When Advancetrac is turned off, is it really off?

[larry Stark]

I just had a bad experience at the track with my 2011 GT. I always run with the Advancetrac off. After a really hard rain the concrete track surface was drying. I was first group out and was really taking it easy. On a short straight slowly rolling into the throttle while accelerating the rear of the car suddenly broke loose and spun me off course. I studied in car video and was going in a straight line and my hands had not moved on the wheel prior to the spin. I did some research on You tube and there are a multitude of video compilations of Mustangs crashing in the same manner. Many people say that even though the Advancetrac is off it can turn back on again or it never really goes completely off. Does anybody really know if the Advancetrac can turn back on or never shuts off?

 

[crjackson]

Yeah, it can go completely off. At least it does on my 2014 Track-Pack.

I have a friend that races auto-x and his would seem to magically turn on at times. After years of Messing with this, he decided to inspect the wiring, and found a melted harness near the exhaust over axle pipe. He repaired, moved, and shielded the harness. It never happened again.

I always run with mine turned off, and recently had to take a ditch to avoid being T-Boned. During the incident, my car hit a massive pothole, and spun out with tires slip-sliding everywhere. My Advancetrac remained off (even though, I WISHED it had kicked in).

So I’m pretty sure it goes off and stays off on mine anyway.

 

[LarryJM]

Lots of wrecked S197 Coyote Mustangs out there with 85,000 miles. Hey just saying.

 

[86GT351]

I just had a bad experience at the track with my 2011 GT. I always run with the Advancetrac off. After a really hard rain the concrete track surface was drying. I was first group out and was really taking it easy. On a short straight slowly rolling into the throttle while accelerating the rear of the car suddenly broke loose and spun me off course. I studied in car video and was going in a straight line and my hands had not moved on the wheel prior to the spin. I did some research on You tube and there are a multitude of video compilations of Mustangs crashing in the same manner. Many people say that even though the Advancetrac is off it can turn back on again or it never really goes completely off. Does anybody really know if the Advancetrac can turn back on or never shuts off?

What are you doing to turn it off?

 

[Pentalab]

What are you doing to turn it off?

On my 2010, you hit the switch once to shut off the traction control. "advance track off". Stopped, hold the switch down for a few seconds, then it goes into ..."sport mode". Hold it down for 15 seconds..and it's completely off. In any mode, the ABS brakes are always functioning.

 

[Midlife Crises]

On my 2010, you hit the switch once to shut off the traction control. "advance track off". Stopped, hold the switch down for a few seconds, then it goes into ..."sport mode". Hold it down for 15 seconds..and it's completely off. In any mode, the ABS brakes are always functioning.

Interesting. On my 2010 GT you press the button once and traction control is off. To turn off advance track you stop, step on break and hold the button down for 6 seconds.

 

[crjackson]

On the 2014 ….

1 press = Traction Control Off
2 presses (double click like a mouse) = Sport Mode

Hold button down for 4-seconds while pressing foot brake & clutch pedal
Completely disables Advancetrac

 

[SilBult]

I have a '14 GT and do the occasional autocross. I haven't found any need to depress the clutch pedal in order to disable the advance track. You do have to push down on the brake pedal and hold the button down for few seconds until the "advance track off" appears in the message center.

 

[86GT351]

I have a '14 GT and do the occasional autocross. I haven't found any need to depress the clutch pedal in order to disable the advance track. You do have to push down on the brake pedal and hold the button down for few seconds until the "advance track off" appears in the message center.

I think people depress both because it disables the ignition system.

 

[crjackson]

Since you (rather I) have to press the clutch to crank the car, and because the car is parked with 1st gear engaged, I’m already pressing them both when I disable Advancetrac.

I’ll crank the car next time, place the shifter in neutral, and then try to disable Advancetrac with only the brake depressed. It’ll probably work, I just usually disable it he split second after the car starts, and the clutch is usually being depressed at that moment.

 

[deathwishracer]

Even when you hold it down for 5-10 seconds, and it's supposed to be completely off, it can turn back on under extreme g forces. The only way to be certain it's all the way off is to pull the stability control fuse, #34. The yaw sensor and the lateral sensor are built into the RCM. I am going to try to pinout the wire for the lateral sensor, and disconnect that, which should turn off the advancetrac, but not the abs. Pulling the 34 fuse kills abs also.

 

[JEWC_Motorsports]

Even though it says advancetrac off its never really off, NEVER. We have seen this is the tune on multiple cars. What we have learned is to disconnect the sensor in the left front wheel well. That is truly the ONLY way to get it disabled.

 

[Pentalab]

On the 2014 ….

1 press = Traction Control Off
2 presses (double click like a mouse) = Sport Mode

Hold button down for 4-seconds while pressing foot brake & clutch pedal
Completely disables Advancetrac

This above is correct. I had it wrong on post #4. BUT, to get into sport mode, I have to be stopped, with foot on brake, then double click. To completely disable advancetrac, again, stopped, with foot on brake (10 secs on my 2010 auto).

 

[LarryJM]

How about this?

 

[Pentalab]

How about this?

View attachment 79278

Interesting. So when in 'sport mode'.... the traction control is still enabled. That I didn't know. The above info also pertains to any 2010.

 

[LarryJM]

Well for sure everything is on at startup and every startup.

 

[Midlife Crises]

Interesting. So when in 'sport mode'.... the traction control is still enabled. That I didn't know. The above info also pertains to any 2010.

(if equipped)

 

[Pentalab]

(if equipped)

I haven't seen any 2010 GT's that didn't have traction control on/off, sport mode, and advance track totally off. I seldom use the sport mode, extremely rare. But I do shut off the traction control 99% of the time. With traction control on, it just trashes the rear brakes around town.

What I didn't realize was the traction control is ON, when in sport mode.

 

[13v6]

If your Advancetrac was ON, it won't go squirrely off to one side. The Advancetrac would catch it. Try doing a little drifting with it on and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Even though it says advancetrac off its never really off, NEVER. We have seen this is the tune on multiple cars. What we have learned is to disconnect the sensor in the left front wheel well. That is truly the ONLY way to get it disabled.

Have you done any experimenting with staggering front vs read brake pad formulations to ensure that neither end of the car is over-braked relative to the other end?

Too much front brake increases stopping distances and steering control up near the limit. Too much rear brake risks a spin.


Norm