Thank you for making this video. My girlfriend and I were arguing over whether or not to turn it off while going up an incline in slippery conditions. I told her to turn the damn thing off! She wouldn't take my word for it. So your video helped. All about keeping that momentum up. . . which traction control defeats.
I've gotta eat what I said just a little bit because the only car with traction control that I had experience with was my 04 lincoln lse. If t-control was on, the tires would spin and then lose power for literally like two seconds which in that amount of time you would lose all momentum, before power was re-engaged. On my ole lady's car though, after testing it thoroughly, it works much faster. It cuts the power and re-engages much much faster than my Lincoln. So it isn't nearly as critical in her 08 caddy sts to turn it off to keep momentum up. So I guess it depends on the car also. Still not quite sure why I should keep it on until it don't work. For instance leaving my driveway and pulling onto the road is difficult because it's an uphill slope and the plows push snow onto my driveway. So if I left it on and tried to make it through the snow and out onto the road I have a much bigger chance of getting stuck vs turning it off and having more momentum to push through.
Yeah I am sure it varies with one vehicle to another. For ours, I definitely have more hill climbing capability with it turned off. I am with you on turning it off ahead of time if I know I am going to probably have trouble. Having to stop just before the top of a long hill is never ideal. If you can't get moving forward again you either have to back all the down or try to turn around!
yeah try that in real snow here in Quebec... we call it digging your grave :) indeed low RPMs and high torque gears are winners, wheels need to spin barely faster than you're going, try it when you let go of the throttle slowly, at somepoint you'll start feeling more grip, and momentum, right before idle. that is the zone you want to use to gain speed and traction key is snow tyres and vehicule weight distribution... 4wd, AWC, comes AFTER
Great video here. You should also always downshift as well going down an icy/snowy hill. In my truck (which is an automatic), if I am under 30-35 mph, I will downshift to 2nd gear before riding down an icy hill. That way, you barely need to use the brake, if at all. Let the engine slow you down on an icy hill. Just make sure you don't over-rev your engine (keep it under 2,500-3,000 RPMs). If you're over 35 mph, try to stay in 3rd or 4th gear.
Great point sreilly! Engine braking is much easier to control in slippery conditions than the normal brake. This applies to downhill when off-road as well! Only thing to add is with front-wheel drive vehicles like I had here, too much braking of either engine or brake pedal increases the chance of a front wheel slide / loss of steering. This is why I always loved my old manual transmission front wheel drive car. Front wheel starts to slide, push clutch, and back in action!
Happened to me last week (yes we get snow in the UK sometimes)in the Peak District. Car stopped on an incline in the snow on snake pass. Took me quite a while to realise traction control was hindering my progression. WiSh id seen this before hand. Good vid
Very good explanation about driving on snowy hills and traction control. I'm going to share this video with my granddaughters and suggest they watch it as neither one of them are really aware of what to do coming up our snowy drive way in the winter time. I usually have to go down and get in the vehicle to get it up the hill.
Hi, Great Video! Unusually We've just had -Jan-2023 here in North West UK -about 8 inches of sudden unexpected snow fall here where I live plus the roads where I live have so far not been gritted! ( I think the snow is deeper in other UK areas.) We've got a few fairly steep road hills nearby and will be using a front wheel drive only BMW (18i petrol) X1 to get the vehicle up the hills. This vehicle DOES have a Traction Control button (TC) that I've I never used! I needed a brain refresher on how the TC works and having watched your video, it is explained and demonstrated very well... just the job! Many Thanks for posting! 🙂
Thank you for posting this (and for everyone's comments) as it reinforces what I thought about my '14 Grand Caravan. It's the 1st vehicle I've ever had w/stability control, and it drives me nuts :/
I wonder if this is my first too. It's the absolute worst car I've had for driving up snowy hills, and I noticed that symbol of a sliding car and a button that says "trc off"...I don't think I've had that before.
Know the vid is 7yrs old but wanted to share a tip if one finds themselves in a very low traction situation on a ver steep incline (in a RWD car with manual trans or an automatic with triptronic or that lets you select 1st gear)… Put car in 1st gear. Turn traction control off as instructed in this video, but we’re going to “ski” up the hill as I like to call it (this mostly applies to hardpack snow/ice mix situations, again, on very steep hills)… Now to ski up the hill, you’re in 1st gear with TC off, and then you start pulsing the gas pedal to get the rear wheels to spin as you rhythmically steer back and forth with your pulses… find your rhythm & steer+pulse like a graceful ballet dancer to initiate a controlled fishtail. Once you start moving just maintain your rhythm and the rear end of the car will swing back and forth as you “ski” up the hill. I live in Portland and do this all the time when we have ice storms (more frequent than snow here) in a RWD BMW, and even pulled it off with very low tread left on my all season tires in the most “hilly” parts of town. ***Not recommended for beginner drivers and use in emergencies only***
That traction control setting should be much easier to access, such as a button on the dash somewhere. That is a very poor design decision by Ford. Over 1/2 the drivers of that car - likely more, will have NO idea how to disable traction control.
I agree. Unfortunately I think this is by design. I don't think the auto manufactures trust drivers these days with the full power that newer vehicles are coming with stock out of the factory.
My Hyundai has a simple button vs the going through the menu and stuff. Its way more useful that way, easy access and easy to turn it off when needed, already had to do that a few times this year.
I just learned tonight about traction control and hills. I was stuck and fortunately tried turning it off. Wish I did it sooner. After that I had no problem. Car/tires have maybe 11k on them, 2017 Civic. It's just a button to turn it off/on.
I should've watched this video 2 weeks ago. I was stuck on not even a hill, but a slightly sloped road. I had my traction control on and at the time I wasn't even cognizant of it cuz it's been always on by default. I couldn't go any inches at all so I backed up all the way down to the bottom of the slope, and forced my car, fighting off traction control lol. was going like 3~5 km/hr, created some traffic jam behind me.
You're right about the downhill, but in my 2WD Honda HR-V, the trick for climbing is to go as slow as humanly possible and keep the car in the state just before the traction control would activate. Disabling it just makes you slide backwards and make a lot of noise lol.
Disabling traction control is nice way to polish the snow, ice, and mud under the tire and to move torque to the wheel with the least grip. That's why I rarely disable it.
Thanks, and yeah we bought some new all season tires the next week. I wanted to show the technique with the bald tires because it made it much easier to show the difference in techniques.
ohhh man that happened to me today i got stuck on three separate hills ... i had to reverse my way down ... i didnt know i had to shut off traction control.... i put it on 4x4 and it didnt do jack .... as a matter of fact my front tires locked and only the rears were spinning... i have no idea how i was able to get the front tires to unlock but i did and was so glad i made it home without getting my truck towed ..
Thanks for this, I’m from Tulsa OK and while we do get snow here it’s not usually much more than 5” which isn’t anything I can’t handle in my 4x4, but I’m a freshman at Colorado School of Mines and we just got 5” a couple of weeks ago so I can only imagine what it’s going to be like trying to get home for Christmas when it’s actually winter. Thanks Again!!
I live in New York we get like 12 inches constantly every week or other week in the winter just buy some snow tires and you will have no problem when it’s not winter just cover them and store them
If you have lower gears below D (drive) and/or the M (manual) option, shift down. That can help you with traction going up a snowy hill too. In that last situation, I would be in 1 (first gear).
Thanks so much for this video. I drive a Ford C-Max that got stuck in the snow on a slight uphill incline when I stopped at a stop sign today. My stability control light came on, and stepping on the gas pedal wasn't making the car move. Jason99942 is right. I had no idea how to turn traction control off.
Thanks for that. I live in a place where we hardly get any snow, then we get a load all at once. So I don't get any practice before it arrives. Didn't know that a bout the traction control. Thanks again man. 👍
Traction control can kill momentum. Traction control attempts to keep the tires in control but isn't always smart enough to get you from point A to point B. Sometimes getting from point A to point B depends on when to shut your traction control off. There are situations when momentum must be used rather than killed in order to successfully traverse a definitive length of roadway. Examples:You see a stretch of highway that has drifted over with fairly deep snow. You perceive that you may have to plow through it and use momentum. Turn the traction control off. If you don't the traction control will sense the slipping of the wheels and will slow the engine and/or tire speed down. Eventually bogging you down enough that you may slow down to a halt and be permanently stuck in the middle of a drift.You see a slick hill in front of you. It's not that long of a run to get to the top but you perceive that it would be best to use momentum to climb it. So you turn your traction control off so there is no chance the traction control system will slow your vehicle and reduce your needed momentum.Momentum is your friend in some situations. With traction control off your vehicle may get squirrely. That's when your right foot becomes your manually operated traction control and then decides if traction control trumps momentum or not. In summary traction control is best used in constant state slick conditions where momentum could never last long enough to get the job done.
Momentum and a good traction control system are your friends. Yes it's possible to find very unique situations where traction control off is better especially with some pre-2010 systems.
From a standing stop, ease on gas pedal with transmission in low to second and counter-steer, back/forth, repeatedly and the vehicle will walk right up the hill. DO NOT increase pedal pressure for faster forward momentum as the vehicle may loose traction.
You don't know shit! Get as much speed in forward momentum as possible while maintaining steerage whether you're bouncing off the snow banks are not. Pin it to win it. PS but your wife Drive...
Traction Control does not directly create traction. It just reduces power to a wheel to help keep it from spinning. If there is no resistance between the tire and the road surface such as with a patch of ice the wheel will not spin because power has been greatly diminished to that wheel but the vehicle may not move either since there is reduced power to the wheel since it would only spin without any traction which is not created with Traction Control. A great tip that truck drivers use in icy conditions is to drive the vehicle in manual shift mode if possible and manually downshift using the engine to slow the vehicle and use the brakes as little as possible because even the slightest tap of the brakes under no traction conditions can seed the vehicle into a skid and control loss.
Wow! I believe I have traction control on my car and I'm losing so much speed up the snowy hills! I know I have that symbol of a sliding car, and a button that says "trc off", so I guess that should mean I have it, right? I started wondering about this button as I was struggling up these crazy hills. I really ned a 4wd, but if I don't have to get a new car, that's the best.....I'll try with trc off and new tires first. Great video, thanks!
Coming down a compressed snow covered slope is far more tricky than going up. My Pajero with new snow tyres, 4WD, LSD and difflock would breeze up that so-called slope. The road up to my house is far steeper, but at least no one else would be deranged enough to drive down in 40 cm of fresh snow, but get the lights on. With automatic I find 2nd and out of overdrive is the best combination. Build up some speed and the momentum will carry you through. If you do have to lift off the power, it can feel like turbo lag as the snow retards an immediate response. Automatic means you can keep your hands on the steering wheel full time. Bumping the snow banks to scrub off some speed coming down with the road wheels locked risks spinning the vehicle through 180 and going down the rest of the slope in reverse. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
Sounds like a nice snow setup on your Pajero. No snowbank safety bumpers on our road unfortunately. Both sides are flanked with deep ditches to control the large amount of water runoff. You should film a down-hill descent like you describe! But I think you will be surprised how mild the grade will look when viewing from a screen!
I don’t think everyone really understands how it works. The whole point of Traction Control is to prevent wheel spin. When the wheels spin to fast you’ve obviously lost traction what the system dose is act like ABS it will reduce the speed to the wheel that’s over spinning by either reducing engine power or by using the brakes. If you are trying to go up a hill and your wheels spin and you give it more gas wheels spin faster but your not going to go anywhere cause you lost traction. The system will reduce power on and off so the wheel dosnt constantly spin and the tire will be able to grip. It’s the same priceable with braking on slippery roads the ABS will pulsate the brakes on and off so you don’t slide. The only time you should turn off Traction Control is if you are stuck in a snow bank you’ll need the tires to spin at full power so you can rock the car out of the snow. But going up hills you wanna keep it on so you don’t slip and lose your traction.
It's actually better to not let it spin any more than necessary. You have best traction in edge of when it's starts to slip. Especially in icy conditions. If you have four wheel drive with locks on differential, it would make sense to let some wheel spin in snowy conditions. Yeah most traction control systems are crappy enough that it's better to do manually. If you could lock you differentials from spinning wheels, that would make things a whole lot easier. Since when wheel starts spinning, differential will make it so that only tire that has less traction will spin. I live in area that costantly had icy roads. And everything I said is based on my experience.
This is great, but what If it’s like Seattle in the snow? Everyone thinks we’re incompetent because of little snow days, but…we’ve very, very steep hills with 2-3 inches of ice right below 1/4 “ of snow. Regular snow is simple. We’ve just ice and hills. Will this work?
Snow chains are a huge help if they are available. Airing down will sometime helps, sometimes hinder it just depends on the snow. If it is slushy airing down will increase hydroplaning for example.
1. Start car. 2. Turn off "traction control". 3. Drive, understanding that traction while braking, is compromised by turning and turning traction is compromised by braking.
I just had a situation like this in the morning. I have to drive up a very steep hill to get to my garage, maybe 40 degree angle or steeper. There was an ice storm last night, the rain quickly froze to ice and then about four inches of snow fell on top of it. Driving home from work in my hilly area was okay except for this last hill up to my garage. The car got stuck going up. I didn't know anything about the traction control system so after trying different speeds and rocking it for about ten minutes I gunned it up the hill and slowly made it up (over a couple minutes) maybe 100 ft to my garage. The pedal was down to the floor and I was going about the same speed you were in this video. There was a burning rubber smell the whole time I was stuck trying to get uphill and then again when I finally started to climb. Do you know what this smell could have been and if there could be serious damage? The car is a 2003 Buick LeSabre.
Sounds like your car either doesn't have traction control, or if it does it doesn't limit wheel spin nearly as much as the newer fords like ours does. The burning rubber smell was most likely your tires. The wheel spin heats them up pretty quick, and they can melt the ice just enough to spin against sections of pavement. Just like a burn-out, but not as severe. It will wear your tires out faster if you have to do this a lot, but as long as its for very short duration and not too often I wouldn't worry about it!
Thanks for the response. My neighbors, going up the hill just a few hours ago in their large 4WD pickup truck, just had the same problem, except they got stuck for about an hour. It'll stay like like this until the weather heats up on the weekend. I'll keep an eye on the tire tread as I have to go out the next few days for work.
It might have a bad traction algorithm. The locomotive industry knows maximum traction is when the drive wheels spin just 6% faster than the undriven wheels
@@briank10101 the problem lies with the car companies having to make vehicles for mostly dry conditions with the exception of hydroplaning. A larger majority of the car market never see’s snow or mud. And they have very little interest in updating there software older then 5years. The newer high end vehicles with weather traction selection are built for the niche market but should automatically be standard in northern climates. But that’s just my opinion lol. Thanks for the train information 👍 I honestly learned something new today 😃
Does wheelspin when starting on a hill cause the transmission to overheat? I mean the torque converter probably doesn't see much of a resistance, but what if you do it for 5 -10 minutes?
It can definitely overheat and put extra wear on the tires, and possibly stress some other things. The trick is balance the amount of wheelespin needed for the conditions, but not so much to overly stress the vehicle.
@@ModernSurvivalists Thanks so much for your reply! I don't care about the tires at all, as they are replacable, but my concern is with the transmission. With my car after I got unstuck, which happened with a rest for the vehicle for about 15 minutes (should have cooled, right?), it didn't shift right for half an hour later,: press accelerator RPMs rise but car doesn't accelerate accordingly, and then, baaam, slams the next gear harshly. A day later all is fine. Some say the friction discs inside the transmission have polished, and some that some solenoid underneath has been watered in the deep snow. Is there really a way to know what has happened?
@@zacmich6472 Hmm, I am a sorry I am not sure. I have not ever had one act like that before. I would think that since the wheels are not grabbing much traction, the load / stress on the transmission, clutches, etc. would be pretty low - but that is an assumption. I would think that hard acceleration with full traction would be much harder on the transmission / clutches than wheelspin would be.
The traction control isn't the fault, it's that you only have two wheels driving the vehicle forward, once they lose traction, your solution is to power out of the loss. This turns the road below to ice as you compress the snow. Sure turn the mode off, but high gears are the best solution or 4x4
True on both accounts! : ) Good tires would have made it a lot harder to show the difference good technique can make. No excuse for the low fuel unfortunately!
Sometimes there's areas on the road where there's fresh, untouched snow. That's better than the compacted, polished main tracks everybody else rides on. In a front wheel drive car, try backing up a hill. That'll put more weight on the driven axle. Permanently pick a line and max speed in such a way that you'd be safe sliding in a straight line without hitting anything for the next few seconds at anytime. If you crash in a slippery spot, get out of your car and warn other drivers from a safe position. Don't put your car on any square foot of road you haven't seen or thought about.
Lmfao i got stuck and made a huge traffic because my traction control was on lmfaoooooooo the button was right there too i didnt kniw it can stop the vehicle from moving i was like great lol lol
just a tip. if you driving up hill in snow road don't try to speed up because your wheels they just gonna keep spinning that when you see your self not going anywhere so try put your car in 2nd gear it gives the car less torque on the wheels spinning just take easy and slowly and one more thing your steering wheel turn it left and right keep it between 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock not fast not slow something in the middle
True. Plus I don't know where his location is, but where I live it's nonsense to sell/buy a 4x2 truck. I don't even think dealers would have a 4x2 on their lots. It's either AWL, Front or 4x4. Rear wheel only only for huge HP and Torque and light body weight...ie rally sport or other high speed 'seasonal' cars. Plus winter tires are hands down the best vs 'all season'...at least in this part of Canada :)
I got stuck on the bottom of a hill in near complete icy conditions with all season tires. I swear I tried everything to get unstuck. The only thing that worked was two big men pushing my little car from behind until I had enough momentum to get out of there. The lesson here is, while there are plenty of ways to keep and regain traction, ultimately your tires matter way more than anything else. Don’t be an idiot like me and try to drive in a mountainous region with icy conditions unless you have winter tires or chains. It does not really matter if you have AWD or 4WD if you don’t have the right tires
you shouldn't floor it on snow, you lose control and you have less traction. You need to manage the throttle so you're on the of traction, thats where you'll get most out of it
The most annoying thing i saw in the video was that you had to do through multe menus to turn it off. I'm glad I still got one button on the dash to hit.
We only get conditions like that about once every 5 years so the skills you learn get forgotten, I know your making an example for the video but I woulda tried to more of a run up to overcome the hill, it seemed like all that extra wheelspin was just turning any snow to ice, making it more difficult for other folks to get up, trying to burn through to asphalt is fruitless because after 5 mins of burnout you've made it through and have a piece of road showing about 2inches? That's just my opinion, but as I say, I don't get that must opportunity to practice..
Same here, live in Florida and going to Alaska in a month and a half, first drive in ice and snow. Nice to see I'm not the only one panicking ahead lol.
No need to panic :) Relax, drive at a speed you feel comfortable till you get the hang of it. Plan your stops, don't follow too close and you will be fine! Panicking is actually what gets most new to snow drivers in trouble.
How do you recommend going about very long, steeper hills? Up and down. Fun fact: I may be working at a ski area in South Dakota this year and it's literally one of the highest points in the Black Hills. You have to drive up a VERY long hill with two steep parts, although short, but probably like a 7-8% grade. I'm honestly terrified lol.
If you plan to be in those conditions on regular basis, get yourself some dedicated winter tires with studs (if allowed in those parts). They make an enormous difference. You can also throw a set of tire chains in the car for the really nasty stuff, or if you get stuck somewhere.
My driveway is inclined. I turn my traction control off and try to speed up her. My car said I was 60 but barely moving. Does this end up damaging your car after awhile?
Hi Larissa, it can definitely wear the tires out faster. It's a good technique when needed once in a while, but if you need to do it on a regular basis you may want to check to see if you have other options, such as winter / studded tires. The studs are not allowed in all areas but can make a enormous difference.
I’m surprised you didn’t run out of gas, your light was on. Maybe get better tires or use 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. Don’t drive when it’s inclement weather: snow and ice, if you don’t have to. Put gas in your vehicle so you don’t get down to an empty gas tank while you are recording a video for RUclips. Unless you have gas can at your house that are full, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Some ford suvs have eco mode, I always use it if the vehicle has it equipped, it helps you save gas. Thank you.
Omg u needed fuel, lol. My lil 2 wheel drive truck couldn't make it up a hill today on us hwy 2. A truck helped me up. I dont know how to counter steer. I don't see myself getting comfortable like you did it.
Traction control will control thr wheel spin. Unfortunately this vehicle has the words traction when he switches off the stability program. This kills the power to wheels, so you cannot go to quick. Tc will help if you use the revs around 2000rpm. I have used tc in snow, ice, wet grass, sand, mud ,gravel in 2wd cars and in 4wd cars. Turning tc off in the cars I've used is not possible. It is a button or a System to turn off stability programs. Tc does help. It just depends how the manufacturer has designed the car.
Engine braking can help a lot on certain vehicles and in certain conditions. It is best with a rear wheel drive since it has less chance of causing the front wheels to slide (and lose steering). With a manual transmission it is also helpful even with front wheel drive, since it is easy to push the clutch and disengage the engine if you start to slide. Otherwise you need to quickly select N and that can be difficult especially under stress.
The worst ever is Seattle Snow. Steepest Hills ever with temperatures near freezing where there are 4 different layers of snow slush ice & freezing rain. Everyone that moves hear from Back East thinks they are an expert until they drive in the 1st snow here.
With the new tires (the ones in the video were at the end of their usable life) there is much less wheel spin needed! Same things apply, but much more capability with good tires. I figured the bald tires would help illustrate the difference in techniques better!
Traction crontole is utterly shit, it takes way to much control of you. I always shut it off when driving my Subi in the snow. And a chance that it's a big button on the left side of the dash, easy to acces. I was going too fast in a curve, tried to turn and nope, traction control! Locked me straight foward... quickly deactivated that thing and was able to turn, well more like drifting without the traction control fighting my imput. It also almost made me hit a big pile of snow. My right wheels were having issues gripping because of all the snow on the side, the traction controle slowed them down and it made me steer toward the right side. Again, deactivate the traction control to steer out of this mess.
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Thank you for making this video. My girlfriend and I were arguing over whether or not to turn it off while going up an incline in slippery conditions. I told her to turn the damn thing off! She wouldn't take my word for it. So your video helped. All about keeping that momentum up. . . which traction control defeats.
It all depends on the situation! Keep in on until it doesn't work anymore!
Ha! Glad I could help : )
I've gotta eat what I said just a little bit because the only car with traction control that I had experience with was my 04 lincoln lse. If t-control was on, the tires would spin and then lose power for literally like two seconds which in that amount of time you would lose all momentum, before power was re-engaged. On my ole lady's car though, after testing it thoroughly, it works much faster. It cuts the power and re-engages much much faster than my Lincoln. So it isn't nearly as critical in her 08 caddy sts to turn it off to keep momentum up. So I guess it depends on the car also. Still not quite sure why I should keep it on until it don't work. For instance leaving my driveway and pulling onto the road is difficult because it's an uphill slope and the plows push snow onto my driveway. So if I left it on and tried to make it through the snow and out onto the road I have a much bigger chance of getting stuck vs turning it off and having more momentum to push through.
Yeah I am sure it varies with one vehicle to another. For ours, I definitely have more hill climbing capability with it turned off. I am with you on turning it off ahead of time if I know I am going to probably have trouble. Having to stop just before the top of a long hill is never ideal. If you can't get moving forward again you either have to back all the down or try to turn around!
It gets dangerous for a driver who don’t know how to really drive. I would keep it on. For most females they shouldn’t turn it off.
This is the best video I’ve seen for describing winter driving in very bad conditions, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
5000 rpm that’s the spin the tires until the snow melts to the pavement method
Love watching you spinning
Lmao cold water is more slippery
Yeah @mrjeepin88 that doesn't work so well on hills
yeah try that in real snow here in Quebec... we call it digging your grave :) indeed low RPMs and high torque gears are winners,
wheels need to spin barely faster than you're going, try it when you let go of the throttle slowly, at somepoint you'll start feeling more grip, and momentum, right before idle.
that is the zone you want to use to gain speed and traction
key is snow tyres and vehicule weight distribution... 4wd, AWC, comes AFTER
Great video here. You should also always downshift as well going down an icy/snowy hill. In my truck (which is an automatic), if I am under 30-35 mph, I will downshift to 2nd gear before riding down an icy hill. That way, you barely need to use the brake, if at all. Let the engine slow you down on an icy hill. Just make sure you don't over-rev your engine (keep it under 2,500-3,000 RPMs). If you're over 35 mph, try to stay in 3rd or 4th gear.
Great point sreilly! Engine braking is much easier to control in slippery conditions than the normal brake. This applies to downhill when off-road as well! Only thing to add is with front-wheel drive vehicles like I had here, too much braking of either engine or brake pedal increases the chance of a front wheel slide / loss of steering. This is why I always loved my old manual transmission front wheel drive car. Front wheel starts to slide, push clutch, and back in action!
Providing your tires don't loose traction, then the rear end starts to slide on you.
Happened to me last week (yes we get snow in the UK sometimes)in the Peak District. Car stopped on an incline in the snow on snake pass. Took me quite a while to realise traction control was hindering my progression. WiSh id seen this before hand. Good vid
2:03 THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I have a much steeper and more dangerous hill in my neighborhood. Your help was perfect! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks! My neighbor was stuck on a little nothing of a snow covered hill in a 2wd Jeep and this will perfectly explain what happened to her.
Glad it helped!
Very good explanation about driving on snowy hills and traction control. I'm going to share this video with my granddaughters and suggest they watch it as neither one of them are really aware of what to do coming up our snowy drive way in the winter time. I usually have to go down and get in the vehicle to get it up the hill.
Hi, Great Video! Unusually We've just had -Jan-2023 here in North West UK -about 8 inches of sudden unexpected snow fall here where I live plus the roads where I live have so far not been gritted! ( I think the snow is deeper in other UK areas.) We've got a few fairly steep road hills nearby and will be using a front wheel drive only BMW (18i petrol) X1 to get the vehicle up the hills. This vehicle DOES have a Traction Control button (TC) that I've I never used! I needed a brain refresher on how the TC works and having watched your video, it is explained and demonstrated very well... just the job! Many Thanks for posting! 🙂
Thank you for posting this (and for everyone's comments) as it reinforces what I thought about my '14 Grand Caravan. It's the 1st vehicle I've ever had w/stability control, and it drives me nuts :/
I wonder if this is my first too. It's the absolute worst car I've had for driving up snowy hills, and I noticed that symbol of a sliding car and a button that says "trc off"...I don't think I've had that before.
Know the vid is 7yrs old but wanted to share a tip if one finds themselves in a very low traction situation on a ver steep incline (in a RWD car with manual trans or an automatic with triptronic or that lets you select 1st gear)…
Put car in 1st gear. Turn traction control off as instructed in this video, but we’re going to “ski” up the hill as I like to call it (this mostly applies to hardpack snow/ice mix situations, again, on very steep hills)…
Now to ski up the hill, you’re in 1st gear with TC off, and then you start pulsing the gas pedal to get the rear wheels to spin as you rhythmically steer back and forth with your pulses… find your rhythm & steer+pulse like a graceful ballet dancer to initiate a controlled fishtail.
Once you start moving just maintain your rhythm and the rear end of the car will swing back and forth as you “ski” up the hill.
I live in Portland and do this all the time when we have ice storms (more frequent than snow here) in a RWD BMW, and even pulled it off with very low tread left on my all season tires in the most “hilly” parts of town.
***Not recommended for beginner drivers and use in emergencies only***
My Toyota has a simple on / off switch on the bottom of the dashboard for traction control.
Stepside1986 that switch saved my Lexus CT from needing a tow tonight. That and a bag of sand. Luge-level of glare ice tonight in Vermont.
That traction control setting should be much easier to access, such as a button on the dash somewhere.
That is a very poor design decision by Ford.
Over 1/2 the drivers of that car - likely more, will have NO idea how to disable traction control.
I agree. Unfortunately I think this is by design. I don't think the auto manufactures trust drivers these days with the full power that newer vehicles are coming with stock out of the factory.
My Hyundai has a simple button vs the going through the menu and stuff. Its way more useful that way, easy access and easy to turn it off when needed, already had to do that a few times this year.
I just learned tonight about traction control and hills. I was stuck and fortunately tried turning it off. Wish I did it sooner. After that I had no problem. Car/tires have maybe 11k on them, 2017 Civic. It's just a button to turn it off/on.
I have to remove the fuse on mine. No way at all to turn it off by a button or anything, stupid.
Jason99942 on my 2013 f150 there’s a button over the stereo, but it may be different because it’s a 4x4 truck
Really helpful. I just bought a newer car with this feature. Now I'll know better how to get around in snow.
That was kind of exciting! I drove in the alps in my 20s but have been low snowfall flat land since.
I should've watched this video 2 weeks ago. I was stuck on not even a hill, but a slightly sloped road. I had my traction control on and at the time I wasn't even cognizant of it cuz it's been always on by default. I couldn't go any inches at all so I backed up all the way down to the bottom of the slope, and forced my car, fighting off traction control lol. was going like 3~5 km/hr, created some traffic jam behind me.
Great footage. My experience is not to accelerate too hard because not only do you just spin but the crown of the road pulls you right
You're right about the downhill, but in my 2WD Honda HR-V, the trick for climbing is to go as slow as humanly possible and keep the car in the state just before the traction control would activate. Disabling it just makes you slide backwards and make a lot of noise lol.
Disabling traction control is nice way to polish the snow, ice, and mud under the tire and to move torque to the wheel with the least grip. That's why I rarely disable it.
Once I got up a hill like that by getting turned around and climbing in reverse gear. An automatic front drive Honda, worked a treat.
It makes sense! On a hill the vehicle weight transfers to the back.
I watch this every year to remind myself.
Nice job on bare tires. Don't forget the chains and snowshovel. Winter tires!!!!!
Thanks, and yeah we bought some new all season tires the next week. I wanted to show the technique with the bald tires because it made it much easier to show the difference in techniques.
ohhh man that happened to me today i got stuck on three separate hills ... i had to reverse my way down ... i didnt know i had to shut off traction control.... i put it on 4x4 and it didnt do jack .... as a matter of fact my front tires locked and only the rears were spinning... i have no idea how i was able to get the front tires to unlock but i did and was so glad i made it home without getting my truck towed ..
Thanks for this, I’m from Tulsa OK and while we do get snow here it’s not usually much more than 5” which isn’t anything I can’t handle in my 4x4, but I’m a freshman at Colorado School of Mines and we just got 5” a couple of weeks ago so I can only imagine what it’s going to be like trying to get home for Christmas when it’s actually winter. Thanks Again!!
I live in New York we get like 12 inches constantly every week or other week in the winter just buy some snow tires and you will have no problem when it’s not winter just cover them and store them
If you have lower gears below D (drive) and/or the M (manual) option, shift down. That can help you with traction going up a snowy hill too. In that last situation, I would be in 1 (first gear).
Thanks so much for this video. I drive a Ford C-Max that got stuck in the snow on a slight uphill incline when I stopped at a stop sign today. My stability control light came on, and stepping on the gas pedal wasn't making the car move. Jason99942 is right. I had no idea how to turn traction control off.
Thanks for that. I live in a place where we hardly get any snow, then we get a load all at once. So I don't get any practice before it arrives. Didn't know that a bout the traction control. Thanks again man. 👍
tip in manual first gear coming down steep hills and bends 2nd if you can
My dinky little car (Fiat 500
Traction control can kill momentum. Traction control attempts to keep the tires in control but isn't always smart enough to get you from point A to point B. Sometimes getting from point A to point B depends on when to shut your traction control off. There are situations when momentum must be used rather than killed in order to successfully traverse a definitive length of roadway. Examples:You see a stretch of highway that has drifted over with fairly deep snow. You perceive that you may have to plow through it and use momentum. Turn the traction control off. If you don't the traction control will sense the slipping of the wheels and will slow the engine and/or tire speed down. Eventually bogging you down enough that you may slow down to a halt and be permanently stuck in the middle of a drift.You see a slick hill in front of you. It's not that long of a run to get to the top but you perceive that it would be best to use momentum to climb it. So you turn your traction control off so there is no chance the traction control system will slow your vehicle and reduce your needed momentum.Momentum is your friend in some situations. With traction control off your vehicle may get squirrely. That's when your right foot becomes your manually operated traction control and then decides if traction control trumps momentum or not. In summary traction control is best used in constant state slick conditions where momentum could never last long enough to get the job done.
Momentum and a good traction control system are your friends. Yes it's possible to find very unique situations where traction control off is better especially with some pre-2010 systems.
I'm hitting the brakes while sitting on my couch. 😂😂
A trick: you can watch series on kaldrostream. I've been using them for watching all kinds of movies these days.
@Landon Ibrahim Yea, I've been watching on kaldroStream for since december myself =)
Don’t brake you could end up broken. 😂😊
You need fuel :P
From a standing stop, ease on gas pedal with transmission in low to second and counter-steer, back/forth, repeatedly and the vehicle will walk right up the hill. DO NOT increase pedal pressure for faster forward momentum as the vehicle may loose traction.
You don't know shit! Get as much speed in forward momentum as possible while maintaining steerage whether you're bouncing off the snow banks are not. Pin it to win it. PS but your wife Drive...
@Steve/Beth wrong
@Steve/Beth Just go like the Hammers and Hell !
Good explanation of deactivating traction control in certain situations. A center differential would help too.
Born and raised in Florida but heading to the mountains in a few days so I figured I'd study up on yt!!
Traction Control does not directly create traction. It just reduces power to a wheel to help keep it from spinning. If there is no resistance between the tire and the road surface such as with a patch of ice the wheel will not spin because power has been greatly diminished to that wheel but the vehicle may not move either since there is reduced power to the wheel since it would only spin without any traction which is not created with Traction Control. A great tip that truck drivers use in icy conditions is to drive the vehicle in manual shift mode if possible and manually downshift using the engine to slow the vehicle and use the brakes as little as possible because even the slightest tap of the brakes under no traction conditions can seed the vehicle into a skid and control loss.
Wow! I believe I have traction control on my car and I'm losing so much speed up the snowy hills! I know I have that symbol of a sliding car, and a button that says "trc off", so I guess that should mean I have it, right? I started wondering about this button as I was struggling up these crazy hills. I really ned a 4wd, but if I don't have to get a new car, that's the best.....I'll try with trc off and new tires first. Great video, thanks!
Give it a try! Just don't spin them anymore than necessary.
Coming down a compressed snow covered slope is far more tricky than going up. My Pajero with new snow tyres, 4WD, LSD and difflock would breeze up that so-called slope. The road up to my house is far steeper, but at least no one else would be deranged enough to drive down in 40 cm of fresh snow, but get the lights on. With automatic I find 2nd and out of overdrive is the best combination. Build up some speed and the momentum will carry you through. If you do have to lift off the power, it can feel like turbo lag as the snow retards an immediate response. Automatic means you can keep your hands on the steering wheel full time. Bumping the snow banks to scrub off some speed coming down with the road wheels locked risks spinning the vehicle through 180 and going down the rest of the slope in reverse.
Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
Sounds like a nice snow setup on your Pajero. No snowbank safety bumpers on our road unfortunately. Both sides are flanked with deep ditches to control the large amount of water runoff. You should film a down-hill descent like you describe! But I think you will be surprised how mild the grade will look when viewing from a screen!
Yup, keep everything smooth
My drivers manual says to turn traction control off when going up a steep wet surface or when driving in mud. I'm in Australia
I don’t think everyone really understands how it works. The whole point of Traction Control is to prevent wheel spin. When the wheels spin to fast you’ve obviously lost traction what the system dose is act like ABS it will reduce the speed to the wheel that’s over spinning by either reducing engine power or by using the brakes. If you are trying to go up a hill and your wheels spin and you give it more gas wheels spin faster but your not going to go anywhere cause you lost traction. The system will reduce power on and off so the wheel dosnt constantly spin and the tire will be able to grip. It’s the same priceable with braking on slippery roads the ABS will pulsate the brakes on and off so you don’t slide. The only time you should turn off Traction Control is if you are stuck in a snow bank you’ll need the tires to spin at full power so you can rock the car out of the snow. But going up hills you wanna keep it on so you don’t slip and lose your traction.
But the driver in the video said to turn it off going up a hill ?
Why am I watching this I live in southern califronia
bc you go to mountains every now and again and probably don't get enough practice in snow.
If safe to do so, don’t be afraid of swinging a turn wider than normal especially if no oncoming traffic and a wide turning path.
BEAUTIFUL FORD
you made it look so easy omg
Looked for my traction control, it's in the driver's seat.
underrated comment fr
It's actually better to not let it spin any more than necessary. You have best traction in edge of when it's starts to slip. Especially in icy conditions. If you have four wheel drive with locks on differential, it would make sense to let some wheel spin in snowy conditions. Yeah most traction control systems are crappy enough that it's better to do manually.
If you could lock you differentials from spinning wheels, that would make things a whole lot easier. Since when wheel starts spinning, differential will make it so that only tire that has less traction will spin.
I live in area that costantly had icy roads. And everything I said is based on my experience.
what gear would you do this in? (maybe a stupid question)
Thanks for the demo!
This is great, but what If it’s like Seattle in the snow? Everyone thinks we’re incompetent because of little snow days, but…we’ve very, very steep hills with 2-3 inches of ice right below 1/4 “ of snow. Regular snow is simple. We’ve just ice and hills. Will this work?
You ran through that stop sign didn't you? 🤣
You need snow tires!
Excellent
Thanks
I like how he’s doing this on empty.
Best winter driving tips video!
If it’s an icy hill, will airing down the tires help? What if I have snow chains on?
Snow chains are a huge help if they are available. Airing down will sometime helps, sometimes hinder it just depends on the snow. If it is slushy airing down will increase hydroplaning for example.
Excellent video
Thank you very much!
1. Start car.
2. Turn off "traction
control".
3. Drive, understanding that traction while braking, is compromised by turning and turning traction is compromised by braking.
I just had a situation like this in the morning. I have to drive up a very steep hill to get to my garage, maybe 40 degree angle or steeper. There was an ice storm last night, the rain quickly froze to ice and then about four inches of snow fell on top of it. Driving home from work in my hilly area was okay except for this last hill up to my garage. The car got stuck going up. I didn't know anything about the traction control system so after trying different speeds and rocking it for about ten minutes I gunned it up the hill and slowly made it up (over a couple minutes) maybe 100 ft to my garage. The pedal was down to the floor and I was going about the same speed you were in this video.
There was a burning rubber smell the whole time I was stuck trying to get uphill and then again when I finally started to climb. Do you know what this smell could have been and if there could be serious damage? The car is a 2003 Buick LeSabre.
Sounds like your car either doesn't have traction control, or if it does it doesn't limit wheel spin nearly as much as the newer fords like ours does. The burning rubber smell was most likely your tires. The wheel spin heats them up pretty quick, and they can melt the ice just enough to spin against sections of pavement. Just like a burn-out, but not as severe. It will wear your tires out faster if you have to do this a lot, but as long as its for very short duration and not too often I wouldn't worry about it!
Thanks for the response. My neighbors, going up the hill just a few hours ago in their large 4WD pickup truck, just had the same problem, except they got stuck for about an hour. It'll stay like like this until the weather heats up on the weekend. I'll keep an eye on the tire tread as I have to go out the next few days for work.
Excellent information.
I always turn off the traction control in snowy conditions. It's good for dry roads and rain puddles but useless in the snow.
It might have a bad traction algorithm. The locomotive industry knows maximum traction is when the drive wheels spin just 6% faster than the undriven wheels
@@briank10101 the problem lies with the car companies having to make vehicles for mostly dry conditions with the exception of hydroplaning. A larger majority of the car market never see’s snow or mud. And they have very little interest in updating there software older then 5years. The newer high end vehicles with weather traction selection are built for the niche market but should automatically be standard in northern climates.
But that’s just my opinion lol.
Thanks for the train information 👍
I honestly learned something new today 😃
Good demonstration. Thanks for the video.
Does wheelspin when starting on a hill cause the transmission to overheat? I mean the torque converter probably doesn't see much of a resistance, but what if you do it for 5 -10 minutes?
It can definitely overheat and put extra wear on the tires, and possibly stress some other things. The trick is balance the amount of wheelespin needed for the conditions, but not so much to overly stress the vehicle.
@@ModernSurvivalists Thanks so much for your reply! I don't care about the tires at all, as they are replacable, but my concern is with the transmission. With my car after I got unstuck, which happened with a rest for the vehicle for about 15 minutes (should have cooled, right?), it didn't shift right for half an hour later,: press accelerator RPMs rise but car doesn't accelerate accordingly, and then, baaam, slams the next gear harshly. A day later all is fine. Some say the friction discs inside the transmission have polished, and some that some solenoid underneath has been watered in the deep snow. Is there really a way to know what has happened?
@@zacmich6472 Hmm, I am a sorry I am not sure. I have not ever had one act like that before. I would think that since the wheels are not grabbing much traction, the load / stress on the transmission, clutches, etc. would be pretty low - but that is an assumption. I would think that hard acceleration with full traction would be much harder on the transmission / clutches than wheelspin would be.
I love this video
Why you skip the braking at the stop sign at 1:28😂I know you slid
I thought that too 🤭
The traction control isn't the fault, it's that you only have two wheels driving the vehicle forward, once they lose traction, your solution is to power out of the loss. This turns the road below to ice as you compress the snow. Sure turn the mode off, but high gears are the best solution or 4x4
For maximum winter safety you need good winter tires. I doesn't hurt to have a full gas tank, too.
True on both accounts! : ) Good tires would have made it a lot harder to show the difference good technique can make. No excuse for the low fuel unfortunately!
Sometimes there's areas on the road where there's fresh, untouched snow. That's better than the compacted, polished main tracks everybody else rides on. In a front wheel drive car, try backing up a hill. That'll put more weight on the driven axle. Permanently pick a line and max speed in such a way that you'd be safe sliding in a straight line without hitting anything for the next few seconds at anytime. If you crash in a slippery spot, get out of your car and warn other drivers from a safe position. Don't put your car on any square foot of road you haven't seen or thought about.
Lmfao i got stuck and made a huge traffic because my traction control was on lmfaoooooooo the button was right there too i didnt kniw it can stop the vehicle from moving i was like great lol lol
Yup. The exact same thing happened to me!
laughing your fucking ass off off off off off off off....
just a tip. if you driving up hill in snow road don't try to speed up because your wheels they just gonna keep spinning that when you see your self not going anywhere so try put your car in 2nd gear it gives the car less torque on the wheels spinning just take easy and slowly and one more thing your steering wheel turn it left and right keep it between 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock not fast not slow something in the middle
True. Plus I don't know where his location is, but where I live it's nonsense to sell/buy a 4x2 truck. I don't even think dealers would have a 4x2 on their lots. It's either AWL, Front or 4x4. Rear wheel only only for huge HP and Torque and light body weight...ie rally sport or other high speed 'seasonal' cars. Plus winter tires are hands down the best vs 'all season'...at least in this part of Canada :)
Thanks man !
I got stuck on the bottom of a hill in near complete icy conditions with all season tires. I swear I tried everything to get unstuck. The only thing that worked was two big men pushing my little car from behind until I had enough momentum to get out of there.
The lesson here is, while there are plenty of ways to keep and regain traction, ultimately your tires matter way more than anything else. Don’t be an idiot like me and try to drive in a mountainous region with icy conditions unless you have winter tires or chains. It does not really matter if you have AWD or 4WD if you don’t have the right tires
Buy a subaru and even with all season tires u will go right up the hill but it was a good video
you shouldn't floor it on snow, you lose control and you have less traction. You need to manage the throttle so you're on the of traction, thats where you'll get most out of it
The most annoying thing i saw in the video was that you had to do through multe menus to turn it off. I'm glad I still got one button on the dash to hit.
Agreed. They added a single button disable to later models.
We only get conditions like that about once every 5 years so the skills you learn get forgotten, I know your making an example for the video but I woulda tried to more of a run up to overcome the hill, it seemed like all that extra wheelspin was just turning any snow to ice, making it more difficult for other folks to get up, trying to burn through to asphalt is fruitless because after 5 mins of burnout you've made it through and have a piece of road showing about 2inches? That's just my opinion, but as I say, I don't get that must opportunity to practice..
Thank you!
Thanks for watching Kelly!
Someone help me! I’m from Florida and don’t know what any of this means. I will see my first NY snow in a few months 😰
Same here, live in Florida and going to Alaska in a month and a half, first drive in ice and snow. Nice to see I'm not the only one panicking ahead lol.
No need to panic :) Relax, drive at a speed you feel comfortable till you get the hang of it. Plan your stops, don't follow too close and you will be fine! Panicking is actually what gets most new to snow drivers in trouble.
How do you recommend going about very long, steeper hills? Up and down.
Fun fact: I may be working at a ski area in South Dakota this year and it's literally one of the highest points in the Black Hills. You have to drive up a VERY long hill with two steep parts, although short, but probably like a 7-8% grade. I'm honestly terrified lol.
If you plan to be in those conditions on regular basis, get yourself some dedicated winter tires with studs (if allowed in those parts). They make an enormous difference. You can also throw a set of tire chains in the car for the really nasty stuff, or if you get stuck somewhere.
Btw - I just watched the video on your channel skiing with the sax. Nice!
Are we not gonna ask what happened at that stop sign at 1:28?
My driveway is inclined. I turn my traction control off and try to speed up her. My car said I was 60 but barely moving. Does this end up damaging your car after awhile?
Hi Larissa, it can definitely wear the tires out faster. It's a good technique when needed once in a while, but if you need to do it on a regular basis you may want to check to see if you have other options, such as winter / studded tires. The studs are not allowed in all areas but can make a enormous difference.
teşekkürler,
keşke daha önce okumuş olsaydım..
Where is it filmed?
Another trick is start off in low and shift upto drive. Worst thing to do is spin your wheels at the start.
I’m surprised you didn’t run out of gas, your light was on. Maybe get better tires or use 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive. Don’t drive when it’s inclement weather: snow and ice, if you don’t have to. Put gas in your vehicle so you don’t get down to an empty gas tank while you are recording a video for RUclips. Unless you have gas can at your house that are full, I don’t think it’s a good idea. Some ford suvs have eco mode, I always use it if the vehicle has it equipped, it helps you save gas. Thank you.
Helps if you put it in neutral
Omg u needed fuel, lol. My lil 2 wheel drive truck couldn't make it up a hill today on us hwy 2. A truck helped me up. I dont know how to counter steer. I don't see myself getting comfortable like you did it.
Comfort only comes with lots of practice. Empty unplowed parking lots are a good place to experiment and practice with minimal risk.
Don't forget to turn traction control back on before you exit the vehicle as you probably won't remember when you drive it next.
On most newer vehicles it will automatically re-enable whenever you shut-off and restart the vehicle.
Traction control will control thr wheel spin. Unfortunately this vehicle has the words traction when he switches off the stability program. This kills the power to wheels, so you cannot go to quick. Tc will help if you use the revs around 2000rpm. I have used tc in snow, ice, wet grass, sand, mud ,gravel in 2wd cars and in 4wd cars. Turning tc off in the cars I've used is not possible. It is a button or a System to turn off stability programs. Tc does help. It just depends how the manufacturer has designed the car.
Not a clue luv it
How about using the engine break and not the actual brake...
Engine braking can help a lot on certain vehicles and in certain conditions. It is best with a rear wheel drive since it has less chance of causing the front wheels to slide (and lose steering). With a manual transmission it is also helpful even with front wheel drive, since it is easy to push the clutch and disengage the engine if you start to slide. Otherwise you need to quickly select N and that can be difficult especially under stress.
Hold my beer and watch this shit
Couldn't you drop into 2nd to give your self a push ?
I switch to lower gear !
Bro, your fuel level!!
The worst ever is Seattle Snow. Steepest Hills ever with temperatures near freezing where there are 4 different layers of snow slush ice & freezing rain. Everyone that moves hear from Back East thinks they are an expert until they drive in the 1st snow here.
Try winter tire and do this again ☺
With the new tires (the ones in the video were at the end of their usable life) there is much less wheel spin needed! Same things apply, but much more capability with good tires. I figured the bald tires would help illustrate the difference in techniques better!
U cut it at the stop sign, show us stopping
subaru problem non existent
Traction crontole is utterly shit, it takes way to much control of you. I always shut it off when driving my Subi in the snow. And a chance that it's a big button on the left side of the dash, easy to acces. I was going too fast in a curve, tried to turn and nope, traction control! Locked me straight foward... quickly deactivated that thing and was able to turn, well more like drifting without the traction control fighting my imput.
It also almost made me hit a big pile of snow. My right wheels were having issues gripping because of all the snow on the side, the traction controle slowed them down and it made me steer toward the right side. Again, deactivate the traction control to steer out of this mess.