Hey all,
I went to the track last night, Moroso midnight madness, there were tons of cars, but I was the only 05 there. After my first run, I began to wonder if I should have the traction control on or off while I'm running. I feel much more comfortable having it on, just thinking of not hitting a wall if it gets squirrely! Does anyone think my time could possibly improve with the TC turned off? Guys at the track with older mustangs seemed to think the TC hurts you, but I think I recall reading somewhere here that the TC is different in the 05 from previous years. I guess the real question is how exactly does the TC work. Does it brake the one tire to keep them rotating at the same speed (which I don't think it does, but don't know)? How does the TC really work? I'm novice at racing, and can't seem to break my best of 13.7-1/4 mile. Any suggestions are more than welcome and if anyone can shed any facts regarding the TC would be helpful.
Thanks,
David

 

I think it would definitely hurt you, even being a "smarter" TCS, it is not a perfect TCS.

 

The newer TC will pull timing/fuel, while applying brakes etc when needed to avoid slippage and loss of control.

So technically yes, you'd get better track times with it off, if you're backend starts going wonky....as the traction control does not automatically come in now when it senses wheelspin like the old systems.

In the pre 05s, if you were doing a burnout, it would kick in.
Newer one...not unless you're backend starts kicking out.

 

With stock tires or even with 255's on the rear when I hit second gear the back end loses control with the TC on. Actually haven't tried it with it off.

 

I've actually never even noticed my traction control come on. I have driven in the snow and rain and slush and maybe it's me but I can't feel a thing. Maybe it does it without ever being noticed but I don't think mine is working. Im running the automatic tranny and I have noticed that on hard acceleration the rear wheels slightly breaking loose (not from the start but during mid rpm and at shifts) and then almost being corrected and traction regained. Is there a light that comes on, on the dash stating the traction control is being activated. Im confused......

 

There is Lilhog. Your info center will switch to "Traction control Active" and you should have no problems hearing that it is actually active: strange and very audible grinding noises in the back. On my car the traction control will kick in if I give to much gas on a slippery surface. When climbing a steep and snowy incline the traction control will limit the RPM to the point that I can put the accelerator on the floor in 2nd and its keeping the RPM in the 2000-3000 zone. You have to be careful with the power rushing back in the car when you get at the top of the hill ... But with what you write about the rear wheels being corrected on hard acceleration, I'm sure your traction control is working fine!

 

Traction control on for the 1/4....uhh, no.

If you are worried about losing control and crashing your car, you probably shouldn't be on the track. TC won't keep you from crashing, in fact, IMO, it makes it more likely for you to crash because your car can do something which you as a driver did not tell it to do. Same with anti-lock brakes, but that's JMO.

 

Thanks Preacher, next time it snows im going to go into an empty parking lot and try to get it to activate. Slip the wheels in the safety of open space and have a look and see if it works.

 

THANK YOU! I don't know about anyone else, but I really hate all of these electronic additions for people who don't know how to drive. Traction control, anti-lock brakes, etc. By the way, anyone know a safe way to disable anti-lock brakes?

 

[quote=LilHog,January 30, 2005, 11:57 AM]
I've actually never even noticed my traction control come on. I have driven in the snow and rain and slush and maybe it's me but I can't feel a thing.

Believe me you know it is working when you turn it off. Without it I had the car sideways

 

I've felt my TC come on, while on the wet street. So...does is it only activated when the car gets sideways a bit? You can definately feel it when it kicks in and take a look at the message center to actually see that "active traction control."
I was just wondering if at launch, will the TC, in a un-noticeable way, restrict the car. I'm really not afraid that I'm going to hit the wall. Last night, there was a beautiful late 60's/early 70's Chevelle that smacked the wall. He was doing about 130 mph in the Outlaw class.
I've searched previous discussions here about the 05 TCS and have read different opinions about how it operated. Brakes, no brakes, throttle, no throttle. Just trying to get the facts, especially when it comes to 1/4 mile racing.

 

Is your mustang stock. If so, I'd being pretty thrilled to get a 13.7 quarter mile. Just my opion. B)

 

SCT, Underdrive pullies

 

I think either you or I am a little confused about one thing.... you said, "Does it brake the one tire to keep them rotating at the same speed". I don't think with an SRA (Solid Rear Axel) that is possible -- aren't both wheels functionally welded together with hollow steel!?!? (Thus always spinning at the same speed)? So the TC prevents you from burning out too much, or the rear end skipping out, by cutting throttle. But they'll have to go to IRS before it can do any side-side torque shifting/cutting.

I don't even understand how it can detect that the back end is coming around, as most TC systems detect different rates of spin on the wheels (to figure out which side to put more torque to/apply brakes on). Any lessons on SRA's and TC would be appreciated....

 

I am not sure that your is working right. Mine is quite. The message center displays a message, and the engine feathers down. The most noise I hear is the engine slowing down. I have never heard mine have a "grinding" noise. Mine has kicked on about 4 times with snow driving.

As for dry roads;

Once I left the dealer I turned out of the lot and gunned it. I fishtailed out of the lot and the T/C did not kick on. Another time I had a stop sign to get on the highway. I gunned it to get into traffic and I fishtailed again while the T/C was on. Niether time did the T/C engage.

 

Hmmm... I definitely hear a lot of grinding noises, probably coming from the brakes when the traction control kicks in. Anybody else can hear that?

 

I'm no expert but I am pretty sure they are not "functionally welded together" I think it would make it hard to turn if they were. I thought IRS has to do with suspension in the rear, not the differential

 

A solid rear axle does not mean the wheels are locked together, as that would be almost unworkable. It is obviously a requirement that when a car goes around a curve, the inner wheel will rotate less than the outer. The wheels rotate independently, and the SRA has nothing to do with power to or rotation of the wheels. SRA primarily concerns suspension. The reason that both rear wheels on a GT spin is b/c of posi-traction (traction-lok, etc.), which has a clutch in the differential that causes torque to be sent to the other wheel if the primary drive wheel slips. On V6's, without this option, only one rear wheel will spin when stuck. The only vehicles I know of that lock the wheels together are some 4x4s, but even with those you must drive them on slippery surfaces so that there can be slippage, otherwise you would burn up the drivetrain.

 

Coming out of first from a stop on a hill in the rain gave a stuttering effect and an "active traction control" message on the message center. Until that happened just a couple days ago, I had thought the TC was "doing its thing" and I just wasn't noticing.

I'm assuming that the only time it's actually "traction-controlling" is when the message center says so (for those with the message center). Is that true? :scratch:

 

A solid rear axle does not mean the wheels are locked together, as that would be almost unworkable. It is obviously a requirement that when a car goes around a curve, the inner wheel will rotate less than the outer. The wheels rotate independently, and the SRA has nothing to do with power to or rotation of the wheels. SRA primarily concerns suspension. The reason that both rear wheels on a GT spin is b/c of posi-traction (traction-lok, etc.), which has a clutch in the differential that causes torque to be sent to the other wheel if the primary drive wheel slips. On V6's, without this option, only one rear wheel will spin when stuck. The only vehicles I know of that lock the wheels together are some 4x4s, but even with those you must drive them on slippery surfaces so that there can be slippage, otherwise you would burn up the drivetrain.
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yeah that's what I was trying to say