I have the feeling my traction control no longer works. I have on several ocassions aggressively hammered it in first and second gears and had the tires spin quite a bit without the DIC displaying traction control messages or beeping. The traction control light was on (and I had not touched the control after starting the car).
When the car was new, a few hundred miles, I briefly stompped on it in first gear while moving slowly, the DIC beeped and displayed the traction control message.
Recently, I switched it into competition mode, and took off from a stop light very aggressively, the tires spun through first and second gear (I'd let off it by the shift into third). This behavior (wheels spinning) sounded and felt like it did when traction control was on.
During my battery charging trip today, I had a chance to try traction control some more.
First, I pulled from a slow rolling start (a few MPH) in first. The tires spun quite a bit and there was no DIC message. As I later found out, the computer is probably limiting power, because I next tried launching in competition mode.
I released the clutch over the course of maybe 5 seconds with the engine at about 2000 RPM steadily increasing gas during the release. The car spun much more than ever before, continued to spin into second. By the time I'd shifted out of third, I was at 100+. Too bad there were no mile marks /phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif.
In a third try, I hopped on from a rolling start while turning a corner (carefully so I didn't end up looking at myself in the other lane). The tires spun some and straigtened back out as I turned into the spin. I would have expected (after the launch experience) lots more spin. I think the AH/TC did do something but the DIC didn't beep or display messages. I could not hear any difference in the engine.
From this experience, I'd say there is a different between TC/AH on and competition mode.
Apparently there's more to TC than meets the eye! On the way into work there is a nice little hill that begins right after a tight corner. The hill has about a 15 degree grade and is ideal for TC and acceleration tests.
Like usual, I hammered it after turning the corner. The pavement is a little broken but not too bad. It let one wheel bounce a little and I got a TC message on the DIC (no beep though). The engine power cutback was very obvious, almost felt like misfiring, no question I was being overridden.
The moral seems to be: the system is working, but as long as wheels don't bounce, its pretty unobtrusive. It seems to tolerate quite a lot of wheel spin. /phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif
I too have experienced tire spin and wheel
hop. The temperatures here have been 50 degrees or even in the 40's.At the Bragg-smith school last month with temps in the 70's their Z06 did not even spin the tires
at a 5mph stab in first gear. I am hoping
that temperature has a very positive impact
on tire adheasion.
You will certainly know when TC is kicking in. The power cut is very evident. It doesn't take a rough road or wheel hop to experience it either. A rather hard accelleration will cause it to engage and limit the power. It will feel like your engine is "missing" or hesitating.
Unless the road is wet, I use competitive driving mode just about all of the time to ensure that I get the power delivered that I am expecting/demanding.
I have not read or determined what the exact difference is when simply pushing the TC/AH button momentarily as opposed to putting it in competitive driving mode. There does seem to be a noticeable difference though.
I haven't personally experienced when AH has kicked in, although in theory, I beleive it has many merrits and is probably far more beneficial than TC on good road conditions.
I don't know if competitive driving mode is for everyone, I like it, but I think most people should try it at least once (on a good, dry, open road). This will give you an idea of what the car is really capable of.
Just be safe and considerate of others on the road. Have fun and enojy the ride, I am!
I have noticed on hard acceleration,1st, 2nd seem to act right but a few times going into 3rd, it seem to shut down until I backed off the gas. Has anyone else felt this??
On 2001-04-03 19:30, Henry D. Lee spewed forth this drivel:
I have noticed on hard acceleration,1st, 2nd seem to act right but a few times going into 3rd, it seem to shut down until I backed off the gas. Has anyone else felt this??
Yep...noticed that!! TC kicked on during 20 degree weather in 3rd gear while giving a friend a ride. Z nosed over and said "Hey!!! time to back off!!!"
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