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Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 12:03 AM
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Default Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

I got my SS up to over 157 mph twice on the Bonneville Salt Flats last weekend. All went well until after each run I noticed that I had the brake light, ABS light, TCS light, and Air Bag lights all on! Cycling the parking brake lever would not clear the brake light, and cycling the TCS switch would not clear that light. Before I ran again, I shut down the car, then restarted it and all the lights were reset and the TCS switch back to normal. But on the next run, the same thing happened! My qualifing run at 125 mph didn't cause the problem. All I can think of is the GM engineers didn't test the system for wheel-spin at speeds over 150 mph! (on the salt you always have some wheel spin)

I didn't get a SES light so I'm wondering if the ABS, TCS, and Air Bag go through a different computer. I just wondered if anyone else had experianced this or have any idea why it happened. I'm sure glad the computer didn't freak-out and deploy the air bag!
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 02:03 AM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

nice, that speed makes me horny
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 02:18 AM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

any time the front and rear wheels consistently turn different speeds the ABS freaks out and shuts down. Dyno pulls, big rear tire w/ skinnies, and now apparently salt flat bonzai runs! Get some video, that's gotta be awesome!
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 03:29 AM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

CAL,
I'm (almost daily) running mine down the autobahn between 135-160mph and have yet to get any SES lights. I've had the same lights come on the first winter I had to drive it in the snow, forgot to turn off the TCS. I did notice that with the TCS off it wouldn't throw the lights. Hope that helps.
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 11:08 AM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

OK thanks guys; sounds like this behavior is normal for the type of driving I was doing.

Brains, I have a video clip, I'll have to see if I can upload it to my server.
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 02:41 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

I got my SS up to over 157 mph twice on the Bonneville Salt Flats last weekend. All went well until after each run I noticed that I had the brake light, ABS light, TCS light, and Air Bag lights all on! Cycling the parking brake lever would not clear the brake light, and cycling the TCS switch would not clear that light. Before I ran again, I shut down the car, then restarted it and all the lights were reset and the TCS switch back to normal. But on the next run, the same thing happened! My qualifing run at 125 mph didn't cause the problem. All I can think of is the GM engineers didn't test the system for wheel-spin at speeds over 150 mph! (on the salt you always have some wheel spin)

I didn't get a SES light so I'm wondering if the ABS, TCS, and Air Bag go through a different computer. I just wondered if anyone else had experianced this or have any idea why it happened. I'm sure glad the computer didn't freak-out and deploy the air bag!

Cal- I don't know squat about the SES but Congrats on the Flats Runs!! How does one go about this ?? I mean do you have to register in advance......sneak out......WTF......sounds awesome and boggles my mind -too much fun
Very


**Road Trip??****
joel
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 05:51 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

Thanks, joel. Well you can register in advance, or you can just show up on any day during the "World of Speed" gathering during September of each year, and register at that time. The problem with just sneaking out there, is the racing goes on for nearly 100% of the time the salt is useable. During much of the year the entire area is under water, which is what makes it so smooth when it does dry out in the fall.

Besides the normal landspeed racing, they have two classes for street-legal cars: the 130 club and the 150 club. If you can exceed those speeds twice in the same day, your name will be added to the "hall of fame" list of people that have done that. These lists are on the USFRA website. This is the 17th year they have had this, but there are only 15 names on the 150 club (mine soon to be added!) The 130 club has about 50 names on it. Many people enter the 130 club and don't make it because it takes a lot more power to go fast on salt than on pavement. Check out this link:
http://www.audiworld.com/news/00/130club/index.html
I don't think a Z06 has every run out there, you should go for it! "See you on the salt!"
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 06:07 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

A tech at the university I went to runs his bike out there and is currently the world record holder for his class. At least last I heard. His name is David Brown.

On the back of his truck he had a sticker that said

"asphalt is for pu**y's, salt is for racing!"

Really cool guy!!
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 06:28 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

The day before I was out there, a modified Suzuki Heyabusa sport bike turned a 230 mph time on the salt. On the day I was out there, I saw a guy lay his bike down on the salt about the time he shifted from 1st to 2nd. There was plastic pieces all over.

I got a test drive on a new (but stock) Heyabusa last month, and let me tell you that thing is crazy fast! It's that fastest production bike made at present time. I can't imagine riding one of those on the salt, with the rear tire slipping all over the place. I guess I'm a *****!
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 07:43 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

joel, btw, here's the safety equipment requirements for both the 130 and 150 clubs:
http://www.saltflats.com/I30%20Club.html
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 08:26 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

The day before I was out there, a modified Suzuki Heyabusa sport bike turned a 230 mph time on the salt. On the day I was out there, I saw a guy lay his bike down on the salt about the time he shifted from 1st to 2nd. There was plastic pieces all over.

I got a test drive on a new (but stock) Heyabusa last month, and let me tell you that thing is crazy fast! It's that fastest production bike made at present time. I can't imagine riding one of those on the salt, with the rear tire slipping all over the place. I guess I'm a *****!
Cal, Thanks for all the info.I'll definitely look into it .
My brother lives in Las Vegas and Runs the Silver State Classic...should say he did ,he sold all of the cars . Anyway,I was out there a couple weeks ago and he bought a new Hayabusa SE. All black and Gorgeous! He's run it up to 182 out in the desert(on highway of course). Awesome bike.
What kind of gearing did you run? Tires??
joel
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 11:23 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

Oh wow my bro-in-law has a new black Hayabusa also! He's in Livermore, California and he rides that thing right down the centerline between cars on his way to work! Yeah I've been thinking about that Silver State Classic also, but I heard the Pony Express is cheaper and better.

I ran ZW rated 225/60/15 Bridgestone Potenza's with smooth highway tread (not all-season.) Aggresive tread just slows you down. Skinny, "pizza cutter" tires work better on salt. I also had them inflated to 47 psi (51 is max for this tire.) The 26.6" diameter of these tires combined with my 4.11 gears in 5th gear (.75 ratio) comes out to a pefect 6,200 rpm at 160 mph, great for my TR224-114 cam. I believe this gearing-cam match is one of the big factors that allowed me to do this.
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 11:29 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

Wow Cal really sounds like fun and an experience to remember!!
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Old Sep 24, 2003 | 11:37 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

Wow Cal really sounds like fun and an experience to remember!!
Yes it was a rush and a great experiance. It's nice to find out what your car can really do under safe, controlled conditions. They make sure you have all the appropiate safety equipment and that you have the harness very tight to your body, and wear a helmet of course. Also, if you loose control and spin out, all that will happen is the car slide swap ends until the energy is bled off, since there is nothing to hit out there. If you lose control on the public roads your're likely to hit something or somebody.
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Old Oct 4, 2003 | 04:32 PM
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Default Re: Car Threw Lights at 161 mph!!

Dyno pulls, big rear tire w/ skinnies, and now apparently salt flat bonzai runs! Get some video, that's gotta be awesome!
Finally got some video uploaded; I only have the first part of the run but it still gives you some idea of how things are out there.
http://users.megapathdsl.net/~hearl/Bonneville.MPG
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