active handling
Pro
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 741
Likes: 284
If you are new to car and autox I would leave it on until you can drive without it activating and then go to competitive mode which allows a little more aggressive driving.
One result of a lot of active handling inputs is that you will use up brake pads faster especially rears which normally get little wear compared to fronts.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 3,003
Likes: 89
From: Indy IN
Turn it off...
Not only does the active handling use up brakes, but it can increase the wear in the differential clutches and that is expensive to fix.
When active handling is engaged and the system senses that it needs to correct the yaw it applies one of the rear brakes. If you are on the throttle at that time it forces the rear end clutches to slip and if you are a sensitive driver you can feel the rear end clutches slipping and the catching.
Differential clutches aren't capable of taking that kind of abuse and you will wear them out pretty quickly if you make them slip a lot, and that's what happens with an inexperienced driver and a lot of active handling intervention.
As any experienced driver can tell you if by accident you don't turn it off, it will intervene when you really want to apply power (like on corner exit) and is should be slowing you down. If it is coming on and you are faster with the active handling working you are doing something wrong, either jerking at the wheel or not applying power smoothly.
When active handling is engaged and the system senses that it needs to correct the yaw it applies one of the rear brakes. If you are on the throttle at that time it forces the rear end clutches to slip and if you are a sensitive driver you can feel the rear end clutches slipping and the catching.
Differential clutches aren't capable of taking that kind of abuse and you will wear them out pretty quickly if you make them slip a lot, and that's what happens with an inexperienced driver and a lot of active handling intervention.
As any experienced driver can tell you if by accident you don't turn it off, it will intervene when you really want to apply power (like on corner exit) and is should be slowing you down. If it is coming on and you are faster with the active handling working you are doing something wrong, either jerking at the wheel or not applying power smoothly.
Advanced
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 96
Likes: 16
From: Somerville New Jersey
If you are running faster with the active handling on you are being overly aggressive when its off, and i think you should leave it on. Active handling is a good learning tool and I agree with Rocsvette in that you shouldn't turn it off until you are comfortable with the car. Autox by nature is pretty abrupt and aggressive, but its good to learn being smooth first.
Deactivating active handling too soon and you can get in trouble...
Also link to sticky, Post #9 has some comments on active handling
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-z...tions-faq.html
Deactivating active handling too soon and you can get in trouble...
Also link to sticky, Post #9 has some comments on active handling
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c5-z...tions-faq.html
Last edited by E-Emmons; Aug 20, 2014 at 10:52 AM. Reason: link to active handling description
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,826
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Active Handling does things that a driver can't do. Sometimes that helps and sometimes it doesn't. The C5 Active Handling operates by applying the outside front brake to help control oversteer and applies the inside rear brake to help control understeer. The operational characteristics include a dead band where it will allow a certain amount of yaw movement without activating. When you place the system in Competitive Handling mode the dead band is increased and the traction control feature is turned off. Since these cars have a lot of understeer at slower autocross speeds you may have felt the rear brakes hammering the car to pull the front into the proper yaw attitude. Sometimes on powering out of a corner where you could expect to get some over steer you may have felt the front brakes hammering to bring the car into the proper yaw attitude.
I am attaching files that contain a paper written by the development engineers explaining how the system works. Most other descriptions you may hear or see are fantasy.
Bill
I am attaching files that contain a paper written by the development engineers explaining how the system works. Most other descriptions you may hear or see are fantasy.
Bill
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,826
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
On track that can be managed by not entering turns too fast or at the wrong angle which can cause understeer or lifting off the throttle at the wrong time and getting too much oversteer or powering out incorrectly which can cause oversteer. There are a lot of tracks where a smooth driver can go for lap after lap without activating AH. It really only reacts when drivers screw up a turn.
In autocross it is much harder to avoid getting understeer at a corner and AH can interfere by applying the brakes too often but the runs are so short the rear rotors won't get all that hot.
Bill
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Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 440
Likes: 4
From: Huntington Massachusetts
I found the active handling in competitive mode to be helpful on bumpy surfaces. I am running the hillclimb series in New England and I achieve better times with active handling in competitive mode. I can push the car closer to the limit and if the car gets unsettled on a bump, the usually slight application of the rear brake help set the rear end in such situations.
The traction control part (when fully on) is too intrusive for any kind of spirited driving but competitive mode is a nice safety net that I never found too intrusive.
The traction control part (when fully on) is too intrusive for any kind of spirited driving but competitive mode is a nice safety net that I never found too intrusive.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,001
Likes: 243
From: Surprise, Az
Bill,
Thanks for the information.
'12 GS, I had a situation yesterday at an hpde event, it felt like the tires were getting a bit greasy in the afternoon session. I would come out of the slowest turn on the track, 2nd gear, and accelerate down a short straight to another slow turn. During the acceleration phase, it felt like the engine would cut out (wheels were straight by this time). The car was fine over the rest of the course. This happened a couple of times in the same exact areas. Could this also be a function of TC/AH kicking in?
Greasy tires- brand new Michelin PSS's. Morning session seemed to go fine, the afternoon was a challenge. The difference in ambient temperature was about 15 degrees, tire pressures were nearly the same, running at the Michelin suggested 40 psi front, 36 rear. There seemed to be minimal sidewall deflection and steering was VERY sensitive.
Thanks for the information.
'12 GS, I had a situation yesterday at an hpde event, it felt like the tires were getting a bit greasy in the afternoon session. I would come out of the slowest turn on the track, 2nd gear, and accelerate down a short straight to another slow turn. During the acceleration phase, it felt like the engine would cut out (wheels were straight by this time). The car was fine over the rest of the course. This happened a couple of times in the same exact areas. Could this also be a function of TC/AH kicking in?
Greasy tires- brand new Michelin PSS's. Morning session seemed to go fine, the afternoon was a challenge. The difference in ambient temperature was about 15 degrees, tire pressures were nearly the same, running at the Michelin suggested 40 psi front, 36 rear. There seemed to be minimal sidewall deflection and steering was VERY sensitive.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: Peoria IL
After reading the manual I am a little confused about the difference between just turning off the Traction Control and putting it in Competitive Mode. They both seem to do the same thing. What am I missing?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,826
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Bill
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,826
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Bill,
Thanks for the information.
'12 GS, I had a situation yesterday at an hpde event, it felt like the tires were getting a bit greasy in the afternoon session. I would come out of the slowest turn on the track, 2nd gear, and accelerate down a short straight to another slow turn. During the acceleration phase, it felt like the engine would cut out (wheels were straight by this time). The car was fine over the rest of the course. This happened a couple of times in the same exact areas. Could this also be a function of TC/AH kicking in?
Greasy tires- brand new Michelin PSS's. Morning session seemed to go fine, the afternoon was a challenge. The difference in ambient temperature was about 15 degrees, tire pressures were nearly the same, running at the Michelin suggested 40 psi front, 36 rear. There seemed to be minimal sidewall deflection and steering was VERY sensitive.
Thanks for the information.
'12 GS, I had a situation yesterday at an hpde event, it felt like the tires were getting a bit greasy in the afternoon session. I would come out of the slowest turn on the track, 2nd gear, and accelerate down a short straight to another slow turn. During the acceleration phase, it felt like the engine would cut out (wheels were straight by this time). The car was fine over the rest of the course. This happened a couple of times in the same exact areas. Could this also be a function of TC/AH kicking in?
Greasy tires- brand new Michelin PSS's. Morning session seemed to go fine, the afternoon was a challenge. The difference in ambient temperature was about 15 degrees, tire pressures were nearly the same, running at the Michelin suggested 40 psi front, 36 rear. There seemed to be minimal sidewall deflection and steering was VERY sensitive.
Bill
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,407
Likes: 6,537
From: Melbourne, FL
Bill,
Thanks for the information.
'12 GS, I had a situation yesterday at an hpde event, it felt like the tires were getting a bit greasy in the afternoon session. I would come out of the slowest turn on the track, 2nd gear, and accelerate down a short straight to another slow turn. During the acceleration phase, it felt like the engine would cut out (wheels were straight by this time). The car was fine over the rest of the course. This happened a couple of times in the same exact areas. Could this also be a function of TC/AH kicking in?
Greasy tires- brand new Michelin PSS's. Morning session seemed to go fine, the afternoon was a challenge. The difference in ambient temperature was about 15 degrees, tire pressures were nearly the same, running at the Michelin suggested 40 psi front, 36 rear. There seemed to be minimal sidewall deflection and steering was VERY sensitive.
Thanks for the information.
'12 GS, I had a situation yesterday at an hpde event, it felt like the tires were getting a bit greasy in the afternoon session. I would come out of the slowest turn on the track, 2nd gear, and accelerate down a short straight to another slow turn. During the acceleration phase, it felt like the engine would cut out (wheels were straight by this time). The car was fine over the rest of the course. This happened a couple of times in the same exact areas. Could this also be a function of TC/AH kicking in?
Greasy tires- brand new Michelin PSS's. Morning session seemed to go fine, the afternoon was a challenge. The difference in ambient temperature was about 15 degrees, tire pressures were nearly the same, running at the Michelin suggested 40 psi front, 36 rear. There seemed to be minimal sidewall deflection and steering was VERY sensitive.