Another excellent C5 video. Best C5 channel. Thanks for posting this video to explain how all these safety features operate. Recently moved on from my 2 C5’s and purchased a 2008. Feels very similar to the C5 with an additional 80HP and some refinements and upgrades to the C5.
As an aside to your terrific video, the engineer featured in the insert vid was none other than Dave Hill who took over from Dave McLellan as the lead C5 project engineer. He is featured in James Schefters excellent book “All Corvettes Are Red” which is mandatory reading for C5 fans. The book details the design and development of the C5 and high lites just how close we were to not only to losing the C5 but the entire Corvette brand.
I have read another publication which stated that the Corvette was indeed going to be axed after 1996. Many of the guys who saw the C5 through to production worked for free, on their own time. The tooling for the original, and Gen 2 SBC was worn out, so this opened up an opportunity for a clean sheet of paper design, which gave us all the LS series of aluminum V8s!! One reason the C5 interior is bashed as often as it is, is because by the time GM gave the go ahead to production of the C5, the interior had to be rushed thru design to production, which obviously left some items as almost an afterthought. Great job on the video, by the way!!!😊
I was a design engineer in the early 90s and I sat right next to an engineer for the 92-96 LT1 engine. I recall also hearing the rumors vette was considering cancelling.
I'm moving from a 1992 C4 6 speed to a 2002 C5 6 speed. Your videos have been nothing but exceptionally helpful. Keep up the good work. Thank you again.
Yup me too, I keep it on competitive mode.👍🏼I took my c5 z06 on mon out for the first time with the supercharger install, wow is all I can say. Super fast!
I've had my C6 for 3 years and you've produced an excellent tutorial. I don't track my car, but I have a much better understanding of how this system keeps me a bit safer.
I'm an ASE CMAT (retired) My '01 C5 Base was owned by a Oklahoma Sheriff and it has options on it that were not available in that year!?? The C5 Traction Control is amazing due to the yaw sensor. GM's anti-lock brake system in 1995 was a joke. However, the C5 is a work of technological art! Great Video!
Another awesome informative video Ken. I have no idea how much time you have in a video like this, just finding these old GM videos cannot be easy. This is the best explanation of active handling I have ever seen. Thank you, keep up the great work.
Have a 04 c5 convertible, did lots of stupid things over the years but didn't know about competition mode until a few years ago. Probably saved my life though. Swapping for new tires next week. Will be in competition mode till then😆
Nice presentation. I bought a 2000 JL4 Z51 a while ago. My current DD hot rod. As I was getting to know the car and started throwing it around, it would really surprise me and just snap straight. I was having a hard time understanding what was going on. This is the first staggered tire setup I have owned, maybe that and some damn sweet geometry is what's going on? Then it dawned on me. That gentle ''helping hand of god sensation'' is the Active Handling setting the car straight. Interesting, impressive. I remember years ago a Richard Petty interview about the Super Birds. He said that the wing obviously added a ton of down force. But also and just as important the huge vertical surfaces acted as a yaw stabilizer. I bet it felt a lot like the Active handling kicking in. Too bad the JL4 is not tunable like the ECM. That would be a fun way to burn up a truck load of tires!
We are used to unconsciously use it every time we drive our C5, but it's very useful and instructive to remind how it works. Thanks for posting it. 👍👍👍
The original GM active handling video you showed was interesting because it revealed the entire reason for its existence in the first place: Drivers driving too fast and a general lack of driving ability. All of that lack of traction illustrated in the video is a very real thing, it’s depicted and understood clearly by GM as evidenced by the video, and the way the ABS system is used to control/correct it is good, they did a good thing. The problem is that the driver who loses traction in a Corvette (or any car, I suppose) in the way shown in that video is simply a bad/inexperienced driver who doesn’t understand the vehicle they’re piloting. They don’t understand/know/intuit the relationship between speed, g-forces, and traction, and it’s very likely that they’ve never actually explored the limits of grip in their Corvette. We all make mistakes and nobody is perfect, especially when subjected to traffic, but the last few generations of Corvette are among the absolute best cars you could possibly own for doing evasive emergency maneuvers at highway speeds. Any decent driver would be delighted to have that car in freeway emergency situations.
The active handling is great for moderate driving, it has helped me out a few times. When driving to the limit of your tires however, it actually causes the front end to plow when entering corners at speed or braking into mild corners because the back end has a tendency to step out slightly. The back end sliding a bit actually helps face the front end of the car into the corner. It's not enough to be considered oversteer, the back end doesn't actually fishtail- this is during braking or just holding speed thru the corner so there is no power being applied. It's just a characteristic of a well-balanced car with half it's weight in the rear. It's easily controlled and helps put the car into the corner. But the active handling doesn't like it and tries to stop it, which feels like plow. It's unsettling. Turning the system completely off during very aggressive driving makes the car handle much better. But again, anything less than driving to the LIMIT of your tires- the active handling helps out.
Another very informative video. I recently had rented a 2021 Ford Bronco Sport & a 2021 Toyota Corolla (not my choice, the other drivers insurance paid for it while my car was being painted) but what really irritated me was how the damn things wanted to steer themselves and with the screen showing how they were tracking the outside edges of the lane I was driving in. Now that I have my C5 back I am so much happier as I feel as though I am in control not some damn electronic computer controlled device. I do love my Active handling and the ability to go into competition mode as I used to race SCCA with my Camaros & Firebirds in the 70's & 80's. Thanks for your wonderful explanations of each component. I am catching up on your videos.
Great production on this topic. I remember just last year watching a GM video on RU-vid on that same piece with Dave Hill explaining active handling. I don’t have a manual C5 but my initial plan was to buy one when I retire in five years. Recently it’s changing towards either a manual 2012-13 C6 preferably a grand sport or a 2021-22 Toyota supra 3.0 premium I haven’t test drove any of them, but I’m hoping a 2021-22 Supra 3.0 premium will depreciate down to about $30k in 5 years. Being they’re so rare I don’t think so, maybe closer to $40k and that might be too high. From what I’ve read the C6 is a more advanced and improved upon C5, so more than likely it will come down to either a 2012-13 C6 GS or standard and a 2021-22 Supra 3.0 premium On the flip side if it comes down to $, if I can find a well-maintained one owner low mileage 2002-04 C5 that may be the way to go !
Test drive em all, seriously weigh you wants, needs and budget - and one more thing. The more rare a car is, the harder and more $$ it is to source parts - especially when they get past 10 years (which is I believe how long manufacturers are required to supply OEM parts for. Have fun on your search - that is a big part of the experience IMO!
I learned this back when i 1st bought my C5 (saw the owners manual video) taking it off completely or turning on competitive is the way to go it hiccups so bad from a dig if traction is on straight up embarrassing. i left it on till i felt comfortable driving it hard (this is my 1st fast car) thanks for uploading
I believe the 97-00 traction control really pulled the power in a big way vs the 01 and newer. I would love to test a 98 and 2003 side by side just to see for sure.
Believe or not .. take off your 4 tail lights and you will see messages active handling system come on immediately. ....😄. ... always great video 👍. By the way I like how you cover your license plate number 😄
That is interesting - if you are being serious, it really makes me wonder what that relationship would be that would trigger an AH message. Thanks for the comment sir!
@@Toys4Life it's true and it will gave those codes immediately before you start even the car 40 BCM b0502 h B0507h B2482 h B2587 h B2592 h And even more .. I think it's part of the safety ..
I had a 95 and now have an 04 Z06. The C5 is simply heads and tails above the C4 except in one area. ANd that IMO is looks. I still like the C4 look better. But... to actually use... no comparison.
Great stuff always! You give us all extra confidence. Now here comes a basic question. Where do you find the computer program for tuning? Thanks again, Larry
Thank you! Here is where your purchase HP tuners www.hptuners.com/ Are you ready to tune - find out? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NiZktmXYhyc.html
Always enjoy your videos. Nicely done. Thank you. On my 1999 Camaro SS I was able to put a module in that allowed me to have traction control off as the default. I sure wish we could have Competitive Mode as the default on startup.
I just recently drove threw a rain storm with lots of water on the road with my newly c5 Corvette. I was surprised how well it handled the wet road and I swear I could feel the active control suspension working to keep control from hydroplaning.
I once owned a1968 Olds 442 w/ 4 speed manual, stock 400 ci, 365 hp. Power brakes w/ manual steering. No ABS, no traction control, no computers. With 1974 street tires, I never had a problem with brakes or handling. It would get a little loose in the back getting on it, but the rear sway bar kept it easy to control. I admit the modern ABS and traction control are nice to have. But I can pump my brakes and don’t just lay on them like a lot of people do. By the way, I never did a burnout. I think its juvenile and just eats up tires and shocks the drivetrain. Big deal.7
Fun car back in the day - 13.9 @103. I bet a set of drag tires dropped that time a bit! You never did a burnout?????? I agree once you have done several and got it out of you system (typically when young) it loses much of its appeal.
You state that when Act Handling is off (when button pushed once) Only ABS is on. That would create a very dangerous situation for a novice driver. C& S Corvette says that is not the case. They say pushing the button once only deletes Traction Control, leaving Full Active Handling On. They also say that Competitive mode uses a Reduced amount of Traction Control. They also claim that only the C6 can fully delete Active Handling in one of its four modes.
Traction control light come on my c5 z06. We took the box apart n soldered the points ,the lights went out again so that part worked but when I put the car in gear she fell on her face n also no codes come up on the car either! So I think next step is just to take it off period n also we're putting on a line lock on her too, SHES PROCHARGED N METH INJECTED 840 HP! SHES A BEAST!.10.01 ET 140MPH😎🥳
In the times I've been at the dragstrip I've used both comp mode and TC off. It seems that in COMP mode it hurts ET's as 50% of the time the car has just barely enough of the rear end stepping out that it might unnoticeably grab a brake here and there. When I turn TC off I have no problems and get the lowest ET's. (mostly stock 2004 Z06)
@@Toys4Life I think it’s the module I have a 00 model when you turn key and crank it says service active handling I think I’m going to send it Lyle at corvette parts ? Have you heard of him?
Holy Cow, I always drive my Vette in competetive mode when ripping the curves because I thought I got all 3 protection modes. And now I'm finding out for the first time that only 2 of them are active. Is this dumb on me or a compliment to my C5 Z? Which am I better off with on curvy mtn roads when pushing it? I'm now a bit confused. Help!!
According to Gm engineers, there is no way (with button pushes) to completely disable active handling. You have to pull the steering wheel position sensor wire
Get a code 1287 under light braking or sometimes no apparent reason. Car will sometimes apply brake on left side, Some days fine no issues always goes away after key off and restart. Rare occasion will get service active handling or service vehicle soon, but 98 percent I just see active handling come on then off. SWPS ?
@@Toys4Life I just looked under the steering column and there is oil like substance coming out of steering positioning sensor, I read somewhere someone mentioned steering column bearing grease can coz down and into the sensor, I am thinking that is prob my issue. Some have sprayed electrical cleaner right into sensor and cleaned with luck some are not so lucky, Just wondering how bad of a job this is to do if I change it. I am not good at seeing all the little clips and stuff.
Active handling was an option starting in mid-1998. I could have swore per the press release that if you held the button while stationary it would engage competitive driving. Maybe somebody else will chime in with either a 98 99 or 2000 C5 with active handling as to whether or not they can engage competitive driving or not.
Has anyone ever seen the display say Anti/warm up? And a little later it says warm up complete! My C5Z has just started doing this and then a popping sound in a hard turn! 🤷🏼♂️
I recently bought an 04 z06 that had the abs pump removed by someone and has a line lock instead. I have no abs or traction control at all. Does active handling noticeably improve your driving experience? Would it be worth trying to get a pump and all the lines to put back on? If I decide to leave it off, is there a way for a me or a tuner to turn off the abs and active handling messages?
You don't really notice any of the systems unless they take an action. I notice it the most if I try to get a little rubber and forget to turn AH off or switch to Comp Driving mode. I view Active Handling mostly as a safety feature.
Active handling kept me from sliding off the road once. I was in absolute pucker factor 10 and I was simply amazed that it not only kept me on the road but I only went 1/2way into the other lane. (I was coming in way too hot into a RH 15mph corner out in the country w/no other cars on the road). Ever since that day I leave it on except when I 100% intentionally want to spin or slide.
I’ve seen both sides of the coin. it’s saved my ass a time or two, but then again, it’s also almost gotten me killed when I was attempting some shenanigans & forgotten to turn it off. generally speaking if you learned to drive/etc with no systems on the car, and drive like that, you’re gonna find its gonna surprise you. I consider it to be one of the better systems outta the cars I’ve driven.
It has been a little while now since I looked at al of the info - I think that must mean your did not come with the Active Handling option so you have ABS and Traction control. The traction control is toggled on and off. Thanks for the feedback sir!
To bad chevrolet doesn't make the EBCM module anymore, which in C5s are notorious for going bad,and when it does the dash says service ABS/traction control ,at which point you can't enter competitive driving mode with the ole magic button. If you can find new/old modules they are extremely expensive, they can be repaired which is expensive as well,but there's not much guarantee that it'll mess up again. I have this problem with my 2000 frc coupe. Any answers or ideas to remedy this?
Short of living without it, here is what I would consider next if I had a 97-00 with a bad EBCM. www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c5-tech/3814654-99-ebcm-conversion-to-01-04-ebcm-success.html
I just bought a 2000 vette and the active handleling control light come on and abs lights! I should have went with c6 intead. Any help will be apreciated to fix the issue! Thanks
I would start by pulling up the codes, and research them by searching on Corvette formum. There's a video on my channel that shows you exactly how to pull up the codes.
I hate the traction control crap for a few years I get a message service traction control active handling I havnt been able to find the problem and you cant use Cruise control it kicks it off.
On my 08 c6 I swear mines faster with competitive driving mode on vs traction control I guess I'll have to take it to the track, Have you done flex to it, if you ever do so please do a video if you haven't yet I've seen you are familiar with hp tuners
I actually run e33. Give me the octane and the extra fuel I need to not be knock limited. I did a video on fuels for The supercharged C5 that's on my channel if you're interested. I don't know that there's a flex fuel meter that I can incorporate with my operating system.
@@Toys4Life I'll have to check it out, my c6 has A&A kit on it as well, I have a GM flex fuel sensor that plugs into the E38 pin 40 and runs power from the coil. I'm just scared to tune it by looking at my fuel trims my tuner did vs stock I do have a Tahoe that has a flex fuel sensor but I see a huge difference, maybe I'll just take it back to the tuner, thank you for the replies.
@@Toys4Life wish it would of kept. "strmlne" is and has been going around the Corvette Forum and harassing people even with creating multiple ALT accounts. At least 100 and that's not a joke. He is continuing his bickering with C5Diag. Not only that, he also targets RU-vidrs who post on the forum. This is the reason why his STRMLNE account was banned for 2 years and because he was harassing My Corvette Life. His comment to you on the forum he made about people being referred to him on Instagram by you is a complete lie and he knows that person personally. He bad mouths people and forum vendors for fun and has done so these past 2 years.
@@Toys4Life strmlne has been going around harassing youtubers and cf members all over the web. He's even done it to my corvette life and vetteman jack. Now he's on a 6 month feud with c5diag
You have to return the computer to change the Rev limiter. That having been said it's really not worth it unless you change the camshaft or go Force induction IMO.
@@Toys4Life even if it only goes 100 RPM more without losing torque, I need to be the one in control when I shift because if you're in the middle of a corner and you're right at the rev limiter and it kicks in you will lose control of your car! So, all I need to do now is find somebody with a computer to reset my rev limiter to the maximum or bypass it totally ¿`_
@@Toys4Life I had the same problem with my 86 Fiero GT. It would run all day long at 6,000 RPM and twice I almost lost control because of the rev limiter and I did extensive suspension work ¿`_
@@Toys4Life the crazy thing is that is all I want done. I have got a C5 ZO6 2002 that is just fun as hell. If I squeeze into the gas pedal at 3700 RPMs in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gear it rips the tires loose and I love to dance around 6,600 RPMs in those gears and I know it will go to 7000 RPMs and that will give me the leeway I need through the corners oh, and I don't track it ¿`_
Too bad GM didn't give us actual active suspension that was designed and proven. It gave us all the best suspension in the world and with the air-powered power steering would save us a huge pile of money...oops... now we know why we don't have the great stuff...the greed of the manufacturers.
