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Active Handling System Problems

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abosoy

Guest
1/21/02
From: abosoy@yahoo.com
RE: Problems/Malfunctions - Active Handling System C5 Corvette - Does It Throw The Car Out Of Control?

MY QUESTION TO OTHER C5 CORVETTE OWNERS: Has anyone else had problems, or malfunctions of the Active Handling System with these cars?

I crashed my 1998 Corvette C5 convertible yesterday after being forced into the left lane by a group of bicyclists on a mild right-hand curve, traveling between 40-45 mph. After being forced to pass the bikes in the oncoming lane, while turning back into my lane, the rear end began to fishtail to the left. When I turned the wheels into the skid, all four wheels seemed to loose traction from the road. It felt as if I was on a sheet of ice; I had no control of the car. The car spun to the right and hit the trees on the left side of the road with the right side of the vehicle. I believe the car is totaled. I received no injuries and the air bags did not deploy. No summons was issued to me as the police informed me that bicyclists frequently block the road in this area and cause problems for drivers. The tires are new run-flats, just replaced 8 months ago, with 30-psi pressure. The temperature was around 30 degrees and the road was dry.

The day before, and less than 5 minutes before the accident, the Active Handling System activated while exiting driveways, due to the slight bump where the driveway enters the road. It made the car jerk violently to both sides and almost killed the engine.

The Active Handling System on my C5 feels like it is throwing my car out of control. I’ve always hated the AHS on this car and I’m aware that some other Vette owners always turn it off when they drive. I wish I had done the same. I don’t believe I would have had the accident if I had control of the car.

Is there a problem with the C5 Active Handling System?
 
HI there,
No, there is no conceivable way that the active handling can push a car out of control. It is a physical impossibility.
As for what happened, I cannot speculate, however, it can always be turned off.
If there was an issues with the active handling system, the 'service active handling' is show, and the system is disabled.
I am sorry for your accident, but I do not believe that your active handling caused your issue.
besttoyou, c4c5:hb
 
Very sorry about your accident, abosoy. Very sad.:cry I haven't had a problem with my active handling so far. Sounds like the bicyclists should have been issued tickets for their practice of blocking the road. Good news that you are ok...

:w
Patti
 
abosoy,

Sorry about your accident, but at least you are ok. You can always get another Vette, but you can't get another life, so Thank GOD you are safe. As far as Active Handling, I have not had any problems either. Good Luck and GOD BLESS.
 
Active handling

I have read all the posts so far on this issue, Sorry to here of your accident, I don't think we can be absolute certain that nothing can go wrong with active handling, every time someone makes a statement that nothing can go wrong something usually does. I have been in aviation electronics for a good part of my life and I understand what we intent the systems to do are not always what happens in real life. you may have experienced a situation that goes beyond what active handling was designed to do. who knows? Most important is your OK. I wish you well.
 
toy1,

I don't think anyone is saying that nothing can go wrong, their saying from what they know there is nothing wrong with the system. Of course there could be something because it is a computerized/machanical system and nothing is perfect. Hopefully nothing will go wrong though as it is a well built car and it should be.
 
What exactly is active handling? Does it just affect the car when you start to lose traction?
 
From the non technical side, active handling is what others term stability control. It includes a gyroscope that measures yaw, side slip, and when that happens or is about to happen it tries to bring the car back into line by braking just the outside front wheel. If you are going too fast it seems that could provide a pivot point but some engineer's I have talked with say that it wouldn't do that because it happens too quick. There was an article about the system on the Carrera4 by a professional driver and he pointed out that no matter how well he drove, he couldn't apply one brake for 'milliseconds'. The system has been in GM since 97 I think and around since early 90's in Europe.

In 5k miles I have seen mine go on only once in a big downpour with lots of standing water and I think the car started to hydroplane and it blinked on and I was going just a bit slower, and safer. Also, going straight down the freeway which is preferrable to what might have happened, but can't be sure that it even happened, very quick and I still wonder. In the garage I park in when I pull out quickly and go into the tight turns I some times get the active handling warming up message but that is only time I see it.

Sorry about the accident.
 

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