Grip inconsistency issues?

[fumanchu11]

Did a search and didn't find anything on this here, but apologize if this has been discussed;

I hadn't done the online racing in PC2 until recently. And what I'm noticing is some stark inconsistencies in grip when either starting in a lobby, going between sessions (qualify, race) and even between pit stops.

For example, I raced in a couple lobbies and the car felt good (the way I set it up to feel after testing). Then I'd go into another lobby, and the car would feel light or have little grip right away. Usually the car would understeer and the fronts had no grip. Sometimes, I'd go back to the pits, reload the setup, and it would feel fast and stable again. Other times, it wouldn't help.

Another example; I ran a short race yesterday. Car felt normal in qualifying. Started on pole. The race starts, and the car won't grip. Again, the fronts won't grip. Mid-race, I make my mandatory pit stop, and wouldn't you know it? My car feels good again. The grip is back and all is well, other than I'm already out of contention.

It doesn't seem to me that it's a setup problem, because under normal circumstances, my car feels stable and fast. It seems like a bug where it's creating issues with grip levels.

So my question is; is there something I might be doing wrong or not noticing, or is this a known bug? And if it's a known issue, what is the best way to overcome this. Any tips or tricks to minimize this?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

 

[IfAndOr]

It doesn't entirely answer all of your concerns but the date, time of day and weather (even cloud cover) play a very important part with the grip levels on PC2. A nice warm sunny day in July will feel a lot different to a overcast late afternoon race in November - southern hemisphere tracks will be different again. Also track grip levels will change slightly through a race simulating rubber build up, gravel on track etc.

Check the time, dates and weather in the lobbies or your races. Some may also vary from qualification to the race.

 

[fumanchu11]

It doesn't entirely answer all of your concerns but the date, time of day and weather (even cloud cover) play a very important part with the grip levels on PC2. A nice warm sunny day in July will feel a lot different to a overcast late afternoon race in November - southern hemisphere tracks will be different again. Also track grip levels will change slightly through a race simulating build up, gravel on track etc.

Check the time, dates and weather in the lobbies or your races. Some may also vary from qualification to the race.

Thank you very much for the reply. Much appreciated.

The problem is I'm very familiar with how track temps, weather, tire wear, build-up, etc can/will affect the grip levels. Also how driving style and weight transfer can have an affect too.

However, these differences are sudden swings in grip when the temps and conditions are the same, or at worst, very nearly the same. And the tire temps and wear all look good on the HUD. I would even get it if it happened on a few corners and I might chalk it up to possible debris. But it seems artificial or glitchy. To the point, that I've gone to the pits, reloaded my setup, even though it's the same setup, and suddenly the tires work again.

I've had it happen with a variety of cars with different setups, different tracks, different weather and temps, and the feeling is the same when it happens. Also, I tend to trail break slightly or get off the brakes slower to ensure I'm not unloading the front of the car too quickly.

It's as if the game defaults from the setup I have on it; like it loads wrong. And when it "loads wrong", for me, it causes serious understeer.

Problem is; when I've had it happen and I can go back to the pits, I look at my setup, and it's not different. Then if I reload the same setup, It often makes it work again. The real problem comes in when it happens for the race. Then I'm SOL, and all I can do is pit and hope it fixes it, and play catch-up.

 

[IfAndOr]

The problem is I'm very familiar with how track temps, weather, tire wear, build-up, etc can/will affect the grip levels. Also how driving style and weight transfer can have an affect too.

Ah, sorry. I thought you were just starting out. But the info is still relevant for a "newbie".

There was certainly a problem with setups altering at one time but that seems to have generally been fixed in one of the later patches. Well for me anyway. I presume your install is fully up to date?

 

[fumanchu11]

Ah, sorry. I thought you were just starting out. But the info is still relevant for a "newbie".

There was certainly a problem with setups altering at one time but that seems to have generally been fixed in one of the later patches. Well for me anyway. I presume your install is fully up to date?

No worries at all. I'm not a newbie to racing or online racing, but hadn't done online yet on PC2. Yes, my install is up-to-date, as far as I know. It auto-updates. But I'll check it to make sure.

I guess I figured I'd be able to understand what the car was doing when it comes to the realistic variables the game accounts for. And these things I'm getting don't feel like they are part of that realism. It feels random and bugged. To the point that I can sometimes "fix" it by reloading the set up when I can. But again, that demonstrates what seems to be a bug.

Thank you for the info. I'll check that I'm current on updates. Unless there are any other suggestions, tips or tricks from anyone to overcome this, I'll just reload the setup when I can when it happens and hope it rarely happens before the race.

 

[IfAndOr]

I've not asked; what platform are you on, console or PC? It might have a bearing on anyone's further answers. I'm on PS4 and automatically think everyone else is. I shouldn't.

I hadn't done the online racing in PC2 until recently. And what I'm noticing is some stark inconsistencies in grip when either starting in a lobby

Also is the problem just occurring online or does it occur offline too? From the above quote I'd assume it's only come to light since you've started doing a little online stuff. I remember when I had the problems it was mainly online that I noticed it. As I said it seems to have gone away now though. I wonder if connectivity is playing a part in some way?

 

[fumanchu11]

I've not asked; what platform are you on, console or PC? It might have a bearing on anyone's further answers. I'm on PS4 and automatically think everyone else is. I shouldn't.

Also is the problem just occurring online or does it occur offline too? From the above quote I'd assume it's only come to light since you've started doing a little online stuff. I remember when I had the problems it was mainly online that I noticed it. As I said it seems to have gone away now though. I wonder if connectivity is playing a part in some way?

I'm on PS4. And yes, I've only experienced it online. I didn't have time last night to check to ensure I'm up-to-date, but I'd be very surprised if I'm not. Seems that's step #1, though. If I am current on updates like I think, it sounds like there's no other work around other than what I'd already been doing, in that I just need to re-load my setup if possible, and if it happens for a race, I'll just pit on lap 1 if mandatory pit stops are on and hope it fixes it.

And again, thank you for taking the time, IfandOr. I appreciate it.

 

[flooderqb19]

I have the game/sim on PC, not PS4, but another thing you could try to do, to figure out if it is a bug and tire grip levels are randomly changing is. . .

Do a couple races with PCARS default car set up.

If it's a bug with the game's tires, I would think it would follow. If it were a bug with the implementation of custom setups, i would think it shouldn't happen while only using default set-ups.

And while it may be time consuming, even if you game is fully up to date, you could try deleting the game and reinstalling/updating. Do you have a digital copy, or is the game on Disc? On disc you would obviously have to install the disc version and then update. Hopefully with digital it would just install the most recent version of the game.

Edit: I have not spent much time in PCars2, something about it for me has always felt a little "off," and I'm not sure what it is. I have spent a few hundred hours in PCars 1.

 

[Hygrade B]

I'm on PS4. And yes, I've only experienced it online. I didn't have time last night to check to ensure I'm up-to-date, but I'd be very surprised if I'm not. Seems that's step #1, though. If I am current on updates like I think, it sounds like there's no other work around other than what I'd already been doing, in that I just need to re-load my setup if possible, and if it happens for a race, I'll just pit on lap 1 if mandatory pit stops are on and hope it fixes it.

And again, thank you for taking the time, IfandOr. I appreciate it.

I am new to the game and I found out that offline setup needs to be adjusted a bit for online racing.
Offline the track seems to rubber in more, I find my offline times way better than online, one reason could be I use the maximum amount AI cars offline & you get only 16 online so less rubber is out down.
That's what I feel but could be wrong.

 

[fumanchu11]

I am new to the game and I found out that offline setup needs to be adjusted a bit for online racing.
Offline the track seems to rubber in more, I find my offline times way better than online, one reason could be I use the maximum amount AI cars offline & you get only 16 online so less rubber is out down.
That's what I feel but could be wrong.

Thank you all for the replies. Yeah, I could maybe buy that due to the fact I have done nearly all my testing offline, except what I notice, is in most sessions, my car will feel pretty much the way it does in offline testing. It feels good. Then occasionally when I load into a session, I get a very stark change in the feel. It's a very noticeable difference when it happens. And grip is GONE, particularly in the front end. Then I can reload or pit, and it often goes back to normal feel again. I've thought all the "realism" things through and nothing makes sense when it happens. And the change doesn't happen part way through a lap, for example. It happens only after I've first loaded into a session.

To follow up on whether I'm up-to-date, it says I'm using the latest update.

And like I said before, it doesn't happen often. And when it does, I can usually reload the set-up and it fixes the feel of the car. This isn't a game-breaker for me. Worst case, I deal with a car driving like a pig for a bit. But it's not undrivable, and I can still do ok. I was just curious if there was a known bug that caused this, or if I was losing my mind (more then usual).

 

[IfAndOr]

To follow up on whether I'm up-to-date, it says I'm using the latest update.

That's good, but not good. If you see what I mean.

Not related at all but... How's that "Fanatec DD Podium Racing Wheel" feel with PC2? Pretty nifty I should think.

 

[fumanchu11]

That's good, but not good. If you see what I mean.

Not related at all but... How's that "Fanatec DD Podium Racing Wheel" feel with PC2? Pretty nifty I should think.

Ha, ha. Yes, I know what you mean. I half hoped that was the issue and if I could update, it would fix it.

The DD Podium Racing Wheel is awesome. I was using a Thrustmaster T500RS since about 2011. It was a good wheel that gave me a lot of good years, but when Fanatec came out with the direct drive for PS4, I figured it was time to upgrade. It's a very nice piece of equipment that feels strong, smooth and accurate. And I love all the wheel options you have with the Fanatec platform. I'm now up to 5 rims, including the F1 wheel that came with it. I just last night built a classic car wheel using the universal hub, then bought and attached the Sparco Sanremo wheel.

 

[IfAndOr]

I'm now up to 5 rims,

You might have a new type of addiction! An expensive one as well.

You might be interested in THIS THREAD. A guy from the crowd I race with on PC2 is building his own classic wheel.

 

[Bloodytears]

Try to rewrite standard PC setups with yours, not into separated save. Never yet happened to me, and I race mostly online and have one set up. Other worth to try option to clean all set ups and create one new, check with it for few races, as this could be trouble with loading your settings.

 

[fumanchu11]

Try to rewrite standard PC setups with yours, not into separated save. Never yet happened to me, and I race mostly online and have one set up. Other worth to try option to clean all set ups and create one new, check with it for few races, as this could be trouble with loading your settings.

Thank you very much for that suggestion. I'll give that a try.

 

[Sick Cylinder]

The DD Podium Racing Wheel is awesome. I was using a Thrustmaster T500RS since about 2011. It was a good wheel that gave me a lot of good years, but when Fanatec came out with the direct drive for PS4, I figured it was time to upgrade. It's a very nice piece of equipment that feels strong, smooth and accurate. And I love all the wheel options you have with the Fanatec platform. I'm now up to 5 rims, including the F1 wheel that came with it. I just last night built a classic car wheel using the universal hub, then bought and attached the Sparco Sanremo wheel.

Would you mind posting some pictures of your rims so we can drool!

 

[fumanchu11]

You might have a new type of addiction! An expensive one as well.

You might be interested in THIS THREAD. A guy from the crowd I race with on PC2 is building his own classic wheel.

Wow, he does some good work. That Jag wheel is a work of art. I would literally not want to use it. I'd hang it on the wall. No kidding. Absolutely beautiful.

I took the easy way and just bought everything and put it together. No art to it. Ha, Ha.

Would you mind posting some pictures of your rims so we can drool!

Ha, Ha. Three of the wheels are straight from Fanatec. And two are "custom" of sorts. One using the Sparco P310 I already had from my Sam Maxwell custom wheel he built for me way back for my old Thrustmaster T500. And then I just put together the classic car wheel. I can post pictures when I get home, but to be honest, it's not a big deal. But as someone who's never bothered with the PC side of sim racing and has stuck with the simple console route, I love how it's easier to do a "custom" wheel with the Fanatec platform.

 

[blankfile]

Do you always load your setup upon entering a lobby? The game sometimes liked to load a default setup but show your current setup in tekst.

 

[fumanchu11]

Do you always load your setup upon entering a lobby? The game sometimes liked to load a default setup but show your current setup in tekst.

I wasn't at first, but I do now after having the issue of the car feeling off sometimes when first entering a lobby or changing sessions (practice, qualifying, race). This sounds like what has been occurring when it's happened to me. Thank you for the reply. Sounds like a bug, but at least now I feel more confident I'm not imagining things.

 

[fumanchu11]

Would you mind posting some pictures of your rims so we can drool!

As requested; but only two are “custom” of sorts; the two Sparco wheels. Obviously the two Porsche wheels are bought like that from Fanatec. They are great, quality wheels other than I’m not a Porsche guy. And the F1 wheel came with the Podium DD wheel base.

 

[ScottPuss20]

Grip levels vary considerably from room to room. There are soo many different factors which can impact the performance of your car at any one time. Very rarely does the one setup work in all conditions. Another thing that has to be considered is the track layout itself - some may demand a larger camber angle, a higher spring rate, increased downforce or a change in tyre pressure. I'm also lead to suspect that each track has different grip levels. Fuji for example has a less abrasive surface compared to Willow Springs, so that too can have an impact. When every lobby is different, you will always get different grip levels no matter what. You need to alter the setup to the conditions, simple as that.

 

[fumanchu11]

Grip levels vary considerably from room to room. There are soo many different factors which can impact the performance of your car at any one time. Very rarely does the one setup work in all conditions. Another thing that has to be considered is the track layout itself - some may demand a larger camber angle, a higher spring rate, increased downforce or a change in tyre pressure. I'm also lead to suspect that each track has different grip levels. Fuji for example has a less abrasive surface compared to Willow Springs, so that too can have an impact. When every lobby is different, you will always get different grip levels no matter what. You need to alter the setup to the conditions, simple as that.

Thanks for the reply, CLowndes888. Yes. I'm aware that many factors can lead to natural changes in grip levels. It's when it happens in an unnatural way. I've had it happen when I'm running practice laps in a lobby and the car feels normal. Session ends, qualifying starts under same or similar conditions, and the car feels like it went to garbage. As suggested, it may be getting a bad load of my setup and going to default. Because usually if I reload the setup, it goes back to feeling fine.

So, I may have to just load the set up every time. Or re-build new setups, as there may be something causing it to load wrong and/or go to default. Gives me something to do when I get more time off. Something I have very little of right now.

 

[Sick Cylinder]

Three of the wheels are straight from Fanatec. And two are "custom" of sorts. One using the Sparco P310 I already had from my Sam Maxwell custom wheel he built for me way back for my old Thrustmaster T500. And then I just put together the classic car wheel. I can post pictures when I get home, but to be honest, it's not a big deal. But as someone who's never bothered with the PC side of sim racing and has stuck with the simple console route, I love how it's easier to do a "custom" wheel with the Fanatec platform.

Wow - lovely! Thanks for posting!

I don't know if you have found this, but the classic content works very well in the game and generally doesn't need setup changes (runs fine on default loose). You might find that these cars are less susceptible to inconsistent grip levels.

 

[fumanchu11]

Wow - lovely! Thanks for posting!

I don't know if you have found this, but the classic content works very well in the game and generally doesn't need setup changes (runs fine on default loose). You might find that these cars are less susceptible to inconsistent grip levels.

No worries, and thank you.

Yes, I actually find the classic stuff to be the most fun to drive. If I do a custom race, it's often something classic on a classic track. What makes them fun is that they have so much less grip. So yeah, it's consistent, in they're always much more slippery. Ha, ha. But I really do love the challenge of trying to put in consistent laps with something that takes more finesse to drive.