Oversize Wheels/Tires Set off Active Handling?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,545
Likes: 387
From: Fort Worth Texas
Oversize Wheels/Tires Set off Active Handling?
I have a 2006 coupe I just bought from a guy with 15k on it. He had just put a set of 19/20 wheels and tires on it. Every now and then, the service active handling light comes on, and when backing out of my driveway, I can hear a little noise. I'm wondering if they are rubbing on something. Thanks for any help...
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 109
Likes: 2
From: Annapolis Maryland
I had this happen to me also. You need to look at the front wheel overall diameter compared to the rears. If u run like a 335/30 rear and only a 245/40 in front, the diameters are too far from stock and computer will think there is wheel spin due to rolling speed diference. The most i got away with was a 325 rear and 245 front (stock aspect ratios) . Hope this helps. Maybe post ur tire sizes?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,545
Likes: 387
From: Fort Worth Texas
I had this happen to me also. You need to look at the front wheel overall diameter compared to the rears. If u run like a 335/30 rear and only a 245/40 in front, the diameters are too far from stock and computer will think there is wheel spin due to rolling speed diference. The most i got away with was a 325 rear and 245 front (stock aspect ratios) . Hope this helps. Maybe post ur tire sizes?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,422
Likes: 200
From: Wilkes-Barre Pa
The tire size may not be the problem. The wheel diameters are larger but since both the front and rear are pretty much equally larger you might be OK there.
http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp
http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 2,989
Likes: 10
From: Columbus OH
Oh wow, 295/35/20 is in the range of 28+ inch and the 255/40/19 is in the 27+ inch. They are all about an inch larger in diameter compared to the stock sizes. I can almost say that the active handling light is probably not caused by the oversized tires. However, the noise maybe from a rear tire rubbing its fender liner when the suspension is loaded diagonally. If the car was lowered, there would be more chance of this happening.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,826
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Active handling isn't affected by over size tires or changes where the rear diameter even goes smaller than the front diamter. Active Handling depends on the steering, yaw, lateral G and wheel speed sensors but doesn't care whether the front wheel is spinning slower than the rear.
Traction Control will be bothered quite a bit if the front to rear ratio isn't kept close enough. However, you will not get a service traction control message. TC will just activate and kill torque followed by applying the rear brakes. If TC activates in this way you can't even coast down hill in neutral as it can't reduce torque so will apply the rear brakes and bring the car to a stop. This is easy to try if you want to spend time swapping tires from front to rear.
Bill
Traction Control will be bothered quite a bit if the front to rear ratio isn't kept close enough. However, you will not get a service traction control message. TC will just activate and kill torque followed by applying the rear brakes. If TC activates in this way you can't even coast down hill in neutral as it can't reduce torque so will apply the rear brakes and bring the car to a stop. This is easy to try if you want to spend time swapping tires from front to rear.
Bill
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,826
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
The recall involved the wiring for the steering sensor which can cause a Service Active Handling message. However, there several other codes that can generate the same message and they have nothing to do with the steering sensor thus nothing to do with the recall. The only way to know which code generated the message is to have somebody read the codes with a Tech 2.
Bill
Bill
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
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From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
The recall involved the wiring for the steering sensor which can cause a Service Active Handling message. However, there several other codes that can generate the same message and they have nothing to do with the steering sensor thus nothing to do with the recall. The only way to know which code generated the message is to have somebody read the codes with a Tech 2.
Bill
Bill
Turn off AH/TC when you first start the car until you can get this serviced.
You lose those functions but the car can't intervene and do something dangerous to you.
