so i have this corvette, not something i wanted ... long story... and i don't know how to drive it.
i brought it into the dealer to tell them that something is wrong with my car. i was on the freeway and stepped on the gas to accel fast and the back of the stupid car starts fishtailing. i thought i was going to die.

dealer said there was nothing wrong with my car and that it just has more power than im use to. BUT shouldn't a car STILL at least accelerate in a staight line and not try to kill me?

how about the traction on/off thing? what the heck is all that about?
i was driving back from vegas in the SNOW and only my car was drifting at 0/5 miles an hour.... what is wrong??
help please... before i really end up getting into an accident.

 

Kristin,If you could somehow get you and the car here I would be only too glad to teach you how to drive it! Probably take a couple three days to give you what would be known in some circles as a "crash" course Actually more like a No-crash course. The best advice I can give you on how to drive the Vette on snow is DON'T!!!!! 45 series tires of almost any width will get so very little traction on any kind of pavement other than hot and dry that it will be a little dodgy for an experienced driver and should be avoided at all costs by newbies! All I know about traction control is to leave it "ON" unless you are running on the dragstrip and need to spin the tires a little for proper performance.
Just be VERY careful with that heavy right foot,don't push on that pedal very hard until you get a chance to get used to it under all different driving conditions. Maybe you should put the Vette in storage 'til April or so and find yourself a Miata to thrash around in for the winter?
Best of Luck!
Ron

 

NICE VETTE! [sm=icon_rock.gif]
If you are not used to winter driving, park it. It takes a lot of pratice to handle power in the snow. I have over 40 years of experiance driving in snow, and I still get loose now and then. Even 4x4s get squirly. I see them in the ditch more than any other vehicle. 4 wheels driving means you can get in 4 times the trouble. Keep your speed down, no matter what you drive.
Go light on the throttle and light on the brake. Keep your speed down, and do not get too close to those in front of you, leave a count of at least 10 between you and the car in front. Wide tires will 'float' on the surface of the snow and not sink to the road. I use narrow tires on my 4x4 250, have great traction, but,......I keep my speed down.
You have a relatively light car for the horse power, so take it easy.
Vettes were not built for winter driving, but they can't be beat for dry road performance.

I just noticed, I mentioned 'keep our speed down', 3, er uh,4 times now.

 

BTW,
Front wheel drive cars don't handle worth squat in the snow or slippery roads, once you spin your wheels, you have no control.
I have a little 2 wheel drive pick up with street tires, and can get around better in the snow than most people. That's where my experiance pays off, big time.
Take it easy, dont get in a hurry, no matter what you drive.

 

Thanks for the advice. i live in Cali so we hardly ever get snow. It was just a weird couple of days!!
But I still don't understand why when i step hard on the gas pedal the car will fishtail. is that normal?

i know how to drive a car. i'm actually a pretty good driver when i accel fast and hard on the beemer it just takes off, smooth and steady. the Vette on the other hand is trying to kill me. I want to know what i can do to stop it from fishtailing...

thanks!

 

Your Vette has a whole lot more HP than your Beemer. The drive train is built for power and speed.
When you 'step hard' on the throttle, she will really come alive.
To quote my Dad, 'It takes horse sence to handle horse power'.
Have you ever had a 'Hot Rod'? Well you do now.

It is going to take some time to get a handle on all that power, so take it easy.

Your fishtailing is due to you breaking the rear end loose, lighten up on the throttle.