What are the advantages of turning off T/C?

[shrinkdoc]

With a manual stick what are the advantages of turning off Traction Cntr for 1/4 mile racing? T//C controls traction but does it decrease your takeoff speed? Most say turn it off and just feather your clutch for best lock ups. What are your views?

[Dupree878]

Well, traction control would try to stop wheel spin and the usual result is the engine bogging and you not getting a good launch. Fortunately, the manual trans cars have a built in launch control.

Hit the T/C button twice and the DIC will state StabiliTrac Competitive Mode. (Both the orange warning lights in the tach will be on)

Push in the clutch and floor the accelerator and hold both and the car will hold itself at 5500rpm.
Then come off the clutch aggressively, but smoothly (don't just step off it) and the car will manage wheel spin without bogging the engine for a launch.
I'm sure the pinnacle of drivers can beat the computer, but for 90% of people, this will be the fastest way to launch the car.

[FaytalsCamaro]

I hear that the launch control in our vehicle isnt very trustworthy. As in broken axles and such so use it with caution

[LS3 SS]

Easier wrecks. Just do a search on the forum and see how many people have fallen victim to losing control of their car due to turning the S/T and T/C off. If you're at the track, that's one thing, but you should never turn it off during normal driving.

[jph2275]

Originally Posted by FaytalsCamaro

I hear that the launch control in our vehicle isnt very trustworthy. As in broken axles and such so use it with caution

I've never seen the beef

I have used launch control successfully 7-8 times and the only thing it does is help me launch very aggressively

I'd use sparingly of course of its your DD car. But I'm not scared of it like some others. Bought my car to drive it!

[mntgome1]

Originally Posted by LS3 SS

Easier wrecks. Just do a search on the forum and see how many people have fallen victim to losing control of their car due to turning the S/T and T/C off. If you're at the track, that's one thing, but you should never turn it off during normal driving.

I respect your knowledge on this issue but I have yet to get in my car and NOT hold that little "GO" button down for 5-7 seconds prior to putting into gear... Once again I respect your view and I hope I never experience anything horrible but.......


Edit....I dont track my car.

[vroomapunk]

Originally Posted by mntgome1

I respect your knowledge on this issue but I have yet to get in my car and NOT hold that little "GO" button down for 5-7 seconds prior to putting into gear... Once again I respect your view and I hope I never experience anything horrible but.......


Edit....I dont track my car.

I turn TC off, and leave stabilitrack on, and put in Sport mode (auto trans) when I want to have some fun around town.

Theres never a real reason to turn Stabilitrak off when you arent at the track.

Traction control is fun to turn off, and not that dangerous if you have the stabilitrak to keep you straight

And for the OP, it really depends on the driver at the track. If you have a good feel for your car/tire/power combo, then go for it with Traction control off.

I would turn it off, because it really does curb your power off the line (more than it needs to to keep traction sometimes).

[mntgome1]

Originally Posted by vroomapunk

I turn TC off, and leave stabilitrack on, and put in Sport mode (auto trans) when I want to have some fun around town.

Theres never a real reason to turn Stabilitrak off when you arent at the track.

Traction control is fun to turn off, and not that dangerous if you have the stabilitrak to keep you straight

I paid a hell of alot of money to get boosted... If im not sideways coming down the avenue I feel like im wasting money....

[GaBoy25]

I almost wrecked making a burnout video for c5. It only takes milli seconds to lose it.

Gave me respect for the car....which i obviouly needed.

[Mchlgrrsn]

Originally Posted by mntgome1

I respect your knowledge on this issue but I have yet to get in my car and NOT hold that little "GO" button down for 5-7 seconds prior to putting into gear... Once again I respect your view and I hope I never experience anything horrible but.......


Edit....I dont track my car.

Edit.....I track the car

[Mchlgrrsn]

In a few years these cars will drive themselves. Enjoy it while it lasts.

[Norm Peterson]

The advantages are that when TC is off it can't cut power and either make you bog (as mentioned) or run with slightly less power than the tires might actually be able to take. For TC to work, its threshhold has to be a little bit lower than the maximum possible. Launch control may be consistently better than some or many drivers, but it's at least possible for it to be consistently not as good a a few other drivers. You'll never find out if you've even got a shot at being one of the good ones if you leave the TC on.

Originally Posted by LS3 SS

Easier wrecks. Just do a search on the forum and see how many people have fallen victim to losing control of their car due to turning the S/T and T/C off. If you're at the track, that's one thing, but you should never turn it off during normal driving.

So what you're saying is you don't think anybody here has the requisite levels of skill, judgment, and experience to safely drive a 5th gen Camaro unassisted?

Sorry, but I beg to differ.

And I'll further argue that by spending virtually all of your driving time under the limitations set by the various nannies you end up LESS well equipped to deal with what these cars can and will do if you get too sloppy and you've turned them off. Whatever hard driving that you do under their supervision does not count as practice for when they're off. Think about it.

No, I wouldn't jump into a Camaro of any spec and try to find its limits all at once. But I wouldn't be the least bit afraid to drive one without ever leaving them on. Pick any model.


Norm

[wadeh]

I think that he is saying that Stabilitrack and traction control have evolved to the point where they are unobtrusive when driving on public streets. In other words, if you are doing something where they would activate, it's probably best done off of public streets.

Beyond that, they (especially Stabilitrack) do provide a margin of safety if you have to make an unplanned evasive maneuver.

[Norm Peterson]

Most of the time they are unobtrusive, or at least they probably should be. But they don't come without downsides.

It is possible to stumble across a situation where they do activate unreasonably early. Trust me on this. Although the resulting interference is generally benign, it is intrusive.

I contend that the driver of a performance car should be capable of safely driving it without "assistance". Safely within the limits of the car or its operator, whichever is lower.

I can't think of any good reason why the principal driver of a 400+ HP poinycar should not be able to keep wheelspin under control, and have the skill to "catch" it before everything does go to hell in a handbasket if it's allowed to go beyond "just a little". Same with cornering, particularly in the wet. If you're going to drive a car with this much performance potential, you owe it to yourself to learn how to drive it smoothly enough that you can feel the rear about to step out long enough before it actually does, to actually do the proper small correction.

Sure, that means "sneaking up on" finding where things start happening, which is probably the crux of the whole matter - this implies a level of patience behind the wheel greater than what many of the younger or less experienced drivers have ever had to display. But it's a skill set worth learning, and the closer that cars approximate a 3-D video driving game the less likely it is that it will be learned.

I've said before that if you leave TC on all the time - and particularly in poor conditions where it's supposed to be of the greatest help - you're giving up the safest way of finding out at the gut-level that you really don't have much grip. And this is as street-driving relevant as it gets.


Norm