Hey Bigdog, are you saying that the Stability Control Components can fail and cause a spin? Has this been proven? This whole spin out in the Slingshot thing has me freaked out.
I really don't see how a failure could cause a spin. So many factors involved in how a vehicle reacts. Nothing can make a vehicle "idiot proof". Stability control helps control the vehicle but can't insure you won't crash.
Before anyone gets upset I'm not calling anyone an idiot.
Well, for one....Polaris refused to tell me which way to steer in a spin...for liability reasons.
Now do they know and can’t say or do they not know?
Maybe this reaction does bother anyone....
Now read this
The Yaw Rate sensor is used by the Electronic Stability
Program (ESP) to determine lateral and longitudinal
vehicle acceleration. Direct CAN signal from the Yaw
Rate sensor to the ESP module is used in conjunction
with other ESP inputs (steering angle, wheel speed and
gradient) to determine vehicle stability. The hydraulic
modulator is activated during stability control events to
control individual wheel speed and braking needs to
correct vehicle attitude.
The Steering Angle sensor is used by the Electronic
Stability Program (ESP) to determine steering wheel
position in relation to a calibrated central location. Direct
CAN signal from the Steering Angle sensor to the ESP
module is used in conjunction with other ESP inputs
(wheel speed, gradient and yaw rate) to determine
vehicle stability. The hydraulic modulator is activated
during stability control events to control individual wheel
speed and braking needs to correct vehicle attitude.
Question number 1.
What is the hydraulic modulator? Is that the ABS?
There is nothing in the service manual that I can find about HM. But ABS is part of the traction control system.
#2. These sensors use different inputs to control wheel speed and braking to all the wheels...if it senses the vehicle going out of control...
What’s interesting is they consider controlling wheel speed and braking as different things. I don’t think the system can add power to the rear wheel.
#3. So does that mean if you take over and start steering right or left you could be screwing up what the traction control is fighting to fix?
#4. If you apply the brakes could you be screwing up the traction control reactions...
After considering all of these things....my, MY thoughts are maybe just hanging on and letting the traction control take control might...MIGHT be an option....depending on how out of control you are and if, IF you’re going to hit something...or not.
AND If, IF the spin wasn’t caused by a mechanical failure of one of the many sensors that feed info to the traction control system...
All the more reason to make sure all of the sensors are in good operating condition. If you start to notice things don’t seem right check it out.
The service manual also says the steering angle sensor should be recalibrated every time the steering wheel is removed...
I just called the Polaris factory to ask them about what to do in a spin-skid...steer with or steer against the skid....my main concern dealing with one rear drive wheel and the traction control taking over in a skid.
Due to liability issues they will not answer that question. But recommended you follow your owners manual and drive within the safety confines of the vehicle and do not go over the speed limit.
So in the event of a skid or hydroplane incident....you’re pretty much on your own..
good god............ 
Well, for one....Polaris refused to tell me which way to steer in a spin...for liability reasons.
Now do they know and can’t say or do they not know?
And when you called the manufacturer of your daily driver what was their response? Are you certain your phone wasn't tapped by the NSA? What if the Russians have been tampering with your daily driver when you haven't been looking? Can you be certain that the traffic lights aren't going to suddenly change and divert traffic directly at you?
I've never said I was smart. I just have enough common sense that I would and have never called a manufacturer of an item to ask how to drive it. Please tell me you don't own guns.
RNJ12
You're being an asshat, again. It was a valid question and one that Polaris should have been able to answer. I understand the liability problem, but if anyone would know the definitive answer, it would be the manufacturer.
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And when you called the manufacturer of your daily driver what was their response? Are you certain your phone wasn't tapped by the NSA? What if the Russians have been tampering with your daily driver when you haven't been looking? Can you be certain that the traffic lights aren't going to suddenly change and divert traffic directly at you?
So you know all this too? Everything in the entire world is a conspiracy....spread the word...
Hey all. Let’s keep this friendly. We are all family and we are all of varying knowledge levels. No question is a stupid question.
Perception is reality to the one doing the perceiving ! jes sayin
Rule #1... Smoothness. It's your actions that upset a vehicle during cornering.
Nanny devises are great but in the end it's usually something you did to cause the problem.
To answer the "what to do when I'm in a spin?'.... Ride it out. A slide is the only thing you might be able to recover from.
Rule #1... Smoothness. It's your actions that upset a vehicle during cornering.
Nanny devises are great but in the end it's usually something you did to cause the problem.
To answer the "what to do when I'm in a spin?'.... Ride it out. A slide is the only thing you might be able to recover from.
I have seen hundreds of spins in nascar type racing and only once or twice have I ever seen a driver recover (without hitting anything or doing damage to his car) from a spin and continue without going all the way to the rear. That is folks that are out there every weekend doing it for a living.
When I was a kid there was a stretch of 4 lane that was notoriously slick when it was wet. I loved to go out there late at night when there was no traffic and practice spinning my vehicle. I'd always start the spin between 50 and 60 mph and the idea was to do a full 360, keep it in the two lanes going my direction and recover without loosing any more mph than necessary. This was being done in a semi controlled environment and being done on purpose. That is a whole different story than having it happen when you don't expect it and in situations that you didn't choose.
I do believe that is some cases you may be able to a positive "affect" on what happens depending on all the factors involved.
Think ice!!
The one and only time the Grasshopper got away from me was on the interstate when I hit some substantial water running across the road and yes, the Grasshopper slipped out from under me quicker than a snakebite. Sitting beside the road afterwards, allowing my heart rate to come down a bit, my first thought was where is that semi that I just passed,(he had obviously slowed way down watching me sashaying down the highway!), Second was, "WOW, that was exciting!", and then I thanked God that I had been raised in Montana and have had experience in driving on snow and ice,for that was exactly what it felt like. I believe that it was that experience and instinct reactions that ultimately helped me the most in keeping the shiny side up, though it has been a curiosity ever since just how much the traction control did contribute?
No, we will not quit driving the Grasshopper because of rain, but since that lil adventure, we have installed better all-season tires in hope it helps in the future, but mostly we will be thinking "ice" rather than just the road being wet.
Bill
Added note, while I was sitting along side the road "contemplating", a Corvette came along and fared far worse then me, so it can happen to anybody in any vehicle, not just the SlingShot!
I believe that it was that experience and instinct reactions that ultimately helped me the most in keeping the shiny side up
There's your answer right there. When the proverbial shit hits the fan you have milliseconds to assess the exact situation, which is NEVER the same, and apply corrective actions. Instinct gets you off the gas, experience keeps you from jamming the brakes, and you have to steer to miss what is in front of you. You can't practice this, learn it from a book, or have someone tell you what to do ahead of time...
I think it is hilarious that anyone would expect a customer service representative to give advice on how to drive a vehicle. If they actually answered, would you feel comfortable following it?!
As promised, here is a short clip from the last track day. If you look closely, you can see the stability control light illuminating on and off. Traction control light is on solid because it is off. Stability control is blinking just below it. What you can't notice that well, is that the Slingshot is actually braking for me at certain points. It is a very odd deal, if you have never felt it before. I'm also noticing it much more with the bigger wheels/tires up front.
I didn’t call customer service I talked to a factory service tech. Slight difference. And I was passed higher up the chain. I was told there wasn’t any info in their books about how to react in a spin.
Car owners manuals tell you how to drive with front wheel drive. They tell you how to drive with ABS systems.
The fact that they couldn’t or wouldn’t answer the question pisses me off. Liability issues was the reason. My life was the question.
Another thing do NASCARS have the factory braking systems? With ABS and traction control? I think that’s apples and oranges compared to our SS.
I recall that early on Polaris did do a number of instructional videos, including driving tips? Plus, if I may make a further suggestion, you could try going to YouTube and doing a search of, "How to drive the Polaris SlingShot", there appears to be lots of info there.
Otherwise, would it not be the owner's/driver's responsibility to learn how to drive their SlingShot, or at least have a rudimentary understanding of how the SlingShot handles, before taking it out on the road, particularly in potentially hazardous situations? I honestly cannot see how somebody could blame Polaris if if this somebody failed to accept this responsibility?
Bill
Ok. I've decided to get you the "right" answer, since this is really bothering you and you are willing to take advice from an "Slingshot expert". Here is some generic advice that I assume no liability on if you decide to follow it...
When in a spin, apply brakes aggressively and look to see if you are likely to impact a structure. If impact is likely, continue hard on the brakes, put the vehicle in neutral, and pull your hands/arms tight to your chest. You need to avoid hands/arms getting caught up in the steering wheel and/or exiting the protection of the vehicle in a possible rollover.
If impact isn't likely, you will want to try to countersteer the spin. Depending on speed, you will likely have no luck. When they spin, they spin quickly. You also would want to be ready to quickly operate the vehicle after the spin is over to move out of the potential hazard of other vehicles.
If you are in a faster spin with both nannies off, I personally would keep the pedal floored to continue the spinning of the rear tire in hopes that the vehicle will continue a lack of traction and won't grab to rollover.
Every situation is total different and it's not worth the average person to worry about it, unless you can practice defensive/aggressive driving on a closed course to train muscle memory.
The conclusion. Drive safe and do everything in your power not to spin. 95% will people will never spin a Slingshot, so its not worth worrying about too much.
Display MoreOk. I've decided to get you the "right" answer, since this is really bothering you and you are willing to take advice from an "Slingshot expert". Here is some generic advice that I assume no liability on if you decide to follow it...
When in a spin, apply brakes aggressively and look to see if you are likely to impact a structure. If impact is likely, continue hard on the brakes, put the vehicle in neutral, and pull your hands/arms tight to your chest. You need to avoid hands/arms getting caught up in the steering wheel and/or exiting the protection of the vehicle in a possible rollover.
If impact isn't likely, you will want to try to countersteer the spin. Depending on speed, you will likely have no luck. When they spin, they spin quickly. You also would want to be ready to quickly operate the vehicle after the spin is over to move out of the potential hazard of other vehicles.
If you are in a faster spin with both nannies off, I personally would keep the pedal floored to continue the spinning of the rear tire in hopes that the vehicle will continue a lack of traction and won't grab to rollover.
Every situation is total different and it's not worth the average person to worry about it, unless you can practice defensive/aggressive driving on a closed course to train muscle memory.
The conclusion. Drive safe and do everything in your power not to spin. 95% will people will never spin a Slingshot, so its not worth worrying about too much.
Good Advice
The conclusion. Drive safe and do everything in your power not to spin. 95% will people will never spin a Slingshot, so its not worth worrying about too much. [/b]
Mama always said I was special... Guess 5% special... 
Display MoreI recall that early on Polaris did do a number of instructional videos, including driving tips? Plus, if I may make a further suggestion, you could try going to YouTube and doing a search of, "How to drive the Polaris SlingShot", there appears to be lots of info there.
Otherwise, would it not be the owner's/driver's responsibility to learn how to drive their SlingShot, or at least have a rudimentary understanding of how the SlingShot handles, before taking it out on the road, particularly in potentially hazardous situations? I honestly cannot see how somebody could blame Polaris if if this somebody failed to accept this responsibility?
Bill
Bill, the issue is the single back drive wheel....how many people have had a vehicle like this before? And where could one go to safely learn how to drive one? My concern is with the single back wheel and the effect of the traction control on not only the back wheel but all the wheels.... But back wheel mainly.
The single back wheel with traction control puts us in an entirely different ball game than any other vehicle..
Practicing would be great...that's how I learned to drive in the snow and ice. In deserted parking lots and doing panic stops, spins, donuts, burn outs and driving like a nut..
40 years later if you get caught doing this in a parking lot or deserted road now...you're getting a big ticket.
I also saw the video of the guy rolling a SS over on a dry pavement slalom.
And to someone above that wanted to know if an SS could go out of control if one of the many traction control input sensors goes bad my answer would be HELL YEAH...each sensor is a link in the total system...no sensor input and it doesn't know what to do.
How many times does this happen is anyone's guess...but if you notice your SS acting not normal start looking for the problem.
Again I say there had to be a very good reason for Polaris to spend the money to put it on the SS. And I'm guessing without it, it gets squirrelly fairly easy...
I'm glad it's there I just want to know how to react when it takes over....or if it doesn't take over.
Display MoreBill, the issue is the single back drive wheel....how many people have had a vehicle like this before? And where could one go to safely learn how to drive one? My concern is with the single back wheel and the effect of the traction control on not only the back wheel but all the wheels.... But back wheel mainly.
The single back wheel with traction control puts us in an entirely different ball game than any other vehicle..
Practicing would be great...that's how I learned to drive in the snow and ice. In deserted parking lots and doing panic stops, spins, donuts, burn outs and driving like a nut..
40 years later if you get caught doing this in a parking lot or deserted road now...you're getting a big ticket.
I also saw the video of the guy rolling a SS over on a dry pavement slalom.
And to someone above that wanted to know if an SS could go out of control if one of the many traction control input sensors goes bad my answer would be HELL YEAH...each sensor is a link in the total system...no sensor input and it doesn't know what to do.
How many times does this happen is anyone's guess...but if you notice your SS acting not normal start looking for the problem.
Again I say there had to be a very good reason for Polaris to spend the money to put it on the SS. And I'm guessing without it, it gets squirrelly fairly easy...
I'm glad it's there I just want to know how to react when it takes over....or if it doesn't take over.
@Bigdog - you are correct. The SS handles differently and if not for the Traction and Stability control systems, many drivers would be in a world of hurt.
Remember crashing a tricycle when you were a kid? Remember why? Yep, that one wheel in the front worked great until you turned too fast, then it was all pain and misery. What happened? That's complicated, but the short answer is you rolled it and that is how the Slingshot rolls too. The further you get to sideways, the easier it rolls. I started writing a lengthy, detailed response to your inquiry (if you know me, this response is a brief one 
) so here's the super-condensed version.
Short answer: In most situations, the SS handles like low-riding RWD pickup truck. Don't worry about interference from or interfering with the automated safety systems. You can ignore them, unless they are faulty or disabled. If they are faulty or disabled, you can continue to drive, just be smart about it and avoid putting yourself in situations where those systems might be needed (no hotdogging).
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