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Ewheels
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #242
Ok y'all, got the Xineering installed finally. I'm not going to do an install guide because frankly, there is no need to. Between the instructions that come with the kit, Xineering's install video, and help from friends (@Biggsy thank you!) it's pretty straight forward.
However, the instructions don't tell you how to wire in a switch and I hit a bizarre snag that even surprised the Xineerings folks.
Simple wiring diagram for an LED switch:
I tapped into the brake signal wire no problem. Though the posi-taps that come with the kit end up twisting the wire since you have to thread the two pieces together; makes it look messy afterwards. I went with different taps after that.
When I went to tap the blue-grey 12V power wire, I found something odd...
My car had two blue-grey power wires. I emailed this picture to Xineering and they were rather stumped too. They said I could open up the BCM and see which wire is pinned to Pin 6 but likely it's double pinned to both wires. So I picked one wire and tested the system and bingo, it all works.
However, the instructions don't tell you how to wire in a switch and I hit a bizarre snag that even surprised the Xineerings folks.
Simple wiring diagram for an LED switch:
I tapped into the brake signal wire no problem. Though the posi-taps that come with the kit end up twisting the wire since you have to thread the two pieces together; makes it look messy afterwards. I went with different taps after that.
When I went to tap the blue-grey 12V power wire, I found something odd...
My car had two blue-grey power wires. I emailed this picture to Xineering and they were rather stumped too. They said I could open up the BCM and see which wire is pinned to Pin 6 but likely it's double pinned to both wires. So I picked one wire and tested the system and bingo, it all works.
Biggsy
Well-Known Member
No problem at all! Hope all goes well this weekend. On my first couple laps it, I had to get used to not sliding my foot over to hit the throttle. Looking forward to the review. Also where did you mount the switch?
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Ewheels
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- #245
Well this passed weekend didn't go the way I wanted it to.
Back at Buttonwillow and was hoping to finally get that elusive sub 2:00 lap or even at least take a second or two off my previous 2:03 time but instead I got 2:04's all day long.
These Toyo RR tires really do feel grip limited but that seems like an easy excuse. After watching my lap videos, there's a couple corners I was messing up but correcting those alone won't take 4 seconds off my time....I need coaching cause whatever I'm doing, isn't working.
On the positive side: the Xineering blip unit works phenomenally! Holy cow this thing is great! I was in a rush to get it set up the night before so I had set it to 25% throttle and 200ms duration which seemed fine on the streets around my neighborhood but on the track, it needed a bit more throttle. I loved being able to simply plant my foot on the brake pedal and not have to even think about maneuvering my foot over to blip the gas. It definitely allowed me to focus more on driving.
Though I have removed the need to heel-toe (and my embarrassing tendency to fat-foot the gas while braking), I am still experiencing some weird brake behaviors. It seems the first lap is fine but once things get hot, the brakes seem to lose their bite. I hit the brakes and the car just doesn't slow down. I guess that would be glazed pads but I would think these DTC-60's would hold up. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or this is typical for these pads.
Lastly, shifting. I think the bad shifting all along is in fact MT-82 related. I had recently read into faceplated transmissions and their benefits. This clicked for me on why I have been having issues getting into gear. High rpm and high G loads (exiting off ramp at BW) are known to lock out gear selection in street-car transmissions - this is exactly what is happening to me. The only time I'd miss a gear is in this exact scenario.
I'll be sending my lap to Blayze/Racers360 but if anyone wants to give their input, it would be greatly appreciated. I can use all the help I can get.
Fastest lap of the day
From what I can see:
- royally messed up Sunrise
- lost the rear end a bit in Cotton Corners
- little squirrely coming to the braking zone in Bus Stop
- turning in too early at Sunset
- I think I'm lifting in a few spots when I should be flat on the gas
Will correcting these things and getting grippier tires equal a sub 2 lap? I have no idea but I sure hope so.
***In hindsight***:
After processing my thoughts and talking with mentors and friends, I think this weekend did more good than I initially thought; not what I wanted but absolutely what I needed.
Looking back, I was humble and accepting of my pace and experience as a driver UNTIL I got that podium finish in my very first timed event. That definitely got to my head. Seemingly all events after that, I was so focused on bringing my lap times down and chasing trophies that I lost sight of what I really needed: true driver development.
I think the best thing for me is to take a step back, away from timed events and focus on improving the driver rather than lap times. Corner entry, proper braking, smooth steering inputs, smooth throttle application, staying on throttle.....future self, focus on these things; lap times will come later.
Back at Buttonwillow and was hoping to finally get that elusive sub 2:00 lap or even at least take a second or two off my previous 2:03 time but instead I got 2:04's all day long.
These Toyo RR tires really do feel grip limited but that seems like an easy excuse. After watching my lap videos, there's a couple corners I was messing up but correcting those alone won't take 4 seconds off my time....I need coaching cause whatever I'm doing, isn't working.
On the positive side: the Xineering blip unit works phenomenally! Holy cow this thing is great! I was in a rush to get it set up the night before so I had set it to 25% throttle and 200ms duration which seemed fine on the streets around my neighborhood but on the track, it needed a bit more throttle. I loved being able to simply plant my foot on the brake pedal and not have to even think about maneuvering my foot over to blip the gas. It definitely allowed me to focus more on driving.
Though I have removed the need to heel-toe (and my embarrassing tendency to fat-foot the gas while braking), I am still experiencing some weird brake behaviors. It seems the first lap is fine but once things get hot, the brakes seem to lose their bite. I hit the brakes and the car just doesn't slow down. I guess that would be glazed pads but I would think these DTC-60's would hold up. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or this is typical for these pads.
Lastly, shifting. I think the bad shifting all along is in fact MT-82 related. I had recently read into faceplated transmissions and their benefits. This clicked for me on why I have been having issues getting into gear. High rpm and high G loads (exiting off ramp at BW) are known to lock out gear selection in street-car transmissions - this is exactly what is happening to me. The only time I'd miss a gear is in this exact scenario.
I'll be sending my lap to Blayze/Racers360 but if anyone wants to give their input, it would be greatly appreciated. I can use all the help I can get.
Fastest lap of the day
From what I can see:
- royally messed up Sunrise
- lost the rear end a bit in Cotton Corners
- little squirrely coming to the braking zone in Bus Stop
- turning in too early at Sunset
- I think I'm lifting in a few spots when I should be flat on the gas
Will correcting these things and getting grippier tires equal a sub 2 lap? I have no idea but I sure hope so.
***In hindsight***:
After processing my thoughts and talking with mentors and friends, I think this weekend did more good than I initially thought; not what I wanted but absolutely what I needed.
Looking back, I was humble and accepting of my pace and experience as a driver UNTIL I got that podium finish in my very first timed event. That definitely got to my head. Seemingly all events after that, I was so focused on bringing my lap times down and chasing trophies that I lost sight of what I really needed: true driver development.
I think the best thing for me is to take a step back, away from timed events and focus on improving the driver rather than lap times. Corner entry, proper braking, smooth steering inputs, smooth throttle application, staying on throttle.....future self, focus on these things; lap times will come later.
Last edited:
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Egparson202
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A few thoughts and things Iāve learned along the way:
Diminishing returns:
In the beginning you can take giant chunks off your lap times with changes to the car and even more with driving improvements. Those gains become smaller as you progress.
Expectation management:
Toyoās arenāt Hoosiers. Theyāre just not. I recently went through a period of adjustment because I expected my brand new Conti ECFās to be fast. They are. But not as fast as I expected. I was overdriving the car and the tires trying to find a lap time that was not there. Long story short: a few sessions on some faster tires and Iād found the times that were eluding me.
Coaching:
We all need it. Most of us donāt get enough. Money invested in making the driver faster carries over to every car and every track, and it lasts. Canāt say that about most mods. But you already know this.
Other factors:
Could be a lot of things youāre not considering. Weather, track conditions, even just getting the right amount of rest leading up to the event makes a big difference.
I run DTC60s and I donāt have any fade. Inspect the braking system. Something is not as it should be. Getting your brakes right will send your confidence soaring. Thatās good for a second or more.
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Ewheels
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #247
I think this is at least one of my problems. I'm chasing a lap time when I should be focusing on smoother inputs and letting the time come naturally.
As for the brakes, I think I'm still stabbing the pedal. Bad habit that I'm struggling with shaking
tosha
Well-Known Member
interesting track, great driving
. I think you mentioned some good points already, and I'm not an expert in any way, but few things I have noticed:- car seems to get unsettled in a few places and it's hard to say why, but it seems that you might be making too abrupt inputs or asking too much from it.
- early turn-ins and apexes in couple places, but you have mentioned this. I noticed this because I'm having the same problem
. of course, it's turn dependent, but delaying the turn-in a bit and do late apex allows to have a much better line and blah blah blah - I'm sure you know all of this ))). the practical difference from making tiny adjustments is amazing.-I can hear you stepping on and off the throttle multiple times in this long sweeper at the end, make up your mind on what you want the car to do
I would suggest for you to forget about lap times, back off a bit and work on the smoothness, your line, transitions between corners, how you enter and exit the corners. then gradually add speed while maintaining all of that. sounds very basic and simplistic, but it seems to work. I'm driving along in instructors' cars whenever I can, and I'm constantly amazed at how smooth they are. they never battle with the car, it does not unsettle, yet they can keep it very close to the limit of the grip consistently.
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Ewheels
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #249
I absolutely agree that I need to forget about lap times and focus on improving my driving and let the lap times happen naturally. Watching my lap now, it looks horribly jerky and sloppy. Need more smooth, hahainteresting track, great driving
- car seems to get unsettled in a few places and it's hard to say why, but it seems that you might be making too abrupt inputs or asking too much from it.
- early turn-ins and apexes in couple places, but you have mentioned this. I noticed this because I'm having the same problem
-I can hear you stepping on and off the throttle multiple times in this long sweeper at the end, make up your mind on what you want the car to do
I would suggest for you to forget about lap times, back off a bit and work on the smoothness, your line, transitions between corners, how you enter and exit the corners. then gradually add speed while maintaining all of that. sounds very basic and simplistic, but it seems to work. I'm driving along in instructors' cars whenever I can, and I'm constantly amazed at how smooth they are. they never battle with the car, it does not unsettle, yet they can keep it very close to the limit of the grip consistently.
Egparson202
Well-Known Member
And donāt be so critical of yourself.
Half kidding: You need a better camera mount. Who can tell if youāre smooth or not!
Half kidding: You need a better camera mount. Who can tell if youāre smooth or not!
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Egparson202
Well-Known Member
Isnāt it interesting how much easier it is to give advice than to accept itā¦. I hear (and tell myself) all this same stuff.
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Ewheels
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #253
All I want to do is go back to the track now and see if I can correctly apply all this!
It seems to always take a day or two for me to internalize my laps and really understand where I can make improvements. I tried watching my lap videos between sessions at the track and I could see mistakes but it wouldn't stick, if that makes sense. Too many distractions in the moment, or maybe that's just my ADD brain.
It seems to always take a day or two for me to internalize my laps and really understand where I can make improvements. I tried watching my lap videos between sessions at the track and I could see mistakes but it wouldn't stick, if that makes sense. Too many distractions in the moment, or maybe that's just my ADD brain.
PaddyPrix
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The transmission isn't so much to blame as the two pieces external of it are. The shifting is because our shifters are remote and dangling far behind it, and the transmission moves here and there, as does your shifter. The first time out with the MGW, I broke my 3-4 shift fork, not that it's MGW's fault, but rather I had gotten used to dealing with the slop. The MGW is very much firmer and almost feels as if you're directly in the transmission.
The high speed lockout is likely the fault of the clutch, which if you're stock, it sucks and it's heavy. The likely cause of the high rpm lockout is that it's spinning so hard and fast that the pressure plate is just not strong enough to push with all the centripetal force with it swinging around so fast. It "magically" going away 1-2k rpm lower suggests that to me, anyhow. I fixed that by going with a Mantic clutch/flywheel (thanks Geoff!), which also shed 30# from the rotating mass, as the dual mass flywheel becomes a really nice lightened billet flywheel. Combination of being 30# lighter, it will accelerate faster, and noticeable grip difference too, wish I had more time on it, but it won't slip, something I did for most of the 2021 season. Definitely worth a call if it bothers you that much, I can't believe I had waited so long to do so.
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