wmk32

Are these monitors a stand alone system or will they have an impact on active handling ( c6 )? I changed out my run flats for some track tires for the first time today and after about 25 miles or so my service tire monitor light came on and the sensors would no longer transmit pressure for any wheel.

I'm dropping the car off in the morning for an unrelated issue and will have it fixed, but could this be detrimental on a track if i didn't already have a service appt scheduled? For some reason I seem to recall a few threads that this is not a stand alone system?

BEZ06

What track?

Drag racing - probably not a problem. You can turn off TC, but you don't want to turn of AH anyway.

Road racing/Auto-xing - maybe. Some owners who run without sensors have no problems, while others are unable to turn off AH or go into Comp mode if no sensors are detected.

If you have sensors in your track wheels/tires, you'll need to do a relearn procedure every time you swap wheels. If you have your own tool it only takes about a minute. If you have to go to the dealer every time it will be a PITA (and they'll probably charge you, too). Many tire shops will do it for free.

Below is a video of using a tool to register your sensors, such as would be required after a swap of wheels.

Bob




.

The Spark

I ran a C5 w/o sensors and had no problems with AH or going into Competitive Mode or TC. I would get a TPS warning every time I started the car. Just hit "reset" to clear the message.

I bought a small horseshoe magnet at the hardware store for less than $10. It works great to relearn the sensors. It takes a couple of minutes.

BEZ06

The TPMS was initially put into Corvettes because it was a good idea (especially with runflats), not because it was required. On the C5 Z06 that didn't come with runflats and sensors the TPMS wasn't even activated. If you wanted to run sensors in a C5 Z06 you could get the system activated at the dealership with a Tech 2.

Phord Explorers with Firestones started flipping over and killing soccer moms and the DOT, NHTSA, and Congress got together with the result being a Federal Law that makes it mandatory for ALL 4-wheeled vehicles less than 10,000 to have sensors/TPMS by the 2008 model year. The manufacturers had to start back in about 2005 with a small percentage of all their newly built vehicles having the required system, progressively increasing the percentage year-by-year, until with the 2008 model year 100% of their vehicles had sensors and a TPMS. Part of the law is that the system be intrusive, persistent, and that it can't be disabled. They don't want soccer moms to get a warning, push a button to clear it, and never being bothered with it again - they want it to be a PITA nuisance.

When the C6 came out in 2005 it was one of the cars GM put the system into as mandated by Big Brother - the system is a little bit different than the C5 and a little more intrusive.

You need a tool (like I use in that video link above) that transmits a radio frequency to trigger/excite the sensors during a relearn procedure instead of the magnet used on the C5 sensors.

As wmk32 experienced, if the C6 TPMS doesn't detect sensors, you'll get a "Service Tire Monitor" message. If he had been running in Comp Mode or with AH completely off, AH would have automatically turned back on - something you probably wouldn't want to happen in the middle of a track session. You can shut down the car, restart, clear the messages, and should be able to turn off AH or go into Comp Mode for another approximately 60 minutes (according to the manual). Auto-x and HPDE sessions aren't more than 60 minutes, so you probably won't have a problem.

wmk32 didn't report getting a "Limit Speed to 55" message, but this is the so-called "limp mode" that follows a low pressure indication or a sensor/TPMS problem detected by the car. My experience has been that it's just a message, i.e. when I got it with a flat tire I could still go faster than 55. However, I remember reading somewhere (and it's been reported by drag racers that run low pressures in DR's) that the system will actually pull power to limit the speed of the car if the accelerometers and yaw rate sensors detect that the car is experiencing aggressive accel/decel or high lateral G's during turns.

Many owners track the C6 without sensors and are able to clear messages and run with AH off or in Comp Mode, but others have problems turning everything off - there may be some differences in the system depending on when the car was built.

So....unfortunately the C6 TPMS is a little different than the that on the C5. Not a problem if you run sensors in your track wheels, although you need a tool to reset them every time you swap wheels. Even if you don't have sensors you may not have problems if you understand the system and are able to clear the messages in the proper order to turn off AH or go into Comp Mode at the track.

Bob

The Spark

Wow. Learn something new all the time.
I'm glad I got a C5 The C6 is getting too complicated.

Will definitely keep this in mind for my C6 friends.

Thanks for the explanation Bob.

wmk32

Cool, lots of good information.

This morning on the way to the dealer to get my active handling tsb fixed I was unable to enter comp mode or really do anything but turn on or off traction control so i'm assuming that active handling was already disabled.

Now that i've got two sets of tires and two sets of sensors i'm going to need to get my own tool ( was told the magnet fix wont go with the C6 ) so any recommendations on which tool to get that wont break the bank? The mechanic at my dealer told me the tool he was using was around $700

BEZ06

What do you want the tool for? Unfortunately there are no forum vendors that can provide these tools.

If you only need it for your C6, that tool in the video in the post above is available for $130 shipped to your door. Or there's a source that has been selling the Bartec Trackside (another C6 only tool like in that video) for $140 plus shipping.

If you need a more universal tool that will work on all sensors so you can reset the TPMS on your other vehicles if you rotate tires, I'll work up some info and PM it to you on what's available and what they might cost you if you go to that popular auction site to try to get one.

If you need any more C6 sensors, I've got a set of brand new ones for $30 each.

Bob

wmk32

That's encouraging news price-wise. Where would i find that tool for $130 shipped? I tried googling "protoctair" after seeing the video the first time but came up without any relevant info?

BEZ06

I made the video, I've got one tool, it's available for $130 shipped - cheapest price for a TPMS reset tool on the planet.

I wish I could find 100 of them to pass on to forum members cheap, but I've only ever seen two of that particular tool - the one I have, and one that just sold on eBay for $199.95 plus shipping.

When I got it I was pretty sure that it would work on the C6, but not positive. I got it, tried it out, and made the video to show C6 owners on the forum one of the tools out there that will work on our sensors.

If you want it, PM me soon. I'm going to list it in the for-sale section tonight and it will be gone in 1/2 hour.

Need C6 sensors? I've got a set of 4 brand new ones for $120 plus $3 shipping.

Bob