Traction control

Traction control - what is it? how best to use it - or not? MikeG

Reply to
MikeG
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The traction control system, for the large part, works very well. Cadillac experimented with this many year ago and the idea is very good for the most part. Traction control works along with the ABS system but will also "detorque" the motor in some instances.

Lets imagine we are in a rear wheel drive car and we are in a slushy/icy parking lot........ we just can't get moving. Traction control will detect which wheel is spinning and apply that brake. This will transfer torque to the wheel that has traction and (hopefully) get you out of a predicament. If we are planning to give the cretin in the next lane a lesson, traction control will eliminate the smoke show and endeavour to give us the best acceleration we can hope for..... of course this all depends on the computer programming and the dexterity of the electro-mechanical devices.

If your plan is smokey burnouts to impress the bimbos, you will want to turn the feature off (read that as 'press the button'). For daily driving, where I live (8 inches of snow yesterday) it's going to be a nice feature.

Reply to
Jim Warman

Thanks for the response. That it was I thought it would be but, since I have not had one of these fancy do-dads in my old mustang, I wanted to make sure.

So, next time my bimbo, bearded, long haired, mechanic friends call for "let hear second!" I will push the button. LOL :)

Reply to
MikeG

I drove a rented Cavalier with traction control and anti-lock brakes in some bad snow and ice in St. Louis some years ago. I could stomp the gas, even in reverse and that thing would just take off. Humbling if you turn it off and try to out perform it:) On that car you could turn off the anti-locks and DRL's by pulling the parking brake up one notch, traction control goes off in low gear.

Al

Reply to
Big Al

Yep. Given the right hardware, the right instrumentation, the right software, the right communication system, and the right computer, a human does not stand a chance.

Reply to
John

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