Can factory Traction Control be reprogrammed to make it somewhat useful?
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 620
Likes: 0
From: Katherine N.T Australia
Yes it can be done.. Turning it into an actual Launch Control is difficult next to impossible. A mate of mine did it in his VX SS but in the wet it was useless. As a rule of thumb I reduce the timing TC takes out by 35% on all cars I tune on both the Retard and Fast Retard Table.. This reduces the severity of TC considerably but its still quite useful. To give you an idea.. you can actually drive out of a slide rather than the engine just dieing in the ****.
If you take out timing "authority" the system has no choice but to
fall to the next layer, and use the throttle pullout. That sucks worse
on an automatic because it will bother the shift points. I found that
increasing the allowed max timing retard makes it less eager to pull
throttle and come out of traction control cleaner.
However I think traction on slippery tracks is asking more for good
tires, than reduced engine output. That and finesse. The system is
not "smart" enough to put ABS to one wheel or anything like that,
it's pretty clumsy.
Going to a better differential can improve your power to the ground
quite a bit, relative to the stock Torsen.
fall to the next layer, and use the throttle pullout. That sucks worse
on an automatic because it will bother the shift points. I found that
increasing the allowed max timing retard makes it less eager to pull
throttle and come out of traction control cleaner.
However I think traction on slippery tracks is asking more for good
tires, than reduced engine output. That and finesse. The system is
not "smart" enough to put ABS to one wheel or anything like that,
it's pretty clumsy.
Going to a better differential can improve your power to the ground
quite a bit, relative to the stock Torsen.
Trending Topics
FROST, Im guessing you have never driven a z06? Most of the people on here are talking form t.c. experiences with their f bodys. Im telling you it is nothing like what you think. The car hooks like it has slicks on it. Im not saying your wrong but i cant see how the car could take off faster. The T.C. keeps thecar on the ragged edge of spinning the tires. I guess i would have to hear from an owner who has driven the z06 at the track. I can use this z06 any time but i dont think im going to take it to the track simply cause its not mine.
BTW I want that turbo system LOL.
BTW I want that turbo system LOL.
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Verdad Gallardo FROST, Im guessing you have never driven a z06? Most of the people on here are talking form t.c. experiences with their f bodys. Im telling you it is nothing like what you think. The car hooks like it has slicks on it. Im not saying your wrong but i cant see how the car could take off faster. The T.C. keeps thecar on the ragged edge of spinning the tires. I guess i would have to hear from an owner who has driven the z06 at the track. I can use this z06 any time but i dont think im going to take it to the track simply cause its not mine.
BTW I want that turbo system LOL.
BTW I want that turbo system LOL.
taking this to PMs
The best way to overcome this problem is just get more seat time, the more time you spend launching your car on the track youll see that you wont need traction control to get great launches, practice makes perfect
As for Corvette traction control systems, yes, they seem a bit more transparent to the end user, but it really does slow the car down. One drive in a C6 taught me that one...like launching the car on slicks? Right
As for making what we have better suited for a track...sorry. The system isn't robust enough to handle that. I've tried...my TCS is now disabled for good physically.
Guys you probably look at these things differently, but my approach to get good ET is:
a) powerful engine
b) suspension setup
c) tires
d) weight reduction
e) practice
f) traction control
g) another 100 things
I'm going to deal with all of these points. Not only with one or two.
That's why when on my question "how to do this particular thing" I get answer "learn to drive", this is not exactly what I was asking for.
They use traction control in Formula 1 not because those guys are bunch of monkeys that can't drive.
Hope you understand my point
a) powerful engine
b) suspension setup
c) tires
d) weight reduction
e) practice
f) traction control
g) another 100 things
I'm going to deal with all of these points. Not only with one or two.
That's why when on my question "how to do this particular thing" I get answer "learn to drive", this is not exactly what I was asking for.
They use traction control in Formula 1 not because those guys are bunch of monkeys that can't drive.
Hope you understand my point
We are all lying to you and traction control will make you launch perfect and fast every time.
/sarcasm.
I'm not being a dick, you asked a question and got a response (actually several) but it was not the response that you wanted, so I guess you will just have to see for yourself.
I'll say it one more time to be clear. OEM traction assist on Vettes and F-bodies are not useful at all for drag racing, and most likely no good for road racing either. No one here has any reason to lie about this stuff, it's just the way it is. I drive my car at over 700rwhp daily, so I know exactly how important throttle modulation is. I know it as well as anyone. There is no magic fix here; once the suspension work is done its all about technique.
/sarcasm.
I'm not being a dick, you asked a question and got a response (actually several) but it was not the response that you wanted, so I guess you will just have to see for yourself.
I'll say it one more time to be clear. OEM traction assist on Vettes and F-bodies are not useful at all for drag racing, and most likely no good for road racing either. No one here has any reason to lie about this stuff, it's just the way it is. I drive my car at over 700rwhp daily, so I know exactly how important throttle modulation is. I know it as well as anyone. There is no magic fix here; once the suspension work is done its all about technique.
On The Tree
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 125
Likes: 0
We are all lying to you and traction control will make you launch perfect and fast every time.
/sarcasm.
I'm not being a dick, you asked a question and got a response (actually several) but it was not the response that you wanted, so I guess you will just have to see for yourself.
I'll say it one more time to be clear. OEM traction assist on Vettes and F-bodies are not useful at all for drag racing, and most likely no good for road racing either. No one here has any reason to lie about this stuff, it's just the way it is. I drive my car at over 700rwhp daily, so I know exactly how important throttle modulation is. I know it as well as anyone. There is no magic fix here; once the suspension work is done its all about technique.
/sarcasm.
I'm not being a dick, you asked a question and got a response (actually several) but it was not the response that you wanted, so I guess you will just have to see for yourself.
I'll say it one more time to be clear. OEM traction assist on Vettes and F-bodies are not useful at all for drag racing, and most likely no good for road racing either. No one here has any reason to lie about this stuff, it's just the way it is. I drive my car at over 700rwhp daily, so I know exactly how important throttle modulation is. I know it as well as anyone. There is no magic fix here; once the suspension work is done its all about technique.
Guys you probably look at these things differently, but my approach to get good ET is:
a) powerful engine
b) suspension setup
c) tires
d) weight reduction
e) practice
f) traction control
g) another 100 things
I'm going to deal with all of these points. Not only with one or two.
That's why when on my question "how to do this particular thing" I get answer "learn to drive", this is not exactly what I was asking for.
They use traction control in Formula 1 not because those guys are bunch of monkeys that can't drive.
Hope you understand my point
a) powerful engine
b) suspension setup
c) tires
d) weight reduction
e) practice
f) traction control
g) another 100 things
I'm going to deal with all of these points. Not only with one or two.
That's why when on my question "how to do this particular thing" I get answer "learn to drive", this is not exactly what I was asking for.
They use traction control in Formula 1 not because those guys are bunch of monkeys that can't drive.
Hope you understand my point