TIME TO GET SIDEWAYZ - How To: COMPLETELY disable VDC and Traction Control

A Q45 forum / Cima forum for the President of Infiniti's lineup. Brought to you by Infiniti Parts USA, your OEM source for Q45 parts!
HollywoodJackson
Posts: 262
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 1:35 pm
Car: 2004 Infiniti G35
1990 Nissan 240SX Hatchback
1990 Nissan 240SX Coupe
Location: Hollywood, CA
Contact:

Post

This is someone elses write up from another web site. It's Y34/M45 specific. I need to perform this mod on my '02 Q45. Will there be any minute differences, like color of the wire I'll need to add the toggle switch to?
Disclaimer: Doing this will void any possible warranty you may have. The mod itself is not risky, it's what you can potentially do with the car without the car saving your butt. Basically, if you do this, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE WITHOUT THE VDC/TRACTION CONTROL DISABLED! The M45/Q45 are heavy heavy cars and can be a handful.

What is this: This mod allows you to completely disable VDC and the traction control. On the M45/Q45, you have a button that disables VDC to some degree. This allows you to get the car a bit more out of shape before the car's electronics reel ya in. However, Traction Control is STILL ENABLED with the VDC turned off. This means, you cannot do burnouts, drift, or let the wheels slip a little on hard cornering to bring the car back in line.

No images available. It's pretty straight forward

Install Time - < 1 Hour

Tools / Parts Required:
- Screwdriver, phillips
- Wire. 16-18 gauge should be fine
- Switch of some sort. Something that either opens and closes a loop. http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...mString=search
- Wire cutters
- Crimpers and crimp connections for the switch
- Solder, Soldering Gun
- Electrical tape

Nice to have:
- Extra wire loom
- Flashlight
- heat shrink


1. Remove center console. Open the ashtray and pry on the trim around the shifter.*
2. Remove the two screws near the cupholder. Remove cupholder.*
3. Remove trim around tape/cd deck by prying on it carefully.*
4. Remove 2 screws behind tape/cd deck trim piece that holds the ashtray. Remove ashtray.*
5. Remove 4 screws around rubberized trim piece. Remove trim piece.*
6. Remove 2 screws at the rear of the shifter, on the trim piece. This allows the metal brace to be removed.*
7. Under the duct for the aircon system for the rear vents is the Yaw Sensor. On it, it's labeled "Do Not Drop". That's what we want. How I got access to it was by yanking on the duct, bending it slightly, removing the 2 10mm nuts, and then pulling the sensor, with wiring, as far as I could. This allowed me to remove the wiring connection.
8. Looking at the wiring connection, you are looking for an Orange wire. On my 2003 M45, it was on the bottom, in the middle... slot 2.
9. Leaving some slack on the wire near the connector, cut this wire.
10. Strip the factory wires and solder extensions to those wires. Use heat shrink tubing to cover the new connections. The new wires should be long enough to go to a switch that you can place wherever you'd like. I put mine in the armrest with my Ipod connection.
11. Connect the wires to the switch.
12. Turn the car to the on position and see if your SLIP and VDC light is on or off. If they are BOTH ON, that means the switch is in the OPEN position and that the Traction Control and VDC is disabled. Your display will also indicated that VDC is disabled. If you see your ABS light is on, you got the wrong wire. Turn the car off, flip the switch to the other position. Turn the car back to the on position. BOTH SLIP and VDC should turn off. If not, you got the wrong wire or the switch isn't set properly. With the switch in the CLOSED position (VDC and Slip lights are off), your car will function like normal... you can use your VDC OEM button to disable VDC if you'd like.

If everything is working as it should, reinstall everything.

*Y34/M45 Specific


Results:
I found a dead-end street out in the middle of the desert and was able to do a full burnout with SLIP and VDC disabled. Just make sure you put it into Manual mode, otherwise the gearbox will upshift for ya.

Enjoy, be safe and don't go about tossing your car into a tree, curb, other cars, etc.

I also was able to do a pretty strong, smokey burnout. I'll likely take it to a drift event this coming week to toss it around. Pictures/video of such insanity ensuing
Any info greatly appreciated!

All the best,
~HollywoodJackson~


98_Q45
Posts: 498
Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2017 12:12 am

Post

I think I had my fun doing “burnouts” back in April when I got stuck in the middle of a busy boulevard in 6 inches of snow while visiting Milwaukee. Was “slipping” uphill with just enough rear tire tread to handle for light rain.

..and again when I got stuck elsewhere a couple more times within 24 hours. Hail no lol. Not worth it! Also be hard to resale with a mod like that.

HollywoodJackson
Posts: 262
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 1:35 pm
Car: 2004 Infiniti G35
1990 Nissan 240SX Hatchback
1990 Nissan 240SX Coupe
Location: Hollywood, CA
Contact:

Post

98_Q45 wrote:
Wed May 09, 2018 10:54 pm
Also be hard to resale with a mod like that.
Hey thanks for replying! I'm not really concerned with the resale value of the car. I'll never sell the car to someone that's going to say "well, you added a feature where the traction control can be turned off, so I'll give you $x less than blue book value".

I WILL sell it to a fellow car enthusiasts down the road, that will appreciate the car for what it is. Take care of it. And build it from where I left off, into the car they want it to be.

However, that is very,very far down the road. I've been driving a $50,000 car for the last 3 years, that I paid less than $10,000 for. And I'm making it perform BETTER than it did brand new :-)

All the best,
~HollywoodJackson~

BadQ45t
Posts: 3249
Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2002 7:54 am
Car: 21' Leaf SL Plus (wife's car)
05' X-Terra S 4x4
97' Q45t SOLD! Miss the old girl
84 300ZX (Original Owner)
2016 Mercedes Benz S550e V8 Power and 35 MPG
Location: Half Moon Bay, CA

Post

That is funny they are saying this is a heavy car and hard to handle, yet everyone owner of this heavy car did without this feature until they put in the 2002 model (I don't think 2nd Gen ever got it). My TCS control button in my 97' completely disables the feature, with the 215's on it I could do a burn out pretty easy, but with the 245/40 19's no way and I am not 19 anymore willing to rev it up and drop out of neutral (this is a 20+ year old car). These new VDC systems can be very annoying, the Lexus ones are really annoying!! The nanny kicks in just as the fun begins (experienced on a closed course at Car & Driver "Editor for a Day Event"). I swear it was closed course!!

I agree having a car that were that much back in the day for fraction of the cost is nice. I paid $24k for my 97 Q45t in 2000 with 41k on it (this guy drove a lot but all highway miles) and the sticker was $53,000.


Return to “Q45 Forum / Cima Forum”