This passed weekend both me and my co-driver had this power cut in the middle of run. It looked like trainy (DCCT one that is) overheat mode, but nothing was displayed on the dash. I would just keep pressing the throttle and car would not accelerate. That would last in my case couple of offsets and than things would get back to normal.

I would like to say that this had something to do with the trainy, but engine was not accelerating (like a clutch spin for example), but rather maintained the same sound through the cut.

I have heard some issue with too many Gs pulled with these cars that would affect the trainy somehow, but this was with street tires (Hankook RS3s) and whole last year I have never had this while on Hoosiers.

This lasted for two runs (one for each one of us) and it was fine for last few after that. Any idea what is going on there?

Thanks


Fedja
ps. car is in BS, mostly stock.

 

That's on an MR (SST) I take it?.... Were you trying to launch from a stop when this occurred?

 

Not really. This was close to the end of an autoX run - last two offset gates before the three cone slalom next to the finish. Around 50 sec into the runs at the speed of about 40 mph.

Yes, this is an SST trainy and not it is not an MR - just an SE

Fedja

 

I didn't know that the SE came with an SST ....anyways ...good to know!
I think what you have experienced is normal due to elevated clutch temperatures from the amount of gear shifts encountered on an AutoX track. I am surprised no message appeared on the cluster to warn you though.

 

how much fuel?

 

plenty...and it happened in two consecutive offset gates (aka. clam shells as we call them over here), which mean one was on the right and other on the left. And as plenty, there was about 3/4 at that time.

 

Fedja,

You’ve mentioned before that the SST allows a second to third, third to second, very fast gear change - when a GS would hit the rev-limiter in second. I’ve talked to other SST owners that experience an occasional and temporary “stuck in third gear” even though you’ve slowed down enough for it in Super-Sport mode to automatically shift down to second gear. I’ve got five events on my SST MR and it has happened exactly once each of those five events (average 4 runs/event). It feels like you’ve lost power temporarily, but the real problem was no automatic downshift to second gear. Just as quick as this problem appears, it disappears! Could this be what you’re experiencing?

-- joe

 

Hey Joe,

Thanks for the response! Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately ), I didn't have experience you described. That section near the finish was was right after the 5 cone slalom that was at the angle (not a straight line - more like 120 degree break). After that slalom we had those two offset gates (clam shells as I said they are called over here) and car was in second through all of that. Before the slalom it was in third and after hard braking, it went into second and stay there until going through the finish - 3 slalom cones after the offset gates.

So, in this case, while being in second for a while and there was no shifting near to that point, pressing the throttle just didn't produce any forward motion - just casting from what it was doing prior.

I have experience car being stuck in 1st gear when there are sections like that where goes from 2nd down. It looks like it sees too much torque and unless you lift and than go back on throttle, it would stay in first. I believe that is well know SST treat and mentioned around here before. But, this was different.

The strange part is lack of notification on the dash from trainy TCU (or wherever that comes from). Now while i was typing this, I am thinking it might be also something related to the throttle body as well. The thing is that if all this is because ot too many lateral Gs, it should have been happening with Hoosiers all over the place last year. But, it never did!

Fedja

 

Ayc-off/off ???

 

Yup! Tarmac mode with traction control OFF OFF
All off that in S-Sport and auto mode

 

Interesting...I have not run the SE in Auto mode except for highway cruise control.! I have wondered if the Auto mode would be nice at an AX event ? And the first thought of your issue for me was the computer(which one?) thought you were going to crash so it cut your power.

 

I was thinking about it, but this year since the switch to the street tires from Hoosiers, I have much lower lateral acceleration capabilities, so I should have seen this last year, but I didn't. Also, lack of any info on the dash is strange as well.

Fedja

 

On track the SE has lost power for a split second with no dash warning, unless I don't lift off immed. the dash warning goes off and the car is useless(limp mode) for a min or 2..if you keep pushing it to go fast and don't pit the trans will quit completely until it "cools off" enough or whatever turns out to be the issue with it.. decides to work again

 

I am hoping that is what was happening. We had relatively small run group and with two drivers and lots of left foot braking, it is possible for trainy to get too hot. I guess I can not rely on the temps being in high 50s - low 60s to be enough for the trainy without cooling the tiny radiator.

Fedja

 

AT 38f at the track the SE would not get more than 5 laps before the trans got angry. And at 85f the trans won't do more than 5 laps in this car. So I got a leaf blower to jam into the air intake for the cooler (F1 style) when cooling in the pits. There is also a fan kit around here somewhere to install on the cooler. One thing I have noticed with the limited use of the AUTO mode is the clutch(s) maintain the "engine braking" to a complete stop, and it the MANUAL mode the clutch(s) release/slip at low speeds...in normal manual they let go at about 10-15mph..in sport manual they let go at about 25-35mph and in SS manual they let go at about 40 mph. Perhaps the trans will last longer before it has issues when AX if you are in Manual mode ?