Feisty the "Family Car"

[Dialcaliper]

Nothing is more irritating than a screw in your tire. I’m just glad that these tires are almost at the wear bars. While I wait for new tires, I figure it’s as good a time as any to try my own hand at plugging a tire. Doesn’t seem that hard when the shops do it.

For about $50you can get one of the high quality kits popular with the overland crowd. ARB and SafetySeal seem to be two of the favorites. I opted for the latter.


First, the kit smells to high heaven like raw rubber/new car smell/air freshener. Past that, it turns out it’s ridiculously easy and quick to probe and then stick the plug in and you’re done. Still holding pressure, so I count that as a success. I wouldn’t do a track day on one (need a good internal patch from a shop that knows what they are doing for that) but it is just fine to extend the life of a tire on the street. The extra miles to wear off the track rubber I picked up also helps!

9/10 would recommend (except the smell - keep it in bags)

 

[Volumetrik]

Okay, its time for one of those "I wish I knew about this before" moments

For a little while now, the steering has been a bit darty, which I chalked up to the zero toe in my latest alignment. But I've started realizing that sometimes I randomly get a pull to one side, almost like my camber is off. But it sometimes goes away, and sometimes randomly pulls in the opposite direction. Happens most often shortly after startup, but things have always felt a little squirrelly under acceleration and braking, ever since I got the car.

But, I started wondering if it was something electronic. I was searching around, and came across some random posts like this one on Ford's "adaptive learning" and something called "drift pull compensation" in EPAS steering systems.

After searching how to reset on the Fiesta it and coming up with only the Ford factory service software demos and Forscan to reset on the PSCM (power steering module) for the FoST and other cars and how you're supposed to reset it after changing your battery (for some inexplicable reason), and not figuring it out, I noticed this service procedure in Forscan, on the PCM called vaguely "Reset all adaptations". Given the centralized nature of the Fiesta control system, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

I decided that since I've been through something like 2 battery changes, 5 suspension swaps and 8-10 different DIY alignments (including some where I didn't get things quite right and had to redo) since owning the car, that its quite possible it's learned some bad habits. And since it's an adaptive system, the worst thing that could happen is that everything gets reset, not just the steering algorithms. I decided to give it a try.

Wow. All of a sudden the steering is precise, no pulls or nervousness and the car tracks straight as an arrow on the freeway! It also seems to have reset the ECU's octane learning on the tune, and probably a bunch of other stuff, but I am one seriously pleased customer! I have another trackday coming up, and I'm REALLY looking forward to seeing how the car does, especially with the "booty shake" I was getting under heavy braking.

Be advised that an extended license purchase of Forscan is required for this service procedure (my previous year's one had expired), but so worth it, especially if you're experiencing any steering weirdness.

View attachment 66471

I was having the same issues (darty, massive torque steer on random occasions, wandering on the high-way) and after this reset, I can confirm that this really makes a difference. It's almost night and day. Very stable on the highway, reduced a lot of torque steer as well. I think everyone should do this every few years, or especially after new wheels & tires.

I think I'll do a reset every time I switch to and from my winter and summer wheels/tires.

 

[Dialcaliper]

Speaking of tires, the Tire Rack fairy had a new size offering as of this spring, and a set appeared on my doorstep! I’m excited to try these out. Crossing my fingers that they don’t rub. Anyone want to guess the tire?