Alarming nanny behavior
 

Don't get your hopes up pervs, this isn't about a babysitter getting frisky.
For starters, my suspension/tires are still 100% stock.
The on ramp going to work is a 90 degree left turn that immediately goes uphill once the turn is complete. There are two turn lanes at the light where you wait to go up the ramp and, about halfway up the ramp, one of the lanes goes away. Pretty typical.
This morning I was at the front of the outer lane (the one that goes away) and there was a mustang behind me. Being a considerate kind of guy, I figure I'll make sure to get up the ramp quickly enough that the mustang can make it in front of the slow line of cars in the other lane. The light changes, I step on the gas, make my turn, and just as I'm about to straighten the car out for the ramp, it feels like someone shut the freaking engine off. It was a good thing the mustang driver was asleep at the switch or he would have rear ended me. I glanced down and the traction light was on. The problem is that there was no tire spin or sliding that I noticed and even if there was some slight amount that I somehow missed, the nanny completely overreacted to the situation.
Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

Edit: I forgot to include the fact that I have an automatic and it was in Sport mode.

yes.

Yeah, at default, the traction control activates quicker than your tires can brake loose, I've found. Try launching with the nanny. It'll notice the wheel starting to slip before you do and cut engine power.

The stock tires are made of plastic and the tc is aggressive.... What that means is if you want to drive in a manner other than what your great grandmother would approve of, you either need new tires, or have to be is sport or tc off mode at all times.


I only use sport mode if I don't want to have fun or it's really slick out, otherwise TC is off.

Are you sure that tyres will slip as before we do and cut engine power?

Just run everything off. Only way i drive and never had your issue :)

I forgot to include the fact that I have an automatic and it was in Sport mode.

You can barely get sport mode to spin so I'd say he's right.

TC nearly stalled the car out when I left it on and there happened to be 5 grains or more of sand at the intersection. It's about useless

So it sounds like I need to develop the habit of hitting the TC at the same time I put into Sport mode.
With apologies to Frank Sinatra.
Sport and TC,
Sport and TC,
Let me tell you brother,
Don't press one without the other.

Or does the TC button enable Sport at the same time automatically? I don't remember.

Pressing TC is a temporary disable. Turns back on after 30mph.
VSC Sport still keeps TC on.
Hold down TC for 5 sec, it'll "disable" TC along with other nannies (except for ABS and Eletronic Distributive Braking).

There's a thread somewhere about this. Too lazy to look it up. But yes, the TC is super aggressive. A good thing if you don't want to fly off the road when it's less than ideal. Or if you don't know your car yet.

Use VSC to start to get a feel, press TC to launch (or do what you did). Once you're comfortable, you can disable TC. But assume all risk.

It might be your luck till now..

This is just plain stupid advice.

Trac and VSC are safety features and in case of an emergency they will be much more effective then whatever pro racer skills you think you have.

The OP question is proof that the systems work well, Trac kicked in before he even realized there was a problem. Had the same thing happened at on the highway it could have saved his life.

If it happened on the highway it could have gotten someone killed. It was far too strong a reaction to the situation and could have caused an accident.
I like having the nannies in general, but I'd rather trust 39 years of driving experience in all kinds of weather than have a system that could overreact like that.
What would happen if it did that on the highway in the rain because there was the slightest bit of slippage while changing lanes? It could cause a multiple car pileup. Granted that's an extreme example, but based on what happened this morning, I think it could happen. What would be the slightest of adjustments on my part could become a disaster with that kind of reaction by the electronics.

What I'm guessing happened based on your description of events is that the system detected wheel spin and cut power, however you probably continued to apply the throttle because in your mind everything was fine. The system will continue to cut the power until you release the throttle because every time it engages power it detects more wheel spin. It will continue like this for ever. Go ahead and try launching the car with nannies on, if you keep your foot down the car will bog down and barely creep forward because it's constantly detecting wheel spin every time it attempts to engage power.

Had you been on the highway it wouldn't have been as drastic because of the momentum of the car at that speed. When you are accelerating from a stop or coming out of a corner the effect of Trac feels a lot more drastic because you are expecting the car to accelerate. The fact that the car reacted that way isn't an overreaction. You have no way of knowing what the systems prevented.

I once hydroplaned on the highway going about 100kph around a light bend, the road was fine until a deep puddle came out of nowhere. VSC kicked in and slowed the car down. Did it feel like an overreaction? Sure, maybe a little. Could I have been killed or wrecked my car if VSC didnt react that way? yes definitely.

If you think 39 years of driving makes you faster at reacting to an emergency then a computer then you're being foolish. My grandfather once told me ABS was for people who didnt know how to pump the brakes, this is along the same line of thinking.