I plan to purchase one of these modules; however, I'm trying to learn more about their differences (besides price) to make the right decision. The purpose of this module is if you have it in comp mode, turn off engine and restart, then the system KEEPS you in the last traction control setting you selected. Has anyone installed either one of these? What's your preference and why? Thanks.

 

I work for the company (ATI) that makes the TracMem, so I'm really familliar with it.

Something to keep in mind is that all the various electronic modules in modern cars communicate with each other over a message bus. It's not like the good ol' days when a switch was a switch - nowadays, a switch is likely to send a message on the bus rather than just pull a signal line to ground or something easy like that.

So anyway, the TracMem listens to the message bus and watches for messages that tell the traction control system to change modes. If the message came from the driver's switch, the TracMem remembers the mode that the switch commanded. If anything else tries to set the mode to other that what the TracMem has in memory, the TracMem sets it back.

This includes engine start - start the car, and the TracMem commands the TCS system back into the mode it has in memory.

It's a simple 3-wire install, and then you forget it's there.

We've got two installed on our race cars, and they work great.

Full Disclosure - we have had problems with a couple of installs, where the unit works somewhat intermittantly. The two cars that are doing it are automatic transmissions with active handling. We tested an auto trans car (sucessfully) but we're still tracking down an active handling car to test. It may be that the unit will need a firmware update to play nicely with active handling, or it may be that it won't play nice with active handling at all - the troubleshooting process is still active on that.

We also don't know if the problem is auto trans + active handling, or just active handling all by its lonesome.

We intend to get the unit to work on all C5s (and it does on most) but we need to get the active handling issue sorted out. If you are in the Detroit area and have active handling, we'd love to have you drop by the shop so we can look at the bus traffic.

If you have a non-active-handling car, it should work just fine.

Thanks for your interest!

DG

 

I have the Lap Trax in my 2004 C5 Coupe. I installed it so that when I was at the races I would not have to think about putting my traction Control in a passive mode. My thinking was, "one less thing to worry about in the staging lanes."

I have been dissapointed. First it does not always work so I still have to watch it at the line. Just before 2 of my last 4 runs at the track it did not work. Also the last time I disconnected the battery it threw codes that forced my my car into reduced power mode the first time I started the car. It also would not let me change modes at all until I shut the car off and restarted it. I don't know why.

I am seriously considering removing it. Also be aware it does not save the last mode you were in, you must program it for a default mode and you must manualy reset the message on the DIC after it enters that mode, yes, every time you start the car. They do make a deluxe model that resets the DIC after 5 seconds though.

I would not buy a Lap Trax again and my opinion is "DON'T BUY ONE." Try the TracMem, maybe it works better.

 

Does the DIC display the new state after the TracMem chages modes? If so does the TracMem reset the message on the DIC after it changes modes?

 

http://www.accuratetechnologies.com/...aspx?tabid=339

New tech web page on the TracMem.

The TracMem mimics the driver's switch, so yes, the dash display will reflect the changed TCS mode. No guessing as to which mode it is in.

DG

 

I have the F55 suspension and MN6 transmission. Will the TracMem work with my setup or should I wait till a newer release is completed?

 

I don't know - not yet. Are those option codes for automatic and Active Handling? I don't have them all memorized yet.

We developed the TracMem on a couple of different Z06 cars (a 2002 and a 2004) and then tried it out on a smattering of other C5s, mostly Z06s.

We sold a bunch, and then got reports of 2 cars acting strangely. Both were automatics. We tested an automatic and that worked OK, and then it came out that both of the oddballs were Active Handling cars.

We're in the middle of arranging a TracMem to go into another auto-AH car, and if that is wonky, we'll arrange to get the design engineer and the wonky car to the same place and see what is going on. We'll have a look at the bus traffic, and see what makes an AH car different from a non-AH car from the TracMem's perspective.

Maybe the AH cars have an extra mode switch that the TracMem doesn't recognise as being a TCS message and so things get out of synch. Maybe sometimes the AH and the TracMem play tug-of-war over the TCS mode... at this point we don't know.

We *DO* have the ability to find out, and then depending on what we learn there, we'll either fix the problem (preferred) or decertify the TracMem for AH cars (and return the money for those two who bought units that won't work for them)

At this point, the delay is pure logistics - getting the TracMem into the AH car we have found, and then getting the engineer to the car if it is wonky too.

If you are near the Detroit area and want to add a data point to any particular combination of options, I'm sure we can arrange something.

DG