The LS probably saved my life yesterday.

[TheRebel]

Since we have had some threads discussing negative things about the LS lately. I though I write a positive post for it. Yesterday and today heavy down pours in Southeast Missouri have hit us. On my way home I did not see the water over the road as I came over a hill and hit it at about 60mph. The water was probably 4 inches deep with very large ditches on both sides. The water just grabbed my car and pulled me towards the ditch. I was fighting the steering wheel with no luck. I finally grabbed traction and was shot over to the other side of the road. Luckily the LS’s advance-trac took over and kept me out of the ditch were I am sure the water would have been deep enough to go over my roof. I was very impressed with the advace-trac system. It slowed my car down and straightened its path out perfectly. I think I could have just let go of the steering wheel and let it drive itself.

 

[bufordtpisser]

Just a question here............

but why in the world were you doing 60 MPH in heavy down pours?? Maybe, just maybe, the only thing that the LS saved you from was yourself. No amount of modern technology will ever save us from our own stupidity.

 

[06AtlantaLS]

Just let the man tell his story instead of being a smartass and calling him stupid.

 

[glanga]

advancetrac is amazing in snow and when it hydroplanes. it almost drives like a FWD in bad weather. I can vouche for you on that one

 

[NickLS]

Maybe, just maybe, the only thing that the LS saved you from was yourself. No amount of modern technology will ever save us from our own stupidity.

Your right about the technology, cause if this were correct, it would have saved you from writing that post. Dumb Ass


Rebel, Thank GOODNESS! That you made it out without a scratch...

 

[TheRebel]

buford is entitled to his opinion I don't care.
I should have been more clear in my story. It was not raining at the time. This was run-off water in a place that I have never seen the water over the road before (even after hard rains in the past). I guess it rained so hard earlier that it was backed up and I totally unexpected it. But yes I should have slowed down because you never know what to expect after a good rain.

 

[jrockcentral1]

glad to hear your (and the car) are still in one piece!

 

[Jon]

I hardly ever drive the LS... but I have noticed it's a little too preventive.

 

[owlman]

I was kinda hoping for crash pictures but good to hear you survived

 

[itsnotmydaddys]

Missourian here, last night I was making a u-turn(legal) and the back end swung out (20" tires dont grab that well in all this rain) and it sent me heading straight towards the median, couldnt correct the car at all, the AT jumped in and saved my ass. Stopped about 1" away from the median, threw it in reverse and was on my way.

 

[00ls5spd]

Hey rebel,

Glad to hear u and the LS made it o.k.

I was born and raised in Sikeston....hows things in MO besides the rain?

 

[DeviLSh]

At has saved me on a wet morning as well. Took a pretty sharp turn on my way to school and I had the stock tires on which wer every worn. (this was about a week before I go tnew ones) The car understeered and I started going straight for a HUGE boulder.

Then just in time the little yellow light flashed and the car kinda straightened itself out.

-dev

 

[TheRebel]

Hey rebel,

Glad to hear u and the LS made it o.k.

I was born and raised in Sikeston....hows things in MO besides the rain?

It's getting hot and muggy. The skitters are starting to thrive.

 

[97stscaddy]

The advance-trac almost made me WRECK one night in the rain. But that's because I underestimated a curve and had to brake harder when I was already in the curve. Back wheels locked for a second, the rear end cut out to the right (left hand curve) I let off the brakes, and got back on the throttle. Im not used to tracion control on rwd vehicles, I was just gonna drift the rest of the curve and it would have been fine. But when the A-trac cut in ,the car shot off to the left (into the wrong lane) straight towards a ditch. So I had to turn WAY back to the right to keep out of the ditch on the WRONG side of the road, I reached down and smacked the button to turn the A-trac OFF, yanked the wheel back to the left after I got back on my side of the road and pitched the rear end around AGAIN, then slid the rest of the way out of the curve no trouble.
Glad to hear it worked out good for you though. It may do me some good in the snow, but ill have to wait a few months to find out.

 

[TorontoLS]

Advance Trac saved my a** a few years ago when I hit a patch of black ice going into a turn. Almost bashed into the guard rail but thank goodness for the Advance Trac. I keep it on ALL the time now, regardless of road conditions.

 

[nickandersonLS01]

Im not used to tracion control on rwd vehicles

They have TC on something other than RWD? You really don't lose much traction with AWD/FWD, and I've personally never seen it be in anything other than RWD cars. Prove me wrong, I like learning new things.

 

[02V8Sport]

They have TC on something other than RWD? You really don't lose much traction with AWD/FWD, and I've personally never seen it be in anything other than RWD cars. Prove me wrong, I like learning new things.

Wifes ex-FWD 04 Volvo S60 T5 had TC on it.

 

[Crying Birch]

They have TC on something other than RWD? You really don't lose much traction with AWD/FWD, and I've personally never seen it be in anything other than RWD cars. Prove me wrong, I like learning new things.

I owned an '02 Focus ZTS with Advance Trac, the car was amazing in poor road conditions.

 

[macboy]

The advance-trac almost made me WRECK one night in the rain. But that's because I underestimated a curve and had to brake harder when I was already in the curve. Back wheels locked for a second, the rear end cut out to the right (left hand curve) I let off the brakes, and got back on the throttle. Im not used to tracion control on rwd vehicles, I was just gonna drift the rest of the curve and it would have been fine. But when the A-trac cut in ,the car shot off to the left (into the wrong lane) straight towards a ditch. So I had to turn WAY back to the right to keep out of the ditch on the WRONG side of the road, I reached down and smacked the button to turn the A-trac OFF, yanked the wheel back to the left after I got back on my side of the road and pitched the rear end around AGAIN, then slid the rest of the way out of the curve no trouble.
Glad to hear it worked out good for you though. It may do me some good in the snow, but ill have to wait a few months to find out.

Are you certain that you have AdvanceTrac rather than traction control? Does your disable button have a little picture of a spinning tire (traction control) or a sliding car (AdvanceTrac)?
My experience with AdvanceTrac is very positive. Still, driving with AdvanceTrac can be a little tricky for skilled drivers. The average (read: "unskilled") driver does not know how to countersteer a skid, and will very quickly loose control in an oversteer situation. Obviously that is not you. You know how to countersteer to try to maintain your line. Unfortunately this works against Advancetrac, which tries to keep your car pointed in the direction that the driver points with the steering wheel. As soon as you countersteer a skid, AdvanceTrac will dutifully try to put the car into that line, which is not really what you want. I recommend playing in an empty parking lot in fresh snow (or in a downpour if you are brave) to get a feel for what it does, and how to work with it. Trust me, you will be able to do things with AdvanceTrac that you simply cannot do without it, as long as you work with it and not against it.

 

[97stscaddy]

They have TC on something other than RWD? You really don't lose much traction with AWD/FWD

Yeah, my Caddy had it. It was FWD (which REALY surprised me) and it was on pretty often. 300hp + FWD + cheap @$$ Goodyear tires = bad traction. When I put on some decent Continentals it got WAY better, but it would still spin like crazy in the rain.

Are you certain that you have AdvanceTrac rather than traction control? Does your disable button have a little picture of a spinning tire (traction control) or a sliding car (AdvanceTrac)?

It says advance-trac on the message display when it cuts on/off and there's a picture of a car with S-stripes behind it on the button. :shrug:

Trust me, you will be able to do things with AdvanceTrac that you simply cannot do without it

Oh I don't doubt that, but I wouldn't say that I COULDN'T do alot of things without the A-tracs help. It does make some things easier though due to my lead foot. Thers an intersection on my way home from work that is up a hill and around a very tight curve at the same time, and almost every car spins wheels around that curve. The LS does it, my slowass truck does it, my Caddy did it. The A-trac helps keep the car from doin one wheel burnouts around the corner. And im sure it will help in the snow with all the hills around here. Hopefully it will mimic a Limited Slip Differential by pulsating the rear brakes to keep one side or the other from just spinning like crazy.