When to turn off traction control?

[Raizinman]

I drive a late model Honda with VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) that helps with cornering and helps maintain traction on loose or slippery road surfaces.

The VSA comes on automatically when I start the engine, but there is a button to the left of the steering column to turn it off, if I want.

When the VSA detects wheel slippage, it cuts back power to the engine and applies the necessary braking to avoid sliding, slippage, or the such.

Obviously Honda put an off and on button on the dash, as there must be some time that turning this feature off is advisable or necessary. When is that? My car salesman said to just always leave it on and a friend said that going up snowy/icy hills I should turn it off. When does everyone else turn off this feature? Or do they?

With winter just starting, I would really like to know how to use this button.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

http://www.cartalk.com/content/when-should-you-turn-traction-control

They're both right.

In most circumstances (paved roads, decent municipal snow removal, etc.) the only time you turn it off is when you want to do burnouts.

I live in minnesota, but am urban, and haven't turned off the traction control in the six years I've had it.

 

[desy]

When you get stuck, can't rocker out w trac control on

 

[TennesseeTony]

Anytime you're driving on the The Dragon aka Hwy 129 and it's dry, the traction control should be off.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Judging by the driving skills of most enthusiast car owners the answer to that question is usually this: When you want to wrap it around a tree.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Judging by the driving skills of most enthusiast car owners the answer to that question is usually this: When you want to wrap it around a tree.

Heheh.

giiiingerly turn around corner
STEP ON THE GAS! IF YOU CAN'T GO 80MPH IN A 35MPH ZONE, YOU'RE A COWARD!
ZOOM UP BEHIND OTHER GUY AND SLAM ON BRAKES!
GESTURE MANICALLY!
STEP ON GAS TO PASS HIM!!
SLAM ON THE BRAKES!!
giiiiiiingerly turn into driveway
JUMP 6 FEET INTO THE AIR! You just heard a tire squeal. Those are friggin' $300 tires man. Each. You do NOT want them to wear irregularly.
SLAM ON THE GAS! IF YOU CAN'T GO 60MPH IN A PARKING LOT YOU'RE NOT A REAL MAN!
SLAM ON THE BRAKES!
In anticipation of leaving work, giiiiiiiiiiiiiiingerly back into parking spot, relying on the backup camera, parking assist, etc.
Exit car. Door closes itself. Car drives itself, actually, you mostly just press the one pedal. Sit in your cubicle and contemplate your life.

 

[BurnItDwn]

As was mentioned once already, to rock the car back and forth when you get stuck in snow or mud or something.

If you had a RWD car, then you might want to turn it off in order to intentionally induce oversteer (so you can crash sideways into a tree)
I suppose you could disengage the traction control and attempt to do a scandanavian flick with underpowered FWD. (it's much more likely going to understeer and you will crash head first into the tree, however if your car has a handbrake, you can use that to try to cut the rear wheels loose so you can crash sideways into a tree.)

 

[RockinZ28]

Have never liked traction control, have always turned it off immediately upon starting the car. Rain/snow, don't care. Car doesn't handle how I expect it to if I forget to turn it off, especially in snow. I'm one that thinks it's fun sliding around corners, fishtailing etc. though. Most people should just leave it on .

 

[foghorn67]

Eh. I got along just fine without driver assisted anything in a RWD V8 car just fine.
Some of you hyberbole too much.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Eh. I got along just fine without driver assisted anything in a RWD V8 car just fine.
Some of you hyberbole too much.

Yet YouTube is loaded with videos of idiots powersliding expensive and powerful cars into trees, rocks, people, curbs, and other vehicles. I'm not saying it's a sure thing but if you have no self-control and more money than sense it is a far more likely outcome.

Isn't that how Paul Walker died?

It is better to advise strangers on the inter webs to just leave TC on IMO.

 

[foghorn67]

Yet YouTube is loaded with videos of idiots powersliding expensive and powerful cars into trees, rocks, people, curbs, and other vehicles. I'm not saying it's a sure thing but if you have no self-control and more money than sense it is a far more likely outcome.

Isn't that how Paul Walker died?

It is better to advise strangers on the inter webs to just leave TC on IMO.

Oh for sure. I just feel TC and SC is there for people that have no self control when they decide to do some spirited driving. Nothing will prevent people from stomping on it or showboating or knowing the nuances of their car, and it's better if they did have all the electronic nannies that engineers can provide.

 

[skyking]

Only time I got the Pilot where I did not want it was messing around in the snow with the TC off. I *thought* I had it figured out. 4300 pounds of SUV had other ideas

 

[JulesMaximus]

Oh for sure. I just feel TC and SC is there for people that have no self control when they decide to do some spirited driving. Nothing will prevent people from stomping on it or showboating or knowing the nuances of their car, and it's better if they did have all the electronic nannies that engineers can provide.

Hey, I love getting the rear end to step out and it's real easy to do especially on wet roads with 400hp and the TC off. I've had powerful cars with no TC that I've swapped ends on dry pavement. It's pretty easy to do with a manual transmission and a clutch dump at 5000 rpms. If nothing else it teaches you respect... which is why I haven't done any swapping of ends in the past 20 years and all my stupidity when I was younger fortunately didn't result in any damage to automobile or property.

One of my neighbors had a Corvette he lost control of and mounted a curb with sideways. He's lucky he didn't flip it actually. And this is a guy who worked in risk management for a big name auto insurance company.

 

[DaTT]

Mine is always off when doing city driving on snow covered roads, but on doing highway driving on snow covered roads.

 

[RLGL]

[QUOTE

Isn't that how Paul Walker died?

.[/QUOTE]

There is a good chance the crash was partially caused do to the age of the tires on the car. They had never been replaced. They were the same age as the car, around 10 years.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Isn't that how Paul Walker died?

.

There is a good chance the crash was partially caused do to the age of the tires on the car. They had never been replaced. They were the same age as the car, around 10 years.

The fact that the car was going 100mph in an industrial park I'm sure had nothing to do with it.

"The curve where Walker and Rodas were killed is a popular spot for drifting cars."

 

[LTC8K6]

Few cars actually allow you to fully defeat the stability/traction systems, though.

Even if you think you turned it off, it is likely still on and will activate if you try to wrap the car around a tree.

 

[msi1337]

I turn mine off only when I want to spin the tires

 

[JCH13]

I leave mine on virtually all the time. If it was banned in F1 for making cars too fast, I want it.

 

[skyking]

Few cars actually allow you to fully defeat the stability/traction systems, though.

Even if you think you turned it off, it is likely still on and will activate if you try to wrap the car around a tree.

Oh, not so for the Hondas. I was able to get more squirrely than I intended and the nanny said not a peep with the switch off.

 

[LTC8K6]

For most cars, "off" just means it will let you get a little out of control before stepping in.

You'd have to look in your owner's manual to be sure exactly how it works in each vehicle.

In my Jeep, a press of the off button turns it partially off. If you hold the button in for 5 seconds, it actually turns it off and shows a message about it.

 

[bigi]

I turn mine OFF as it makes driving in snow much harder and makes car dangerous.

 

[PricklyPete]

IMHO, you should only turn it off when you get stuck in snow and the traction control will not allow enough power to the wheels to maneuver your way out.

If you bought a track car, driving it on a track may be another opportunity to turn it off.

 

[skyking]

I was really just playing when I did it.
The Pilot has a beast mode switch for when you get stuck. I only used it once in the snow and once to pull out a tree.
It only works in reverse and first. No turning the wheel. Press the button, and it locks the transfer case front to rear, and electrically locks the rear diff. Guaranteed 3 wheels FTW.

 

[JCH13]

I turn mine OFF as it makes driving in snow much harder and makes car dangerous.

Would love to see your logic or evidence to back up this wild claim.