m3to335

I heard from one forum member that without the sensors, about 10% of the time the car will try to protect itself and go into limp. A simple restart resolves that. Is this the same for you all as well?

I just picked up some wheels and will get scrubs mounted next week. I'm trying to justify not needing the sensors in my track wheels since I've never run them in any other car either. I check the pressures, wear pattern and heat regularly after each run though. So, it's not that I'm oblivious to what my tires are telling me.

MartyZ51

It's pretty well documented that you will need the sensors. Some have purchased the sensors and sealed them in PVC tubes to trick the computer. I've also heard talk of taking your street set of tires/wheels and placing them in your pit area at the appropriate corner. $50 for each sensor from House of Wheels and a $135 reset tool from Katec will put you on the track for a one time price of approximately $350. The Katech tool also works with a ton of other manufacturers so you can rotate tires on your other cars yourself.

I assume you didn't get into this hobby for less than $50k so don't let $350 stand in the way of a track weekend!

m3to335

I stretched every penny to afford picking up this car last week. And your right yet another $350 on top of the price of the car, $1400 for the privelage of registering it in NC, the clear bra, the price of track wheels and tires wont kill me...but my wife might

I will have the original wheels/tires in the pit area as well. So your saying I can just sit them next to the car when I start it up then roll on out without them?

gonzalezfj

The highlighted statement is simply not true.

In fact, the answer is: It depends. It depends what year your car is and what version of the on-board software you have. Many cars (like mine, a C6Z06 with buid date of March 2006) run just fine without sensors. I have been running my car at the track without sensors for 3 seasons and the only detrimental effect is that the car nags you about the sensor system not working. No limp mode, no speed or AH restriction.

So, my recommendation to you is to try it without the sensors. Then, if you experience problems, decide how you want to proceed.

In my opinion there is no sense spending $350 that you don't need to spend.

YMMV.

Frank Gonzalez

m3to335

I figured as much. Thanks!

I'll be most likely running 305-35-18s square.

jadkins

100% agreement that it depends - ie: depends on if you want to run the "nannies" at all or not. I have a 2008 C6z51 that I have downsized brakes to run cheap C5/C6nonZ51 rotors ($30 at NAPA) and I run GS/A-mold Clones 17x11 with 315s square. I do NOT run sensors and I turn off ALL Traction Controls and Active Handling (since I am running 17" rears it really freaks out the computer if you don't). I ran 4 run sessions at Putnam Park yesterday and did NOT get a TirePressure warning light until the start of the 3rd session. I simply clear it from the DIC and go on (the light stays on which can be distracting at first) - I have never had the car go into any type of 'limp mode' - during 10 events last year and 2 events so far this year.

Now with this said there was a guy yesterday with a C6z06 that was on Track wheels withOUT sensors but had his street tires in his trailer and if he parked too close to his rig the tires would "re-acquire" the car and the result would confuse the traction control which I believe he was running. So as a result he simply parked about 50ft from his trailer. My experience has been if I bolted my street wheels back on or parked next to them (stacked in my garage) - the car would act like the sensors were installed. But this would only last about 5-8 Start Cycles then it would flash up the tire-pressure warning light but that's it.

I have also been told but I have not tested this that if you remove sensors (or don't use them) after 30 Start Cycles the computer gives up and assumes that you do NOT have sensors at all. No name dropping but this comes from someone who is pretty much THE Corvette Driver/Setup guy in the Cincy OH area - with multiple National AutoX championships, NASA TT Championships, Track Records and he turns wrenches on corvettes for his day job (lucky!)...if someone knows some tricks it is him. But again I haven't tested this myself.

m3to335

Interesting. This is my first event in the Z so I will be most likely running in competition mode to start out. So it sounds like I just need to get the stockers as far away as possible and I'll be oK. Thats odd because the other guy told me to put the stock wheels on all 4 corners of the car so it "wouldnt" be confused.

You got a warning in the 3rd session and simply cleared it from the DIC and went on". What exactly does that mean? Sorry, this is my first Vette so bear with me

jadkins

At the start of the 3rd session when I started the car - I got the standard Tire Pressure sensor alert in the on the dash - I think "DIC" stands for "Driver Information Center". Simply hit the RESET - to clear it from the DIC. Please note the warning light will continue to flash even after you hit reset. I then run with all Traction/Active handling off - simply hold the Traction Control button down until you see that everything is OFF in the DIC. I then switch to the Oil Temp on the DIC. Watch the Oil Temp and Pressure (via the gauge not DIC) and you'll be fine.

Like I said I think the Z06 owner this weekend was having trouble because he WAS running with Traction Control on but withOUT the sensors. Since I turn everything off it hasn't been a problem for me.

davidfarmer

If you shut AH/TC down, no problem. In our 06', if you run normal or comp mode, it goes into "limp" mode about 20% of the time. Only solution is to shut everything down

As above, I shut all down so it's a non issue

m3to335

Does it limp right after you start up or mid way through the session. There's nothing more annoying then having to pit in to turn the car off and on. Thats the main reason I sold the 335i. It was a limp nightmare

I'll just run the sucker and see how it pans out.