Why turn off the "nannies" with normal driving?

[nilfinite]

Seeing this thread reminded me of this article: http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cult...n-do-in-a-car/

I think you can guess what this author's stance is on turning off the nannies

[Norm Peterson]

Sure, he's adamant about leaving ESC on. But does that mean he refuses to coach a student whose car never had it to begin with?

Maybe I'm dense, but I just can't see any difference between driving a car that doesn't have ESC and a generally similar car that has it but the driver has turned it off.


Norm

[Norm Peterson]

Let me make it clear that this isn't from my more usual position of not wanting to be dealing with any potentially intrusive electronic co-pilot.

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

Sometimes they won't work properly. Not very often (a point that I keep insisting on to all the acknowledgement of talking to a fence post) still does not mean never.


Norm

"Not very often" took four and a half years from that previous post to show up, but show up it certainly did. An unknown ABS fault that took TC down with it (and would have taken stability control down as well if my car had that system).

This past Tuesday (12 Sept 17) at a TNiA event I found myself lined up in grid for session #3 with the TC and ABS lights both showing solid (not flashing, error of some sort, =inop). Running a shutdown/restart cycle didn't clear the problem either and the line started to move onto pit lane. So I went out anyway (advanced run group).

Yes, you have to be aware that the car will behave a bit differently and ready to act accordingly. I did manage to briefly lock up a tire under hard braking a couple of times . . . but the datalogs show that the mean lap time for no-ABS session #3 was about the same as for session #2 with ABS, just with more scatter in the individual times than when the ABS was working properly. On the other hand three of my four fastest laps came during session #3.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is entirely possible to keep all of your street driving (and virtually all of your very hardest driving anywhere) below the point where nanny assistance becomes necessary. Smoothness on the pedals and at the steering wheel wins here, which is a good skill to have even if you don't track your car.


FWIW, the situation seemed to fix itself after three or four re-starts on the way back to the hotel. Well, at least the lights went out and haven't come back on since (except for when I actively turn the TC off).


Norm

[Quicksilver-SS]

Originally Posted by Powhusku

I leave them on unless I'm planning on doing something very fun/stupid.

In Mexico... lol

[jrhagen]

Originally Posted by ChrisBlair

Everyone somehow equates turning them off with acting tough or doing bad things

I turn mine off, often. I learned to drive on high torque RWD cars that were designed in the '60s. I know how to drive. When the rear end slips a bit, I'm already correcting my steering inputs and throttle before the nannies take over. Then they cut in, mid-correction. The result is that the car jerks around.

I don't like it. Not one bit. So off they go. Never had any problems even in cars that make much more torque, at much lower rpms than an LS3

This.

[Dirtdog]

If I got WOT in the first 3 gears I lose traction. I expect it, but with TC on it cuts out and its more dangerous than getting a little loose. that's why I turn it off.

Drag radials going on soon

[TWOFORTYZ]

If you drive like an asshole, traction control will get you rear ended when you cut someone off and NEED to use all of your available power. Then the traction control kicks in, bogging the car and not allowing you to hit full throttle. I will turn mine off before accelerating firmly in the future.

Nanny controls are for people that cannot drive or should not be driving one of these cars. They are not necessary or helpful at all unless EXTREMELY drunk or inexperienced Just my $.02. I think most people are bad enough drivers to need these settings, however I do not like them.

Edit: I also spent a lot of years commuting in rain on motorcycles that run the 1/4 in 10 seconds or better. Skill beats electronics for being smooth and keeping traction every time. Going back and forth from the 1992 Caprice wagon to the Camaro, the traction control is nice for when I want to be careless/lazy in the rain, but is no substitute for skilled driving and short shifting. I leave it on unless I need to do something frisky, then it is turned off, however it still bothers and harrasses me even when off.