nick49

Had a C2 for 7 years with TC, have a Boxster with TC, have a Turbo with PSM. Always left on, never a problem. I have tested them in the wet and slushy conditions and they work. I've never had the TC/PSM intervene while driving fast in turns.

I drive my cars smooth, yet very fast in the turns as I frequent the canyons a mile from home. My years of motorcycle roadracing taught me that ultimate speed is only possible with finesse and smooth technique. Right or wrong, I use this in driving and it has allowed me to go very fast in turns and transitions without ever needing the PSM. I do feel the ABS inhibits my ability to slow and wish I could turn it off.

Relating the PSM intervention to racing a motorcycle, it would come on just after you've lost control and it's to late to possibly recover from a slide. If I get to that point in a car, I feel I've exceeded the threshold where I am in control. I've never tracked a car so I don't know this to be the case, just an assumption.

Dock

There is no question that being smooth can lead to going faster through the twisties; however, for me at least the goal isn't "faster", the goal is "more fun". And for me "fun" is sometimes (often?) hanging the rear end out and/or spinning the wheels on corner exits. And "fun" is me being in more control of the car that the electronics; PSM off and a manual gearbox go a long way in helping make the driving experience more fun for me.

Carlo_Carrera

I agree, but I am talking more about track driving where getting power to ground exiting corners is key.

I have noticed that exiting certain tight corners at a few tracks I drive turning the PSM off does help but overall through the whole lap leaving it on produces a faster time for me.

I am about to upgrade the sway bars on my TT so once I collect some data from the "new" set up there is a good chance I might be turning the PSM off in the future. Although I have heard that when you stiffen up the rear bar to get rid of the inherent understeer you might lose some rear end grip.

I will have to see.

Carlo_Carrera

Me too.

Lance 4c

What Dock said! I used to ride motocross. It is fun to have more power, and using it combined with steering, and a little wheel spin from time to time. It feels like cheating when the psm light comes on. You feel the braking and power kill, when this is not what the input was.

adam_

Here's a great story-

Owner of a 2002 996TT puts 80k on it, sells it and buys a GT2 cherry with 10k miles...totals it:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/por...w-porsche.html

Sad.

I leave it on most of the time.

Dock

Maybe he should have spent some more time practicing with PSM off when he owned the Turbo.

Lance 4c

Not funny that he crashed, but again, what Dock said.

Atrox

Old thread I know...

Havnt once turned mine off, is the car that much more aggressive with it off? I'm pretty confident (street driving) with the car now, but how much of that was due to Psm. I'd hate to try my normal driving with it off and get in over my head. What seems to be the biggest diff in characteristics you all have noticed?

jeanmarcboilard

If your PSM had kicked in during spirited driving you would have felt it. It's actually kind of scary for a split second. I've felt individual front wheels braking in turns. It won't make your car drive more aggressive but it will allow you to really push it. Get comfortable by pushing your car until you feel it activate, then you will know. Best place to practice is an large empty parking lot or a wide deserted road.

911mhawk

Maybe I missed it but nobody mentions using sticky tires as it relates/to mitigate PSM intervention. I've only driven mine with worn PS2's, MPSC's and NT-01's and there's a big difference where PSM kicks in. After having the NT-01's on for a while then switching to worn street tires, it was like driving on marbles with PSM flashing a lot. I suspect new versions of the same tire are better but still not close to an R compound tire. The herky jerky action of it seems more abusive than sliding it around a little, unless you hit something.

PSM on the street is fine in my book, turning it off rekindles the possibility I may impress you by cleaning off some suspension parts while rototilling your lawn. I blew past a co-worker sideways (more so than I "planned") with it off just after I bought the car and was glad to have 4 wheel drive and room for more gas pedal to pull me straight before running out of pavement. Have done this in every car I own, by the way, because I like having fun too. Problem I've had is getting too comfortable "having fun", then NOT having fun. My off button is not as reliable as the PSM one.

At the track it's a different story, PSM will kill exit acceleration and front wheel brake at times you may not want. I still run it most of the time because I think that same individual wheel braking may have saved me a couple times when I was at 10/10 and drifting towards the outside edge of pavement. Dusty pavement from a previous car, having to change line suddenly for debris, etc. are possibilities and I'm not chasing the fastest lap every lap. I do look forward to running my new limited slip and if it improves my confidence in switching off PSM.

In reality, more seat time and coaching are the best spent mods for me now.

DaveCarrera4

Off. About burned up my rear brakes at mid Ohio with it on and it wanted to turn on a low rev limiter coming out of a corner onto a long straight. Not good.

Third-Reef

I had my C4 with PSM at Laguna Seca. First few sessions with it on, finally turned it off when it started chopping the throttle in turn 1 when i finally had the guts to not lift. In the turbo it is very reassuring to have the PSM on when driving in the rain. I am sure i will turn it off after several sessions at the next Laguna track day unless it is raining. Experienced driver at the track, off is best. Normal everyday driving i leave it on because it is safer, no brainer. Some might say Paul Walker would still be alive if his GT had it and it had been on, Maybe.

"02996ttx50

anytime i'm out my backyard running the hills it's OFF. i only wish i had removed the unit altogether, or just disconnecting it would be the next logical(?!) step. for the first couple/few years i know it had helped get me out of some sticky situations when my stock but tuned x50 car was at times a bit too much for me. reason being, i don't drive very much on straight lines i drive where instant corrections need to be made, and margin for error is SLIM. so while "learning" the car, and the 450/475 crank hp while running awd, i was all too happy to allow the car to "help", and help it did.

jump forward a few years, and then i got a "mid level" tuned car semi converted rwd ( front diff is still hanging and stock geometry, alas. but i actually like the extra weight upfront for cornering, as too much rwd power and too light a front = much scar(ier! ). so the conversion ( though half a**ed ) to RWD with a wavetrac torque biasing differential ( MUST HAVE ) and i wouldn't trade the ability to throttle steer which is all but impossible with psm active, and the ability to drift it, break the wheels, as i can now do with a reasonable degree of controllable insanity. I'm pushing 550 rwhp maybe a smidgen more but i know know in a highly visceral sense what the term "widowmaker" means and i'm beyond a stock 6gt2 power wise. so doing what I've done, and running psm off as i do, with the power level and 25mph corners takes some skill and/or an equal yet opposite level of insanity. pick one. but highly adrenalized fun? oh, you bet.

my sig line:

"While confident in the system’s ability as a dynamic handling aid, Porsche cautions drivers that PSM cannot counteract the laws of physics" - Porsche AG

autobonrun

I've owned my TTS less than a year. For the entire period my PSM has been on and will stay on until I get to know this car and how it recovers from bad situations. It's kicked in a couple times; once in a sweeping uphill curve where the power and AS tires wanted to keep me going straight when it hit some loose dirt that had washed onto the road. A few moments of PSM intervention and it was back pulling. I plan to put summer tires on this spring and I'll start to test it in the off position; very slowly.

My M5 on the other hand I've owned almost 10 years. I know it like the back of my hand. The first thing I do when I get in is cut the DSC (= Porsche PSM) off and turn the sport button on. It's only on in the rain and snow or an unfamiliar road.