Traction Control

[41magsnub]

Is it just me or do other folks find traction control in cars really annoying?  I stay about 10 years behind the curve on new car technology so this is a new thing for me.  My old car was a subaru legacy from right before the full time all wheel drive thing started where when there was slippage in the front tires 4wd would kick in automatically.

I like the concept of traction control when already moving and it kicks in if I start spinning.  However, it is annoying the ever loving crap out of me when merging into traffic at an intersection in my 99 Avalon.  If I forget to turn it off before the intersection and the road is even slightly wet it kicks in when I step on it and it lets off the gas for me.  If there is any slippage at all it kicks in.  This is the sort of intersection where you have to merge from a stop sign into 45+ MPH mildly heavy traffic and need to get on it a bit.  I would rather the front wheels just spin a little and let me get moving rather than it trying to protect me somehow.

[Azrael256]

It's a good thing for idiots who don't know how to handle their car, and for high performance cars that can become catastrophically out of control even for advanced drivers.

Unfortunately, that's an inverted bell curve, and you and your car are at the bottom of it.

[zahc]

I agree. I feel the same way about ABS, and Honda's Linked Brake system. Broken by design I say.

[French G.]

I think most all driver aids(power steering, power brakes, ABS, trac control )save the car until you get the car so far gone that God himself, or Michael Schumacher couldn't save it. IOW, it lets people push the envelope because they are no longer aware that it exists.

I've been testing the ESP out in my Mercedes c280. It is pretty hard to save a car based on traditional reactions when the stability program is trying to save it too. It does have a handy off button tho. My rigorous test protocol involves mainly seeing how far out of line I can get the rear wheels on various gravel roads. Almost time for new tires, so no more tests soon. 

[Monkeyleg]

I turn off the traction control almost immediately after starting the car. It's hard to chirp the tires when the motor is being electronically sedated.

[Nitrogen]

I've been known to pull the ABS and Traction fuses unless it's icy out.

[Tallpine]

I discovered this on our "new" car last winter when we were trying to go up a muddy hill - almost to the top the TC sets in and just brings us to a dead halt.  Had to back down and start all over again :(

I'm not sure if there is a way to turn it off, besides putting the AT in low gear which sorta defeats the whole purpose of driver control. (better to be in a higher gear to avoid wheel spinning)

I've found that the best way is just to drive like an idiot like the manufacturer expects - lots of throttle and let the computer figure it out.  If you try to back off the power as normal it just screws everything up.

I don't really have a very high opinion of FWD either.  Our old Suburban can get around just fine in 2wd after the car has to be confined to the garage. 

[zahc]

It is pretty hard to save a car based on traditional reactions when the stability program is trying to save it too.

Exactly. And what if you WANT to spin/lockup the tires?  

I've been known to pull the ABS and Traction fuses unless it's icy out.

On the GM trucks I used to drive, I pulled the ABS fuse ESPECIALLY when it was icy. I had it do some rather unsettling things.

[Nitrogen]

Exactly. And what if you WANT to spin/lockup the tires?  
On the GM trucks I used to drive, I pulled the ABS fuse ESPECIALLY when it was icy. I had it do some rather unsettling things.

It depends on the car.  My Acura did absolutely wonderfully in the ice with ABS, and I could see a marked improvement.  My current Infiniti does well, but not as well as my Acura.   My ex-wife's Honda, deleted, i'd pull the fuse even in the ice.

i'm not a very skilled ice/snow driver, since I've rarely driven in such conditions. Spent most of my driving life in California, Arizona and Texas where ice is rare, so I don't mind a little help.

What say we watch our language on this very public, all-ages forum?

[Jamisjockey]

Traction control in my wife's ESV is a hoot.  Driving around in 8" of snow last spring like a maniac in a parking lot...trying to do donuts   

Most vehicles have a button you can push to turn it off.  Leave the pavement, click the button.  Traction control works pretty darn well on icy, wet, or snowy roads.  At least hers does.
My F150 has a rear limper.  I almost killed mtnbkr and I last winter on an icy overpass....that made me go 

[Hawkmoon]

Is it just me or do other folks find traction control in cars really annoying?  I stay about 10 years behind the curve on new car technology so this is a new thing for me.  My old car was a subaru legacy from right before the full time all wheel drive thing started where when there was slippage in the front tires 4wd would kick in automatically.

I like the concept of traction control when already moving and it kicks in if I start spinning.  However, it is annoying the ever loving crap out of me when merging into traffic at an intersection in my 99 Avalon.  If I forget to turn it off before the intersection and the road is even slightly wet it kicks in when I step on it and it lets off the gas for me.  If there is any slippage at all it kicks in.  This is the sort of intersection where you have to merge from a stop sign into 45+ MPH mildly heavy traffic and need to get on it a bit.  I would rather the front wheels just spin a little and let me get moving rather than it trying to protect me somehow.

If I were to own a vehicle with traction control I would leave it turned off permanently.

But ... that's "IF" I were to own a vehicle with traction control. Since the likelihood if that is so slight as to effectively be zero, it isn't a concern.

There's a reason that person behind the wheel is called the "driver." The manufacturers need to rethink the wisdom of making it progressively "safer" for "drivers" to spend their wheel time doing everything except driving.

[brimic]

Traction control is absolute garbage.
Humorous case in point:
My wife called me one day to tell me that she got her car stuck in the driveway because it had snowed 2" during the day. I get home, start the car, put it in gear, and it doesn't move- the tire won't even spin. I turn the traction control off and drive away with no problems.

With ice and low traction conditions, you need to spin the tires to get moving. On dry pavement traction control isn't going to help you win a drag race either. It might be one of the gayest features ever put on a car.

I'm not a fan of ABS either. I think it teaches people stupid habits like jamming on the  brakes instead of quickly steadily applying pressure- which will get you in trouble if your ABS invariably fails during hard braking (the ABS sensors have crapped out on 2 of my vehicles so far, once while braking hard to avoid someone running a red light.

[Gewehr98]

I like the ESP on my Jeep - especially on unplowed winter roads. 

[sanglant]

it might be the tires, i know slick tires make my abs go nuts just something to think about

[280plus]

I miss being able to lock up the wheels and slide sideways when I need to. Not a big fan of ABS at all. The wife's Monte has TC, it has developed a habit of engaging for no apparent reason. They can't figure it out because it doesn't register any fault codes. Sweeeet.. 

[Boomhauer]

The only thing I can tell you is my '99 Chevy Silverado has disconnected ABS and no traction control. I manage just fine...

[Monkeyleg]

In its last days, my old Ford Ranger didn't have steering, but I persevered.

[French G.]

Last fun car I had was my '96 T-bird, RWD and good motor, the highlight was any parking lot after it snowed. Of course one night I pulled off a nice 360 on dry pavement with about 40mph of forward speed, so maybe it was a little too fun. 

[Fly320s]

ABS is good stuff. I much prefer having all my brakes work at maximum power when I need them rather than having to manually modulate my braking based on one brake that locks up early.

[Gewehr98]

Fly320s speaks true.

The same logic applies to big heavy flying things when landing, too.

There's varying levels of "traction control".  Some cut power, others redistribute it to the wheels that have traction. 

Hell, even the locker I installed in the back of my S-10 does its own version of traction control.

[charby]

I miss being able to lock up the wheels and slide sideways when I need to. Not a big fan of ABS at all. The wife's Monte has TC, it has developed a habit of engaging for no apparent reason. They can't figure it out because it doesn't register any fault codes. Sweeeet.. 

Me too.

Also kicking it into 4 wheel drive, slam on the brakes into a skid then stomp on it and make the vehicle crab walk sideways.

ABS doesn't let me get into a skid.

[Boomhauer]

Fly320s speaks true.

The same logic applies to big heavy flying things when landing, too.

There's varying levels of "traction control".  Some cut power, others redistribute it to the wheels that have traction. 

Hell, even the locker I installed in the back of my S-10 does its own version of traction control.

Hey, I like ABS when it's well implemented and designed properly.

I haven't come across many such systems...everything we've had completely sucks. Always going out, messing up, not doing that well, etc. It can be very expensive to replace the ABS computer, too, especially when it's the exact same design and going to exhibit the exact same issues and fail.

[Jamisjockey]

Raining cats and dogs here today.  420 HP, pedal to the floor off a stop light.  Not a problem.  AWD + Traction control, AOkay in my book.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

abs and traction control keep my wife from killing the kids.44

[cfabe]

I'm generally a fan of ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control and other electronic safety features. In some cases, yes a very skilled driver can do just as well or better than the system. But most drivers on the road are not very skilled, or even if skilled & experienced, not always paying attention.

I consider myself a skilled driver who has had plenty of practice playing in snow parking lots, and I lost control once in a non-ABS vehicle when my rear tires locked up on wet pavement due to a pavement change on an exit ramp. I believe ABS would have saved me in this case, the lockup & skid occured too fast for me to correct it.

Some of the more advanced features like stability control, emergency braking assist, etc do actually get better performance from the vehicle than a driver can because they have more control. For example, emergency braking assist uses the ABS pump to rapidly apply full brake force when it detects you are hitting the brakes agressively in a panic stop. It does this faster than a human can and this shaves a few feet off of stopping distance. Or stability control, where it can individually brake one wheel to correct an excessive yaw rate that would result in a skid. Can't do that with the brake pedal.