i turn it off and put it in competitive mode every time i get in...if you hold the button down for 10 seconds you can also turn off ESC..electronic stability control...

 

I seldom drive hard enough to have the need to shut it off as I have no need to spin the tires. I seldom get into the traction control in daily driving as it is.

To be honest it saved my hide when the idiot with the cell phone forced me off the road. I made the turn into a side road a lot farther than I would with have with out stability control. Other wise I would have hit him and a stop sign.

 

I keep the traction on about 70% of the time, the other 30% it's in "some" version of Comp. Mode (either just the 2 tap Trac Off or Trac + ESC off).

Later
Allex

 

I just bought our LT1 about 2 weeks ago. The salesman, who seemed pretty knowledgeable, told me the only time you really want to turn it off is if you are stuck in the snow.

We don't hot rod it, so it stays on.

 

Good post.... this is exactly what it is there for. I rarely drive the car in a way that requires the traction control or ESC to be disabled to have some fun... so it gets left on 95% of the time, just in case I need it due to unforseen circumstances, like in the case of the idiot that you describe. And maybe I will never need them!

These "electronic nannies" may never get used for the entire life of the car! But if/when some moron causes you to need them, you'll be glad that they are there.

 

Thanks for the replies guys! You have convinced me to leave it on always.

 

aaaahhh!! no!! Don't do that... On a beautiful twisty road with no traffic when you want to have a bit more fun... that's when to shut it off....

 

YES. Leave it on. Read my recent thread. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/general-hhr-4/my-hhr-might-have-saved-my-life-31918/

I've had my traction control & stabilitrack come in handy on all my cars. The other night wasn't even raining.

If you're not just wanting to wear your tires & why turn it off?

 

Comp mode is ok to play with but to shut all down is pointless.

In fact the new ZR-1 tested by Justin Bell Lemans winner found something intersting out.

Often sports cars are faster with pro drivers on the track with the aids off. He found in the comp more the car was much faster with it's help vs the car with just his skills. In fact it our ran a awd 911 with out and out ran it more with the system on.

 

I bought a little kit from Easy Performance to disable the TC "AUTO-on" feature for my 2006 Impala. I'm quite sure it would work on an HHR, but it may take someone with more knowledge of reading schematics than myself. It's just a little jumper wire that connects to something called a BCM (?).

I try to remember shutting it off, as anything that applies your brakes will cost you gas mileage, and I rarely need it anyway.

I still have the little module, if someone wants to experiment with it.

here's a link

http://www.easyperformance.com/Auto_..._TCS_Desc.html