traction control (Cavalier)

Welcome to the wonderful world of computer controlled driving. Traction control is one of the stupidest things to ever have on a street vehicle.

Basically the system works by sensing slip and applying the brakes to the slipping wheel. So you're going up a slight incline in snow. Right front slips, brakes pulse to slow the wheel till it gets traction, then the left slips and the process repeats. All the while the vehicle is losing momentum and you stop on an incline that you have driven up hundreds of times. The systems were so bad on some vehicles that you couldn't drive up a wet incline, let alone one that was actually slippery.

So what does the government do? Require it on all new vehicles, along with tire pressure monitors and ABS. BUT it's perfectly fine that the makers install all of the crap to "connect" your phone, laptop and whatever else so you can really practice distracted driving...

I knew the thing about the brakes, and have kind of mixed feelings about it. But this, I was giving it more gas, and it seemed like the engine wasn't responding - no change in sound, nothing on the tach. I wouldn't think the brakes could do that. Speed was very low, so the torque converter wasn't locked up. It was weird. Once I got off the hill, everything was back to norma.

I don' think you are wrong. Traction control can be great for some situations, esp those where you are giving it a bunch of gas and sending the car right off the road or into a spin, like a teenager handed the keys to a corvette. But on snow, traction control and ABS can be more of a hindrance then a help. Some systems are better then others and I would guess that the system on an 04 cavalier is a pretty basic system, i.e, not optimized for snow, designed mainly for gravel/dirt and water. Does it have an off button? Not many seem to...

No off button. On some earlier Cavs, I used to pull the electrical plug(s) on the ABS modulator during the winter. Those ABS were pretty crappy in snow. The '04 ABS seems better; but, this throttle override thing is just weird. Googling around, I get the idea that clicking the e-brake a notch may disable traction control. I may play with that. Or maybe spring will come.

Traction control can also control the throttle position. It won't matter what you do with the gas pedal if there is no traction - the throttle will not open in direct correlation with gas pedal position. If there is no throttle cable - just wires going to the throttle body, that's what you have. If you don't like it, you should be able to disable it with a button somewhere. Check the owner's manual.

I used to slightly pull on hand brake which turns traction off. Just pull until brake light comes on.

Greg

On my 99 Mustang GT with traction control (and an off button) it is quite easy to be turning onto the main street from a stop and be giving it more gas then the computer likes making the TC come on and it reduces engine power. And that's with a cable controlled (non-electronic) throttle. I think it interrupts power to the spark plugs. You can put your foot farther down but there's no increase in power till you have finished the turn and have been going straight for a bit. It's not hard to imagine how that car, without TC, could be easily spun out by a drunk or inexperienced driver. There are several videos on you tube of Ferrari's being driven by inexperienced drivers who spin them out and crash them just starting up fast from a stop light.

I'm guessing that if it got you up that hill, it was a good thing. If it got me up that hill it would be a very good thing cause I don't ever drive on slick surfaces.