i was driving down the street about 20mph in traffic and traction control started locking up the car. the dash read "active handline". it would not stop. it just kept locking the car down everytime i pressed the gas a little. i finally cut the car off and turned it back on and it was fine. but for how long? what could be the issue?

 

This happened to me once. Did the same thing and it never came back. It could be a loose connector. You wont be able to find the problem unless the car is actively messing up.

 

so taking it to dealer will yield no results???

 

Take it to the dealer and have them pull any codes. If they can not reproduce it with a test drive, have them install an in flight recorder. Keep it in the car until you get 4 recordings. it could take up to a month so, be patient.

 

Traction control was not "locking up" the car, it was your "active handline" (Handling ).
Does your car have a telescoping steering wheel? If so then the plug for the steering wheel position sensor probably needs to be replaced.

 

why would it be making the car do that? where is the plug located?

 

It is inside the steering column. Search for it.
Active Handling looks at the steering wheel position sensor to see where you want the car to go, then it looks at the Yaw Sensors (under your seat) to determine rotation and the ABS sensors (on each hub) to determine direction and wheel slip. If the numbers don't agree it can, very rarely, attempt to "correct" your course. It does that by selectively applying the brakes to one of more wheels.
The quick and easy fix is to turn it off untill the problem is solved, but the real solution is to get the plug replaced if you have a telescoping steering wheel. There is a service bulletin out there about it.


And before anyone says it can make you crash: if you drive with both your hands on the steering wheel active handling is NOT able to pull your car off the road, just like it can't save you if you take a turn way too fast for the road conditions; A/H modulates the brakes but has no authority over which way the wheels are pointing, and that is the real determining factor as to where you go unless your car is in a slide.

 

i know all of that, it wasnt making me go off the road but as i was trying to pull off the road it was very hard to go anywhere because the car would not move hardly.

 

Well, you asked

Next time just turn off Active Handling. My car did the same thing as yours when I got a flat on my passenger side front. I switched A/H OFF, drove to the gas station, pumped it up, turned A/H back on and it was fine untill I got the tire plugged and fixed it for good.

 

i was saying i know it wont make you go off the road....but i did turn a/h off. and it continued to lock the car down. i was having a hard time getting off to the side of the road

 

I don't mean to make a huge argument out of this I just want to make everyone here aware of this post I put together:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-t...er-action.html

Now I know you say the AH won't steer you off the road, but your caveat of "keep both hands on the wheel" is easier said then done. How many of us cruise at 70MPH with a firm grip at 10 and 2? I know I don't.

Also, if AH encounters a problem - a faulty sensor, incorrect yaw angles or whatever EVEN WHILE TURNED OFF HOLDING DOWN THE BUTTON..It WILL reengage itself.

This is what happened to me. I started my car, held down the button until the DIC read AH OFF and TC OFF. Drove around the corner...made a tight turn slow speed turn...I got a SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING message, AH engaged and began steering the car in the opposite direction while pulsating the brakes.

Another forum member merged onto the highway and after cruising straight for a bit (upwards of 55MPH) - the car's AH came on and engaged the front right caliper and tried to steer the car off the road. He luckily had both hands on the wheel and fought the car to a stop. Oh not to mention, he had switched his AH and TC OFF...

None of the people mentioned or myself have telescoping steering wheels.

As an engineer, let me ask you this. What sense does it make for a program developed to assist an out of control driver to engage when it detects the system is faulted and NOT that the driver has lost control?

The system says - "Oh, looks like I have a bad wheel sensor that is a vital element in determining how I apply AH to the car...since I don't have any good info I should immediately lock the system down so the driver can't turn off AH. Driving driving driving......."Oh whats this..It appear I have different wheel sensor speeds - ENGAGE AH, APPLY BRAKES, STEER 45 degrees to the right.."

All this and the driver is calming crusing down the freeway...

 

Same thing happened to me while I was making a u turn. Lucky for me no traffic was coming. The right front wheel brake locked up and forced me to the curb without any collision. I took the car to a dealership and they can't replicate the problem. I have a 05 without a tele steering wheel.

 

Mine did it once. 05 with telescopic, but it is never used since nobody else ever drives my car (wife has her own vette). I was leaving a friends house. My wife had driven my truck, so she was behind me when we left. About 1/4 mile from their house, for no reason, the right front brake locked up, then let go. I was only going about 25 mph but it was a very narrow road and I almost hit a mailbox. It did it again about 15 seconds later. My wife called and asked me what I was doing. I said "It's not me, it's the car. I'll call you back baby, I can't talk on the phone with the car doing this crap." It didn't do it again, and hasn't done it since that night. This was in January.

 

I thought it was 3 and 9?

 

I would take it to the dealer and have them look at it.

 

I always drive with both hands on the steering wheel -that is how I was taught how to drive-

It makes no sense at all, but that is now how mine behaved; when I got a flat the Active Handling message came up and I could feel it try to pull the car by pulsating the brakes; I had no problems whatsoever controlling it and it went away completely once I held the T/C button down for 5 seconds and turned it off...

 

Having your hands on the wheel and having a death grip are two very different ways to hold a wheel that without your knowing is about to turn 45 degrees to one direction.



This is my point, that is how it SHOULD work - so this means there is something wrong/faulty with many of our AH/ECBM. The DOT currently has an open investigation into this very matter, yet they only show 6 reported cases. I've received over 10 PMs from people that have the same problems - random AH engagement followed by SERVICE ACTIVE HANDLING and the inability to turn it off.

 

You guys that have had this issue.... I assume it has to do with the telescoping wheel??? If so do you guys use the exit option when getting in and out of the car? Where the wheel goes in and out every time you get in/out? Just wondering if it had something to do with moving it in and out a lot and it loosens the connections...

 

No, please read my post....3 of us that have been in contact with the Department of Transportation DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT have telescoping steering wheels.

 

Dude take it easy.... I didnt see that....