Active Handling Saved my A$$...
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 3,675
Likes: 58
From: Hayward (Bay Area) CA
Active Handling Saved my A$$...
Hi Forum,
I was driving my 99 coupe (A4) today after many days. In fact, I've only owned it for about 2 months and didn't get to drive it much due to the bad weather. So, today my gf and I went for a lil drive. At one point I came off the freeway, taking an exit. I was making a Left turn on the light. The light had already changed yellow, and was a big intersection so I just pushed my gas a lil harder to make the light. While road was prolly a lil wet, or something... during the turn, car went into a wack...rear end going towards right, while making a left turn. I tried to steer it, but my mind was not totally into it... somehow, I find the car straightened itself. All I did was took my foot OFF the gas, to slow it down.... AH works. Same day, I made a quick "U" turn.... it works.... Awesome car, isn't it.
Plz share your AH experience with the rest of us... 
I was driving my 99 coupe (A4) today after many days. In fact, I've only owned it for about 2 months and didn't get to drive it much due to the bad weather. So, today my gf and I went for a lil drive. At one point I came off the freeway, taking an exit. I was making a Left turn on the light. The light had already changed yellow, and was a big intersection so I just pushed my gas a lil harder to make the light. While road was prolly a lil wet, or something... during the turn, car went into a wack...rear end going towards right, while making a left turn. I tried to steer it, but my mind was not totally into it... somehow, I find the car straightened itself. All I did was took my foot OFF the gas, to slow it down.... AH works. Same day, I made a quick "U" turn.... it works.... Awesome car, isn't it.
Plz share your AH experience with the rest of us...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 5,706
Likes: 552
From: St. Peters MO
C7 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
2018 C7 of Year Finalist
Originally Posted by Vette_Fan
Hi Forum,
I was driving my 99 coupe (A4) today after many days. In fact, I've only owned it for about 2 months and didn't get to drive it much due to the bad weather. So, today my gf and I went for a lil drive. At one point I came off the freeway, taking an exit. I was making a Left turn on the light. The light had already changed yellow, and was a big intersection so I just pushed my gas a lil harder to make the light. While road was prolly a lil wet, or something... during the turn, car went into a wack...rear end going towards right, while making a left turn. I tried to steer it, but my mind was not totally into it... somehow, I find the car straightened itself. All I did was took my foot OFF the gas, to slow it down.... AH works. Same day, I made a quick "U" turn.... it works.... Awesome car, isn't it. Plz share your AH experience with the rest of us...
I was driving my 99 coupe (A4) today after many days. In fact, I've only owned it for about 2 months and didn't get to drive it much due to the bad weather. So, today my gf and I went for a lil drive. At one point I came off the freeway, taking an exit. I was making a Left turn on the light. The light had already changed yellow, and was a big intersection so I just pushed my gas a lil harder to make the light. While road was prolly a lil wet, or something... during the turn, car went into a wack...rear end going towards right, while making a left turn. I tried to steer it, but my mind was not totally into it... somehow, I find the car straightened itself. All I did was took my foot OFF the gas, to slow it down.... AH works. Same day, I made a quick "U" turn.... it works.... Awesome car, isn't it.
Plz share your AH experience with the rest of us... 
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 14,942
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
saved me a couple of times...few months ago in my vette and a couple of years ago in my mom's...my mom's vette (with me in it) was on it's way onto a side walk and into a store front..i never told her. 
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,945
Likes: 12
From: Vancouver
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
All good to know. I haven't had any incidents yet. Maybe I should get out in a parking lot and check it out. Like doing doughnuts it's great to practice. 
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,390
Likes: 24,793
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
My '99 had active handling and yes, it helped me avoid an embarrassing moment on several occasions. It's one of the best safety systems they put on the car.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 2
From: Cedar Rapids Iowa
About 6 months ago I went into a sharp turn at about 100 MPH under full throttle. The rear end broke loose and the car started to slide. I thought I was going to slide off the road into a field. Right after it started to slide, I saw the active handling light flash and it was like the hand of God reached down and straightened the car out. Without AH, I don't know what would have happened that day.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 18,682
Likes: 4
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Like someone mentioned above, AH would only do so much. AH has saved my a$$ numerous times in the past but I can recall atleast 3 times where the situation was so intense that AH did not so **** for me. Just know your limit!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 8,762
Likes: 2
From: Murphy TX
Every time AH kicks in you should kick yourself in the a$$ cause you just made a big mistake.
Like insurance, it is a good thing to have, but I like to take the approach if it comes on, I screwed up. It happens, but every time it does I try to replay exactly what I did to cause it and learn from it.
Like insurance, it is a good thing to have, but I like to take the approach if it comes on, I screwed up. It happens, but every time it does I try to replay exactly what I did to cause it and learn from it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 7,825
Likes: 0
From: Manassas VA
My AH scared and embarassed the crap out of me the first time I found out about it. I was showing off in front of my family in front of my parents' house. I was throttling up to do a good burnout while everybody was outside looking, cheering me on.
I went to let the clutch out and it sounded like I broke something... and the car would not move for anything, just make these awful noises!
The shifter never popped out of gear or anything, which is why I just knew I broke something!
After getting back to normal idle, and driving like the normal, responsible human being I claim to be, she was fine!
I went to let the clutch out and it sounded like I broke something... and the car would not move for anything, just make these awful noises!
The shifter never popped out of gear or anything, which is why I just knew I broke something!
After getting back to normal idle, and driving like the normal, responsible human being I claim to be, she was fine!
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 212
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by yellow01
Every time AH kicks in you should kick yourself in the a$$ cause you just made a big mistake.
Like insurance, it is a good thing to have, but I like to take the approach if it comes on, I screwed up. It happens, but every time it does I try to replay exactly what I did to cause it and learn from it.
Like insurance, it is a good thing to have, but I like to take the approach if it comes on, I screwed up. It happens, but every time it does I try to replay exactly what I did to cause it and learn from it.