I seem to remember reading here that the best way to stop an ABS equipped car in an emergency was to stand on the brake pedal and let the ABS do its stuff. By the same token, how should one drive one's traction control-equipped car in slippery conditions? Floor it and let the TC do its stuff? Pussy-foot around and ease off the gas if the TC dash light comes on?
Reason for asking? The Citroen C8 recovered our caravan from a rain-sodden sloping field near Saltburn yesterday. The clutch was treated very gently and most of the manoeuvering was done at tickover. The TC light blinked occasionally but the outfit escaped onto solid ground with minimal damage to the grass.
Any opinions?
Hawkeye
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Insomniac in a strange land
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I think you'll find it can depend on the car.
I used to drive a V6 auto Vectra and the TC on that could be quite disconcerting as you'd pull out of a junction in the wet and if you needed to get a move on and the TC kicked in, it would cancel all drive completely! Not good when something is bearing down on you.
Whereas my Jag just prevents enough power being used to spin the tyres, but leaves the rest for you to make headway.
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I find turning it off is most helpful along with the ESP.
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I prefer to control my wheelspin with the throttle.
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I have learned to use the traction control to err "make progress"
Scenario. Wet day, busy roundabout, very busy, need to make a smart entry onto said roundabout.
PreTC, one needs to wait for a fairly largish gap to step into, much balancing throttle/cltuch to ensure the FW do not scrabble for drive and grip.
PostTC, wait for a gap of any kind, hard gas, step off the clutch and just steer the thing into the gap and all the way round the roundabout under full gas, TC blinking merrily.
Yes I now its not meant for this use, and no my front tyres lasted 40k miles.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Just checked. The button is called "ESP" but it feels and behaves just like TC on the front wheels.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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>>>>I used to drive a V6 auto Vectra and the TC on that could be quite disconcerting as you'd pull out of a junction in the wet and if you needed to get a move on and the TC kicked in, it would cancel all drive completely! Not good when something is bearing down on you.<<<<
Is that normal ?, don't know much about traction control and assumed it was to increase/decrease traction where road conditions dictate but that could be downright dangerous!.
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Yes I had a 2.2 '04 Vectra that refused to pull off in the snow with the traction control light full on with varying degrees of throttle applied.
There was no button to switch it off either. My current car does have an ESP off switch though!
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TC varies in its implementation. The simplest kind just cuts the power; more modern systems (combined with ESP) are capable of braking individual wheels, which is something you can't do yourself and will effectively increase available traction when the road is not uniformly slippy.
I am guessing that the optimum way to use TC is to drive as if you don't have it, and let it do its work when the road, or part of it, is slippier than you think.
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"I am guessing that the optimum way to use TC is to drive as if you don't have it, and let it do its work when the road, or part of it, is slippier than you think. "
Here here!
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"I am guessing that the optimum way to use TC is to drive as if you don't have it and let it do its work when the road or part of it is slippier than you think. "
My first thought on seeing the question; nothing in the answers so far makes be reconsider.
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In my golf I found that TVM's approach worked best, and again it was esp, always the same outcome with it, I find with the Saab TC it sometimes allows a little to much wheel spin then stops the power completey, I'm still a firm believer that ESP is VERY usefull, I like the VAG system alot, saved me a few times i'm sure, I found the Peugeot system a little annoying, plus you couldn't turn it off abouve 30mph and if it was off it would come straight back on after this speed, i know its a safety aspect but i do sometimes like to be in control, especially on the ice and snow.
I thnik it personal preferance and there is no best way to use it, i think that ABS is a different kettle of fish, and its the only effective way to use it, Stand on the brakes at all costs.
It reminds me of when i had just picked up my golf, had it a few days, went over a blind hump back bridge at 40mph to find a lorry turning and all the cars backed up, being able to stand on the brakes and steer onto the wrond side of the road saved a big accident, was a bit embarrassing having to reverse past said women i nearly re ended but ever since that have had a love affair with ABS!!
Jon
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went over a blind hump back bridge at 40mph to find a lorry turning and all the cars backed up,
No offence meant, but its my normal argument as to why abs is an anti safety measure for most people.
Would not drivng at a speed in which you could see to safely stop have been more appropriate?
Those who learnt to drive before such "safety" features were invented probably make for more aware drivers?
returning to the tc post, which is a reverse of that comment. Unless driving an immensly powerful car then normal driving, throttle control shouldbe more beneficial than relying on such devices to keep "control" of the car?
And I dont regard Vectra/Golf type cars in this category. More lambo/ferrari etc
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Relying on these devices is one thing, having them there as a backup is another. Even in our 1.9D Berlingo (no TC and just plain vanilla ABS) it's quite easy to scrabble the front wheels when pulling away on a damp road.
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Relying on these devices is one thing having them there as a backup is another. Even in our 1.9D Berlingo (no TC and just plain vanilla ABS) it's quite easy to scrabble the front wheels when pulling away on a damp road.
?????????????
MD
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Mrs V had a day out, courtesy of Range Rover, to test drive their current model. All the route was off road.
Part of the demonstration, was on a rough, muddy & normal vehicle impassable piece of terrain. The guy said to follow his instruction VERY clearly & from standstill, simply floor the accelerator & keep it that way, until he said to release it. Apparently few of the potential customers, listened & made normal, perhaps gentle progress.
She didn't & did as she was told & the car went like a rocket, as level & smooth as silk, without loosing any control or grip whatsoever. Lots of lights & gizmos all doing their stuff worked a treat.
The surprising thing is, we've yet to get a call from the local dealer to offer a test drive under more normal conditions, or even if we want to buy one!!
VB
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as somebody once said "use it like you stole it" this way the traction control never goes mouldy
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>> to scrabble the front wheels when pulling away on a damp road. >> ????????????? MD
Responding to the post above mine; TC might be useful occasionally even in a mundane car with limited power output.
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TC in our smarts couldn't be turned off. Get into a slightly muddy field and you are stuffed. As soon as the wheels start to spin power is cut so you go nowhere.
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As far as I'm concerned, every time the Dynamic Stability Control Light on my car comes on, it's becuase I've made an erorr which could have been avoided. Usually too much throttle.
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I have a 2.0 Honda Accord auto, and sadly I can't make the front wheels spin at all. :(
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As Vansboy said, the Land Rover TC system (ABS based) requires a clogging in the loose. Full throttle is not necessary and if you do get grip, inadvisable. I guess the instructor knew his terrain.
Generally speaking off road, I drive in dual modes, avoid slip as normal, but if I get it and and start slowing (little bits are not usually a problem) I push the loud pedal harder.
On road, it is actually quite useful. With the combination of 4wd and TC it means you can actually give it stick in a tight turn, left turn for an example, rather than moderating the throttle in te turn and booting it as you straighten up.
But - if I was doing a big mileage off road, I still think I'd prefer a limited slip rear diff.
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>...sadly I can't make the front wheels spin at all.
And I have a Volvo D5, which can spin its front wheels in third gear. With the TC on. There's a button on the dashboard to disable TC but in nearly five years I've never dared to touch it.
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There's a button on the dashboard to disable TC but in nearly five years I've never dared to touch it.
Reminds me of some years ago when my then business partner had a Volvo T5R (IIRC) for a few days to test drive. First thing I did after belting up and having a look around was disable the TC. At the next roundabout I gave it a bootful of gas and let the clutch up smartly. Cue smoke curtain from the front tyres but only gentle forward progress. The Micra next to me shot across the roundabout, never to be seen again.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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went over a blind hump back bridge at 40mph to find a lorry turning and all the cars backed up >> Jon
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Well, don't do it then!
Remember what your Granny told you:- ' Drive at such a speed, that you can stop within the distance that you can see to be clear'
It's so easy and so obvious.
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