does ASR have any positive or negative impact on performance?
 

hey fellow vette owners

i have been wondering if turning off the ASR will have any positive or negative impact on my performance when stepping on it.

i have noticed here and there it kicks in when i turn from a stand still and it pushes the pedal up a bit, i am not evening going fast and it kicks in sometimes.

have any of you turned it off and noticed better or worse performance?

1994 corvette automatic

Sounds like it's doing its job in preventing wheel spin.

yes but i wasn't even stepping on the pedal hard when it did it.


would turning it off make more power go to the wheels instead of removing some to "stop" the wheels from spinning?

Yes but just perhaps, you are not aware of the amount of torque you have available. What shape are your tires in?
Stomping on it when turning a corner on the street is not recommended until you've had some seat time in the car. To me, it sounds like the ASR is keeping you from spinning out.:thumbs:

not sure as i don't drive it much but they look like they still got some nice thread to them, maybe 60-70 percent or so. i will check later but i don't care as i will be swapping them out soon.

maybe i should drive it without it for a bit and don't ride it too hard until i get a feel of it without ASR.

btw does goodyear make good tires for the vette? i get 45 percent off so i am wondering if they are good for corvettes

Keep in mind that the age of the tire is important. Just because there is a good "amount" of tread left does not mean the tires still have the "grip" that they had when new. Tires get hard and to a degree, slick as they age.

In answer to your other question I run Goodyear GS-D3 in 275x40x17 on all 4 corners. They are an expensive tire but I like them as they are great in the rain and I have to drive a lot in the rain.

true, they aren't too old but it has sat for bit other than the pre owner driving it here and there.

do front and rear tires need to be different sizes as they are now or can i put same size tires on it for all 4?

i don't drive a lot and it doesn't rain in so cal lol so i am good, plus i have my SUV if it does rain hard. i do mostly freeway driving as i take it and from work sometimes.

Then let me say this: KEEP your ASR "ON" all the time.
It will not impact your performance on the street and it may very well save your life and the lives of others.
It is very easy to spin out a C4 corvette and if you do not know to take your foot off the gas instantly if the car starts to slide ...... it is all to easy to over correct your steering and spin completely around.

In all seriousness you need to have seat time and learn to drive the car before you try powering around a corner.:cheers:

oh i have been careful with it but i think it might be too sensitive, i used to power slide with a nis 240 around corners without pressing the brakes without a hiccup. yes i know a C4 is more raw than a 240 but i won't push it unless i am comfortable with it and the roads.

i don't wanna wreck it, i will keep it on for now till i get new tires.

btw my rear tires are 285/40 ZR17 and my front are 255/45 ZR 17 continentals, do they have to be the same size for both or can i put 285s on all 4?

If you have the stock rims then they should be 8.5" wide in front and 9.5" in back. The staggered fitment would be the factory OEM sizes. If you're thinking you'd be able to rotate the tires if they're all the same size, you really can't due to the different rim widths. The Z51 cars had 9.5" on all four and would have had 275/40/17 tires on all. Check the date codes on your tires, Continentals are very good and they're one of the very few where you can still get the 285 width. If they're less than five or six years old you should be good on them. If you're insistent on replacing them with Goodyears you're likely going to have to go with a 275 width on the back.

And re: the ASR, I find mine to be way too sensitive. As you stated, mine will kick the pedal back at the very slightest hint of wheel spin, a couple times I've found it to be dangerous as I was pulling out in traffic and it killed my power. Yes, I think you can push through it but natural instinct is to not do that. I run Michelin Pilot Sports on the back so traction is quite good, I'm in the habit of turning the ASR off every time I start the car.

You should keep ASR turned on ALL THE TIME. The Corvette has serious over steer turned off. If you want to experiment , do it in an open area with nothing else around.Go to you tube if you want to see the accidents when people turned off ASR .Many new cars don't let you turn off this feature.

Keep in mind this is 90s technology at best, probably with a good amount of development in the 80s. The ASR is extremely sensitive to wheel spin and will kick in if it detects any.

Later cars have more advanced versions of ASR (or equivalent traction control) that can adjust how sensitive they are. I don't know about the C5 and up, but I know the S197 Mustangs will let you practically do a burn out with TCS (Ford's version of ASR) on, as long as their isn't any swaying side to side to indicate loss of control.

On the street I'd leave it on.When I was younger I figured I could outdrive my car and always turned the traction control off when I got in my car. I did something stupid and ended up turned around on a one way street downtown. That scared me straight real quick, and as long as I'm on public streets it stays on. If you can find a big empty parking lot, turn it off and see what it can do, but be careful. These were some of the fastest cars in the 90s, and they aren't slow even by todays standards.

If you don't know what you are doing, or are careless, it can get away from you quickly.

These cars may not do exactly what you want it to do in the moment, but they will do exactly what you tell the car to do, intentional or otherwise.

ASR is unique to the LT engines. It does what it supposed to, but I don't like it. I prefer the " Northstar System" traction control. Driver still controls the throttle , PCM will reduce power and engage ABS if necessary.

:iagree: When it activates, yes, it's "limiting performance" for an experienced driver. But when you're taking a corner and stepping on it....that's not what I'd call "performance driving" and who cares if it buzzes for a second and limits power there? Doesn't really matter in that circumstance, IMO. If it bothers you, turn it off.

Now when you get to a track (Drag/auto-x/Road course), turn it off or your times/performance will suffer. :yesnod:



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I only turned mine off while auto crossing. In that type of driving, yes it did have an effect. I usually left it on all other times.

I've noticed that the ASR in my car occasionally turns on at low speeds in first gear when turning from a stop sign and at 1/8 to 1/4 throttle, if that answers your question. It's really easy to turn off, but there's really no need to if you're not driving like an asshole, 99% of the time.

even though the car is 25 years old and a little slow compared to newer sport cars its still to much car for most if not all the owners and most owners don't have the skill the see the car to its highest performance capabilities so in other word keep the ASR on

Another nod of agreement here. It's not a very good system - very rudimentary and way too invasive. It's a heartbreaker for any kind of competitive driving, and it's not even very good for the street IMO. I always turn it off. If one of my kids ever drives my car, I might make them leave it on. But I'm also in a 396 with a light flywheel - a lot more punch than stock.


Bwaahaahaa! Silliness. The C4 is one of the best cars for effectively putting down power that I've ever driven, even (especially) coming out of corners. Again, my car is very close to twice the power of a stock L98 and it's a total pussycat. There is no need for chicken-little warnings here.

I totally :iagree: That is being alarmist. People were somehow, able to drive before nannies...they can (if they keep their brains turned on) continue to successfully do so. :yesnod:

It is a rudimentary system. I have all the SAE papers describing its function. But in street driving, leave it on.

If you are racing, turn it off and learn to manage the throttle. Once you've had enough seat time, then leave it off in non-weather situations on good tires.