High 11s

To the roadracers out there ...

I have a spare set of wheels for my 07 C6 that I intend to install Hoosier R6 tires on for track days.

Do I need to install TPS tire pressure sensors as well? Will the car still have active handling and traction control without TPS's? Will it slip into some sort of limp home safe mode?

Are there any other issues associated with no using TPS's? I would be great to save some money since I plan to have two sets of track tires.

What do you guys do about TPS's on your C6's?

Thanks in advance!

StArrow68

I'd be interested to hear as well what the C6's do. In a C5 not having
the TPS is not an issue. The AH uses the gyro, steering angle sensor
and wheel speed sensors as well as interaction with the TC system
when it is on. Obviously it doesn't require the TC system to be on.
Not having the TPS has no effect on any of those systems.
Randy

tahoeC6

I'm running them on my track tires and wheels as I've been told not having them will take away active handling/competitive driving mode. I typically run with everything turned off. One forum member built a PVC airtight container which he pressuurized with his sensors inside and then carried it in the trunk. I bought the expensive Bartec reprograming tool ($300) so I can reset the system when switching back and forth. Overall it's a PITA! I forgot to reprogram at an autocross once and the car went limp half way through. I prefered the C5 system, less hassle and dollars!

High 11s

Anyone else have experience with the C6 TPS's.

Sounds like so far I will need TPS's.....I did a search last night and saw that C5's are happy without the TPS's.

Lets see what other members have experienced...

thanks!

gkmccready

I've been watching the C6 TPS threads since early 2006; you'll find an answer and then you'll find one that directly contradicts it in every thread. The short version seems to be that you'll have to try it with your car. It's very hard to get accurate information such as "When the car went into limp mode did you have TC and/or AH on? If you turned them off did the car go back to normal?" That'd be the real key for track tires...

Miaugi

I ran once without reseting the TPS on my second set of wheels and got a warning on my DIC and could not get the car to go into Comp Mode.

Once I re-trained my TPS everything was normal. FYI, mine is a 06 MN6 with F55. I have read that some have had no problems while others did have issues, but I never have seen an explanation why some do and some dodn't have issues?

gkmccready

Would it let you turn everything off?

Miaugi

I can't say 100%, but I think so....only the Comp Mode wouldn't engage, which now that I think about it is strange if I could turn it off completely?

gkmccready

Actually, I'd expect it to let you turn everything off, but not to enter any of the other modes. If you're willing to run without the electronic nannies the car should be willing to ignore the TPS wrt it's limp mode.

But that's too logical for a car manufacturer to follow. :-)

High 11s

Interesting.....I prefer to run on the track with the active handling engaged. It seems that I can push the car harder and my lap times are better.

Last year I had a student in the car with me and he could not believe how the the a/h worked.....we were passing cars with dot track tires.

Sounds like I either try it w/o TPS or just go ahead and buy the TPS....then I need a tool to teach them each time I swap tires.......wonder what the drag guys to.....bet they don't run TPS's in drag tires.

Any other C6 TPS experiences???

rbl

Good for you .. unless you want to possibly spend $50K PDQ then leaving the AH can be a good deal. These "electronic nannies" do have a purpose. The fact is, as you point out, that it DOES NOT interfere if you are smooth with the car. The Watts brothers are a great example ... they leave it on and you probably won't catch them. And as you know, sliding the car around and being rough only slows you down - being smooth = faster.

Two things can happen (I have had a few C6's) . If you get a flat tire indication then the system shuts the car down. That is logical. Why would you want to be driving hard with a flat tire? Unlike those who think it is illogical and that you can just turn it off ... you can not. GM got it right. It also a Federal law and huge liability issues if they would let you defeat it.

The other possibility is you will just get a warning message. This is not a problem and you can do as you like. Simply press reset and go about your business.

If either occur, look at the tire pressures in the DIC. This will give you some indication of how your particular car is going to react.

With the flat tire indication you will see at least one tire will show a pressure and at least one other will show xxxx. If you get this indication you will have a flat tire light and you are toast.

If you just get the warning, no flat tire light, when you check the pressures they will all say xxxx. The system interprets this as a system malfunction and it does not shut the car down.

Also, different cars will act a bit differently ... don't know why though.

The solution:

You don't need more sensors or the tool.

The sensors transmit once every minute when they are static. The TPS system uses the keyless entry system in the car (flashing light on the doors) to read the sensors.

When a sensor is not detected by the system you will have about 50 miles or a few starts before the car will take an action. A sensor not detected is different that a sensor showing a flat tire.

If you carry your tires to the track just go park next to them occasionally (that is what I do). In a few minutes the car will see them and the system will be good to go.

If you don't have your tires then just find another C6 that has the TPS installed and go park next to it! This also works.

The C5's had an entirely different system ... apples and oranges.

BEZ06

It will pick up those sensors because those are the ones that are "registered" with the TPMS computer in your car.




When you use a tire sensor reset tool to "excite" the sensors to "register" them with the TPMS computer in the car, they send their unique serial #'s to the TPMS. The TPMS only stores 4 serial #'s. Those are the only ones it recognizes. It will not recognize any other sensors.

Bob

rbl

Unfortunately you are mistaken or misread what I said.

The car will in fact see other sensors and it will prevent the system from meltdown. Been there and done that. Ask the good folks at the Spring Mountain track in Pahrump.

You're correct about the numbers, bla, bla bla .... however, that was not the purpose of posting the question.

Gordy M

There was a running change on the C6 in the calibrations. The early C6's could run without the TPS without any problems, the mid change had to do with A/H and ABS system and the last change was getting ready for the new federal mandate on TPS systems. I believe the last change came through about the time the Z06 was released. There was a tech article about some time back on another forum.









t

BEZ06

It sounds like you've gotten some good advice in the other responses, and as mentioned by Miaugi and gkmccready, you're just going to have to try it with your car to see how it reacts.

Actually, if you don't want to turn off AH then you won't have any problem at all (except the little "skidding car" icon and occassional messages in the DIC about "Service Tire Monitor").

If you do get a tire sensor reset tool, there are several types out there and here's a link to a video where I show using several different types to give you an idea of what you would need to do after a tire/wheel swap for the track:

Tire Sensor Reset Tool Video

Bob

pit-pony

So where do you order the tool? Bob PM sent.

..jack

allanlaw

Let's probe this a bit. The car will see other sensors (any Schrader RF TPS valve or just C6 ones?) within some range and then not care that it can't read the ones registered in the receiver module? If it can read the registered ones, it then ignores all the others? Does it read the pressure from the other sensors? Do we have to worry about parking (or driving) too close to another car with a low pressure indication from one of its tires? BTW I just called one of my good friends at Spring Mountain, who said that an early C6 without sensors did pick up the signal from another C6, but that has not happened again. Also, a very well known Corvette executive was there today, and confirmed that the system is "not supposed" to pick up the signal from another car.

High 11s

Thank you all for the great information. To be honest I had no idea this was such a complex question....looks like I need to see what will happen to my car....but...I do expect it will have the latest CAL being and 07, so likely I will be ok so long as my street tires are close by.....or those of another C6.

Now the funny part is that I live in Clarkston only a couple of miles from the track.....so I could easily drive home to "visit" street tires occationaly and prevent the big meltdown as it was called.

For tracks farther away I need to carry the street tires or go with TPS's and a tool......next step is to review Bob's video on the reset tool.

My plan for tires is three sets right now, stock tires for street use, F1 supercars (Z51) for spirited track events when I want to drive to a distant track, and Hoosiers for serious speed at my local track (Waterford Hills) or when I trailer the car to a distant track.

Looking forward to this summer .....thanks guys!

jdm