are the main drive of ATTESSA, as all the controlers just bend the g-force sensor signal.

[a20089]

Try this attachment to the Atessa

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/t126694.html

I've got one, (to be installed this Saturday) and it looks promising in allowing you to alter when the 4WD kicks in.

[hrd-hr30]

I didn't think there was a stearing angle input for ATTESSA? I'm sure the G-Senors are the main drive of ATTESSA, as all the controlers just bend the g-force sensor signal.

looks like you're right. there's no steering input on the wiring diagram to the ETS controller.

Paul Ruzic's controller in the link above looks to be the best one around. love the idea of toggling between 2 maps/settings on the fly (could have one for fast and slow corners, or on the road for wet and dry settings etc), and the data logging capability is kinda cool. And its the only one I know of that offers a number of different base maps rather than just amplifying the G force signals on the factory map.

Edited November 9, 2007 by hrd-hr30

[Beer Baron]

yes I think the steering angle sensor is purely for HICAS. but I have nothing solid to back that up. lol. so I'm about as useful as a flyscreen on a sub.

[GTRAL]

Absolutely right - steering angle is for the rear wheel steering function. ATESSA in the R32 works from 3 G force sensors, the main one is under the centre console near the handbrake. I race my r32 in tarmac rallying and use a torque split controller - it is essential to be able to dial up appropriate amounts of 4WD for dry and wet situations, like our weekend at Mt Buller last week.

As far as learning to corner - do a John Bowe or Murcotts advanced driving course, then get yourself as many club sprint days as you can at Sandown, Phillip Island or Calder and practice a few different tactics. What works for us is late braking selecting the right gear for exit speed and planting it as you approach the apex of the corner.

I agree with the previous advice about an R32 being much like a rear wheel drive - until you fit a controller.

cheers

Al

[sh@un]

hang it sideways motherf**ker

[sav man]

We got a HKS Kansai controller with our R33 Targa car, we've never turned it on. Does anyone know if the R33 one will fit R32's?

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=ht...en&ie=UTF-8

[Duncan]

lol shaun, they are great at pulling themselves back in once they are sideways, just keep the boot in it is amazing how they recover

ben I don't know those controllers in particular, but all of the g sensors are the same r32 and r33, so if it intercepts that it would work fine

[hrd-hr30]

Absolutely right - steering angle is for the rear wheel steering function. ATESSA in the R32 works from 3 G force sensors, the main one is under the centre console near the handbrake.

ATTESSA doesn't just works from the G sensors. It also uses ABS sensors, throttle position, and vehicle speed, and has inputs from brake and reverse lights.

[Bumblebee]

i dunno what u blokes r on about.. my r32 atessa kicks in pretty much as soon as i have wheel spin.. whether im turning a big bend.. or an extremely sharp hairpin.. i can have the wheel full lock doin u turns and the fronts kick in as soon as the rears slip...

mines pretty damn fast.. and btw.. for the bloke selling lies about broken centre diffs... they dont have a center diff.. Its a hydraulic pump much like a torque converter with many wet clutches that slip the torque to the front wheels.. not a mechanical centre diff

Had it been a front diff.. it wouldnt have a variable front/rear ratio the way it does