Traction control?

[braumab]

I have an 05 GT. Someone once told me that I should turn off traction control when I run my car ... I felt like they where bull crappin' me so I figured I'd ask guys. If I should turn it off, why? If shouldn't, why? Thanks!

[PureVenom]

Are you refering to when you run it at the track or in some form of speed competition?

If so, then yes, you should turn it off. I assume it works like the form I have, and if it does, it kills too much time trying to recover. When at the track, a little bit of wheel spin is fine off the line, but with TC on, the car will sense it and fall on its face trying to recover and kill your times.

[Y2E0L0L5OGWT]

ok the great debate over TC...A few people love it, Most people hate it (myself included)...

Basically, what it comes down to, is your ability as a driver...If you can drive, turn it off, you will be much better without it...

Now, basically what TC does, is when your wheels start to spin for one reason or another, whether it be laterally or just front/back tire spin, TC engages and reduces power to the powering wheels, therefore, reducing spin and theoretically returning "traction" to the road...if youll notice, if you try to luanch a car with TC on, when the tires start to spin, the car will bog down...that is TC at work...so if you are doing any type of racing, whether drag, autox, roadcourse, etc, TC is a BIG no-no...because you, as a driver want completely control of traction through the gas pedal and steering wheel...

In drag racing, you are supposed to "pedal" the car to regain traction at the wheels...i.e. manually reduce or increase throttle via the pedal as necessary...

It's really much the same premise in autox and road racing as well, except there you also have a problem with traction in the lateral direction (i.e. side-to-side)...that's where the steering thing comes in...Getting into the over/under-steer thing in that case, blah blah blah...

but I digress...in general, I am of the opinion TC is very bad IF and ONLY IF you know how to drive the car and you are in complete control...if you are a novice with a powerful car, leave TC on as you have not likely learned how to harness that power properly and need all the help you can get...THE END

[slostang]

Try dropping the clutch at 5k with the traction control on, then you will have your answer...

[PureVenom]

Man, in my car, when TC comes on, the whole thing just falls on its face completely for about 3-4 seconds. It is horrible and very dangerous if trying to turn through traffic on a major roadway.

Needless to say, I can't turn mine on or off...and the TC button will soon be utilized as my line lock.

[greenpony02]

A well designed TCS algorithm in not nearly as invasive as the TCS on our cars. The engine torque reduction is smooth and recovers quickly. I've driven quite a few cars that I like it in. Also in addition to Engine traction, our cars also have brake traction. Therefore in addition to reducing engine torque, the brakes are applied to the wheel(s) that are spinning up in order to quickly reduce wheel spin. If only one wheel is spinning (one wheel on ice, open differential, etc.) the brake torque on that wheel actually helps transfer power to the other wheel similar to a limited slip differential. That is how a V6 mustang that has traction control on and has the passenger rear wheel on a slippery surface is still able to move forward. In most TCS systems, pushing the TCS off switch only turns off the engine traction and brake traction is still active.

[MarkuzLS1]

It could slow up the TA pretty good if I left it on, depending on how I launched it. If I launched it easy, it might not ever engage (it would let you do a little spinning before it came on). If you hit the tires too hard, though, it would really pull lots of throttle and the car would fall on its face pretty hard.

[braumab]

I have burned a few cars with it turned on, but I wasn't running my RPM's up real high when it happened so I never personally noticed TC kicking in. Now, the first time I ran my car, everytime I hit redline, my car would cut off ... To this day I have no Idea what would cause that...But it stopped when I turned TC off... I really doesn't make sense to me...

[greenpony02]

Quote: Originally Posted by braumab I have burned a few cars with it turned on, but I wasn't running my RPM's up real high when it happened so I never personally noticed TC kicking in. Now, the first time I ran my car, everytime I hit redline, my car would cut off ... To this day I have no Idea what would cause that...But it stopped when I turned TC off... I really doesn't make sense to me...

The redline/TCS off thing doesn't make sense. Your rev limiter could have been kicking in at redline but turning TCS off shouldn't affect that. Unless for some reason Ford allows the rev limiter to be raised with TCS off

[Y2E0L0L5OGWT]

TC has nothing to do with the rev-limiter...In 05+ GT's, the "soft" rev limiter is set at 6250 rpm and the red line is at 6500 rpm...there is a "hard" rev-limiter just a tag later...but if what I am understanding from your statement brauma, you don't have a TC issue...your car bogs down when you get up to about 6250 RPM because you are bouncing off the rev-limiter...Try shifting just a touch before that point and you wont have the problem anymore...

That is one problem with 05+'s in autox...most courses are layed out such that the top mph is between 60 and 65 mph, which is right in the area when you it that 6250 revlimiter...unfortunately it would slow you down to upshift into 3rd so i am just stuck bouncing off the rev limiter for a few hundred feet...

but yea, thats what the car is doing...you are hitting the rev limiter..that wont hurt the car any so long as you arent doing it constantly for prolonged periods of time...My suggestion to you for future racing action though would be to turn TC off and shifter right at 6000 rpm...

[SpectorV]

I hate my TC system... the first thing I do when I get in the car is turn it off.

[braumab]

Ah, the rev limiter ... Is it good to have on? I have a diablo tuning deal ... I could turn it off there maybe? But right at 6000 RPM's with a powershift ... good combo? I'm just now messing with the powershift, I'm guessing it'll be easier when I get a short shifter (hint hint). :] . Anyway, I'm a crazy fast shifter, I've never missed third ... don't understand why people say third is a hard gear to hit at high speeds? I've never had that problem.

[SpectorV]

you must NEVER remove your rev limiter. You can raise it if you wish but never remove it or raise it above the engines abilities.... I would leave it where it is. I doubt your engine makes power at 6k.

[braumab]

Yeah, you're probably right.

[Y2E0L0L5OGWT]

Quote: Originally Posted by SpectorV you must NEVER remove your rev limiter. You can raise it if you wish but never remove it or raise it above the engines abilities.... I would leave it where it is. I doubt your engine makes power at 6k.

SCT/Diablosport tuners CANT actually remove the rev limiter, but they can change it...i wouldnt suggest changing it because it's a "fail-safe" so to speak to keep you from running too hard on the red line and tearing things up...so learn to work around it without changing it...

As far as S197's are concerned spec, more of the high power band on those cars is up in the RPM range, i.e. 4-6K...thats why you hear about lots of guys launching 3V's at 4-5K+ RPM...if you can hook at those rpms, you can be pretty damn quick...

and brauma, as far as powershifting goes, some people do it, some dont, its really a difference of opinion...i choose not to power shift because it will cause added wear on the tranny, regardless of what people say...the biggest thing that power shifting will wear out are the synchro's in a tranny, but it will still take time to do...it will just do it faster than if you actually clutched properly...

by the way, I can almost guarantee you that you will miss 3rd at least once if and when you put the roush shifter in your car...

[braumab]

you have no clue how bad I want to try it.:]

[SpectorV]

take that sucker up to 8k and let me know how that goes for ya

[braumab]

lol, i'll be sure and stick that on my to do list...

[hottcobra]

05+GT doesn't make power past 6200 so no use spinning it any higher