Wrapped my beautiful C5 around a tree
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 2
From: Ramona CA
Wrapped my beautiful C5 around a tree
Actually I ran it up a tree. For a couple of months my ABS, Active handling , TC and ABS lights have been on. I've tried to find the problem and couldn't. I was accelerating up a steep long hill, after shifting to second the car started fish tailing radically. I really didn't get on it. I over corrected, went up over the curb, took the bark of one tree and went head on into another and stopped with air bags deployed. I ended up with the car 3 feet into the air in the tree and the tree knocked over.
By the grace of God I walked away unhurt. This car has fish tailed on me a few times with the TC, AH lights on. Take it from me it is very , very dangerous to drive around in these cars with TC and AH not working. The computer should really force the car into limp mode.
By the grace of God I walked away unhurt. This car has fish tailed on me a few times with the TC, AH lights on. Take it from me it is very , very dangerous to drive around in these cars with TC and AH not working. The computer should really force the car into limp mode.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,995
Likes: 61
From: Fort Wayne IN
Sorry to hear about your misfortune and am glad noone was injured - that's the important thing; however, if you were driving this car normally and not getting on it then I'd say something broke on this car. I mean shifting normally into second going up a hill should not have caused your car to start fishtailing. $.02 deposited...
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 11,060
Likes: 291
From: Pasco WA
Sorry for your loss, and happy you're OK, but....there's no way the car would lose control just because of the AH/TC being disabled. You have to be well into the throttle to lose traction in the first place. Unless you are experiencing a Toyota-like unintended acceleration, I think driver error has to be a factor.
Resident moron
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 4,746
Likes: 20
From: Assachusetts
So I'm a little confused by your post.
Are you saying that the AH/TC was faulty/broken and caused the car to start fishtailing and eventually lose control? You seem to imply this when you say that you "really didn't get on it".
Or are you saying that driving such a fast car without any AH/TC safety net is dangerous?
Regardless, was it raining or something? Or did something break causing the car to lose control? Seems hard to believe that you could lose control so easily unless there was some sort of outside factor involved.
Dope
Are you saying that the AH/TC was faulty/broken and caused the car to start fishtailing and eventually lose control? You seem to imply this when you say that you "really didn't get on it".
Or are you saying that driving such a fast car without any AH/TC safety net is dangerous?
Regardless, was it raining or something? Or did something break causing the car to lose control? Seems hard to believe that you could lose control so easily unless there was some sort of outside factor involved.
Dope
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Walking away is better than not. The lessons learned here is that if something for the safety of the car/driver/passenger isn't working correctly, it needs to be addressed immediately and thoroughly. Glad you are safe.
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From: Here
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I have heard of the sensor coming loose on some cars causing the TC/AH to cause issues and in some cases cause accidents
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Dyer, IN
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2010
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I feel your pain. I remember when my tubbed 64 chevy c10 turned into boat when I hit water coming up on the side of a flooding road one night. I ended up with a guide wire from a telephone pole between the bed and cab most of the truck quite a few feet in the the air.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 2
From: Ramona CA
I have to agree with most of you.
Hey my bad, I admit it. I did something wrong to cause this. This is why they have TC and AH to compensate for idiots like me. My TC, ABS and AH had been broke for about 3 months. Being smarter I should have gotten it fixed.
It's a steep 1/3 mile hill. I was hard accelerating. I was about half way into the pedal. It wasn't WOT and I wasn't babying it up the hill. When I shifted to 2nd was when it broke loose and fish tailed radically. Yes, after that I lost control and over corrected. The car must have had some real TQ to the rear wheels. I believe when TC is off or out of order you'er basically in posi-traction. It doesn't take much on any kind of uneven camber, uneven road for only a brief period to have car go wild in posi-traction.
Hey my bad, I admit it. I did something wrong to cause this. This is why they have TC and AH to compensate for idiots like me. My TC, ABS and AH had been broke for about 3 months. Being smarter I should have gotten it fixed.
It's a steep 1/3 mile hill. I was hard accelerating. I was about half way into the pedal. It wasn't WOT and I wasn't babying it up the hill. When I shifted to 2nd was when it broke loose and fish tailed radically. Yes, after that I lost control and over corrected. The car must have had some real TQ to the rear wheels. I believe when TC is off or out of order you'er basically in posi-traction. It doesn't take much on any kind of uneven camber, uneven road for only a brief period to have car go wild in posi-traction.
☠☣☢ Semper Ebrius ☢☣☠
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 83,301
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From: Virginia
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St. Jude's Donor '06
Good to hear that you came out of it reasonably okay. Sorry to hear about your car, though. 
I can't agree with this:
"Take it from me it is very , very dangerous to drive around in these cars with TC and AH not working. The computer should really force the car into limp mode."
My GTO is even more tail-out-happy than the C5 and I haven't had any problems on its skinnier, less-sticky tires without AH or TC. (It has TC only, but I disable it). But maybe it's just that I drive like an old asian woman.
I can't agree with this:
"Take it from me it is very , very dangerous to drive around in these cars with TC and AH not working. The computer should really force the car into limp mode."
My GTO is even more tail-out-happy than the C5 and I haven't had any problems on its skinnier, less-sticky tires without AH or TC. (It has TC only, but I disable it). But maybe it's just that I drive like an old asian woman.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,473
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From: Dyer, IN
I have to agree with most of you.
Hey my bad, I admit it. I did something wrong to cause this. This is why they have TC and AH to compensate for idiots like me. My TC, ABS and AH had been broke for about 3 months. Being smarter I should have gotten it fixed.
It's a steep 1/3 mile hill. I was hard accelerating. I was about half way into the pedal. It wasn't WOT and I wasn't babying it up the hill. When I shifted to 2nd was when it broke loose and fish tailed radically. Yes, after that I lost control and over corrected. The car must have had some real TQ to the rear wheels. I believe when TC is off or out of order you'er basically in posi-traction. It doesn't take much on any kind of uneven camber, uneven road for only a brief period to have car go wild in posi-traction.
Hey my bad, I admit it. I did something wrong to cause this. This is why they have TC and AH to compensate for idiots like me. My TC, ABS and AH had been broke for about 3 months. Being smarter I should have gotten it fixed.
It's a steep 1/3 mile hill. I was hard accelerating. I was about half way into the pedal. It wasn't WOT and I wasn't babying it up the hill. When I shifted to 2nd was when it broke loose and fish tailed radically. Yes, after that I lost control and over corrected. The car must have had some real TQ to the rear wheels. I believe when TC is off or out of order you'er basically in posi-traction. It doesn't take much on any kind of uneven camber, uneven road for only a brief period to have car go wild in posi-traction.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,093
Likes: 33
From: Morristown TN
when I wrecked mine right as i stepped on it the traction control error message came on.
It had done it a couple other times that day and I was going to fix it after the cruise.
I found out later the wire to the switch was loose which was what I was almost sure was wrong because I had had it apart earlier that day.
The TC can and will save your a$$ a long as it is in working condition.
I will never drive it again with problems unless it is a very short trip and I keep reminding myself to keep my foot off the gas.
It had done it a couple other times that day and I was going to fix it after the cruise.
I found out later the wire to the switch was loose which was what I was almost sure was wrong because I had had it apart earlier that day.
The TC can and will save your a$$ a long as it is in working condition.
I will never drive it again with problems unless it is a very short trip and I keep reminding myself to keep my foot off the gas.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 2
From: Ramona CA
Bill McDonald - this was in Ramona CA on Vista Ramona Rd. He's right, its a slightly curved road, various uneven camber. I originally started heading toward the oncoming lane where there is an 80-100 ft. drop off. I corrected back to the curb side but went over the curb, popped tires, took the bark of one tree before smashing into the second. I'll never drive a Vette with TC and AH out of order again.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,734
Likes: 232
From: Youngstown Ohio
This quote is from a few posts up and not directed at the OP,
Thats just a pure funny line.
OP, glad you are ok sorry that your wrecked your car.
Well in the end you can replace the car and by the sounds of it you learded a bit too.
Darion
Thats just a pure funny line.
OP, glad you are ok sorry that your wrecked your car.
Well in the end you can replace the car and by the sounds of it you learded a bit too. Darion