Does anybody else have any problems when they do a burnout? I keep getting locked in 3rd gear, fail safe mode, after my do a burnout. The FSM says it's due to excessive wheelspin. So the ECU thinks something is wrong, so it locks it into 3rd gear, aka "limp home mode".

This is how I do a burnout. I put my shifter in 2nd gear, then do a burnout. I get to redline in 1st gear so fast, that the tranny ECU can't shift into 2nd gear. It bounces off the rev limiter about 3 or 4 times before it thinks to shift into 2nd gear. By that time, 3 seconds have passed and my tires are sticky enough to actually pull me out of the water box. And everytime, I'm locked in 3rd gear. So I have to shut the car off and restart it before I stage.

Are there any automatics that do burnouts that have had this happen?

The only sensor I can think of that can measure wheelspin would be the ABS sensor. Maybe if I disable ABS when I want to go to the track. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

I never had that happen before, but I really didn't do any serious burnouts. When I did burn out I just put the shifter down in 1.

 

Yeah, if I put it in 1st gear, it won't matter. It will go through the gear and start hitting the rev limiter in a fraction of a second. So I will either try to disable this somehow or try my best to modulate 1st gear and do a burnout without bumping the rev limiter. But I seriously doubt, I have enough power to modulate 1st gear throttle and still burnout for more than 2 or 3 seconds. So I have to stomp on the throttle to keep it spinning.

I really hope someone chimes in with some info. Thanks for your help.

 

Mine has done that two times. Not at the track. I was freaked. I don't have much to add to this though and I don't care cause I'm going 5Spd.

 

it happened to me on the track cost me a 12 in the 1/8th man was i pissed and i had just warmed my tires up but i guess the ecu does it just turn yur car off and start it again be back to normal

 

Yeah, that's what i had to do the rest of the night. I have a few videos of it.

http://www.vqpower.com/moroso/

The 18.73 video is when I got locked into 3rd gear during my burnout. In the 14.95 video, you can see where I shut my car off after my burnout in order to ensure I wasn't locked in 3rd gear. The 14.90 video is my favorite, where I smoked a new Volvo S60.

Do you have ABS?

 

Aaron I just leave it in 1st because I had the same problem. I just nail it and modulate the throttle to keep it off the limiter.

I only do 2 or 3 second burnouts anyway but it will go much longer if I want.

 

I'm glad you chimed in! I was hoping that you had this same problem.

Knowing that you bracket race often, how do you make absolute certain that you aren't in 3rd gear before you launch? I found myself blipping the throttle (in gear) once to make sure I was in 1st gear and not 3rd gear, after the burnout.

I will have to play with it some more to get a feel for my drag radials. If I don't do a burnout, I will only get 2.25 60's. If I do a burnout, I will get 2.1s without a chirp at all. But it requires a 2 or 3 second burnout.

I am scared that if I don't go WOT immediately, I won't be able to keep the tires spinning for atleast 2 seconds. I will try to modulate the throttle in 1st gear and keep it in 1st and see if I can do a burnout without hitting the rev limiter. It just doesn't sound easy. Thanks for your help.

 

do any of you guys feel like your auto almost feels like mush after a burnout. Maybe it did go into third gear.

 

I don't understand. My car feels great after a burnout, no different than before. I am able to cut 2.1s after the burnout. Without one, I could only cut 2.2s.

 

Aaron for some reason I don't get the 3rd gear thingy if I stay in 1st. I used to get it all the time and its a real pain. I usually torque a bit just after the burnout and I can usually tell if its happened before I hit the staging lights. Like you say the only cure is to turn it off for a second and restart. The starter looks at you like your nuts but who cares? I just pretend it stalled.

Its even worse with Traction Control, I have to make sure I turn that off too every time I start the car. I get rudely reminded if I try a burnout with it on but if it goes into failsafe and shut the car off its just one more thing to remember. I don't mind that much as long as I don't forget during the eliminations.

 

well i improved my pb time from a 15.7 at 86 n/a to a 14.8 at 95 s/c with a broken vias, my system and a cooler in the trunk, no home depot mods or weight reductions, and an automatic on street tires,

 

14.8 with a 2.417 60'

 

I've gotten it once when I had it in 1st gear, but I excessively bounced off the rev limiter for a little while. I think I had it in 1st and not 2nd. I just need more practice since this burnout thing is somewhat new to me.

Do you ever hit the limiter while doing a burnout in 1st gear? Maybe I just have to get a feel for things and try to keep it in 1st gear and off the limiter.

 

Ya I used to hit it but I just mash it now and then let up right away as soon as the wheels start to turn, pretty easy to modulate once you get used to it. I just keep modulating it like you are reving you engine.

Another thing I do is turn the wheel slowly from side to side while burning out, it will allow both wheels to start turning and heat up the tires evenly. Just watch you don't take off into the barrier.

 

HAHA, yeah. But I'll get use to it. I guess I will just go with your method since you've proven it to work with slicks. I've also found out that it only takes a maximum of 3 seconds to heat up my drag radials enough to actually pull me out of the water box with my rear tires locked.