I know the asc button well, and i to hold it down putting it into OFF-OFF mode for autoX events. Of course during normal driving i just leave it all on. But my question to everyone is more or less a usage question. In a couple of videos and in several things i have read there are claims that use while turning the AYC off OR putting the Evo in the OFF-OFF position creates excessive heat during use in this mode. I drive the GSR model and most of these comments have been concerning driving the SST model tranny (the MR having the heat issues when in off-off) is this a concern that i should worry about driving the GSR? obviously i'm taking care of fluids and all the rest of it, just don't fully understand i guess how heat is building up in the GSR model when in my mind things should be "simpler" when everything is turned off... call me a dummy or whatever, but i'd like to know i'm not causing excessive wear by using this mode, of if i should be doing something else to help "cool" it down. Problem is its not like you can go for a cool down lap at these events, you run you sit, you run you sit...

 

Nope. The only things that you'll cook running around in off or off-off are your tires.

Well, that's a bit of an overstatement. If you are smoking rears, then you're stressing the center diff a bit more. But as long as you aren't doing anything crazy, being in off-off won't make things worse.

 

So than we're saying the heat damage is only in the SST models? still don't understand why they suffer (heat in the differential during off-off) when they're different in the transmission and not different in the differential... feel like i'm missing something...

 

If I understand correctly, the SST issue is just due to poor transmission cooler capability when you track the car, not related to being in off-off, on - on, on off, etc - etc.

 

The center diff is in the transmission. (So is the front, for that matter.)

 

The SST then has the Transmission housing with the center and front diff?...wow, didn't know that...that would explain the heat issue. So then the SST has heat issues due to tracking the car (running it hard, regardless of OFF-OFF, on - off, whatever) while the GSR has less heat trouble and running (OFF-OFF) shouldn't be an issue, correct?

so we could say that traction control and AYC, have no adverse effect to either car trim model?

 

I run OFF-OFF constantly because I like to have more driver control. I'd imagine this would unevenly wear tires faster more than anything else.. I can't imagine anything with the system itself to cause any mechanical downsides or problems, just tells the computer to stop being so controlling! :P

 

You're not going to hurt your AYC pump in any Evo running full off. The "overheating" issue pertains to the SST only, and has nothing to do with the AYC.

Actually, the AYC pump is more prone to damage in extreme cold than anything.

Think of it logically, the difference in the amount of work the AYC is exerting on full off or full on is minisule. I'd say full on will wear brakes and annoy driver the most, it's just there to save your butt if you're inexperienced. Put your worries to rest and just drive it.

 

Keep in mind that you can't turn the AYC off (at least, not by simply pushing and/or holding buttons). Plain off (one tap of the button) turns off the Type 1 and Type 2 traction control (i.e., it turns off throttle-cut and it turns off single-wheel braking under acceleration) and it also turns off the ASC (i.e., the single-wheel braking based on actual yaw vs steering angle). What people call "off-off" (press and hold the button for 2 seconds) also disables the single-wheel braking that is designed to help the AYC. No setting turns off the AYC, just as no setting turns off the ACD. This is true for both GSRs and MRs, as the S-AWC for the two is the same.

I understand why people run in plain off for things like autocrossing and rallycrossing, since Type 1 throttle-cut is really annoying and can upset the car, making things worse, not better. The bummer is that you lose the Type 2 traction control and ASC (i.e., the single-wheel braking) which is really helpful at corner exit, especially when you have a helical front diff, as we do. But, all in all, I agree that plain off is better than on for low-speed racing.

In contrast, I do not understand why people autocross in off-off. Not only does theory say that you should leave the AYC helpers on, but I tried it both ways on a course with some WOT sweepers and off-off was nowhere near as fast. Now, maybe that's because my suspension is bone-stock and others have heavier springs and/or a larger rear sway-bar, but for a car with an OE suspension and 245 R-S3s, leaving the AYC helpers on was much better.

 

Great info thank you!