Vibe traction control

Here's a dumb one for you.... Is it possible to add traction control to an 06 Pontiac Vibe? Ours has ABS and the auto trans, but we couldn't find one with TC when we bought it. If you haven't guessed, we just had our first major snow storm. I am appropriately embarassed to be asking now. Any idea how much $?

Reply to
gad
Loading thread data ...

A set of snow tires and steel wheels will be cheaper, and offer more benefit to you.

good luck,

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Agreed. It would undoubtedly cost a King's Ransom to put traction control on that vehicle and it's of marginal value. Good tires are a must in snow country. I use radial mud & snow tires year round and I'm certainly in snow country. The biggest single thing a driver can do to improve drivability in winter is to learn how to properly drive in winter conditions. Not trying to be wise, but there is nothing in traction control, ABS, or any other feature that will give any significant improvement over good driver skills.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

If one thinks traction control will help in snow, it will not. TC is great on wet roads but useless in snow. Both of my current cars, a FWD and a RWD have TC standard but for the most part one needs to turn off the TC when operating in deep snow. Why? As the wheels begin to lose traction the TC cuts power to the engine and the vehicle simply bogs down. I would not purchase TC if it were optional. As suggest put the money in winter tires or snow tires.

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

I have TC on my 02 Impala, and I find that it does help in snow, actually. When the wheels start to slip, the front end stays put and I don't need much/any steering correction. The Vibe front end will wander almost immediately, and you need to be on top of it all the time to maintain course.

Granted, the Impala and Vibe are two different cars, weights, tires, etc., so there are no doubt other factors involved. I'll have to turn it off on the Impala sometime and see if there's a difference.

Agreed that deep snow is another story entirely.

Thanks for the inputs.

Reply to
gad

That may be true in deep snow, but in light snow with a slick underlay, it is a big help. I've lived in New England for 25 years and have not driven in deep snow. They do such a good job plowing, it never builds up to deep. When I pull out of my driveway, I have to turn left and go up a hill. If it is at all slippery, the TC will kick in and I just keep moving along.

I also like the stability control. I've not had reason to use it "for real", but fooling around in a slick parking lot, it certainly keeps the car tracking. I made a full circle with a nice round arc with some power applied. The same turn and same power with the ESC turned off, the car did not readily go where I steered. Sure, slowing down on the exit ramp is the proper way to drive, but if you find yourself going to fast, or if you have to do a quick avoidance maneuver, it will help you keep your ass behind you.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

The point was that proper driving practices will do the same thing and more than TC will do. When your wheels slip, let off on the gas, or let off/apply in sequence, in order to gain traction and momentum as well as maintaining control. Likewise, so many of today's vehicles have tires that are designed to look cool, but perform miserably. Good tires are a must - not a fashion statement.

Reply to
Mike Marlow

True, but ABC, TC and SC are a great help when you aren't so alert.

I agree totally with you here. Extremely wide and low profile tires are not the tire to have on snow, very dangerous to say nothing of how easy it is to destroy the tire and/or rim on a pothole.

Reply to
who

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.