stability control

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

I know they make the racelogic traction control system but does anyone make a stability control system. I am looking for something that will keep the car going in a straight line. When I drove my old 03 Z06 and i was accel hard thru first and second sometimes the car would drastically change direction because one of the rear tires hit something uneven. This violent manuever made me loose control of the car and almost broke my neck. But by itself it would do another neck jerking movement to put me back going straight again. First time it happened I crawled home and took some nitro pills. I am getting faster and faster with my 06C and it is worrying me that I am going to do the same thing but this time it will not correct and I will go over the white line and meet my mother in law... The viper seems to be much more stable on the road then the twitchy 06Z. Is there a program we could put in the pcm to help I have the DCerf pcm. Thanks
By the way 3 weeks ago I saw a new 06 red viper conv in Denville NJ when I turned around he had gone in to one of the stores the lic plate said Roanoke temp dealer plate hope it wasn't the fellow with the crash...

 

[zorroespanol]

dude, no offense but you are in the wrong car.

Trade it in for a Vette, seriously.

 

[Nader]

Within the next three years auto makers are going to be required to install stability control to minimize roll overs in every production car. It is estimated it will save 10,000 people a year.

 

[Warfang]

Within the next three years auto makers are going to be required to install stability control to minimize roll overs in every production car. It is estimated it will save 10,000 people a year.

Cars are a funny thing... it always fills a vaccuum. For every life the mandated stability control saves, it will lose a life from an idiot that thinks stability control will allow him to drive like andretti.

 

[All Car Guy And Viper NJ]

It can't hurt to have it

 

[Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder]

Please provide any official data that indicates lower death rate with an electronic Nanny!

 

[Viperfreak2]

I'll find the 'official' report, but just by watching German TV last week 'Single car accidents reduced by 75%' with ESP.

 

[zorroespanol]

Please provide any official data that indicates lower death rate with an electronic Nanny!

I am sure it does, to what degree i don't know.

I want the nanny on my loved ones cars, but not on mine!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Within the next three years auto makers are going to be required to install stability control to minimize roll overs in every production car. It is estimated it will save 10,000 people a year.

More government regulation. Great.

Given the chance, people will always vote away their freedoms.

 

[Viperfreak2]

Let's hope the gov't allows an off switch if they go this route.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

It can't hurt to have it

I agree with Warfang. It can hurt if it gives someone an inflated sense of safety and he tries to do things he's not qualified to do and the car isn't designed to do. You know thats gonna happen

 

[Warfang]

It can't hurt to have it

I agree with Warfang. It can hurt if it gives someone an inflated sense of safety and he tries to do things he's not qualified to do and the car isn't designed to do. You know thats gonna happen

There was an old bit by Gallager, the comedian from way back. He said semi truck drivers drove poorly because they're practically invincible, so he proosed (with a funny drawing) that all semis have to have an external mounted seat for the driver right at the bumper. Think the guy will be a better driver then? I think so.

 

[zorroespanol]

It can't hurt to have it

I agree with Warfang. It can hurt if it gives someone an inflated sense of safety and he tries to do things he's not qualified to do and the car isn't designed to do. You know thats gonna happen

There was an old bit by Gallager, the comedian from way back. He said semi truck drivers drove poorly because they're practically invincible, so he proosed (with a funny drawing) that all semis have to have an external mounted seat for the driver right at the bumper. Think the guy will be a better driver then? I think so.

Totally! those of us that ride bikes know this for a fact. (Or at least most of us!)

 

[MikeR]

I work at a Volvo dealer in service. We have a similar system in most of our newer Volvo's. Now while is a great safety feature, I believe it only belongs in certain vehicles. I loved using it in my AWD S60R, it was turbo charged 350hp sedan, fun to whip around in turns, on ramps etc. Many times I got the DSTC to kick in, which is a traction,stability control. It was a neat system, you could feel it braking one wheel while you still had the pedal to the floor. For that car I loved the system and AWD and Im sure its saved many from a accident.

But for a Viper or any ********* performance type vehicles, I say leave it out and let us have fun with the raw power and torque. Just be responsible enough to control it.

 

[V10 ICBM]

Z06 drivers have it - it allows them to drive over their heads at the track and in most cases, not write the car off. They can go in hotter, but not too hot.

Now, a better driver never will set off StabMgt.
Every car will have it. DC will have it.
Perhaps this will help re-sale collector status of non-nanny cars?

Porsche just added TC to their upcoming 997GT3. Drivers with egos and no experience were shunting cars by hitting the throttle too abruptly and would cause an oversteer condition.

I do not doubt it works. And just like ABS, everyone's cries will subside in time.

 

[Mike Dolan]

One might consider the case of anti-lock brakes. Intuitivly this is a great feature, but I remember reading that it has not dramatically reduced accidents, although the reasons were not fully understood as yet.

It may be that although stability control adds to the safety margin, it still cannot overcome the laws of phisics. In other words; it only helps in the cases where you corner fast enough that you would lose control, and yet not so fast that stability control cannot help. For example if you went around a corner at 70 MPH with no trouble, nothing happens. Same corner at 90, stability control kicks in and helps. Try it at 120, and although stability control kicks in, the laws of physics prevail, and the car slides off the road.

In my opinion, better driver training would yield greater results, but in a nanny-nation we try to focus on objects rather than people.

Regards,
Mike Dolan

 

[V10 ICBM]

Mike, from what I observed on the track, Stab Mgt will help the guys who only go out a few times a year - less than 1x per month.
For those who put in the seat time, Stab Mgt is mostly not necessary untilly they make a mistake - it will save you in most cases.

Driver training and practice (say 3000 miles a year on the track) is also essential. Most people with sports cars rather just drive than actually train. I never see anyone from my club at the track.

I think the reason is either fear or cheapness or lazyness.

So, DSP, ESP, ABS, TC, .... IS essential for the majority of viper owners. They are not able to handle what they have.

A guy died this year, new owner, go sideways under throttle on on ramp, crossed the median, and got t-boned by an oncomming car. Stab and TC would have shut him down before he crossed the first lane (TC). It works, and well.

BUT YOU AINT DRIVING YOUR CAR WITH TC and DSC...the IC (intel) is driving because you are over your head) - that is is my point. Its like having the driving instructor grab the wheel - Insurance companies will mandate it.

 

[Mike Dolan]

You are correct V10_ICBM, but the likely offset will be the people who drive harder, confident that stability control will bail them out. Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting they are not good things, just that my impression is accidents will still happen, and although there will certainly be times where stability control averts disaster, there will still be lots of accidents precipitated by poor skill or unanticipated conditions.

Driving skill alone will not avert disaster either, otherwise you would never read about racing legends getting killed on the track.

An unlikely experiment would be a double-blind comparison of otherwise identical cars (with & without stability control systems), with many samples of each, conducted over an extended time period to see what the actual coorelation would be. My guess is that there would be fewer accidents with the stability augmentation group, but that the difference wouldn't be that dramatic. One group where the differences would likely be stark would be the new driver of high powered cars, but as their experience level grew the differences would narrow considerably.

This is all speculation and conjecture on my part however, and certainly some things that have been maligned in the past have proven to be good things (seat belts, air bags etc.).

One needs to put these things into perspective however, as each one has been touted (oversold?) to save many lives, and whereas they have, the actual savings hasn't been in accord with the promises (in my opinion of course).

 

[Paul Hawker]

I believe the next generation Viper will integrate a very clever stability control program. It will allow extreme track performance, as well as additional safety on the street. I believe that it will be turn offable. (is that a word).

With all the extra hp and torque being provided in modern cars, it is just a matter of time that computers will be needed to assist the drivers to obtain all the performance the vehicle is capable.

Just as the latest fighter jets are fly by wire with computer interface to enhance the pilot, these systems will find their way into automoblles.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Stab and TC would have shut him down before he crossed the first lane (TC).

How do you know that for sure? I was passenger in a 2006 Lambo Murci with all the nanny aids known to man and the driver did a 360 coming around turn 17 at Sebring.

And do you wanna know what he said after he pulled into the pits to calm down?

"I didn't think it would do that!"

Based on that first hand experience and combined with the fact that TC,ABS,etc cars still get in plenty of driver error high speed accidents, my opinion is the false sense of security offset the alleged safety of all these electronic nanny aids.

Let them buy Vettes and leave the Viper alone.

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

I would not object to nannie aids so much if they were reliable and did not fail. They are all just added electronic computer garbage that will break down regularly.

Anybody wanting nannie aids does not need a Corvette as much as public transportation.

 

[Racer Robbie]

Everyone here has really good points but remember what the bottom line is. We all will have to fork over more of our hard earned cash to pay for all these electronic controls and the factory will make even more profits in installing and fixing them.