Traction Control Woes

Sanctus

Sanctus

Member
May 17, 2005
146
2
19
Trabuco Canyon
#1
Well i have had my gt for about 3 weeks now and i have not turned the traction control off at all. i figure thats just a quicker way for me to turn sideways on some streetcorner. But my question is what really are the pro's and cons of this feature. (i dont want to answer this question behind the wheel if you see what im saying). Being 16 and having 0 experiance with high-er horsepower cars i just wanna take it slow and not do anything dumb. but is there any reason to take it off besides for a burnout or at the track or something. This thing is only getting street use so i doubt ill turn it off. just the button looks soo scary for a 16 year old to press... so it stays unpressed. haha so if you guys could give me some adivce/ experiance on what/when/how to drive the car with it on/off id appreciate it. im sure you guys have some stories or something to share

--Sy
 

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#2
Sanctus said:
Well i have had my gt for about 3 weeks now and i have not turned the traction control off at all. i figure thats just a quicker way for me to turn sideways on some streetcorner. But my question is what really are the pro's and cons of this feature. (i dont want to answer this question behind the wheel if you see what im saying). Being 16 and having 0 experiance with high-er horsepower cars i just wanna take it slow and not do anything dumb. but is there any reason to take it off besides for a burnout or at the track or something. This thing is only getting street use so i doubt ill turn it off. just the button looks soo scary for a 16 year old to press... so it stays unpressed. haha so if you guys could give me some adivce/ experiance on what/when/how to drive the car with it on/off id appreciate it. im sure you guys have some stories or something to share

--Sy
Click to expand...

You've probably heard this all before but it's worth mentioning again.
Coming from someone who wrecked his fathers benz at 17 keep all your stupid thoughts in your head where they belong and the traction control on.
Don't street race you have nothing to prove. If you wan't to drive fast go karting. Don't throw it all away we've all seen the pics of dead kids street racing. Enjoy your GT
 
#3
For everyday street use, the only time I ever turn my traction-control off is when I am going up a hill with snow or ice on it. That way my wheels will spin freely and I can find some traction. With the traction-control on I just stay in one place and can’t make it up the hill, but then I turn it right back on.
 
#5
Being from somewhere that has Icy conditions most of the Year the traction control works rather well. I am used to losing the Rear end of rear wheel drive vehicals and was very curious to how the traction control would react. It lets a small amount of wheel spin around a corner before it catches you. Leave it on
 
#6
I had a bad experience with a much less powerfull 04 V6 one fine morning. I had 3.73's and a limited slip installed and about a month later its early and raining and I wanted to roast the tires (mistake #1) so I turn off and before I head off to work I enjoyed a streetfull of smoke. I am just about to work when I have to make a left hand turn on an arrow except the arrow will be red soon so I throttle up (mistake #2) at the apex of my turn I throttle some more (3rd and final mistake)....360 degrees and a rather large curb/sidewalk later I realized I forgot to turn it back on. Lesson learned.
 
#7
MATRIX4.6 said:
I had a bad experience with a much less powerfull 04 V6 one fine morning. I had 3.73's and a limited slip installed and about a month later its early and raining and I wanted to roast the tires (mistake #1) so I turn off and before I head off to work I enjoyed a streetfull of smoke. I am just about to work when I have to make a left hand turn on an arrow except the arrow will be red soon so I throttle up (mistake #2) at the apex of my turn I throttle some more (3rd and final mistake)....360 degrees and a rather large curb/sidewalk later I realized I forgot to turn it back on. Lesson learned.
Click to expand...

yeah just outta curiosity how much was the damage to the car? and how much did it cost?


but anyways guys i appreciate the advice and i think maby when i turn 25 and my insurance drops then maby i can get the chance to turn it off but being 16 really limits your ability to play with things like that. but its probably for the best. Actually im sure of it.

--Sy
 
#9
It's all relative, it's all about knowing the limits of your car. Traction control just allows you to be going even faster before your car leaves the road. I suggest your parents invest some of the money they used to buy you that nice fast car in driving lessions (on a track). My first car (bought with my own money) was an old Mopar vert with bald tires and drum brakes all the way around--no seatbelts, no headrests, no ABS, traction control, air bags, yada yada. Somehow I lived.
 
#10
66Satellite said:
It's all relative, it's all about knowing the limits of your car. Traction control just allows you to be going even faster before your car leaves the road. I suggest your parents invest some of the money they used to buy you that nice fast car in driving lessions (on a track). My first car (bought with my own money) was an old Mopar vert with bald tires and drum brakes all the way around--no seatbelts, no headrests, no ABS, traction control, air bags, yada yada. Somehow I lived.
Click to expand...

well i know you think we are filthy rich but thats not the case unfortunatly. my grandmother retired from ford aerospace and we are able to use the Z plan pricing for our cars. we needed a car for me and my grandmother probably isnt going to live a whole lot longer, so we needed to buy something. and my parents are concerned with saftey so they wouldnt let me get a focus. so it was either an f150, or the mustang. and i know we could have baught the base v6, but i had worked a few jobs with law firms and IT companies and raised a few thousand dollars that i put towards the gt. so if driving lessons were possible that would be great, its just not in the finances right now... haha plus this car really wasnt that expensive to begin with... i mean when you think about it we payed somewhere around 23,500 and we happen to think its the best, safest, fastest, and coolest looking thing under 30k. but yeah i like your suggestion just please dont assume we are flat out spoiled, i mean last xmas, and my last two bdays i didnt get any presents or money or anything i just had it go towards the first payment of the car or so. and i am paying the first few months plus the down payemnt. but yes, ok sry thats off topic, but i have decided the button is to be used for when i randomly find myself on a track with no sidewalls or water or other cars to possibly run into.. but untill that day....
 
#11
Don't be afraid of your car. Just study driving technique and work on your skills as a safe driver. Lots of local tracks offer teen drivers classes for a few hundred bucks. Probably less than one month of insurance for you on that car.
 
#12
Driving classes

Using common sense will be to your best advantage. I was lucky enough to be able to drive a couple of my older brothers stangs when I was your age. Like said above, somehow I'm still alive. I slung those 87 GT's around pretty good, but you do have to know the limits. The 05/06 (I have an 06gt now) will get loose, but those older ones were way worse. For whatever reason with my new gt I usually have the TC off.

Anyway, the reason for my post is that I know some local sherriff's offices offer driver safety classes for minimal fees. There you can learn about defensive driving and the limits of your car in a safe environment. Check with your county to see if it is offered. One of my good friends teaches classes in Kilgore, Tx.
 
#13
Sanctus, you sound like you've got a great head on your shoulders for being 16. As others have said, just use common sense and don't get caught up in trying to be cool or prove something around friends or crowds.

Realistically, the urge to see what the GT can do will eventually become too much. Obviously, the best thing to do is take a class or visit the local track. Outside of that, maybe you have an uncle or your dad or someone that would be willing to take you to an empty lot and just play around a little. It can be very beneficial to learn how the car feels when the rear end starts to slide out. Doing that in the most controlled environment you can find will help you learn to control your vehicle, and then when you need those skills on the street, you'll have them.

Another thing...I don't want anyone here to take this thread the wrong way. I'm not advocating you and some other 16 year old buddies going out and thrashing your car to learn this stuff. Realistically, the track lessons may not be an option, and I'm sure plenty of people on this boards have become great drivers by teaching themselves or learning from friends. Find someone that knows how to drive and ask them to give you a few pointers. Just make sure you are being safe.
 
#14
I'm against 16 year olds driving powerful cars like this.

That being said, I would recommend taking your mustang to it's limits in a controlled environment (track). You should always baby your car on the streets, regardless of your skill. It's not you that you have to worry about so much as the idiots on the road next to you. But it is important to know your car's limits. Track time will make you a better driver, and it will give you a safe place to test your skills.

TCS really isn't a life-changing function. It isn't designed to keep your back end from slipping, rather it helps you regain control. It's great if you don't want to concentrate on driving, or aren't that great a driver. But it can also be dangerous, limiting your power when you may need it.

Learn to drive well. Make your mustang community proud.
 
#15
Wow, lots of bad advice being flung in this thread.

Do not take your car to it's limits, death awaits you with big teeth as much on a race track as it does on the street.
Do not take it open tracking. Go to an auto cross and learn low speed handling dynamics before ever trying to achieve speed. At low speed you get to spin and then realize your mistake, at high speed your mistakes are costly (if you live to pay for them).
Do not take it drag racing until you are familiar with your car, then start with 1/8th mile if you are not comfortable. Too many inexperienced people think racing in a straight line is perfectly safe. One goof up by the driver, fluid or part from another car, or a broken part from your car and that inexperience will bite you.

NEVER drive a car to IT'S limits, ALWAYS drive a car to YOUR limits.
KNOW your limits! Don't think because you watched someone else do it you can do the same
Learn your car first. Drive it, feel it, familiarize yourself with how it feels/reacts in normal driving
Go to an auto cross and learn low speed handling, then progress to instructor based HPDEs, then opentracking.

Just my advice. YMMV. Not valid for cash redemtion. Not combinable with any other offer.
 
#18
no to hijack this thread, but i just love how people assume that a young kid got his car from his parents, and if he did hes now spoiled. im 20 and i just order a gt for myself, ill be paying it, and the insurance. my current car(which is my first) is also paid by me and i pay the insurance as well. had the car since im 17. just had to vent that, i have never been in an accident, nor do i intend to, and i know it only takes one time with one idiot driver, but age to me means nothing. its all in experience, and i drive all day long 5 days a week at work, so i think i have some experience and gaining more everyday. and to answer yoru question sanctus, keep the traction contorl on in the rain and snow, it will help just dont rely on it completely. if you do something stupid, the car will also
 
#19
18 years, unless you have your parents sign the liability release. Sanctus, you do have a good head on your shoulders, and like others have said, know YOUR limits with YOUR car.
 
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