I've been messing with ASR quite a bit lately and it seems to me that the car performs better with it off. I know if it breaks traction and it engages, its obviously gonna slow me down, but if it doesn't, it still seems like it has more power. Is this just a myth of mine or is there actual logic and data behind it? BTW, I set my best time with ASR off.

 

You have the first generation ASR, it got better as time went on. 1995 was much improved and the C5 version is even better.

 

The ASR off will produce better track times. No, turning off the ASR does not give the 'vette more power. All conditions being the same, it would have the same power no matter what. The ASR prevents wheel slippage. This means BEFORE they spin, it will take action. If it thinks you're going to let the tires loose, it takes action. But it doesn't limit your power. Hope this helps.


[Modified by GDP, 11:55 PM 10/25/2002]

 

The ASR will do several things to keep you from spinning, it can:

Lock the throttle, this is what makes the pedal get so hard
Apply the brakes
Retard Timing (and if this sounds like it would hurt performance, you are correct)

Say you've got some miniscule amount of wheelspin that you can't feel. You can't feel the ASR doing anything because it's not pushing against your pedal. It could still be doing the timing thing, however it would be accompanied by the ASR active light coming on in the DIC.

To me the biggest problem with ASR, especially in the 92's is that it's too sensitive and too slow. I've noticed that it usually doesn't engage until you begin to fell the car spin, slide, whatever. Ok, that's fair enough, it can only react so fast, and if you don't know how to handle your car it can very easily save your butt. However, if you're trying to spin/slide a little bit, or if you just happen to be sitting on a pebble it will **** you off quick. Every time I forget to turn my ASR off this will happen eventually.

I'll pull up to an intersection where there is a little bit of loose gravel, I don't really give it any thought until it's too late. I see a hole and go for it, I start to go and one or both of the wheels spins on the gravel. Enter the ASR. It kicks on and locks my gas pedal so I can't give it any throttle. Now I'm stuck pulling out at like 2 mph. Eventually it lets go, but I'm probably well off the gravel by now and very much in the way of a fast approaching car. If the ASR would have just let me handle it the gravel wouldn't have been an issue, it would have been launched out the back of the car and no longer been an issue. In the time it would take for this to happen the ASR is just engaging yet the problem is already taken care of.

I will give it this, it's an effective way to keep somebody who doesn't know anything from sliding in a nice 360 into a ditch due to a power oversteer, however if you want to induce a power oversteer it can be equally if not more harmful. Some people really like the system, I hate it.

My best advice would be to either use it or not. Whichever you choose make sure that this is how you always drive the car. In my case it's always off, if I could make it default to off I would. Expecting it to be off and having it on can be just as dangerous as expecting it to be on and it being off. Learn how to drive your car in whatever way you are comfortable with and stick with that.

IMHO it's more fun to drive with it off because you can induce an oversteer and such. I know this sounds like just a kid playing, but a power oversteer on command has saved my life at least once that I can remember. I personally feel like if you can learn to drive with it off you will end up being a better driver in the long run, assuming you can keep it out of the ditches long enough to learn. The first time I ever turned mine off I did a complete 180.

:cheers:


[Modified by Nathan Plemons, 11:57 PM 10/25/2002]

 

I probably didn't word it right but I agree that it doesn't add more power. Everytime it has engaged (like you guys said), it was when the tires slipped; but never before (at least I couldn't feel it). Maybe I'm just thinking it performs better because it is enganging before I can feel it in the pedal rather than when its off.

Out of curiosity, is the perfect track performance when the tires chip when it shifts at the low gears and/or during the start? My dad said it is because it just barely breaks traction because its maxed the acceleration of the tires but is still getting traction. Seems logical. I know the ASR prevents this from happening though and will slow me down. Perhaps thats why I get slower track times.

 

Optimal track times will have tend to have just a little bit of wheelspin. I'm not sure I understand the physics behind it but there is an optimal amount and it is some number other than 0.

 

Great explanation. I drive with ASR off.