TCS button

Sometimes you need to turn it off and have both wheels spinning regardless of traction to get out of a rut or such.

That is mine does, it shows that the TCS system has sensed wheel spin.

My question is why would anyone want to turn the system off. There must be a reason or they wouldn't have went to the expense of installing the button.

Al

That don't sound right, it seems you would need it on to have traction to get out of the rut.

The only reason I can think of why you might want it off is when driving on winding roads. It might be dangerous if only one front wheel had traction while negotiating a curve. I would like to know for sure.

Al

Well, I can testify that I've been stuck in the winter and needed to turn it off to get out. Often times as one wheel has traction and the other doesn't, that can switch quicker than the TCS which is why you turn it off in a situation like that.

Also why many 4x4s put in aftermarket lockers to force their wheels to be locked (both moving regardless of traction) for off-road conditions.

That is exactly when I wouldn't want to turn TCS off. If one wheel doesn't have traction and is spinning (like it would be with TCS off) what happens when it is already spinning and then hits a traction point? It jumps, possibly forcing you to lose what precious little control you had.

Sounds reasonable. I am from Michigan but have lived in southern California since I got this car. I have never driven it in snow.

I would still like to hear from somebody from Honda who knows exactly why they included the off button.

Al

TCS isn't compatible with snow chains.

Who needs snow chains on a car? Especially a car with TCS.

Brian

I used to wonder that when I lived in Phoenix. Then I moved to Flagstaff and found chains were not always enough. Icy hills are an adventure.

Mike

I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia and while we don't have anything that would qualify as mountains anywhere else, we have some large hills that make driving an adventure in a snow or ice storm. But, they can be handled without any problems with snow tires (no studs either), when the driver is driving according to conditions. I also drive tractor trailers for a living and we don't even carry chains here.

Brian

I am assuming that TCS is "traction control system"

Personally, i would always turn it off, unless i need it. UK tv program "5th gear" did a piece on traction control, ABS, and ESP. Showed its main presenter (Tiff Nedell, ex F1 and LeMans driver) doing stuff in an x-type jag, with the things on, and with them off, in some place right in the north of finland, or sweeden, where all the car makers do their extreme testing.

the traction control test was him trying to drive through what they call an 'ice slope shed' - its a shed with twoce tracks of ice, on a

10% incline (the sheds to stop the ice melting or being anything other than smooth because of the sun). With the TC off, he couldn't get mroe than about 3-4ft up the slope - and he was trying. even melted a bit of a rut int he ice where it started with wheelspin. With TC on, it was straight up first time.

Personally, i turn it off, because if I want wheelspin, i would like wheelspin, similarly, if i have a wheel spinning, 99.9% of the time, its spinning, because i want it to.

I also disable ABS for a similar reason - braking just short of the lock-point is a much shorter stopping distance than ABS in almost all conditions (All ABS is is a repeatative series of lockups, you can see the 'dashed line' of an ABS vehicles skidmarks easily if you know what to look for) The only exceptions are on loose rgavel/snow or similar, where locking provides a shorter distance, due to material packing under the tyres. ABS can also in some instances, cause a car to spin, if you apply the brakes when cornering fast. (I also find squeeling tyres is a vrey effectie way to let an inattentive motorist know that they've not been paying attention.

In short, they're drivers aids. however, they're programed very simply, and do not cover all situations, and as i've mentioned, can make some worse. Their intention is to make the average driver safer. To improve the average driver in average situations, and to assist all in all sitauations.