Pain in the rear traction control

[NoVaGT]

It's sad that now even Mustang drivers like to rely on their Advancetrac, rather than their driving skill. These cars are so balanced and planted to the road, all Advancetrac does is upset the balance by doing stupid shit for you when you don't want it to.

Some friends and I were canyon running last year, I was in my 2012 BPP GT and I forgot to turn the Advancetrac off. The car bucked and heaved, the brakes were smoking, it was a complete joke. Everyone took off and I was stuck trying to find a place to pull over and shut the damn nannies off.

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[hotrod33647]

Put it in track mode.
Honestly, unless you driving like an idiot on the road most of the time the system doesn't interfere too much.
You must be one of these "I don't wear seat belt because in a crash I wanna be able to get out" people.

LOL when one is in a hurry, one gets in and goes forgetting about the process. Ofcourse that's when one tries you and you realize that the gas hesitation can be a pain.

 

[jasonstang]

Just going on personal observation. I went through 3 sets of rear brakes in 40k miles on my 2012 GT BPP car because of that stupid system. Yes, I do drive aggressively, take turns (in my mind) like Kimi Raikkonen, brake late, and generally hoon it when safe.

Shutting all that stupid crap off not only lets the car handle naturally, it saves your brakes.

I highly doubt your rear brake pads wearing fast is because of the electronics.
They only apply momentarily. Wayyyyyy shorter duration comparing to normal braking.

 

[jasonstang]

It's sad that now even Mustang drivers like to rely on their Advancetrac, rather than their driving skill. These cars are so balanced and planted to the road, all Advancetrac does is upset the balance by doing stupid shit for you when you don't want it to.

Some friends and I were canyon running last year, I was in my 2012 BPP GT and I forgot to turn the Advancetrac off. The car bucked and heaved, the brakes were smoking, it was a complete joke. Everyone took off and I was stuck trying to find a place to pull over and shut the damn nannies off.

Maybe you need to learn to drive if your car is bucking and heaving.
I have done track days with all electronics turned on, they rarely interfere when you know how to drive fast without jerking the steering wheel and stabbing on the gas pedal.
You should keep the system on because you never know when it will keep you from spinning out and going down the mountain.

 

[NoVaGT]

I highly doubt your rear brake pads wearing fast is because of the electronics.
They only apply momentarily. Wayyyyyy shorter duration comparing to normal braking.

Well, since I went through 3 sets of rear brakes and only one set of front brakes, I'm going with the assumption the Advancetrac was the culprit.

Keeping in mind rear brakes usually last 2-4 times as long as the front brakes.

 

[jasonstang]

Well, since I went through 3 sets of rear brakes and only one set of front brakes, I'm going with the assumption the Advancetrac was the culprit.

Keeping in mind rear brakes usually last 2-4 times as long as the front brakes.

Depends on the set up and material they use.

 

[NoVaGT]

Maybe you need to learn to drive if your car is bucking and heaving.
I have done track days with all electronics turned on, they rarely interfere when you know how to drive fast.

If the Advancetrac isn't off, and it's not interfering on the track, you're not pushing it hard. My 2012 car was bucking and heaving because of the actions of the Advancetrac. I thought I made that clear.

You owned a 2012 BPP car?

 

[NoVaGT]

Depends on the set up and material they use.

A car should never go through brakes in a 3 to 1 rear to front ratio. That is the Advacetrac eating the rear brakes, plain and simple.

Really, this is pretty damned obvious.

 

[jasonstang]

Wat? What are you talking about? A car should never go through brakes in a 3 to 1 rear to front ratio. That is the Advacetrac eating the rear brakes, plain and simple.

Really, this is pretty damned obvious.

Rear brake pads are much thinner to begin with.

 

[jasonstang]

If the Advancetrac isn't off, and it's not interfering on the track, you're not pushing it hard.

You owned a 2012 BPP car?

If you are smooth enough, it will not interfering. High performance driving is all about being smooth.
Pushing hard does not mean jab on the gas pedal mid turn. It will just make the car understeer.
I think what you are experiencing was probably a combination of solid rear axle and a worn out LSD. The traction control is braking the inner wheel all the time keeping it from spinning out of control mid corner when you apply too much gas.

 

[NoVaGT]

If you are smooth enough, it will not interfering. High performance driving is all about being smooth.
Pushing hard does not mean jab on the gas pedal mid turn. It will just make the car understeer.
I think what you are experiencing was probably a combination of solid rear axle and a worn out LSD. The traction control is braking the inner wheel all the time keeping it from spinning out of control mid corner when you apply too much gas.

Yes, I understand about driving.

And to add further questions to the mix, after the 1st set of rear brakes I started turning the Advancetrac all the way off all the time. So I'm of the opinion that there may have been an unknown issue with the Advacetrac (there were never any failure dash lights), brake bias, maybe the LSD, or some weird combination of those things.

I also went through rear tires awfully fast, even though I never did burnouts. I bought it new and sold it with about 40k on the clock.

I was glad to get rid of that car. I was pretty certain that something was wrong somewhere that was causing those issues. Plus the fact the car was hit 8 times, the damned thing was just possessed.

The difference to my new '16 PP car is night and day. Really, there's no need for the Advancetrac with these cars. The rear end is so planted, so stable. I've slid the rear out just a bit here and there, and it's easily catchable and benign. None of the snatch and grab and upsetting of the handling like with my 2012 car.

 

[Norm Peterson]

. . . they rarely interfere when you know how to drive fast without jerking the steering wheel and stabbing on the gas pedal.

A really subtle system may be intervening more often that what you're aware of. I don't know if the S550's version of AdvanceTrak is that good or not, but if it is, it will gradually teach you to "get away with" using more throttle and getting into it more quickly than you should. I simply can't make that sound like a good thing if you're the least bit interested in becoming a skilled driver.

A not-so-subtle system may noticeably intervene during slightly enthusiastic street driving, and I don't mean 9/10ths level stuff that belongs only on the track either. The end result is generally benign, but it's still a significant distraction (what the hell just happened? Is the engine OK?), and the result is still a deviation from what you were trying to do (which you may very well know was within both the car's limits and your own). Been there.

You should keep the system on because you never know when it will keep you from spinning out and going down the mountain.

This still implies a degree of reliance on the electronics over the traditional notion of "driving for and within conditions". That attitude has as its basis the assumption that you will drive too far beyond your skill set from time to time, that you don't have the discipline to always drive within your limits, and that you shouldn't even be interested in developing that discipline.


Norm

 

[NoVaGT]

A really subtle system may be intervening more often that what you're aware of. I don't know if the S550's version of AdvanceTrak is that good or not, but if it is, it will teach you to "get away with" using more throttle or getting into it more quickly than you should.

A not-so-subtle system may noticeably intervene during slightly enthusiastic street driving, and I don't mean 9/10ths level stuff that belongs only on the track either. The end result is generally benign, but it's still a distraction, and the result is still a deviation from what you were trying to do (which you may very well know was within both the car's limits and your own). Been there.

I am of the same opinion; I believe (at least on my 2012 car) that the interference/activation of the Advancetrac was mostly very subtle. I'd say that unless you were really hooning it, you wouldn't notice it. But it was still working away and eating my rear brakes.

This still implies a degree of reliance on the electronics over the traditional notion of "driving for and within conditions". That attitude has as its basis the assumption that you will drive too far beyond your skill set from time to time, that you don't have the discipline to always drive within your limits, and that you shouldn't even be interested in developing it.

I'm of the considered opinion that such electronic nannies get in the way of learning you and your car's abilities. And of course you also won't increase or improve your own abilities as a driver. If you never exceed your vehicle's mechanical grip limit, you don't know what that limit is or how to operate past it.

Whether in the dry, the wet, or on snow and ice, good drivers like to handle things for themselves. Those electronic nannies just mask poor performance and abilities.

 

[sonicc]

I was wondering if the traction control be can be overiden. I like driving the car with no nannies but notice that the car reverts back every time I turn the car off. Is there a way to over ride the default system. Thanks

but....why...?

do you live your life 1/4 mile at a time wherever you go?

 

[shelbydave]

I turn off AdvanceTrac every single time I get into my car.. If she spins the tires, let em' spin freely I say, makes things more interesting... Especially in the rain.

How are you turning the advance track off ??

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