Traction control on or off in snowy conditions?

[Gvsukids]

This is only true if you have the Taser.

Mine and others here did no such disabling when holding the button for longer than 5 sec, but after I installed the Taser JL it will disable every traction aid. The only way to reenable it is the ignition cycle the vehicle.

Holding TC button in 4high turns off everything with the Tazer.

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[jac04]

Just a theory here ...

Yeah, I guess you can write volumes with theories trying to discount someone with different experiences than you. The fact is that TC will bring you to a complete stop in deep snow, especially in an off road / dirt road situation going up hill. It's OK to accept different approaches.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Holding TC button in 4high turns off everything with the Tazer.

Yes, but that's assuming taser. As I recall the post that prompted his response was that by simply pressing the button, things would be disabled in stages - that's only with a Taser.
Since most people don't........ for example, pressing that button won't do what was stated.
Terminus33 was correcting the assumption made by an earlier post that "it will simply do it this way" - only IF you have a Taser.

The fact is that TC will bring you to a complete stop in deep snow, especially in an off road / dirt road situation going up hill. It's OK to accept different approaches.

You have proven it can (or will is perhaps more accurate....) Can't beat real experiences.
so it's a "do what you gotta do" based on your circumstances.

driveways like some members have, unplowed, really deep stuff....I bet they can see 18" in places based on pics I've seen
I wonder - would it be best "off" when plowing? Still thinking of a plow.

 

[Trickster]

I've never seen the need to turn it off. It's never been a problem. It knows when to reduce power to cut wheel spin and slippage. That's one of the points of it.
I think sometimes people just want full throttle control and get pissed when the thing cuts torque to prevent breaking wheels loose. Let it work. It's smarter than a driver and can detect what needs to be done.
Granted, mine has a bit of a problem as I can give throttle at an intersection and it WILL let the wheels spin and it will let the rear go sideways.
But I can go back to my Chevy with all of the controls in it and it would walk through things other trucks wimped out in. There were times I pushed the throttle and it slapped my foot and backed off. It knew if I kept pushing things were breaking loose. It was frustrating coming from decades of that pedal being connected directly to throttle plates via linkage or cable but I had to get over it and let it work.
Bogging down? No, it's not bogging down - it's being smart. It's minimizing wheel slip to maintain grip. I'd bet if a person went back and looked at the tracks left by the tires - when left in control the tracks would be perfect tread imprints but if TC was turned down or off, you'd see a lot of wheel spin. You'd still be moving, but...........

Exactly, having driven in snow my whole driving career (48 years),
I have never known spinning wheels to give better traction than a slow crawl without wheel spin.
TC remains on in severe inclement weather always.
As for 4 hi auto, nope I just don’t like the unknown fact of “am I in 4WD or not?”when transitioning from grippy surfaces to slippery. So I select it on to 4WD manually and leave it that way knowing I am in 4WD always.
Weird maybe , but hey that’s me.

 

[dcmdon]

Yeah, I'd definitely be the one you blew past, although not straddling both lanes. 4wd/awd does not eliminate risk. I've done plenty of driving in the snow, but enough to know to always expect the unexpected. There's just no reason to drive fast in snow. Ice or slick patches can be anywhere. The person next to you or in front of you can lose traction unexpectedly at any point.

4wd/awd doesn't help you stop or turn. And yes, the risk is the same in pretty much all modern vehicles.

. . . unless they have snow tires. I'm talking real snow tires. Its a game changer. Bigly.

As in my FWD sedan is more stable than a jeep on the highway in the snow and can drive faster in the snow with safety. Unless the jeep is also on snows.

A jeep on snows is about as good as it gets.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Exactly, having driven in snow my whole driving career (48 years),
I have never known spinning wheels to give better traction than a slow crawl without wheel spin.
TC remains on in severe inclement weather always.
As for 4 hi auto, nope I just don’t like the unknown fact of “am I in 4WD or not?”when transitioning from grippy surfaces to slippery. So I select it on to 4WD manually and leave it that way knowing I am in 4WD always.
Weird maybe , but hey that’s me.

Do I remember this correctly - snow plows and other similar equipment?
For me it's been tractors, combines, back hoes, trenchers and tractors with 3 point mounted snow blowers and plows.

We're bracing - winter storm warning, winds of 35 or so, a real "powdery snow" because of the intense cold moving in (thanks, Canada) they expect no visibility and lots of blowing and drifting. May find out what it's like - but then no, no place to go really.

 

[dcmdon]

You make a great point Jim, and one which most people won't know about until it is way too late. In deep snow, you need to keep those wheels spinning to keep forward momentum. Otherwise, you end up at a standstill with the gas pedal to the floor. I've experienced this, and it is a genuine "WTF is happening" moment. And, once you come to a dead stop in deep snow, it can be tough to get going again.

This may be true but I'd rather drive with all the nannies on in the snow and turn them off as needed than live without stability control that has the ability to brake only one side of the vehicle to keep it from yawing and veering off the road when you hit a 6" deep puddle at 60 mph caused by the slush clogging the storm drains.

To this end, many cars have a Traction control / stability control that shifts priorities at a certain speed.

For example below 15 mph it will maximize traction by braking the spinning wheel and generally keeping the power in even if it makes the steering wheel tug at your hands. The logic is that at low speeds traction is most important.

Above 15 mph it will reduce power to the wheels when it senses wheel spin, and only brake wheels on one side to keep the car headed straight ahead in the desired direction.

Different priorities for different speeds.

Turning off everything a low speeds is fine if it makes you feel good. But at speed in the snow, you are a fool to turn off stability control.

 

[RavensEyeOffroad]

I've never seen the need to turn it off.

k

 

[CerOf]

Just a theory here - if it's in 4 wheel drive mode, since the front and rear drive shafts lock together (thus the part time only) if the truck is moving, all wheels would be turning at the same time. If you slip at the rear, you have to keep the same driveshaft RPM at the front, so I'm trying to figure out how it would detect spinning wheels and cut torque in deep snow when the transfer case is locked in 4H or 4L.
Won't you have the same driveshaft RPM front and rear - and especially if limited slip, about all that could happen is a front wheel spin faster than the other 3?
The only time I had problems moving in deep snow was last year I decided to not clear the driveway - and our driveway is up hill to get out (my 4x4 lawn tractor slips on it in the snow)
I got stopped 3/4 of the way up - was spinning all wheels and the engine never was cut back, likely because the traction control assumed since all 4 were spinning, I was moving.
I noticed at least on my Chevy, if one wheel started to slip the ABS kicked in and slowed that wheel, forcing the torque to go to the others. It never cut torque, it "walked" up the hill and through the snow.

Just thinking and wondering how would it work since both driveshafts are locked together so you get equal torque to each differential.......

I guess you do whatever works.
but I've not had my JT bog down in deep snow - it keeps moving until I spin more than one wheel then the idea is to NOT spin because if you get to a point of no return, you have dug a hole and piled up packed snow behind you, making it harder to back up and make a run. (I've watched a few silly drivers spin trying to get going and they simply make a hole and can no longer back up because of the wedge of packed snow behind them. One was a truck driver - should have known better!)

Wheel speed side to side be different.
I do believe it senses on an individual wheel.

drive shaft speed difference, I do believe, only matters for an AWD/full time case.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I do believe it senses on an individual wheel.

drive shaft speed difference, I do believe, only matters for an AWD/full time case.

Yes - the same system that ABS uses, and that some high-end vehicles use to sense low tire pressure (indirect TPMS - senses using the speed of each wheel individually and if one is constantly different than the other three)
Amazingly accurate at sensing speed of each wheel.

 

[Trickster]

Do I remember this correctly - snow plows and other similar equipment?
For me it's been tractors, combines, back hoes, trenchers and tractors with 3 point mounted snow blowers and plows.

We're bracing - winter storm warning, winds of 35 or so, a real "powdery snow" because of the intense cold moving in (thanks, Canada) they expect no visibility and lots of blowing and drifting. May find out what it's like - but then no, no place to go really.

Actually the weather you are expecting came from the US first, then through Canada and down.
Hey you guys bought Alaska not us.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Actually the weather you are expecting came from the US first, then through Canada and down.
Hey you guys bought Alaska not us.

Blame Russia, then.

 

[NachoRuby]

Yes - the same system that ABS uses, and that some high-end vehicles use to sense low tire pressure (indirect TPMS - senses using the speed of each wheel individually and if one is constantly different than the other three)
Amazingly accurate at sensing speed of each wheel.

High end? This has made its way down market. My Jetta GLI did that haha. No need for Tpms sensors with wheel swaps, which is nice.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

High end? This has made its way down market My Jetta GLI did that haha. No need for Tpms sensors with wheel swaps, which is nice.

Good to know. Last I studied the system it was in European cars and not the cheapies at that time (not that anything is cheap these days)

 

[Trickster]

Blame Russia, then.

Never, they could be monitoring this site and then……….

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