This is the same for SSEi (at least 2K+). Turning the TC off via the button only delays its action by a bit. It will kick back in if the car senses it needs too. The only way to disable the system entirely is to remove all 4 WSS.

Personally I run with the WSS off during the summer and put them back on for winter. It has saved me a few times this year with the bad winter we have been having. The system is good, and does its job. Hopefully you will never have to experience the need for it to truly activate and save your life but believe me you will be thankful if and when it does.

So you run in the summer with no anti-lock braking system.

In most regular driving situations the traction control is a good thing. However, my neighbor that lives directly accross the street from me has a '97 GP GT. Their driveway is very steep, and they sometimes have trouble even getting up it in their Audi A4 Quattro when there is snow on it. Well, two days ago he tried to get up the driveway and had no problems in the Audi, it was actually very simple. He got in the GP and tried to drive it up the driveway and started off at a good speed, but since his tires were just barely spinning at the bottom of the driveway and started spinning more and more as he went up, by the time he got halfway up the hill, the traction control had almost completely stopped his front tires from moving. (obviously if the car hits the brakes when you're trying to go up a hill, you will have problems) Without the tracton control he would've easily made it up the driveway. He tried about ten times with the traction control on. He turned it off and up he went...sometimes traction control actually hurts you.

Shawn

I work from home so my probability of needing it is perhaps much lower than some however when I am out and prowling the streets the last thing I want is the TC system interfering with my lambasting of some poor schmuck in a Mustang or Civic.

GM states that in the owners manual. For those situations or if you're stuck in mud or snow, they recommend turning off the traction control. That'* what the button is really for.......not to do burnouts.

Good point Rogue.

I may follow suit. ......but then re-connect them when my wife drives it.

Do you still think it is necessary to disconnect the emergency brake contact or is just disconnecting the rear wheel speed sensors enough, when you do burn-outs at the drags ?

Kendra has her own 00 SSEi, so its really only me driving it.

Its really only there to let you know its enabled or not so I don't mind leaving mine disconnected. As for whether or not it impacts the burnout, its one less thing for me to worry about. I guess only testing will tell.

My suggestion would be disconnect all 4 WSS, try the burnout, if you get timing pull then remove the ebrake sensor contact and try again. We did so many things at once that day that its hard to say what really "fixed" the problem and it very well could have been the combination of everything we did. I've not taken the time to reattach everything and try it one at a time. Maybe i'll do that next year, but then again, I may just stick with what works

Was the TC a mid year change? I thought 97'* didn't have it?

I don't like many driver aides. They're too unpredictable for me. Having the car decide what to do, based on parameters doesn't tickle me.

All 5 series BMW have a new system that adjusts your steering ratio, not just effort. That scares me. A few reviews i've seen of it said it does what it says it does, but you're never sure what it'll react like in an emergency or performance manuever.

A good driver who understands his or her vehicle, and the conditions can do better then any driver assistance aid. But not everyone wants to drive with mad concentration. Everyone wants their own level of control of the vehicle, and safety. They do have their uses, but ultimately it comes down to the driver.

'97 GTP'* didn't have it because the traction control system wasn't advanced enough to handle that much power...at least thats what I've been told. But the GT and SE both had it that year. A quote straight from ZZP about the '97 TCS:

Shawn

I just read that the new 05 mustangs has a new Traction control system. It'll let you do burnouts etc in normal mode, but when you stop drag racing and start hitting hte corners it starts to kick in once you swing the backend out a lil.