CateyeRR

After going last month and getting rained out, I finally got to drive on a track wednesday! And let me start off by saying it was one of the best experiences of my life! I went to Heartland Park in Topeka, KS. (hpt.com) They sent us through a brief tech inspection and then a VERY informal meeting, they were not nearly as thorough as I thought they would be. They ran 3 classes, advanced, intermediate and novice. Our first novice session consisted of letting a few of the instructors drive our cars with us riding along while the rest of us without instructors followed and learned the lines/braking points. The second session was cut short by someone losing it and smashing up their integra. Right after that a guy put the nose of his RT/10 viper into a tire wall and thoroughly trashed his front end, causing another delay. Finally in the third session I was able to push it and I had an instructor riding shotgun and giving me pointers. Here's some video:




I definitely encountered the limp mode - rpms limited to 6200 after a few hard laps which has been discussed in other areas of the forum. I am planning on getting an oil cooler because I definitely want to do more trackdays and being limited is quite a hassle. Has anyone else experienced this issue and did the oil cooler fix it 100%? Also, I heard what I think is the rear axle clicking issue described in one of the TSBs when I was pulling into the pits. I'm not sure if it is there all the time or just when I push the car hard, how do you get the dealer to recognize this problem and fix it under warranty?

The instructor was fairly impressed with me since I had never been on a track before and bumped me up into the intermediate group for the next session. Here's more video:




Again the oil temp/rev limiting issue struck, I would have liked to see if I could have caught the miata if not for that. And in part 2 I boiled my clutch fluid going into turn 1 and had absolutely no clutch pedal, I had to pump it 10 sec to get it into gear and had to pack it in from there. I will have to replace that fluid with a higher grade and hopefully it won't happen again.

I did notice something else in the two days since the track day - yesterday I noticed my "BRAKE" light on the dashboard flashed on for a second a couple times. Then on my way to work today it happened again, and the VDC off as well as the SLIP lights came on and stayed on. Anyone know this issue of the top of their head? I assume it has to be a brake issue. **EDIT** Searched and saw it might be low brake fluid, I'll check that first. /EDIT

Here's some shots of the advanced and intermediate group on the track - Couple of godzillas out there as well as a couple lotuses and other nice hardware. The parking lot shots are actually from the previous rain out day but many of the same cars showed up. Enjoy!

Picasa Web Albums - jlnutsch - 7-7-10 Heartl...

I definitely recommend everyone get out and at least try this once, it is an amazing experience and you will have a newfound respect for your G. Ask me any questions you have!

Mike

iTrader: (1)

My indirect experience with 370Z owners is that the oil cooler does not solve the problem. Rather, it makes it so you can do more hot laps before hitting limp mode. Even an oversize cooler is not able to dissipate heat quickly enough for the system to reach equilibrium.

Brake light = Check brake fluid. Make sure your fluid is fresh and topped off before each track day. If you're willing to change regularly, I recommend RBF600; it shouldn't be too hard to find at local performance shops

Clutch: I would bleed it, but not use a "high temp" fluid, as it isn't something you should be boiling. If anything, the fluid probably had some water in it.

I'm surprised they have the instructors drive cars! Out here in Cali, I'm only allowed to drive a student's car if they sign a waiver.


How did the brake pads hold up? Also, what was the ambient temp, and how many laps before hitting limp? In 100 degree weather, a G/Z will hit limp in 2 laps with an advanced driver out here in Cali. They may be able to get in 5 laps (WSIR, SoW, Buttonwillow, Laguna Seca, Infineon) with a large oil cooler.


Since you did hit limp mode, be sure to change your oil.

CateyeRR

That is disappointing about the oil cooler. Is there any permanent fix? Should I go with the "competition" style larger oil cooler package to try and keep the oil cool longer? These are only 20 mintue sessions.

I think I will go ahead and change the brake fluid and possibly upgrade the brake pads before the next track day. The brakes seemed to hold up ok but I did notice a bit of fade toward the end. I haven't checked their wear yet. I also wasn't pushing them extremely hard as I wasn't 100% familiar with the braking points of the track. From what I've read those stock pads can pretty much melt down under a few laps of extreme braking. I'll probably go ahead and change out the clutch fluid as well, it can't hurt.

Yes the instructors were quite informal; but they did not push our cars hard at all so it was quite tame and no danger of wadding it up. I really enjoyed having an instructor ride along, that helped me figure out the track a lot quicker.

Ambient temps were around 80 degrees and I was hitting limp after maybe 3-4 hard laps. I noted when I hit limp in the videos. I hit it quicker in the last session because that was about 5 minutes after the 3rd session, so hardly any cool down time. Yes an oil change is happening asap. Do you think ester oil will help? What brand/where can I get it locally? I do my own oil changes.

Zinc

Check out the article (Z Meets Wall: We Investigate Why the NISMO Z's Brakes Failed at Lightning Lap - Feature - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver) on their findings of why the brakes on a new 370Z failed on them. Suggestions they had were to add brake ducting. Problem stems from the lack of air into the brake area. Too closed up for aerodynamics was their suspicion.

droogie

iTrader: (1)

So is it a pretty common thing for factory sports cars to go into limp mode after a few laps around a track? I know the 335i tends to do this too, so its not just specific to our Gs. You'd think they would build them a little stronger than that. Regardless, made me never want to track my car as it seemed to cause you nothing but trouble that day. I'm sure it was a blast though, and sweet pics!

koa789

iTrader: (1)

They don't need to build them stronger, but you have to also understand that never, and I mean NEVER, under normal driving conditions will you ever put your car trough what it goes trough at the track. It's a 3700lb. luxo-coupe, it is not made for the type of abuse it experiences at the track. At the track, weight is your enemy, and that is one of the reasons the S2k holds up as well as it does. I would never track a car I use as a DD.

To further add, I would not feel comfortable running any factory stock street car on the track without doing at least brake fluid and brake pads on them. Even with something as good as a GT3, you still have to worry about rotors cracking.

soundmike

iTrader: (6)

Glad to see you had a great time!

Is the limp problem common on the 37's?

I have a 2nd gen 35 sedan and have taken it to the local course several times. Mostly in the middle of Texas summer. I've never had problems with it even after numerous laps.

droogie

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the clarification! I know racing around a track is hard on your car but I guess I'm not too familiar with exactly how much.

Mike

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't quite call the G37 a sports car. Sporty, definitely, but not a sports car. This goes for the 370Z as well.

Remember that the G is marketed as a luxury vehicle, and is based off of a shared platform. However, it is a good platform to start off in; the long wheelbase makes for an extremely stable (and difficult to rotate) vehicle.

Any car driven hard will have issues, no matter what it is.

The s2k comes with an oil-to-water cooler stock from the factory. They don't need an aftermarket oil cooler unless they're running some sort of FI. Even then, it depends on the particular setup. For that matter, they also come with factory camber adjustability in all four corners, and a real LSD. All reasons why the s2k's base price is nearly the same as the G, with 2/3 the horsepower...

I do agree on pads for the most part. Unless the car is designated a factory "track car", it will ultimately come with street pads.

Rotors are a wear and tear item; they will always crack.

Mike

iTrader: (1)

Ester oil will break down as well. Theoretically, it should help, since it "reduces friction", but the 370Z's that I see regularly at the track all run some sort of group-V oil.

Unless you're running a vented hood of some sort and a massive cooler, you're probably not pushing the car hard enough to limp. I've seen G37s hit limp on the street...

Gamedog

iTrader: (9)

Mike

iTrader: (1)

You should come out to WSIR this weekend. $160

Or SoW on 7/31. $120 including timing and instruction.


PM me if you want registration info.

G37Sam

Track experience surely is something else, glad you enjoyed.

And yes, there's no escape from Limp Mode, oil coolers will slow you down

Do the 350Z's get in limp modes as well?

Mike

iTrader: (1)

The VQ has always been notorious for overheating, but previous iterations had the problem solved via vented hoods + oil coolers. That may not be the case with the VQ37VHR...

koa789

iTrader: (1)

I know all that about the s2k, as I am a former s2k fan boi lol I was just saying, at almost 1,000lbs less weight, it is already a better choice for track duty, and a much better platform to start on, than any G/Z car. And I've never seen blanks crack, only cross drilled rotors. A lot of people don't give the s2k enough credit, it is an amazing car.