Dear Tom and Ray:
I live in Michigan, where Mother Nature constantly tries to do me in with her lake-effect snow and black ice. I recently purchased a 2010 Jeep, which is the first vehicle I've ever owned with a traction-control button. Why in the world would I EVER want to turn the traction control off? I quite enjoy having traction. Is there any downside to always having the traction control system on?
-- Dan
Ray: Normally, no. For the vast majority of your driving lifetime, Dan, the traction control should be on.
Tom: Traction control uses the anti-lock braking system to prevent your wheels from spinning when you accelerate. Because once the wheels start to spin, you lose all traction and lose directional control of the vehicle. You've probably experienced this phenomenon, often referred to as fishtailing.
Ray: So, why would you ever want to turn it off? The only reason would be if you're already stuck in a pile of snow, for instance. Sometimes the only way out of a parking space or a snowdrift is to "blast out." That means hitting the gas and letting the wheel spin until it digs down and grabs onto something.
Tom: Or rocking the car back and forth between drive and reverse until you can build up enough momentum to get over the hump of snow that's blocking you. Neither of those techniques always works, but sometimes it's your only hope. And traction control prevents you from using those techniques.
Ray: Right. With traction control on, as soon as a wheel starts to spin, the brake gets applied to that wheel, preventing you from blasting anywhere!
Tom: In fact, some cars' traction control systems are so sensitive that they can make a car stop dead in its tracks in the snow. It's happened with some Mercedes models we've tested, and with the latest Toyota Prius.
Ray: Right. If the car doesn't have perfect traction, some traction control systems just won't let the car move. In cases like that, you'd want to be able to turn off the traction control and then, as soon as you get going, turn it back on. And then (to answer your question) leave it on, Dan.
(Car Talk is a nationally syndicated column by automotive experts (and brothers) Tom and Ray Magliozzi. Write to them at the Car Talk Web site.)
7 Comments
By BiffNotZeem on October 5, 2010 9:57 AM
Tom and Ray are correct for most people. However, driving enthusiasts often refer to Traction Control and similar electronic control systems as 'nannies' and disable them for 'spirited' driving.
My daughter and I participated in a driving school that teaches car control techniques. Unfortunately, there was no way to disable the nannies, so it was hard to learn how to modulate braking and control a skidding car and other useful skills.
Sure, computers do that for you these days. However, sometimes these systems don't work. When that happens, I guess because you can't learn what the computer was doing for you, you should just crash.
By Erik Dahlin on October 26, 2011 6:27 PM
Some people race cars, and drift cars. It's prefect after you install a limited slip differential, because it enables you to actually drift and powerslide.
By Kathie on December 4, 2011 7:58 PM
My hubby borrowed my 4 x4 to go skiing, left me with the 1998 caddie seville. Of course it snowed 1 - 2 feet over night and I backed out of the garage, turned around, started up a slight incline and traction control kicked in and dug down, I reversed, did same thing. In a matter of minutes I was STUCK. Couldn't rock, 2 guys pushing and NOTHING! Once daylight arrived I dug out the car and there were 2 HUGE slabs of ice under front wheels. In a matter of moments the turning wheels turned to ice. I couldn't believe the wheels kept turning even when I was NOT pushing the gas! I thought about turning off the traction this evening and found your comments. Other than turning it off, I will make hubby take his own car next time. Leave me with the old true and tested 4 x 4!
By johndaniels on February 6, 2012 7:11 AM
I experienced a scary incident on my 2007 escalade where the stabilitrac light came on and the engine just stopped. So its 11 at night and im on the side of the road with hazzard lights on.
about 5 minutes later, i turn the key, then engine starts normally, i and i drive home with no problems.
the moral>? sometimes technology is backwards. in this case, i would prefer not being stranded so i will be turning off traction control until i can take it in.
By Randy on March 15, 2012 2:30 PM
When I bought an Audi A6 that had traction control, the dealer explained that it should be on only when there are tires losing traction and the system shifts power to the tires getting traction. If all tires are losing trackion like when driving in snow, I was told to turn the traction control off.
When the trackion control was turned off, that was the greatest snow car I've ever owned.
By cedwardg on September 12, 2012 6:30 PM
Traction control on crown vic is extremely dangerous. Stops engine speed on highway and other cars crash into you. Malfunctions often. Remove switch and jumper.
By Rob on January 29, 2013 10:27 PM
try merging onto a snowy or icy road with traffic, the traction control can create a dangerous situation with îts resulting loss of power