icntdrv55

'13 GS with the F55 option. When you switch from "TOUR" to "SPORT" (soft-to-hard) should there be a msg scrolly on the DIC? I've ridden MCs for 45 plus years--street and dirt--and would have thought that my 'butt' suspension gauge could tell a difference, but I gotta say honestly that I'm not sure I can feel the change.

1) How rapidly does the shock valving change? 2) Is it a truly dramatic difference at normal street speeds, i.e., under 80-85 MPH? 3) Is there an indicator lamp, DIC msg or other marker to indicate operation?

Thanks!

Cybernetic Medic

1. - The system is always on and samples each wheel about 1000 times per second.

2. - No, normal driving on smooth roads will show essentially no difference.

3. - No, just the selector switch.

Congrats on the new car and welcome to the forum!

RocketDawg

I don't have the option on my Corvette, but I had it on my Mitsubishi 3000GT, and going to Sport made a huge difference. It rode so harsh that I never used it. In the normal setting, the ride was OK but not nearly as good as the Vette (and I have Z51).

Corvette Junkie

You shouldn't think of it as soft to hard. The mine job of the F55 is to keep the tires in contact with the pavement.

icntdrv55

I understand the basics of the electro-magnetic reaction and how it changes the shock fluid flow thru the restrictor valve/orifice, but what does the "SPORT" setting do in terms of handling? It stiffens the shock reaction, but is this a speed-sensitive function? Don't know why I can't feel a big--or at least noticeable--difference on typical street routes.

And thanks for the welcome!

Ryan5508

try the same highway ramp in both modes. You will be able to carry more speed in sport mode with no change really in steering effort. Thats really only where I notice the difference ever.

RicK T

It isn't about a "soft or hard" suspension setting. Try to get that kind of thinking out of your head. It's about wheel control, keeping the tires in contact with the road and how aggressively the computer accomplishes that.

If you're interested in learning about the system check this article from 2003 when it was introduced in the C5:

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/...s+the+50th+Car

J Vette

Aggressive driving on the back roads or track where there are lots of twisties will show the difference in the 2 modes. I can definitely tell the difference between tour and sport in the twisties.

Corvette Junkie

The most noticeable difference in the two setting is the amount of body roll.

Cybernetic Medic

Sport mode, among other things, emphasizes wheel control. By 'wheel control' I mean doing whatever it can to go where the driver is telling it to go. If you do a search on F55 you will find a TON of informative and often heated discussion on the system

PittMD1

Many people have asked the same question saying they can't feel much of a difference in normal driving. Honestly that is not what it is intended to do. Driving in a "spirited" fashion over the kind of roads below is when you REALLY feel what it can do.

icntdrv55

Rick: Wow! Thanks for the article link. When I said I understood the basic operation of the MRF, I wasn't lying but I had no idea as to the entire scope of the theory and operation, including the body position sensors. And four accelerometers--one on each corner of the car--all tied together with hundreds of algorithms integrating TPS, ABS, etc? Blew my mind!!! Here I was thinking simple stiff vs soft....

I feel better now. I think I got my money's worth on that option!!!

tjl5709

Or come to Michigan and drive on one of our wonderfully potholed roads. You will see the difference rather quick...........

DigitalWidgets

In daily driving, I switch between the modes constantly....kind of like shifting gears...but with the suspension. I'll flip that switch depending upon road surface, or what's coming next: Clover leaf offramp coming, flip it to sport. Crossing railroad tracks, flip it to Tour. Freeway expansion joints, Tour, etc. I'll typically flip the switch to Sport for any significant turn...it's just a natural part of downshifting (paddles here). I'm sure there are some that just "set and forget"...but I use that switch as a tool to add to the driving experience.

After you've had it for a while, you'll be able to feel what mode your in (you'll just notice it). I notice over certain freeway expansion joints...in Sport mode, I can literally feel it my teeth fillings. But for me flipping the switch is second nature now, so I'll just flip it to Tour without really thinking about it.

c1vettes

You definitely need to get on some washboard roads. My wife feels the change, and I do as well.

The back roads in S.W Ct., go back to revolutionary days. I keep it in tour all the time when there. Down here in Fl. the roads are smooth and flat. Sport feels firmer and I feel I have better control. My wife still feels the difference, so when she is in the car, well you guessed it, it's tour only.

coryvte

"downshifting (paddles here)"...........Reall y? That's NOT shifting!

icntdrv55

Michigan roads got nothin' on Ohio....ODOT has made a decades-long career out of neglecting our state, county and township roads!!! Now, I can jump across the river in 15 minutes and be in Kentucky and have a wide selection of smooth, twisty blacktop. I've never been able to understand how one state--Ohio--can look at their road system as a liability, while the neighboring state treats their road system as an asset....

jimmie jam

Here in Florida the roads are smooth but I can instantly tell the difference when I swith from tour to sport. I happen to love "tour" for obvious reasons.