Facelift S3 Traction Control Frequency

AudiNutta

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Hi Everyone,

I bought a new Facelift S3 Tuesday just gone. I have been a good boy and am running it in slowly, not quite as slow as Audi recommend but I am taking it easy.

Now I noticed from collection show frequently the TC is cutting in. In 1st to 3rd gear (S-Tronic). Sometimes on a smooth flat road surface, couple of times on varied inclines and surfaces.

Mainly as the turbo is kicking in, so it totally backs off the power to 'regain' the traction, I never suspect it has been losing. It is a Quattro after all, it's a first for me.

Stranger yesterday, it the TC light had a fit before the turbo kicked in below 2000rpm under relatively progressive acceleration so the drivetrain was under little load.

My question is, is the TC a defined system, with a factory set up with specified tolerances or does it learn the car as you drive? I am very surprised just how often it has kicked in, does anyone get similar experiences?

If it was always at peak power on damp surfaces, on an uphill gradient and a poor surface I could understand it....

Thanks in advance,

Matthew
 
I've noticed this too on my facelift s3, cuts in much more than the golf r did
 
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I got mine the other day and nailing it from the word go. I find it hard to get the TC light to come on unless I am being completely daft.
 
mojo555 said:
I've noticed this too on my facelift s3, cuts in much more than the golf r did
Click to expand...

Hm, strange. I haven't driven the car quick like that, hell I still have the white stripes on the edge of the tread I have been taking it so easily haha. This is all straight line pulls, which is why I am so surprised it is happening so frequently.

Maybe I will bring this up when I am at Audi next week, I don't think they would have a technician for me to speak to when I pop in tomorrow. I have a reputation of complaining with Audi (I am never very lucky with cars, whether it be interior rattles or engine rattles haha) so I am not sure how seriously I will be taken. I am sure they will offer to have it in and test drive it, but I have reserved feelings about leaving the car with Audi for them to go drive as fast as they can to try and get it to slip ;)

I have up until now put it down to new tyres, but after a few hundred miles it should be improving to say the least...
 
paulmc said:
I got mine the other day and nailing it from the word go. I find it hard to get the TC light to come on unless I am being completely daft.
Click to expand...

I were tempted to take it to the max, it just seemed wrong to do so on a new car.

Lucky you, it's a nightmare.. it's like pulling from the lights in my old 1.4TFSi with 155bhp haha, when the TC has a fit. I haven't tried to drive it with the TC in sport though, to see if it does slip rather than intervene.
 
Unless Audi have radically changed the way their TC works,it's very intrusive and even more so if the car has been mapped.

I think that the combination of an open front diff,a fair amount of torque and a wheel braking TC adds up to a difficult combination.

Swapping to a torque based TC on my car made as big a difference as fitting an LSD but I'm not sure the latter option is available for the 8V yet.
 
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S3Alex said:
Unless Audi have radically changed the way their TC works,it's very intrusive and even more so if the car has been mapped.

I think that the combination of an open front diff,a fair amount of torque and a wheel braking TC adds up to a difficult combination.

Swapping to a torque based TC on my car made as big a difference as fitting an LSD but I'm not sure the latter option is available for the 8V yet.
Click to expand...

Sounds like this is the trouble we are experiencing. So annoying, not being able to fulfil use of the power even from the lights. The TC was a nightmare after remapping my 1.4TFSi, always kicking in and violently dropping power off. What I will say with the S3 is that it doesn't lurch and bog down like it did with my old car, you just notice the great lack of power with the light on.

I guess I could drive around with it in sport, but the light on the dash would drive me insane haha.

How did you change to torque based TC? Something I would look into...
 
Having driven the facelift S3 and I own the PFL S3, I can say the traction control kicked in more often when compared to PFL when driving in near indentical conditions, and also I noticed that the PFL felt quicker abit quicker. Reached a higher speed on a particular stretch of road. Probably due to the new 7 speed gearbox. Put the TC in sport or turn it off if you find it too intrusive.
 
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I have a FL S3 and traction control has not kicked in yet. I have a saloon and therefore I am on 19 wheels with p-zeros. Could it be a tyre issue?
 
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There seems to be a couple of threads on this issue so just thought I would add this in here as well.

I get the same issue in my FL, can repeat it every time.

Come round a corner to a bit of a hill, floor the throttle and the car just sits there for about 5 seconds with the TC flashing and then suddenly takes off. There is no sign of wheel spin. Must try it with the TC turned off.
 
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Mines a FL manual and ive had no trouble with the TC coming in unexpectedly , Test it in sport and with it off much more fun :racer:
 
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Haven't you F/L guys with S3's got an extra setting in the mmi that alters the quattro settings?
I'm sure some one on here has posted a screenshot of it?
Is it possible the issues you are having is due to what your car is set at?
 
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BMB - 77 said:
I have a FL S3 and traction control has not kicked in yet. I have a saloon and therefore I am on 19 wheels with p-zeros. Could it be a tyre issue?
Click to expand...
On standards 18's with OEM Dunlops. No issues whatsoever from traction control, on either a 2016PFL, or a 2016 FL. Some tyres are better than others, but this seems to be an issue of excessive expectations.

Traction and stability intervention only kicks in when I'm being monumentally dumb or ham fisted. Traction control and esp are pre-programmed systems that do not learn or adapt. They are set to work with the fundamental capabilities and acceleration rates that the car is capable of generating, and the moments of pitch, roll and yaw that the chassis will tolerate before it is considered to be out of control. Different settings like sport will allow more or less intervention at higher or lower rates of acceleration, but these are all adapted to the behaviour of the model of car.

Now, we should bear in mind that the same system is also looking after stability as well as traction. Chucking a 300+ hp car through a damp corner in a low gear with a lead foot is going to cause issues not only with traction, but stability and general control. The little flashing light that's frustrating you so much is actually keeping you out of the scenery and saving you from an expansive bodyshop bill.

Try not mashing the throttle into the carpet and expecting the car to perform miracles. Quattro etc. is all very good, but it can't change the fundamental laws of physics. You're putting 300+hp and 400Nm (roughly what a '60's F1 car had) through four rubber contact patches the size of the palm of your hand, flooring the throttle and then expecting them to steer the car round a corner, keep it on the straight and narrow, and launch it up the road at dizzying rates of acceleration? It's probably asking a bit much. Either calm down a bit, or go somewhere quiet, turn the assistance systems off, and see for yourself just how hard it is to reign in that much power when there's a helmsmith on board who lacks the appropriate sensitivity in his right foot.

Essentially, you should be driving up to the limits where these systems kick in. If you're hitting them with any kind of regularity then you're leaning on them to keep you out of trouble rather than looking after yourself. Would you brake everywhere on full ABS?. Would you stamp on the brake pedal with the same vigour as the throttle pedal? Probably not, but by leaning on these systems so much you are dulling your own skills as a driver, and relying on more technology than talent to keep you from crashing. Try smoother application of throttle and steering, and you'll give the tyres a chance to find some purchase.
 
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GSB said:
I dint

On standards 18's with OEM Dunlops. No issues whatsoever from traction control, on either a 2016PFL, or a 2016 FL. Some tyres are better than others, but this seems to be an issue of excessive expectations.

Traction and stability intervention only kicks in when I'm being monumentally dumb or ham fisted. Traction control and esp are pre-programmed systems that do not learn or adapt. They are set to work with the fundamental capabilities and acceleration rates that the car is capable of generating, and the moments of pitch, roll and yaw that the chassis will tolerate before it is considered to be out of control. Different settings like sport will allow more or less intervention at higher or lower rates of acceleration, but these are all adapted to the behaviour of the model of car.

Now, we should bear in mind that the same system is also looking after stability as well as traction. Chucking a 300+ hp car through a damp corner in a low gear with a lead foot is going to cause issues not only with traction, but stability and general control. The little flashing light that's frustrating you so much is actually keeping you out of the scenery and saving you from an expansive bodyshop bill.

Try not mashing the throttle into the carpet and expecting the car to perform miracles. Quattro etc. is all very good, but it can't change the fundamental laws of physics. You're putting 300+hp and 400Nm (roughly what a '60's F1 car had) through four rubber contact patches the size of the palm of your hand, flooring the throttle and then expecting them to steer the car round a corner, keep it on the straight and narrow, and launch it up the road at dizzying rates of acceleration? It's probably asking a bit much. Either calm down a bit, or go somewhere quiet, turn the assistance systems off, and see for yourself just how hard it is to reign in that much power when there's a helmsmith on board who lacks the appropriate sensitivity in his right foot.

Essentially, you should be driving up to the limits where these systems kick in. If you're hitting them with any kind of regularity then you're leaning on them to keep you out of trouble rather than looking after yourself. Would you brake everywhere on full ABS?. Would you stamp on the brake pedal with the same vigour as the throttle pedal? Probably not, but by leaning on these systems so much you are dulling your own skills as a driver, and relying on more technology than talent to keep you from crashing. Try smoother application of throttle and steering, and you'll give the tyres a chance to find some purchase.
Click to expand...
Very sensible words indeed Grant...:yes:
 
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pburv said:
Haven't you F/L guys with S3's got an extra setting in the mmi that alters the quattro settings?
I'm sure some one on here has posted a screenshot of it?
Is it possible the issues you are having is due to what your car is set at?
Click to expand...

That was me. You'd need a more sensitive backside than mine to detect the changes. There's 'something' going on, but I can quite put my finger on what.
IMG 0813
 
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Never had the traction control come on in 20 months of ownership......
 
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jassyo06 said:
Never had the traction control come on in 20 months of ownership......
Click to expand...

In the drizzle soaked wilds north of Hadrians Wall? You must be driving like a saint!
 
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jassyo06 said:
Never had the traction control come on in 20 months of ownership......
Click to expand...

Nope can't say I have either! So yer bouncing around like a kangeroo mate but at least you got some traction lol

GSB summed it up (as usual)................expectation levels are beyond rediculous on this forum at the best of times :blahblah1:
 
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GSB said:
On standards 18's with OEM Dunlops. No issues whatsoever from traction control, on either a 2016PFL, or a 2016 FL. Some tyres are better than others, but this seems to be an issue of excessive expectations.

Traction and stability intervention only kicks in when I'm being monumentally dumb or ham fisted. Traction control and esp are pre-programmed systems that do not learn or adapt. They are set to work with the fundamental capabilities and acceleration rates that the car is capable of generating, and the moments of pitch, roll and yaw that the chassis will tolerate before it is considered to be out of control. Different settings like sport will allow more or less intervention at higher or lower rates of acceleration, but these are all adapted to the behaviour of the model of car.

Now, we should bear in mind that the same system is also looking after stability as well as traction. Chucking a 300+ hp car through a damp corner in a low gear with a lead foot is going to cause issues not only with traction, but stability and general control. The little flashing light that's frustrating you so much is actually keeping you out of the scenery and saving you from an expansive bodyshop bill.

Try not mashing the throttle into the carpet and expecting the car to perform miracles. Quattro etc. is all very good, but it can't change the fundamental laws of physics. You're putting 300+hp and 400Nm (roughly what a '60's F1 car had) through four rubber contact patches the size of the palm of your hand, flooring the throttle and then expecting them to steer the car round a corner, keep it on the straight and narrow, and launch it up the road at dizzying rates of acceleration? It's probably asking a bit much. Either calm down a bit, or go somewhere quiet, turn the assistance systems off, and see for yourself just how hard it is to reign in that much power when there's a helmsmith on board who lacks the appropriate sensitivity in his right foot.

Essentially, you should be driving up to the limits where these systems kick in. If you're hitting them with any kind of regularity then you're leaning on them to keep you out of trouble rather than looking after yourself. Would you brake everywhere on full ABS?. Would you stamp on the brake pedal with the same vigour as the throttle pedal? Probably not, but by leaning on these systems so much you are dulling your own skills as a driver, and relying on more technology than talent to keep you from crashing. Try smoother application of throttle and steering, and you'll give the tyres a chance to find some purchase.
Click to expand...


See what you are saying here mate, but tbf I don't know about others but I've come from a. Fair line of quickish cars and although no f1 driver I do know how to drive the car and to what my limits are so wouldn't say it's just a case of mashing the throttle and hoping the car will sort it out.. I would say it's more likely to be a sensivity setting in vcds that can be adjusted...
 
Simon L said:
Nope can't say I have either! So yer bouncing around like a kangeroo mate but at least you got some traction lol

GSB summed it up (as usual)................expectation levels are beyond rediculous on this forum at the best of times :blahblah1:
Click to expand...
The pair of you need to get out in your ornaments more often...:hopelessness::hopelessness:
 
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mojo555 said:
See what you are saying here mate, but tbf I don't know about others but I've come from a. Fair line of quickish cars and although no f1 driver I do know how to drive the car and to what my limits are so wouldn't say it's just a case of mashing the throttle and hoping the car will sort it out.. I would say it's more likely to be a sensivity setting in vcds that can be adjusted...
Click to expand...
Thing is, traction control is a reactive rather than a predictive system.

It reacts to wheel slip that has actually happened and cuts power/brakes the spinning wheel, rather than trying to predict the skip before it happens. Any sensitivity setting would only be able to expand on that principle, and allow a small amount of slip (normal setting
) to a larger amount of slip (sport setting) to not giving a monkeys about slip at all (off).

Whatever setting or tweak you put in, It'd still be reacting to slip, and unless there's something fundamentally wrong with the chassis, then the drivers inputs are the next thing that need to be tamed.
 
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I get what has been said here and appreciate the inputs. I haven't been driving the car like a holligan, far from it!

I changed the Quattro setting to dynamic today to try it, still had a s*** load of interruption from the TC, if anything it was worse!! I put the TC into sport and it was enjoyable after that, didn't notice the car to lack in any control aspect but it didn't pull back the power once which was nice.

I went to put fuel in 2 miles away, ended up driving to take photos and aimlessly driven across the county after that :tearsofjoy: To try and forget the pain of it costing £61 to do 280 miles :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy: 25.75mpg, bit of a differende from my 1.4TFSi. Do all you guys runs high octane fuel? Seems like it's a given to me that it should be used. I'm using Esso at the moment so Esso Supreme, V Power has gone through the roof.

It seems to be that the exhaust pops more and louder, the more you do it. After driving 10 minutes without making it pop, I struggled to for a while after that even though the engine temperature was up there. It seems to be conditional when it does it, like the car needs a nudge to make them haha.
 
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AudiNutta said:
I get what has been said here and appreciate the inputs. I haven't been driving the car like a holligan, far from it!

I changed the Quattro setting to dynamic today to try it, still had a s*** load of interruption from the TC, if anything it was worse!! I put the TC into sport and it was enjoyable after that, didn't notice the car to lack in any control aspect but it didn't pull back the power once which was nice.

I went to put fuel in 2 miles away, ended up driving to take photos and aimlessly driven across the county after that :tearsofjoy: To try and forget the pain of it costing £61 to do 280 miles :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy: 25.75mpg, bit of a differende from my 1.4TFSi. Do all you guys runs high octane fuel? Seems like it's a given to me that it should be used. I'm using Esso at the moment so Esso Supreme, V Power has gone through the roof.

It seems to be that the exhaust pops more and louder, the more you do it. After driving 10 minutes without making it pop, I struggled to for a while after that even though the engine temperature was up there. It seems to be conditional when it does it, like the car needs a nudge to make them haha.
Click to expand...
Only ever put v power in mine....I'm sure the engine appreciates it more than my wallet though...Ha Ha
 
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pburv said:
Only ever put v power in mine....I'm sure the engine appreciates it more than my wallet though...Ha Ha
Click to expand...

I've heard good things about Esso so I used their 95 in my last car, just changed to Supreme now.

I will have to keep checking the price of V Power, if it was the same price I would put it in but 4/5p dearer a litre when I'm getting High Octane anyway is a little extortionate.

The Esso Supreme by me is 122.9. I'd also use BP, but the nearest station is 15 miles away.
 
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AudiNutta said:
I've heard good things about Esso so I used their 95 in my last car, just changed to Supreme now.

I will have to keep checking the price of V Power, if it was the same price I would put it in but 4/5p dearer a litre when I'm getting High Octane anyway is a little extortionate.

The Esso Supreme by me is 122.9. I'd also use BP, but the nearest station is 15 miles away.
Click to expand...
Had to go and check my last fuel receipt...(shows how much I care in fuel pricing) Shell V power is £1.209 a litre...
 
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Simon L said:
Nope can't say I have either! So yer bouncing around like a kangeroo mate but at least you got some traction lol

GSB summed it up (as usual)................expectation levels are beyond rediculous on this forum at the best of times :blahblah1:
Click to expand...

Me neither, and the S3 gets driven hard.
 
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pburv said:
Had to go and check my last fuel receipt...(shows how much I care in fuel pricing) Shell V power is £1.209 a litre...
Click to expand...
Nothing but 97RON for me, but I couldn't care less about the price. Go to Italy/Germany, you'll find it's much worse.
 
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Same here, don't drive like a hooligan, managed 30+ years in fast cars without going through the hedge.

Just been out for petrol so tried the same thing with the TC off, round a corner get to the hill and hit the throttle, this time there was a minimal bit of wheel spin and the car took off with no issues so the TC seems to be intervening when there is no need.

Maybe it detects that I have Hankook tyres on and throttles back.. :sadlike:
 
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I get the TC thing going round corners or hitting a slippy white line or manhole cover with one wheel but without much throttle input (forgetting any power increase for a moment) getting the slippy car icon flickering on the dash in the first few gears on a slippy road can't be right.

I have a vague understanding of what's going on front to rear axle drive wise with the prop to the rear diff spinning at the same rpm as the front drive shafts then the Haldex pump engages a clutch in order to engage drive to the rear diff. Can anyone (GSB?) expand on that ? What's the 'normal' power bias front to rear and what circumstances effect this ? What's the maximum rear bias ?
 
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Rob2k68 said:
I get the TC thing going round corners or hitting a slippy white line or manhole cover with one wheel but without much throttle input (forgetting any power increase for a moment) getting the slippy car icon flickering on the dash in the first few gears on a slippy road can't be right.

I have a vague understanding of what's going on front to rear axle drive wise with the prop to the rear diff spinning at the same rpm as the front drive shafts then the Haldex pump engages a clutch in order to engage drive to the rear diff. Can anyone (GSB?) expand on that ? What's the 'normal' power bias front to rear and what circumstances effect this ? What's the maximum rear bias ?
Click to expand...
It's a 90:10 split. Maximum.

Proper RS models are 60:40, and I believe the R8 has a very special system which can deliver up to 100% anywhere it needs.
 
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Forgot to say, don't forget RS + are Torsen, and not Haldex. But you might already know that.
 
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4K said:
It's a 90:10 split. Maximum.

Proper RS models are 60:40, and I believe the R8 has a very special system which can deliver up to 100% anywhere it needs.
Click to expand...

Thanks - not doubting you but seems hardly worth it LoL - is the RS3 60:40 ?
 
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Rob2k68 said:
Thanks - not doubting you but seems hardly worth it LoL - is the RS3 60:40 ?
Click to expand...
I've heard mixed reports on the RS3 that it's not a true haldex system. The RS3 forum guys will be able to clarify but I don't think it is. It definitely didn't feel like a 60:40 split to me when I drove one.

In a sense you are right but it's there on the S3 if the car detects back end slip, and provide a bit more confidence, as well as saving you fuel compared to a Torsen system, but ultimately these are nose heavy, predominantly FWD cars.
 
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4K said:
I've heard mixed reports on the RS3 that it's not a true haldex system. The RS3 forum guys will be able to clarify but I don't think it is. It definitely didn't feel like a 60:40 split to me when I drove one.

In a sense you are right but it's there on the S3 if the car detects back end slip, and provide a bit more confidence, as well as saving you fuel compared to a Torsen system, but ultimately these are nose heavy, predominantly FWD cars.
Click to expand...
Similar discussion on another forum....
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?7138012-Haldex-Difference-Between-S3-and-RS3
 
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GSB said:
On standards 18's with OEM Dunlops. No issues whatsoever from traction control, on either a 2016PFL, or a 2016 FL. Some tyres are better than others, but this seems to be an issue of excessive expectations.

Traction and stability intervention only kicks in when I'm being monumentally dumb or ham fisted. Traction control and esp are pre-programmed systems that do not learn or adapt. They are set to work with the fundamental capabilities and acceleration rates that the car is capable of generating, and the moments of pitch, roll and yaw that the chassis will tolerate before it is considered to be out of control. Different settings like sport will allow more or less intervention at higher or lower rates of acceleration, but these are all adapted to the behaviour of the model of car.

Now, we should bear in mind that the same system is also looking after stability as well as traction. Chucking a 300+ hp car through a damp corner in a low gear with a lead foot is going to cause issues not only with traction, but stability and general control. The little flashing light that's frustrating you so much is actually keeping you out of the scenery and saving you from an expansive bodyshop bill.

Try not mashing the throttle into the carpet and expecting the car to perform miracles. Quattro etc. is all very good, but it can't change the fundamental laws of physics. You're putting 300+hp and 400Nm (roughly what a '60's F1 car had) through four rubber contact patches the size of the palm of your hand, flooring the throttle and then expecting them to steer the car round a corner, keep it on the straight and narrow, and launch it up the road at dizzying rates of acceleration? It's probably asking a bit much. Either calm down a bit, or go somewhere quiet, turn the assistance systems off, and see for yourself just how hard it is to reign in that much power when there's a helmsmith on board who lacks the appropriate sensitivity in his right foot.

Essentially, you should be driving up to the limits where these systems kick in. If you're hitting them with any kind of regularity then you're leaning on them to keep you out of trouble rather than looking after yourself. Would you brake everywhere on full ABS?. Would you stamp on the brake pedal with the same vigour as the throttle pedal? Probably not, but by leaning on these systems so much you are dulling your own skills as a driver, and relying on more technology than talent to keep you from crashing. Try smoother application of throttle and steering, and you'll give the tyres a chance to find some purchase.
Click to expand...
GSB said:
On standards 18's with OEM Dunlops. No issues whatsoever from traction control, on either a 2016PFL, or a 2016 FL. Some tyres are better than others, but this seems to be an issue of excessive expectations.

Traction and stability intervention only kicks in when I'm being monumentally dumb or ham fisted. Traction control and esp are pre-programmed systems that do not learn or adapt. They are set to work with the fundamental capabilities and acceleration rates that the car is capable of generating, and the moments of pitch, roll and yaw that the chassis will tolerate before it is considered to be out of control. Different settings like sport will allow more or less intervention at higher or lower rates of acceleration, but these are all adapted to the behaviour of the model of car.

Now, we should bear in mind that the same system is also looking after stability as well as traction. Chucking a 300+ hp car through a damp corner in a low gear with a lead foot is going to cause issues not only with traction, but stability and general control. The little flashing light that's frustrating you so much is actually keeping you out of the scenery and saving you from an expansive bodyshop bill.

Try not mashing the throttle into the carpet and expecting the car to perform miracles. Quattro etc. is all very good, but it can't change the fundamental laws of physics. You're putting 300+hp and 400Nm (roughly what a '60's F1 car had) through four rubber contact patches the size of the palm of your hand, flooring the throttle and then expecting them to steer the car round a corner, keep it on the straight and narrow, and launch it up the road at dizzying rates of acceleration? It's probably asking a bit much. Either calm down a bit, or go somewhere quiet, turn the assistance systems off, and see for yourself just how hard it is to reign in that much power when there's a helmsmith on board who lacks the appropriate sensitivity in his right foot.

Essentially, you should be driving up to the limits where these systems kick in. If you're hitting them with any kind of regularity then you're leaning on them to keep you out of trouble rather than looking after yourself. Would you brake everywhere on full ABS?. Would you stamp on the brake pedal with the same vigour as the throttle pedal? Probably not, but by leaning on these systems so much you are dulling your own skills as a driver, and relying on more technology than talent to keep you from crashing. Try smoother application of throttle and steering, and you'll give the tyres a chance to find some purchase.
Click to expand...
What tyres do you have as standard on the S3 facelift then?
 
GSB said:
In the drizzle soaked wilds north of Hadrians Wall? You must be driving like a saint!
Click to expand...

Summation Grant, the car does'nt do it for me....doesnt give me the need for speed.......Launch Control used it once.....driven like a parish Priest most of the time.....
 
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GSB said:
Thing is, traction control is a reactive rather than a predictive system.

It reacts to wheel slip that has actually happened and cuts power/brakes the spinning wheel, rather than trying to predict the skip before it happens. Any sensitivity setting would only be able to expand on that principle, and allow a small amount of slip (normal setting
) to a larger amount of slip (sport setting) to not giving a monkeys about slip at all (off).

Whatever setting or tweak you put in, It'd still be reacting to slip, and unless there's something fundamentally wrong with the chassis, then the drivers inputs are the next thing that need to be tamed.
Click to expand...

I do get what you are saying and in principle I agree, but as others have said I definitely aren't driving crazy, one of the times it happens is over a speed bump a smaller gradual one that is when you are going round a corner, it always does it here and I'm only going about 15mph there's other times that it happens and after a long line of haldex driven cars it seems u unusual behaviour. It could be the tyres I too have hancooks, I don't understand the sport mode on traction control if what you are saying is right about it still being there to put right, surely it's just a less aggressive tcs setup?
 
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