A difference that some people may not take into consideration with the C-5 and their older cars with powerful engines is the limited slip diff. I had a GTO ('69 400) blew the rear end out and bought a limited slip to replace it with. The limited slip is what made it loose control. Without limited slip the car would just smoke one tire through a turn, with limited slip it would push you into the ditch. So to have the straight line performance that the limited slip gives you there is the sacrifice of the turning capability of the car. T/C and Active handling help to make the car more likely to stay on the road when powering through a turn. IMHO

 

You don't have it. I went through the same thing with my '00. Kept pressing holding but all it would do is turn the TC on and off. It was apparently an option for our year vehicles.

Mark

 

Was AH standard as of 01 models?

 

I am reasonably sure the TC not only cuts/limits power, but also uses brakes to limit wheel spin.

Come on guys! You are sports car drivers. If breaking all 4 tires loose and spinning or sliding is cause for concern, you need to get out more.

 

I was told by my service rep that driving with it on is like driving the car in second gear don't know if that is right or not.turned it off once and found no difference in driving the car,and i have been driving for 49 years.

 

Your rep is a moron and does not know what he's talking about, should not be advising people about stuff he does not understand. I would find a new place to take my car, what else do they not understand when their working on your Vette!

 

As mentioned by Gary above,"Come on guys! You are sports car drivers. If breaking all 4 tires loose and spinning or sliding is cause for concern, you need to get out more."

This goes for about 10% of the Vette owners on this forum and about 90% of the Vette owners on the road! I just dont get why some Vette owners got a Vette in the first place......Oh well to each his own. First thing I did when I bought a GTO was stick a Posi in it, nothing more fun than getting sideways in a early 389-455 Goat or TA! :~)

 

With an '04 you don't need to be "standing still".

 

This is what I say about the new Vettes. Where else can you get a car that has a top speed in excess of 170mph, 0 to 60 in less than 5 sec. 28 MPG and yo grand maw can drive it!
As long as you leave that little black button alone!

 

I too am new (first time owner) of a 99 C5 MN6. Mine has the "Active Handling" by the console button and also has the 3 position 'ride control'. (compeltely different topic, but not sure I understand that either) When I press it, it says ActHan/Trac CTL - OFF, Keep holding down then Competition Mode comes on in the DIC.

I DID take mine to a track for a high speed run on the oval ..( That was a 2 hour blast!)... and then into a 1 mile road course. Left everything ON (first time out). Under heavy braking and cornering, the AH would show on the DIC. When going throttle up coming out of a turn or leaving the road course and stomping on it hard in a turn coming out onto the oval, the rear tires would chirp, then TC msg would display in DIC and cut the throttle for a split second.

Maybe I am getting confused by traction control and active handling?

I understand traction control- limits rear wheel spin. Active Handling keeps you aszzz out of trouble on unsuspecting conditions, turns and the like.

So, when the DIC shows BOTH off, but competition mode isn't on, what is going on? What is happening with Competion mode on? Or, better asked, when Competition Mode is displayed, are BOTH A/H and T/C off? In Comp mode, SHOULD everything be off? There is also a skid symbol on the panel that lights when AH/TC off.

Who's on first, I dunno on 2nd.......etc. Somewhat confused.

 

I just listen to what they say and do what i want.My mechanic at the dealership who works on my car is the only one i listen to he knows what he is talking about.I liked the older vettes then you did not have so many goodies in the engine to work on and all the things inside the car either.

 

I would never light the tires up with Traction Control on I don't think that could be good for the system...I did it once by accident and felt like some serious wheel hop

I leave my TC and AH on all the time unless I am going to race