Today I was in the parking lot of one of the dorm houses and for some reason there was mud all over the place but I spotted a parking spot so I went for it. I was sorta racing someone to it...Parking is that bad. Well I make a turn into one of the isles, not at full throttle, maybe 40% or so...keep in mind, parking lot... and for some reason my ***-end completely whips out from behind me. I think It was because one of my tires hit the muddy drain hole . But as I was sideways I was thinking to myself ****, I lost it for good, well in milliseconds the car flashed a signal stability control signal and completely straightened me out INSTANTLY. I was amazed at it, I thought for sure I was going to come around all the way.

Anyone else have a story like this?

Plus I need new rear tires...got about 25% left on the rear.

 

Hmm, the TRAC on my LS seems to work nicely, straightens the car whenever it starts to fishtail in snow. However, the VSC system in my GS almost got me into accidents three times.

 

VSC is great. Awesome for general public.
It is very intrusive when it comes to spirited driving.
AS a system I think it is awesome. Came in at a right time a few times, even at high speeds.
I wish it had a few settings where one can alter the level of input. It would be nice to swing out the tail a bit like in newer BMs and MBs and other german cars.
Without the VSC, the LS is very tail happy due to its light rear, and once its starts rolling it goes all the way, landslide style.
Also the throttle response is very slow to restore after the VSC engagement, which is very annoying at times.
So +10 to VSC!

 

Annoying possibly, but think of it this way: If it restored all the power at once, then it woud have to start the process all over again as the gobs of power would goto the rear wheels causing them to spin again.

 

My dad told me about his incident in his '99 LS4 and he says the safety systems saved him one time when he was going around a bend which was completely covered with black ice. Usually when TRAC and VSC kick in you can hear it, but this time it began beeping at him, as if you have a missile locked on.

Not sure what system that was, but it sure worked good! And it engaged really quickly as well. What is the beeping for? Is it a "you are in deep sh-t" alert?

I know on my '94 SC4, I only have TRAC and sometimes I can be more sensitive than it in that I can feel when I'm losing traction but TRAC hasn't kicked in.

 

Trac in my 91 LS kept me on the road going 80% throttle around an almost 90 degree banked turn in the pouring rain Best traction system I've ever experienced.

 

when JUST the light flashes that means that the traction control is kicking in.

the actual stability control DOES NOT turn on UNTIL you hear beeping/missile lock sounds

 

Pssh, all you kids are spoiled. I don't have any traction control

I've refined the art of the elegant fish tail now from numerous trips in the snow

 

My current LS400 Doesn't have TRAC, or heated seats.

Not too big of a deal I just see it as 2 less problems to deal with as the car ages

It does however have a posse rear end or something because when I punch it from a turn I can feel the car correct itself, and it's still VERY hard to make the back end break loose.

 

^ Where did the heated seats come from? lol. Although it is strange that a '97 didn't come with TRAC, I thought it was standard?

So unless I'm mistaken, TRAC is just another butterfly valve in the throttle body that modulates your throttle right. And VSC controls the brakes to ensure each wheel is spinning at the same speed. Whenever traction is lost in the '99 LS, I can hear a strange "springy" (like boing), sound, so is it safe to assume that is the VSC working? Because it never beeps in that situation. But the beeping comes when you are losing traction hardcore...Is there another stability system that I'm not aware of? Or is the computer saying you are in some major trouble and thats why it is beeping? Seems to me like it is supposed to inspire some sort of panic lol.

 

read my post a couple above you...

 

^ Yep, I actually did read it, so is there another stability system in place other than TRAC and VSC? They don't have some fancy acronym for it? Also, what does it control?

I'd really like to see if I can get it to do that thing again, its pretty cool when it beeps at you lol. Makes it feel like it is some super advanced machine from the future, unless you guys already feel that way about your LS.

 

i have mine turned off constantly
it pisses me off when i drive my wifes car and its on.
My car, zero TCS. and i make it through snow just fine

 

VSC is the overall name for the system.
this system incorporates both an advanced version of the old "TRAC" system and a sophisticated stability control system.

 

or you can be super advanced, and take your foot off the gas.....