Mach 1 Power shuts off!

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Charles Smiley

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Feb 22, 2003

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Northridge, CA

Mar 5, 2003

#1

• Mar 5, 2003

• #1

running up some rpms at full throttle (2nd gear) to get around a truck on a hill the power suddendly felt like someone cut the throttle cable. When I backed off and shifted to 3rd the problem went away. What the heck is that - anyone experience this one?


Chas.

 

SmokyBurnOut

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Aug 31, 1999

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Southbury, CT

Mar 5, 2003

#2

• Mar 5, 2003

• #2

Did you hit the rev limiter?

If not, maybe traction control kicked in? Damn, I'm glad I don't have that in my car now.

 

94BossGT

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Nov 28, 2001

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Olean, NY

Mar 6, 2003

#3

• Mar 6, 2003

• #3

TC

Yes, the rev limiter is around 7200 RPM could have done it, BUT...

The Complaint has been Traction CONTROL!!! It is ON by DEFAULT and you downshift or try to chirp the tires, it will back the engine spark/rpm fuel down!!!! And feel like it want's to stall or something....many discussions over on the http://www.Mach1Registry.com/forums on this very topic!!

 

34Ford

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Aug 16, 2002

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Western North Carolina

Mar 7, 2003

#4

• Mar 7, 2003

• #4

Originally posted by Charles Smiley
running up some rpms at full throttle (2nd gear) ?

Chas.

Click to expand...

2nd gear, full throttle! Goodness. You know good'n well the T/C kicked in

But that could have been a good thing. Might have kept you from swapping ends.

Dennis

 

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Charles Smiley

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Feb 22, 2003

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Northridge, CA

Mar 7, 2003

#5

• Mar 7, 2003

• #5

I doubt I went much above about 5600. But I don't know the accuracy of the tach. I can't see swapping ends in 2nd gear going straight - just not enough power. But I could imagine a traction control going brezerk at the wrong moment and inducing the problem - scary thought to rely on machines with such things.

Are there any known problems with the TC? Overall it seems to work and do something useful. I like the idea of stealthy dicing with other cars and NOT attracting attention (police) with howling tires.

Chas.

 

TR03Mach1

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May 31, 2002

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New Castle, Delaware USA

Mar 7, 2003

#6

• Mar 7, 2003

• #6

My advise would be to only use T/C when the conditions deem it necessary, ie wet, ice, snow, sand, otherwise shut it off! On one occasion I forgot I had it on, shifted into second and you might have thought I slammed on the brakes and turned the motor off and the same time!! The car did a nose dive that about threw me thru the windshield! On dry pavement Traction Control IS NOT your friend.

 

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Charles Smiley

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Feb 22, 2003

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Northridge, CA

Mar 7, 2003

#7

• Mar 7, 2003

• #7

98BlackGTvert,

Very interesting. I wish I could set the default to be normall-off somehow.

Chas.

 

94BossGT

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Nov 28, 2001

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Olean, NY

Mar 7, 2003

#8

• Mar 7, 2003

• #8

Kit

There is a kit you can install that will switch the Traction Control to the OFF position automatically when the car is started....

I think we will be offering it on the Mach1Registry.com soon.

Keep checking.

 

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enforcerfour

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Jan 4, 2003

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NC

Mar 11, 2003

#9

• Mar 11, 2003

• #9

On one occasion I forgot I had it on, shifted into second and you might have thought I slammed on the brakes and turned the motor off and the same time!! The car did a nose dive that about threw me thru the windshield! On dry pavement Traction Control IS NOT your friend.

Click to expand...

A pretty similar thing happened to me. I was riding through town one night and somebody in a 4 cylinder ranger was trying to be cool and make all kinds of noise so I was pulling up to a red light going down a hill and I thought I shift her down in to first and let em here it( I was only going like twenty or so) and when I did I thought i'd blew it up. It started cutting the throttle and what was gonna make my car sound cool just made it look like a piece.

 

SmokyBurnOut

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Aug 31, 1999

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Mar 11, 2003

#10

• Mar 11, 2003

• #10

5600RPM in 2nd gear? If you're having traction problems at 55MPH, you might want to look into better tires. Are these Mach1's really that strong, or is the T/C that crappy?

BTW, I thought I remember reading that the T/C in the Mustang won't activate if you are at WOT. There is a name for that feature, but I can't remember it.

-Chad

 

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Charles Smiley

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Feb 22, 2003

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Northridge, CA

Mar 11, 2003

#11

• Mar 11, 2003

• #11

If it doesn't work in WOT, it could suddenly switch back on if you lift the gas slightly to upshift gears. Since I don't powershift that's the case. I drive to match the rpms to the next gear from racing on roadrace tracks for years.

So maybe the TC can't react favorably to that condition if it switches off for WOT. Another reason to not use it! In some ways I like it -- so you can launch out from a stop with no wheelspin and not attract tickets.

Chas.

 

SmokyBurnOut

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Aug 31, 1999

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Mar 11, 2003

#12

• Mar 11, 2003

• #12

Ok, I found some literature on it. This is from an old Road&Track article on the '99 GT.

The Bosch 5.3 system has a "power start" feature that allows aggressive starts on a good traction surface, permitting a fair amount of wheelspin, and can tell the difference between attempting the same on a slippery surface.

Click to expand...

So, perhaps it's just a feature from a stop?

All I know is, I'm now glad I didn't get that option from all the complaints I hear about it.

 

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magnumforc

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Jan 4, 2004

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Jan 14, 2004

#13

• Jan 14, 2004

• #13

Traction Control

Charles Smiley said:

running up some rpms at full throttle (2nd gear) to get around a truck on a hill the power suddendly felt like someone cut the throttle cable. When I backed off and shifted to 3rd the problem went away. What the heck is that - anyone experience this one?


Chas.

Click to expand...

Yup...it's the traction control, and it operates at any throttle setting. Feels like someone jammed a wood block under the accelerator and the car does all sorts of strange things, like brakingthe spinning wheel(s), until the wheels get full traction and then it's back to normal. Best bet is to shut off the traction control every time you start the car unless it's raining or slick out. There is a module available for about $60 that remembers the last setting YOU chose for the traction control off when you start the vehicle.