Once you get comfortable with the car and the amount of power it makes you will understand why you can shut off the TC. AH is another story all together. When in Comp mode you can spin the rear tires as much as you desire (which is alot of fun) but still take advantage of the Active Handling feature which can prevent you from losing control of the car by limiting the amount of yaw. (how much the rear end kicks out in relation to the front).
If the car is new to you (it sounds like it is) I would get to know the characteristics of it before you put it in comp mode. These things can get away from you in a hurry if you don't know how to handle them.

 

Traction control and AH are designed to keep you from getting in to too much trouble as the car approaches its performance limits. But it's important to realize that these features can't contravene the laws of physics (not even Scotty from Star Trek could change the laws of physics). They give you a *critical* edge as the car transitions from "in control" to "out of control", allowing you to "save" what might otherwise be an unsavable situation.

They can do this for you because they are able to do things you, the driver, could never do. They detect and react to situations much, much faster than you could ever hope to realize yourself (assuming you even realize you need to react, which isn't always the case), and they control the mechanical elements of the car with a degree of finess you can only dream about. AH and TC both manage the thottle and engine torque in ways that are impossible via the accelerator alone. And AH can (and often does) apply brake to wheels individually, something you'd only be able to approximate if the car had 4 separate brake pedals.

In general, you will never need to turn off either of these features. If you want to burn some rubber, TC needs to be disabled. Otherwise, except for all but the most skilled drivers, driving in the most demanding situations, AH will unquestionably make you a better driver than you could ever be without it. But, for the drivers in the 0.1% of the population who push their cars to the very limits on a Track, AH can actually be an impediment to achieving the fastest track times and GM quite courteously provided a means to disable the feature. For the 99.9% of the rest of us, it's a "don't care".

 

In general, you will never need to turn off either of these features. If you want to burn some rubber, TC needs to be disabled. Otherwise, except for all but the most skilled drivers, driving in the most demanding situations, AH will unquestionably make you a better driver than you could ever be without it. But, for the drivers in the 0.1% of the population who push their cars to the very limits on a Track, AH can actually be an impediment to achieving the fastest track times and GM quite courteously provided a means to disable the feature. For the 99.9% of the rest of us, it's a "don't care".

That's it in a nutshell. I run 18" rears with sticky tires to, on and back from the road track. TC will engage with my combo at 50mph, and I can't run on the track without turning everything off. On the street with my runflat stock tires, TC and AH stay on all the time.

 

Just to be clear on settings for C5:
Default = ASR (TC) and AH ON
push once = ASR (TC) and AH OFF
push and hold 5 seconds = Comp Mode = ASR (TC) OFF and AH ON

Normal progression in turning off the electronic nannies is to go from default to Comp Mode (prudent for drags) to "all off" (sometimes used in autox so you can 'throw" the car at times)

 

If I remember correctly it was Ranger who drags his car that told a great safety story. Always leave AH on. He had it in comp mode at the track took off from the light and hit oil dropped by the previous racer. Within a second he was sideways going for the wall and AH kicked in and saved him from the wall by inches. As far as the track or street you don't want to be any farther out than AH will let you go because you losing it at that point. Unless your Lou Gigliotti then shut it all off and race damn it!! Comp mode only

 

The car is about 2 seconds a lap faster with TC & AH OFF, both on high speed tracks and AutoX courses. ....and thats a whole bunch.

However I ALWAYS leave TC and AH ON on the street and while driving on the Interstate.

When learning a new track I leave the TC and AH ON for about the 1st 5 laps then Comp mode till I'm comfortable with the car at the limits (@3-5 laps).

Note that in wet conditions BOTH on the track, AutoX and street you should always Have TC & AH ON.

 

every one of these answers hit the mark.kudos to everyone of ya.well done

 

Turn that nanny crap off and drive the car like a real man! (joking)

Its a great learning device at the track and awesome for street safety..

You want to play a little bit put it in competition mode..


I'm not kidding when I say this but the corvette marketing found that

Corvette owners like to be "IN CONTROL" so thats why there is a switch..


Over time you'll find that its good to have the switch..

Merry christmas!

 

thanks for your help, i was just wondering that beating it in first or second gear (especially in 1st "from a dig") with the traction control ON doesn't have any effect on the rear end?

 

By reducing torque to control wheelspin, TC reduces stress/heat/wear on the entire driveline. This makes the driveline components last longer.

It's worth noting that the Corvette TC is designed to allow "some" wheelspin. If all you ever do is mash the throttle, TC will cut in and eliminate the spin. But if you "feather" the throttle just right, you can usually keep the wheels going for at least a little while.

It's also worth noting that there is a more "practical" reason for a TC disable. There are some situations where you don't necessarily want the TC to engage. Driving on some types of sandy or snowy surfaces, for example. Try getting up a long snowy hill with TC on, and the system will manage the throttle all the way down to 0 RPM and the car will stall.

 

It's good to have it and know you can turn it off whenever you'd like.

 

I have an 07 Z06 with 1800 miles on it. Today I went for a drive with the
TC and AH off (I have not tried this before) All I can say is wow!!. In the future when I start my Z I wiil look at that switch and think " Do I feel lucky today?"

 

Two Experiences with TC & AH
#1. While at a track last year (in competition mode), coming off of a long sweeping 80-90 MPH turn my '04 Z got sideways...hard right then hard left, then back again. When I returned to the pit, I said I can't believe that I controlled the car, and it did not spin off the track. I was corrected by more experienced drivers, "You fool, YOU didn't save the car from a spin, AH DID!

#2. "Do I feel lucky today" Eriks427 quote. Well I wasn't lucky. I stupidly turned off TC & AH and accelerated hard in 1st & 2nd...on a city street. 2nd gear blew the tires loose, & I went 180° around SO FAST. The car "Parked" itself next to the curb, with a thud...after breaking both driver's side wheels and a rear trailing arm. On the street, at least, leave AH on, or you too may have a $4,300 lesson.

 

No war story but AH is for real!

On my C5 Z one of many events, I was saved on a mountain curve from totaling it and didnn't get a scratch or ding. Had the car not been equiped w/AH I could have kissed my (you know what) good bye, no doubt about it.

On the C6 Z I have sexperienced one almost spin at Willow Springs where the car recovered itself.

I don't know which car has the best system but they both react much quicker and in the "right" way to recover a car that is otherwise would be junk.

Anyway as they use to say, "keep the glittery side up and the dirty side down".:z:

 

Long story short at the very least leave it in Comp mode. It's still fun and safer. Back in 1985 I had the c4 Corvette. Loved it, it was the sh## back then. But one thing I remember was everyone was crashing them because of the lack of TC/AH. Boy did they get hairy in the rain and cold weather. I've been saved more than a few times. It happens so fast.