San Antonio 370Z owners experiencing this problem?
 

Hey guys, so I just recently moved to San Antonio, bought my car in North Carolina. So since arriving in San Anotonio I've had horrible horrible traction problems in my Z! Everywhere I go it seems if I give it any gas I spin like crazy, and taking turns can be a nightmare if Im not careful, slide like crazy! Yes my VDC is on, and Im just driving under normal conditions, not really driving fast or anything, but I still have the problem. Was just curious if it's a common problem in San Antonio or if its just me? And no it's not my tires, because I was in Houston over the weekend and had no problems at all!

Maybe it's just the road conditions there. Seeing that you had no problems in Houston tells me that your car runs fine. Possibly gravel, dirt or sandy roads there? Does your VDC come on when your sliding around?

I havent had any issues up here in Austin. Theres a lot of dust and wind lately and its pretty flat or well rolling hills sorta down there, not to mention dry and dusty! What part of Carolina did you from? W

It's not dirt, gravel, or sand on the roads. The roads Im driving on are good condition black top or pavement roads. The one thing I thought could be the problem is the amount of traffic depositing oil on the roads and the heat here could cause the roads to be slightly slick, but I didnt experience that problem in Houston and it has a **** ton of traffic. Oh, and yes the VDC does come on when Im sliding.

Huh, strange. maybe that is it! Hey what part of NC were you in?

I was stationed at Ft Bragg for a couple years.

You can't tell me that it's not just a little cool?!

Just don't hurt yourself.

It is and isn't, I definately have to be extra careful when I do anything. The sucky part is just trying to take off like normal with a cop next to you and you spinning all the way to 30 MPH!

Seems hard to believe that you're spinning your tires on dry asphalt with a 'normal' takeoff. We have some dusty streets now in Chicago and I still only spin the tires if I'm cornering hard on the accelerator or if I really goose it off the line.

I think you need some lessons. No offense, but if you're doing this you don't have much control over the car (or restraint). Smoother is better..

Yeah, something just doesn't click. Unless you're driving in heavy rain with racing slicks.

Just seems odd. I could take off on ice with no wheel spin if I wanted to. Slllloooow down :)

Looking at your "Drives:," you drive an automatic! What are doing to get any spin at all?

As a local resident I am not having any problems. And, I drive all over town :confused:

OK, let me clarify, if I take off under limited acceleration, no I don't spin, but the slightest bit of giving some gas and it just spins. (Im not punching it at every green light, but at the same time, Im not the granny that is still cruising under 10 MPH by time she crosses the intersection) No it isn't me, like I said, I've driven 7k miles in this car already and NEVER had this problem anywhere but San Antonio! I was in houston just last weekend and didnt have a problem at all. And some people are right, Im in an auto, unless Im at the fricken track launching off the line I shouldn't be seeing wheel spin. And even then I hardly ever had traction problems on my launches at the track. To the person that says I need to learn to drive, that comment wasn't neccessary! I've been driving for the past 11 years, and a very broad range of cars in several different places throughout the world. It isnt me, it has to be the roads here because I've never experience a problem like this before!

To the person that also lives here and hasn't experience this problem, what part of town do you normally drive in? I live off 151 and spend most of my time in that area.

I don't drive fast! Im 25 years old and have never had a ticket or wreck, I don't go above the speed limit hardly every, I enjoy my cheep insurance. So my "restraint" in the vehicle isn't an issue.

Bad tires?

Can't be bad yet! I mean yes I've went to the strip some times on them, but the tread isn't worn at all, I only got 7k miles on the car, and San Antonio is the only place I have this problem.

The only conclusion that I can draw is that ...
well, most of us probably can't.

There's either just something we're not getting, and something that may only be solved when it's seen or experienced. Unless you want to video it somehow.

I might have to look into doing that, to show my acceleration, and the VDC coming on. Let me see what I can figure out in the next few days or something.

I live on the North-side 1604/281 and work in the medical center. Honestly, your tires may be going as these Bridgestones do not last especially with track/strip use. Burnouts in the water box will chew them up really fast. My G has the same tires and they started going around 12K with primarily highway use only and had to ultimately be replaced at 18K. They were shot and still had some tread depth to them. Just something else to ponder.

I guess it could be a possibility, but when I tracked, I never did burnouts. I always drove around the water box and just pulled up to the line. Oh well, I guess I can have discount or the dealership check them out!

If you talk to a local tire store you may find out that the road surface is different. A number of cities and town are trying recycled rubber and plastic in their repaving mixes, and you might currently be in one of those areas. Look carefully at the road surface -- see if it happens on both asphalt and concrete.

Another possibility could be you're slicking your treads somehow when you put silicone tire dressing on, though that's a far fetch. It has to be the road surface treatment, particularly in the summer heat.

I have the same problem with my '08 350z I'm going to try lowering my rear tire pressure to 30 psi and see if that helps, I'm sure it won't help my gas mileage;)

I live around 281 but always drive around 151 on the weekends and have not experienced that problem at all.

Go drive down Bulverde road north of 1604. I used to live down there, and I know parts of that can be very slippery.

I drive all over SA an AUS and have no problems when it rain it does make the roads very slippery. 31 days over 100 degrees does not help either
Does it seem to happen more in he afternoon when the roads are melting?
I have had my 370 since Jan it is easy if you want to slide it sideways:driving:

We have quite a few 370's now in the River City we should have a get together at Starbucks or Champs and talk rides and mods.
I'm in the Stone Oak area.

Tire pressure maybe??

I'm in SA, and don't have any problems in my 335i, and I drive w/ the traction control off most the time. Never experienced it here with any cars any more than anywhere else.

As someone stated before be very careful when it rains here because due to the high heat, when the water hits it, it gets very slippery. Once it's rained awhile it gets normal again.

Nevertheless, welcome to SA.

The roads in San Antonio suck.

35 has no problems...410 is a nightmare.

Let alone the driving or better yet the drivers are just horrendous.

Good luck.

The roads here aren't any worse than in Austin, it's just that you don't notice it in Austin because you never exceed 8 mph there!

If you were in Belleville Canada I could verify that problem for you.

I went from MD with new KDW2s and no traction problems to Belleville Canada and tons of traction problems. The tail was out around the corner at every stoplight if I used my normal MD driving style, which turned out to be a whole lot of fun. But I could granny start and be fine but the least bit of extra throttle and the Slip light was lit.

You sir, need to stay away from 6th street. :p

Sometimes when I take off, I have that problem. I'm not in S.A. but when it occurs in my vehicle it sems that the ground is uneven where I am taking off. The wheel starts spinning and the TCS and VDC lights blink. I never feel like I'm losing control though nor does the car fishtail.

ive test driven a few 370z's here in san antonio from the broadway 35 area to the military 410 area and san antonio's roads do suck.. in all of the drives i always got slip, ive seen some pretty bad roads but this area just blows. so im not suprised ur getting slippage.

Not a chance of that happening!

:rofl2:

True. Toll road makes for a good run now.

I live 281 North past 1604, and work downtown I agree that the roads closer to down town are slick. I don’t think its dust, but some roads seem oily downtown. Every Sports Car/SUV I have owned had traction problems closer to downtown; 1992 Corvette (6spd), 2008 Trail Blazer SS (Auto), and 2007 Solstice GXP (Auto). I must say the Solstice GXP was the worst when it came to traction. The 370z in these bad road situations still out performs all the vehicles I mentioned. But I have not had any issue with the highways or roads close to where I live up North 281. Sorry I don’t usually drive on 151 so I can not comment on that highway.

But that being said I have taken the bend right before the I-35 exit coming from 281N at 90mph. I was running late but even at that speed on a hard turn the car felt very planted, no traction control lights going off at all, I LOVE THIS CAR! :eekdance:

410 is great these days. My 350z has no first gear on normal streets. I just spin if I get on it. Like a few said, no rain for months, and over 100 degree temps for over 2 months too. It doesn't help any.

no traction issues for me when driving normally. i drive with VDC off 90% of the time because i do like to blip the throttle once in a while and get a tad sideways.

on another note looks like the 370 population is growing quite quickly here...we should organize a 370 meet.