When you turn the dial to track mode, if you don't double press the button to select one of the 5 ptm options, what mode does it put you in? Is it one of the 5 (wet, dry, s1,s2, or race) or is it a 6th track mode with different tc, esc, etc settings than the other 5?

I also noticed that my display says the tc is off once it select one of the 5 ptm modes, but I know it's still on. Does it show tc off because ptm is on? In other words is it saying Normal tc is off, but ptm is on? It's a little unnerving on the track (just started HPDE courses/ track days) not knowing exactly what mode your in as once you select one of the 5, there isn't anything on the display to show you what mode you're in and it just says tc off 🫤. Unless I'm missing something.

Thanks in advance.

 

The 5 PTM options are separate from track mode. There's track mode, then there's PTM which is access through track mode when equipped with MRC. If you don't double press the button to enter PTM, you are not using a PTM mode.

This is explained in your owner's manual.

It's also been discussed on CF, these two posts might help a little:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ally-work.html
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...rack-mode.html

 

Thank you for the links. I tried using the search function, but I must not be using it correctly as I did not find these discussions.

 

Yeah, these days it's faster to use google to search forums rather than a forum's own search function it seems.

 

For the track, select PTM Sport1 and have a blast. Regular Track mode is too invasive on the track (nannies too aggressive).

 

Sport 1 gets you throttle dampening, competition style stability control and ptm while tc is turned off. ptm really isn't traction control it is more like grip control and involves the engine, the suspension, the stability control system and the eLSD. The idea is to keep the power level down to the grip the tires are providing while the eLSD directs power to the rear tire that has the most grip. Sport 2 gets you throttle dampening and PTM while Race gets you PTM.

Bill

 

I once went a step further than just Track - Race and held the button down a few seconds to turn absolutely everything off. Never again. Unbridled 755hp is something to behold.... ONCE. I would not recommend it in a tight turn toward track out at the track.

 

Thank you for all the information. A lot to learn/test out.

 

Putting the car in Track (drive mode) changes how the steering, suspension, dual mode exhaust and throttle response operate. You then have the option to turn the T/C off by pressing the button once. Stabilitrak will still be on at this point. Then as said by others, especially Bill since he races his C7Z a fair amount. When you hit the T/C button twice while in Track mode it allows you to access the PTM mode menu which then allows you dial in just how much of the T/C and Stabilitrak nannies you desire for the level of experience and track conditions you are on.

While in Sport mode you can also go into Competition mode by pressing the T/C button twice, this just allows you to use the Launch Control mode.

 

One thing I do with students who haven't played around with track mode is to have them put the car into Track/Wet on a dry track for a couple of laps. This lets them experience what PTM actually does though TC is also active in this mode. You can really feel and hear it exiting turns. Once they understand what it feels and sounds like I have them run in Track/Sport 1 which is what the New Owner's school recommended for most HPDE drivers including experienced drivers.

Bill

 

A driving modes Q for the group.

Just back from my first full 2-day HPDE at Summit Point (Main) with my c7 base (no z51 w/MRC). Started off in sport mode which wasn't great but probably a good enough place to start when it was just my third session ever on a track and first time on that track. Next session upped it to track mode leaving in automatic. (my '14 is the A6 before they put in the A8). Not great to drive that way actually as it seemed too keen to upshift forcing me to make it kick down just at corner entry which made the throttle progressing jerky. Third session put it in track and manual and had a ball - throttle progression way smoother, no inopportune kickdowns, and could run third gear on out before an upshift. I did play mostly in 3rd but would use 2nd for two super slow corners and 4th for the longest straight. 4th session to keep me focused on making my line, my instructor just had me run it all in 3rd.

We noticed then something that I wonder if it could be solved by moving from track mode to competition mode (again, no z51 so not PTM options, just competition sub menu and that's it). After the long straight you brake hard for turn 1 and then get on to throttle as you enter and progress up and up on the increasing radius out of it. My instructor would keep harping on me "more throttle, come on more throttle" - to keep the back end planted and not lose a lot of pace. 80% of the way through the turn, suddenly the throttle would come rushing back up - like I'd stabbed the pedal. We talked it through and even had me announce my progression on the pedal through the turn and realized I was throttling up progressively BUT we think traction control (which is still on when in "plain" Tr mode) was cutting the throttle until the car was out of the turn (steering input sensor?). We drove day 2 leaving the settings as they were and just kept that throttle oddity in mind (fine from my view since I've got plenty else to work on before tacking TC off and relying just on Stabilitrak and ABS - both still on in the base model even in Comp mode).

Does this guess seem to make sense to others with more experience that TC is cutting throttle based on speed + steering input coming out of the sharp turn 1? Would stepping up - if ready - to Competition mode next HPDE likely solve that?

 

Yea. As someone above said, the nannies are very intrusive in everything but race mode.

But also you probably could have used more throttle ;-)

 

I doubt it was traction control. It more than likely was stability control cutting the throttle. Stability control is triggered by a combination of steering angle, lateral Gs and yaw rate. If a car is understeering in a turn stability control will apply the inside rear brake and may reduce the throttle to help yaw the car back toward the direction the driver is trying to go which is determined by where the steering wheel is turned. If a car is oversteering in a turn stability control will apply an outside front brake and may reduce throttle to help yaw the car back toward the direction the driver is trying to go. In those situations, the driver may feel intermittent brake applications at the front or rear of the car. If the driver has lifted off the throttle there will only be the brake pulses, however, if the driver doesn't lift off the throttle there will be some throttle reduction to help control the car. Throttle reduction works faster than brake application. When the car is doing these things it is clear evidence the driver has made a mistake so that can be a teaching moment.

What you may have had happen was the system was working to keep the car on a line you told it you wanted to follow by turning the steering wheel. If this was happening, unwinding the steering could reduce the interference in both cases but that might not have been possible in all situations. Not increasing the throttle until later in the exit when the steering angle was less may have worked as well. Sport 1 you would have had a competitive mode stability control, PTM and throttle dampening (which affects how fast the throttle opens and CLOSES. In Sport 2 you would have had PTM and throttle dampening and in Race you would have had PTM.

The nannies aren't all that intrusive in Sport 1 or Sport 2 and are almost nonexistent in Race. When the car is in Competition Mode Vs regular stability control the system shuts down traction control and opens the deadband slightly providing the driver more freedom to do more things with the car.

I haven't instructed in a car with the A6 but I have instructed people driving A8s and I can say if you aren't using the throttle hard shifting becomes sloppy. However, drivers who aggressively use the throttle are rewarded with a transmission that wakes up and seems to shift much more intuitively. You do have to tell it you are serious or it will treat you as if you aren't serious.


Bill