Today, I was behind a car at a light that stopped fairly far forward for the red. When the light turned green, I naturally waited a little for the driver to notice, but the brake lights stayed on. So, I blew my horn in a modest manner, and then quickly escalated to a more insistent manner, and yet the brake lights remained on. So, I pulled out to the left and as I was passing him/her he/she apparently got the idea and began to move forward. Naturally, I tried to speedily complete the pass by pressing on my throttle in first gear, however, it seemed to me, even though neither wheel was slipping, the engine power dropped (rather than increasing). I changed to second and hit it and the pass rapidly completed (definite squeel as the front tires bit).

So, behavior following my clutched shift to second was perfectly fine, but I'm left wondering what happened while in first. The tires did not slip when I pulled out from behind the car and so I wouldn't have expected the TRAC system to have cut-in and killed power. I'm mystified !

PS. Just wondering, is this perhaps a limitation as to what's available in first gear? Did I just run out of what the ECU was willing to allow me before shifting to second?

 

Sounds how mine acts when the trac control kicks in. I drive with both off now, all the time, unless the roads are wet. I did not like the couple of times it robbed my power and left me in a bit of a pickle. Ive had it kick in during turns where I coulda swore the tires never slipped.

 

If TC kicks in, the light will start blinking. Watch for it, its pretty visible.

 

Thanks for the tip, but I'd never notice in a traffic situation, I'd be too busy trying to extricate myself ! I deliberately pushed down on the accelerator (perhaps floored) when I saw the car adjacent me start to move, and it really did seem like the engine backed off rather than pulled. However, there was no hesitation at all when I switched to second, the power was immediately there -- don't know if TRAC usually has any delay associated with disengaging.

 

Well I have an auto, and it does the same thing sometimes. (minus the chirp going to 2nd obviously) It acts like it's starting in 2nd instead of 1st, has NO power until it shifts...no lights come on so IDK.

 

I had had this problem since day 1. It's the TC, it's waaay too sensitive. I wish there was a way to adjust it.

 

There is......turn it off.

 

Yepp, off.

 

I know that......I did say ADJUST.

 

Turning it off would be an adjustment :D