The best Traction Control explanation ever. I am one of those people that benefitted from Jeff's demonstration going uphill. Thanks for thinking of us. Much appreciated.
Except I find the opposite. I find with it off I won't accelerate as quickly going up a snow covered hill. Reason being with it off it will spin the wheel on the side with the least grip and will not reduce the torque when the grip reduces and instead further polish the already slippery surface.
In some vehicles, pushing that button, and seeing the indicator on the dashboard is no guarantee that the system is actually disabled. I was instructed to park a trailer in a yard area that was very soggy, and the 4X4 RAM 3500 began spinning the wheels. Even after unhooking the trailer and shutting off the TC, I could feel the system interfering with my efforts to get out of the muddy, deepening tire tracks. I referred to the manual and pulled the fuse which protects the system. The truck drove out almost immediately. Sometimes engineers are tricky; they only let you *think* that you have control, but they're still involved.
I am an older driver that knows how to use the gas pedal to control slippage, but you have to pay attention to what your drive wheels are doing in icy or snowy conditions.
I'm the same as you,and live in a cold climate where there's snow. Thru my life I always pumped the brakes moderately, and adjusted how much gas to give the car. I don't like the traction control at all, because it interferes with how I've driven in snowy or icy conditions. I always turn it off. I just don't like it. Foe those who are scared to drive in these conditions, I think it would be great. A lot of women would like this feature, in my opinion. I just don't like the "system" automatically pumping my brakes when I've already started to do it manually.
@@grantp4022 The typical driver today will not find themselves in a car that does not have Anti-lock brakes. DO NOT PUMP anti-lock brakes - EVER! That is precisely what the anti-lock brakes is doing for you AND it does it better than you EVER COULD! YES, at 64 years old I know the difference AND you are only fooling yourself if you think you're going to pump anti-lock brakes to your benefit!
@@artsteadman2230 we didnt live far from work. We didnt take multi state trips often. We died in car wrecks. People survived with out seatbelts and airbags too. People survived with drunk driving being acceptable....so what is your point gramps?
Traction control on a high performance car also wears out your tires a lot faster (unless you're intentionally burning out all the time...). Turn it on when road conditions are not optimal to help with control but in good conditions leave it off so your tires last longer.
It’s important to know how your traction control works as they’re different per manufacturer, and to know how invasive they are. It makes a difference in how it’ll help you in various situations. The C5, maybe even the C4, Corvette had a great traction/launch control that could get a novice driver to do perfectly 1/4 miles runs. My E46 M3’s system hinders it drastically by cutting engine power for a few seconds where the pedal basically goes dead to my inputs…that has caused some scares when pulling out into traffic where getting on the throttle and accelerating moderately is key, but when my tires slipped on some water or gravel (or this time I had not very grippy tires) traction control kicked in and I made less than ideal progress and pissed off a few drivers. My system works great in snow with proper tires though. The Mercedes ML320 in the 90’s had a good system of AWD that applied braking power to a slipping wheel to transfer power other wheels, that’s a system you’d leave on for that hill example.
Good video! This happened to me where I got stuck in the snow with my 2017 Altima and trying to get out of the snow didn't work since the power was cut from the wheels; turned TC off and I was able to rock back and forth out of the spot. It was a one time deal but saved me from a tow :)
Very well explained. Traction control essentially keeps you from spinning out and crashing your car in a congested area. However, when you need traction combined with momentum in heavier snow, it’s best to turn the traction control off.
@@AutoJeffReviewsthis us my first time driving in the snow. To understand you correctly, turn the traction control off when going up hill and if stuck in the snow? Otherwise, it should be on when driving in the snow, not stuck?
@@moyamorrison2807 kind of. when on is keeps the car tracking straight instead of drifting off in a slippery corner like a snowy cornering turn. so at normal road speeds. turning it OFF allows the car to behave like older traditional front wheel drive cars, giving the driver more control over the wheels power and braking....useful for pulling thru mud or snow or hill climb, where momentum is king(so in slow 10mph ish unstable terrain)
The button is confusing as hell no one tells you that the traction control which supposedly keeps the tires from slipping is actually ON by default on the car so pushing that button will TURN IT OFF. Not like every other button does. Any other button in the world turns the action you want on when you first push it. So I thought it was turning my traction on when i pushed it and the orange light lit up. Even though the word OFF is clearly on it. I couldnt understand why something would be off while lit up. Also when I push it THATS when my traction gets better in rainy weather. When i push it again and the light goes off my car immediately starts slipping in wet weather. So its confusing as hell
That is what a vehicle manual is for. Why would someone have to inform you of this. You are saying you would buy a brand new vehicle and not go over the manual so you know what all buttons and etc. are for.
I never knew or understood..thanks , now I know. When I asked the salesman, he just said just leave it on not to touch it. Now I do understand so much better. 😊
I was going up on a very shallow, but iced-over incline coming out of a parking lot. Having to stop at the top to check for traffic, my vehicle was simply unable to pull out on the road...my front-wheel drive just kept slipping. Cars were coming up behind me, but I was simply not going anywhere, and the front wheels were just spinning. When the vehicles behind me came around me and clear out, I got thought, "Well, lets try it," and turned off my traction control. Lo and behold, my vehicle moved forward without any issue and I got onto the road...totally surprised me: the traction control was working against me.
Right it does the opposite of what it's supposed to do for me too. My car has always slipped really bad in wet weather. When I finally started pushing on that traction control button and turning the traction OFF THATS when my car finally stopped slipping. So I always turn it off now. PLUS I noticed I stopped losing air in my tires everyday finally just from going over any little bump or dip in the road... with that default traction control button turned off. It's worst for me so I keep it off all of the time now
well my traction control is always on but then my tires were very slippery today as I drive in the rain . it was quite scary and I wondered if there was something wrong with my tires or the trac control 😦
First time seeing either of you and you were both great separately and especially as a team. Not only was if useful information but your interactions and the cut of the video made out fun and enjoyable to watch
I'm always so excited about these add ons like traction control, terrain modes, auto cruise control, auto brakes etc...until I realise that I'm not a lazy driver and actually enjoy "driving" and having control of my vehicle. Once you gain a bit of experience, you're able to control the vehicle using the basics...like brakes, accelerator, and gears and actually have fun doing so. These are all gimmicks. Good solid and fun explanation of traction control, though, so thanks for that:)
My wife has a Subaru Outback with single stage Xmode, which causes the front wheels and the rear wheels to work together. Kind of like a posi traction rear end . In a Subaru stage 1, is called Snow and Dirt mode. It’s great for pulling away from a light on lightly snow covered roads or if it’s patchy snow, ice and pavement. I have Dual Xmode on my Subaru Forester Touring. The Fist stage ; snow and dirt responds just like her Outback, but stage 2 in my Forester is for Deep Snow and Mud. This program takes the traction control Off, allowing each wheel to spin faster independently. And yes having the traction control off is a blast for cutting donuts in a large parking lot covered in snow and ice.
Wow. Thank you both for the explanation! I have a very hard time going up the steep hill to my house when there's ice or snow. I got stuck several times
Resent experience in Canada. Rush hour, snow storm, facing a residential slippery hill of about 300 mts long. After about 200 mts, I encountered 5 cars spread on the road spinning and spinning their wheels unable to continue on that hill. I was sure I was going to end up like them. Suddenly I felt a scary lack of engine power, my car almost stopped and I thought that my journey was done in the middle of that hill too, BUT NO, my car kept moving forward on a straight line at about 5 to 8 kph for the las 100 mts of that hill. The traction control of my little car had come to my rescue and worked like magic!!! Behind were left 5 cars in the middle of that hill unable to climb it, including a Chrysler 300. My car: Hybrid 2011 Honda CR-Z, FWD equipped with Nitto winter tires... and TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM . 🙂
Thank you guys for explaining that I had no idea about that button but now you made it very clear to me on how to use it. Have a wonderful day and thank you for the tip.🤩👍🏼
Thanks you so much for making this video!! In November I purchased a used 2021 Renegade (27k miles) with a 1.4 (4 cyl) that is automatic. If you move the transmission lever to the left it has 1 & 2 on it) This past week in Iowa we had 3 major snow storms. I had trouble in the 'snow' 4WD drive mode as I couldn't get started in my own driveway!! I tried the Auto 4WD and Snow 4WD with the tires spinning and basically I had to rock it back and forth and I finally got out. The traction control was on. I realize some of it could also be the kind of tires that is on it. IMO the 'electronic' 4WD systems have ruined the mechanical 4WD. I had a 2006 Jeep Liberty with a 3.7 V6 and 17 inch tires. The 4WD mechanical lever in the vehicle had 4 Hi and 4 Lo and I could go anywhere with it!! After this past week I was missing my Liberty and regretting getting my Renegade BUT I will try your suggestion!! Thanks, Duane
In a bmw if you keep the traction control pressed for about 30s , it will not only disable traction control completely but also turn off the ABS. This is useful if the ABS sensor is damaged and the car goes into limited power mode. It happened to me and BMW told me to do this so that I could get to their workshop.
this was awesome--I've always wondered about this issue, and now I know. Snow banks, steep uphills--easy to remember. Donuts in a snowy parking lot sounds like fun, unless under the snow there are parking blocks at the end of each parking space. Probably not a good to hit those when doing donuts! In thinking about this further, I think I'd rather just have a doughnut, as I'll be 62 in May so I don't have that many more years to enjoy a doughnut now and then . . .
I think my traction control may have kept me out of a bar ditch once on a slick country muddy road. Another time it may have saved my life going down the highway at 70 mph when I had to swerve suddenly to avoid a collision. Thankful to the Lord either way. It may have been angelic protection. Thanks for the info on when to have it turned off.
There are two situations where turning it off can help. 1) If the vehicle is stuck and you want to rock it to get momentum. (2:12 in the video) 2) Driving up a long slippery hill, where your wheels keep slipping, traction control may continually cut power until you have no more forward movement. In that case turn it off and apply the gas pedal gently. (2:58 in the video) Otherwise leave it on.
On my 2011 Chevy sedan, if I press the button it works the same as you presented. If I hold it for 8 seconds, it will also defeat the ESC - electronic stability control - which helps to maintain the predicted (calculated) path of the vehicle.
Thanks. 👍 Traction ON - Minimize Fishtailing on wet roads and conditions, or minimize spinning wheels by applying brakes or reducing engine power to spinning wheels Traction OFF - Help you get unstuck in snow, embankment, or hill; or if you want to do “donuts” By default, leave the traction button ON.
I learned this from my mom if you are driving in snow going up And down hills put your car in a lower gear works best on roads where traffic is not driving crazy
I drove a 1987 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight for decades, and my uncle drove a 1988 Ninety Eight and his had Anti Lock breaks which was a new feature at the time only on some luxury vehicles at the time. And he didn’t know what it mean’t until he heard it kick in on an icy road one winter drive in the late 80’s.
im from florida and they are correct, i have a 23 corolla cross and moved to new hampshire, we just had a snow storm and I could not get up the hill at all due to snow and it being a 2wd vehicle. I had to back down the hill, the vehicle just stayed in one place no matter how much i applied the gas pedal, it just wouldn't move up the hill. After watching this, I tried again without the traction control off and up the hill it went. Thanks guys.
My last car was in an AWD 06 Honda Element that did not have traction control. My current car is a 2023 Subaru Forester that does have a traction control button. I don't anticipate needing to turn it off very often with the Forester but it's nice to know that I can if I need to.
In my friend's old truck, the traction control button was within arms reach of the passenger seat. I would occasionally turn it off. (Don't worry, road conditions were good.) The orange light would illuminate and my friend had no idea what the heck it meant. He was afraid to drive with the light on because he was afraid it would damage his vehicle. So he would pull over, shut his truck off, and restart it, which would reset it and turn the light off. To this day he had no idea it was me doing that, nor did he figure out all he had to do was press that button to turn it back on again.
Thank you that was a big help for I've owned a Jeep for a year, my first jeep and I had no idea what that button was for. Thank you, now I'm an expert.
I love modern vehicles, but this video made me thing of my first car...manual transmission, no traction control, no ABS, no power windows or power door locks, no cruise control. It did have power brakes and power steering. Cars have come a very long way.
So when do I turn it on? I have a Honda CRV, I think it is off all the time. When I drive on icy road or snowy slippery road where I tried to slow down but not pushing on break too much, should I leave the traction button on?
I turn Traction Control off when I am encountering muddy, slippery roads or black ice. The vehicle seems to handle better when it’s off under those conditions. Not sure why….
I drive an off road rated 4X4 - 3 ton truck. I turn off the traction control and use the 4X4 wheel lock when going in to deep snow to park or get out of a parking spot. The truck has deep thread high traction snow/mud tires. I have no issues with snow and off road conditions. I can park on streets in winter where normal cars cannot park. I make my own parking place in the the snow. If to get stuck with this truck I would have to do something stupid or try to get stuck.
My 2010 Ram the manual states to leave it on and when wheel slippage is detected the dash light lights up on your dash then when traction is gained it disengages so the system turns on when it's needed only.
Turn it off when you need to make an aggressive move on dry pavement. In my wife's Audi I was trying to get out of an uphill driveway and merge onto a curved highway with limited visibility of oncoming traffic. I had to be quick about it. Unfortunately, and obviously, the traction control kicked in and the car simply wouldn't accelerate once I had gotten onto the highway. Traffic caught up with me. Fortunately they didn't honk or anything. I don't know if a wheel left the ground causing it to kick in (as there was a hump as well), the fact that I was driving uphill, or what.
Thumbs up! I thought Jeff was going to do a flip when he raised his hands up. I'll have to look in my 2008 Volvo where that button is if I even have it.
There are two situations where turning it off can help. 1) If the vehicle is stuck and you want to rock it to get momentum. (2:12 in the video) 2) Driving up a long slippery hill, where your wheels keep slipping, traction control may continually cut power until you have no more forward movement. In that case turn it off and apply the gas pedal gently. (2:58 in the video) Otherwise leave it on.
Hey, Im confused I am not sure if I turned mine off or on because of the word “off” when that icon is lit in Orange does that mean is turned on or off?
Traction control is stupid in dry driving, I've had it litterally kill the car turning left with oncoming traffic on a side street with a low drainage dip. The car sensed the right wheel was slipping and killed the throttle pausing long enough to almost cause an serious accident that would have nailed me.
Well, well, well... so that's what happened to me. Had a truly horrible experience on a long, steep incline road during a sudden snowstorm 5 years ago. Car just kept slipping backwards down the hill and I was too far up to let it slide all the way back down. I fought it for almost 10 minutes before getting to the top. If I had only known. I suspected something when I noticed how much my car hates the ECT button on my own driveway at home - that's why I watched this video! Well, thank you now.
I keep forgetting to turn my Traction Control off when I've done doughnuts in a snowy parking lot but it seems just fine with it on. However it might be bad for the brakes when purposely trying to loose traction ...so next time we get snow I'll have to try turning it off
First thing I turn off on any new vehicle we get in the winter. This is in my opinion the worst thing on vehicles while driving on icy roads. I find the traction control very dangerous and best way to end up in a ditch. It sounds so wonderful, but my experience with them is that it is just completely useless and dangerous
Refer to your owner's manual for specific details. In some vehicles, pressing this button may disable stability assist while keeping traction control active. Though these systems work together, they serve distinct purposes. Traction control aids in maintaining grip during straight-line movement, while stability assist reduces engine power if erratic steering inputs are detected. For example, in my H3, turning off stability assist leaves traction control active, which helps maintain forward traction. However, stability assist intervenes by cutting engine power if I sharply steer left or right while accelerating to climb out of a hole. This highlights the importance of having the option to disable stability assist in 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles for optimal performance in challenging conditions. FYI: Dumbest demonstration of TC on a hill.
Winter is the time to turn it off if your traction control activities at 110 kph on ice, you will be rolling in the ditch. That's a great piece of safety equipment. It happens all the time in Canada
Back in the 90's (before most vehicles had traction contro) I used my brakes to add pressure to the pads. Not near as good or as efficient as traction control but the concept was sound back then.
I prefer the TCS off as the default setting (press and hold TCS for 3 seconds for default off). How do I eleminate the gauge cluster warning window (TCS OFF) always taking over the screen while driving between the tach and speedometerso I can see the other functions ?
I have to turn off TC on my 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer all the time because it actually causes me to slip when accelerating from a stop more often than not. Even with brand new tires, the torque just seems to be a little too much for it
For safety, always leave it on unless you have a reason not too. The reasons not to generally involve unusual situations such as being stuck (including difficulty when slowly climbing a slippery incline) and off-roading.
T C on means your brakes are slightly on all the time. It's like you have your foot on the brake all the time. It affects negitivly the mileage and wears out the brakes sooner. As a professional driver, I always turn it off unless the pavement is wet or icy. Some newer cars will not let you disingage it when the cruise is on.
This video confuses me because it contradicts everything the new car salesman told me regarding the traction control feature in my 2017 Subaru Legacy. Being unfamiliar with a traction control feature, I asked the salesman when I should and should not engage the traction control feature. He explained to me as follows in the next two paragraphs: While driving on paved or hard-packed gravel roads in any weather, I should leave the traction control disengaged as that would allow Subaru's computerized symmetrical intelligent all-wheel drive software to control slippage and maintain better control of the vehicle by automatically applying more power to the wheels that need it and less power to the wheels that don't. But while driving in deep mud, live sand, or trying to get out of a ditch or climb an unusually steep grade that is slippery, then I should engage the traction control feature as that would allow the engine, the transmission, and the differential to work together by applying raw gripping power to all the wheels equally for better traction, and once the vehicle has returned to normal driving conditions, then I should disengage the traction control and allow the intelligent symmetrical all-wheel drive system to take over again for best on-road control. So, since I purchased this vehicle brand new off the lot in January 2017, I have never used the traction control feature because I have never found myself in a situation like any of the ones described above. My 2017 Subaru Legacy has always performed flawlessly in our erratic New Hampshire winter weather, with the traction control feature always disengaged. This RUclips video has caused some confusion for me, and I seek more information from my dealership. Someone is misinformed and disseminating misleading and potentially dangerous information to the public. I need to know who is right and who is wrong.
Don’t be confused sir, as you’re learning about a traction control system in this video that is inferior to the one in your Subaru. Your Subaru salesman told you correctly.
traction control almost got me into an accident in the snow becasue my tires stopped moving and I stopped on a hill and a 4x4 that was behind me barely missed me
I'm still not sure in what conditions it needs to be turned on. I live in an area with no snow and only rain during winter. I'm suspecting it's just better to have it on all the time...
You are both very nice. Thank you for this video, although it would have been better if you had waited for the winter and actually shown us how to use the traction control, rather than Christina telling us over and over imagine a snowy day ... 😄
I am still confused, what conditions you want it off vs at what other conditions you want them ON? If I understood it correct, you do want it OFF when you want to move around smoothly in up hills. Does it help provide more grip during slippery conditions like snow or rain? I am lost.
I have the traction control on as it really don't benefit my needs. A well explained video it is!! I can say for the price of the TRD it don't have digital custer and is 15 years behind in tech! I did take the Sonata N Line over the TRD due to the over the top tech it has.inside it!
The best Traction Control explanation ever. I am one of those people that benefitted from Jeff's demonstration going uphill. Thanks for thinking of us. Much appreciated.
Except I find the opposite. I find with it off I won't accelerate as quickly going up a snow covered hill. Reason being with it off it will spin the wheel on the side with the least grip and will not reduce the torque when the grip reduces and instead further polish the already slippery surface.
@@briank10101snow covered hill is completely different than a dry hill
There are lots of explanations of traction control on the Internet, but this is the prettiest
IKR
In some vehicles, pushing that button, and seeing the indicator on the dashboard is no guarantee that the system is actually disabled. I was instructed to park a trailer in a yard area that was very soggy, and the 4X4 RAM 3500 began spinning the wheels. Even after unhooking the trailer and shutting off the TC, I could feel the system interfering with my efforts to get out of the muddy, deepening tire tracks. I referred to the manual and pulled the fuse which protects the system. The truck drove out almost immediately. Sometimes engineers are tricky; they only let you *think* that you have control, but they're still involved.
Jeff is so funny. He makes learning fun. So creative. That demo running up the hill should win an award.
I am an older driver that knows how to use the gas pedal to control slippage, but you have to pay attention to what your drive wheels are doing in icy or snowy conditions.
I'm the same as you,and live in a cold climate where there's snow. Thru
my life I always pumped the brakes moderately, and adjusted how much
gas to give the car. I don't like the traction control at all, because it
interferes with how I've driven in snowy or icy conditions. I always turn
it off. I just don't like it. Foe those who are scared to drive in these
conditions, I think it would be great. A lot of women would like this feature,
in my opinion. I just don't like the "system" automatically pumping my
brakes when I've already started to do it manually.
@@grantp4022 The typical driver today will not find themselves in a car that does not have Anti-lock brakes. DO NOT PUMP anti-lock brakes - EVER! That is precisely what the anti-lock brakes is doing for you AND it does it better than you EVER COULD! YES, at 64 years old I know the difference AND you are only fooling yourself if you think you're going to pump anti-lock brakes to your benefit!
sorry boss put your oldman driving is no match for traction control
@@crabtrapthen pray tell did all us old folks survive since the 40s?;?
@@artsteadman2230 we didnt live far from work. We didnt take multi state trips often. We died in car wrecks.
People survived with out seatbelts and airbags too. People survived with drunk driving being acceptable....so what is your point gramps?
I aways thought it was a warning that there are 2 snakes behind me 😮
I'll check the owner manual. You might be right!
🤣🤣🤣
@@AutoJeffReviewsGreat video. Nice explanation and fun to listen to, thanks.
@@jacoblagergren7658 you bet!!
If in doubt.....max the pedal out! 😂
Traction control on a high performance car also wears out your tires a lot faster (unless you're intentionally burning out all the time...). Turn it on when road conditions are not optimal to help with control but in good conditions leave it off so your tires last longer.
It’s important to know how your traction control works as they’re different per manufacturer, and to know how invasive they are. It makes a difference in how it’ll help you in various situations. The C5, maybe even the C4, Corvette had a great traction/launch control that could get a novice driver to do perfectly 1/4 miles runs. My E46 M3’s system hinders it drastically by cutting engine power for a few seconds where the pedal basically goes dead to my inputs…that has caused some scares when pulling out into traffic where getting on the throttle and accelerating moderately is key, but when my tires slipped on some water or gravel (or this time I had not very grippy tires) traction control kicked in and I made less than ideal progress and pissed off a few drivers. My system works great in snow with proper tires though. The Mercedes ML320 in the 90’s had a good system of AWD that applied braking power to a slipping wheel to transfer power other wheels, that’s a system you’d leave on for that hill example.
When you circled magic around my screen Christina Banks @ 00:13 you filled my heart with so much joy! 🥰
Good video! This happened to me where I got stuck in the snow with my 2017 Altima and trying to get out of the snow didn't work since the power was cut from the wheels; turned TC off and I was able to rock back and forth out of the spot. It was a one time deal but saved me from a tow :)
Since the power was cut to the wheels ? WTF
@@jeffersonjcoat the tires didn't spin as much with tc on. Turning it off slowed the wheels to spin more thus pptoviding more traction.
Very well explained. Traction control essentially keeps you from spinning out and crashing your car in a congested area. However, when you need traction combined with momentum in heavier snow, it’s best to turn the traction control off.
The Toyota salesman did not know what the traction control did. Good information learned from your presentation
thanks we appreciate it!
same here. The guy was like, "Um, I don't know what that is."
@@AutoJeffReviewsthis us my first time driving in the snow. To understand you correctly, turn the traction control off when going up hill and if stuck in the snow? Otherwise, it should be on when driving in the snow, not stuck?
@@moyamorrison2807 kind of. when on is keeps the car tracking straight instead of drifting off in a slippery corner like a snowy cornering turn. so at normal road speeds. turning it OFF allows the car to behave like older traditional front wheel drive cars, giving the driver more control over the wheels power and braking....useful for pulling thru mud or snow or hill climb, where momentum is king(so in slow 10mph ish unstable terrain)
The button is confusing as hell no one tells you that the traction control which supposedly keeps the tires from slipping is actually ON by default on the car so pushing that button will TURN IT OFF. Not like every other button does. Any other button in the world turns the action you want on when you first push it. So I thought it was turning my traction on when i pushed it and the orange light lit up. Even though the word OFF is clearly on it. I couldnt understand why something would be off while lit up. Also when I push it THATS when my traction gets better in rainy weather. When i push it again and the light goes off my car immediately starts slipping in wet weather. So its confusing as hell
Amen to that. It’s 100% counter intuitive.
That is what a vehicle manual is for. Why would someone have to inform you of this. You are saying you would buy a brand new vehicle and not go over the manual so you know what all buttons and etc. are for.
Yeah, like that feature that automatically turns your engine off at a stop light.
Read the manual that accompanies the car!!
No one reads the manual but us 3. The others are the same people top off their oil with vegetable oil but mistake the radiator cap for the oil gap.
I never knew or understood..thanks , now I know. When I asked the salesman, he just said just leave it on not to touch it. Now I do understand so much better. 😊
I was going up on a very shallow, but iced-over incline coming out of a parking lot.
Having to stop at the top to check for traffic, my vehicle was simply unable to pull out on the road...my front-wheel drive just kept slipping.
Cars were coming up behind me, but I was simply not going anywhere, and the front wheels were just spinning.
When the vehicles behind me came around me and clear out, I got thought, "Well, lets try it," and turned off my traction control.
Lo and behold, my vehicle moved forward without any issue and I got onto the road...totally surprised me: the traction control was working against me.
Right it does the opposite of what it's supposed to do for me too. My car has always slipped really bad in wet weather. When I finally started pushing on that traction control button and turning the traction OFF THATS when my car finally stopped slipping. So I always turn it off now. PLUS I noticed I stopped losing air in my tires everyday finally just from going over any little bump or dip in the road... with that default traction control button turned off. It's worst for me so I keep it off all of the time now
well my traction control is always on but then my tires were very slippery today as I drive in the rain . it was quite scary and I wondered if there was something wrong with my tires or the trac control 😦
First time seeing either of you and you were both great separately and especially as a team. Not only was if useful information but your interactions and the cut of the video made out fun and enjoyable to watch
Thanks so much for following. I’m glad you liked it. We like to have fun on the channel.
I'm always so excited about these add ons like traction control, terrain modes, auto cruise control, auto brakes etc...until I realise that I'm not a lazy driver and actually enjoy "driving" and having control of my vehicle. Once you gain a bit of experience, you're able to control the vehicle using the basics...like brakes, accelerator, and gears and actually have fun doing so. These are all gimmicks.
Good solid and fun explanation of traction control, though, so thanks for that:)
My wife has a Subaru Outback with single stage Xmode, which causes the front wheels and the rear wheels to work together. Kind of like a posi traction rear end . In a Subaru stage 1, is called Snow and Dirt mode. It’s great for pulling away from a light on lightly snow covered roads or if it’s patchy snow, ice and pavement.
I have Dual Xmode on my Subaru Forester Touring. The Fist stage ; snow and dirt responds just like her Outback, but stage 2 in my Forester is for Deep Snow and Mud. This program takes the traction control Off, allowing each wheel to spin faster independently.
And yes having the traction control off is a blast for cutting donuts in a large parking lot covered in snow and ice.
This is why Subaru’s overall chassis and steering system is superior in the market today. Not even mentioning the numerous superior safety features.
@@jamied9782 Exactly
Wow. Thank you both for the explanation! I have a very hard time going up the steep hill to my house when there's ice or snow. I got stuck several times
Resent experience in Canada.
Rush hour, snow storm, facing a residential slippery hill of about 300 mts long.
After about 200 mts, I encountered 5 cars spread on the road spinning and spinning their wheels unable to continue on that hill. I was sure I was going to end up like them.
Suddenly I felt a scary lack of engine power, my car almost stopped and I thought that my journey was done in the middle of that hill too, BUT NO, my car kept moving forward on a straight line at about 5 to 8 kph for the las 100 mts of that hill. The traction control of my little car had come to my rescue and worked like magic!!!
Behind were left 5 cars in the middle of that hill unable to climb it, including a Chrysler 300.
My car: Hybrid 2011 Honda CR-Z, FWD equipped with Nitto winter tires... and TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM . 🙂
the traction control had zero to do with your climb. in that situation it should have been OFF.
Thank you guys for explaining that I had no idea about that button but now you made it very clear to me on how to use it. Have a wonderful day and thank you for the tip.🤩👍🏼
glad we could do a good job and that you liked it
Thanks you so much for making this video!! In November I purchased a used 2021 Renegade (27k miles) with a 1.4 (4 cyl) that is automatic. If you move the transmission lever to the left it has 1 & 2 on it) This past week in Iowa we had 3 major snow storms. I had trouble in the 'snow' 4WD drive mode as I couldn't get started in my own driveway!! I tried the Auto 4WD and Snow 4WD with the tires spinning and basically I had to rock it back and forth and I finally got out. The traction control was on. I realize some of it could also be the kind of tires that is on it. IMO the 'electronic' 4WD systems have ruined the mechanical 4WD. I had a 2006 Jeep Liberty with a 3.7 V6 and 17 inch tires. The 4WD mechanical lever in the vehicle had 4 Hi and 4 Lo and I could go anywhere with it!! After this past week I was missing my Liberty and regretting getting my Renegade BUT I will try your suggestion!!
Thanks,
Duane
glad to help!
In a bmw if you keep the traction control pressed for about 30s , it will not only disable traction control completely but also turn off the ABS. This is useful if the ABS sensor is damaged and the car goes into limited power mode. It happened to me and BMW told me to do this so that I could get to their workshop.
Thanks!
this was awesome--I've always wondered about this issue, and now I know. Snow banks, steep uphills--easy to remember. Donuts in a snowy parking lot sounds like fun, unless under the snow there are parking blocks at the end of each parking space. Probably not a good to hit those when doing donuts! In thinking about this further, I think I'd rather just have a doughnut, as I'll be 62 in May so I don't have that many more years to enjoy a doughnut now and then . . .
Go get you a doughnut!! You deserve it ☺️
I really want to send you a doughnut now haha
I understood that you need the Traction control on in the snow and the light being on indicated that this feature is on
Not saying RUclips videos cannot be useful; I just hate youtube videos that take 20 minutes in order to convey approximately 2 minutes of information
They don't get monetized unless it's at least 10 minutes long I believe. So that's usually why. But I totally agree with you 👍
I think my traction control may have kept me out of a bar ditch once on a slick country muddy road. Another time it may have saved my life going down the highway at 70 mph when I had to swerve suddenly to avoid a collision. Thankful to the Lord either way. It may have been angelic protection.
Thanks for the info on when to have it turned off.
I have owned a lot of toyotas over the years and love them. I never had a bright, beautiful young lady demo the options though...TY TY 😇🥰
nailed it!
Still haven't / really don't understand yet what it does?
@@AutoJeffReviewsNailed her!
So for slippery road do u turn it off or on?
There are two situations where turning it off can help. 1) If the vehicle is stuck and you want to rock it to get momentum. (2:12 in the video) 2) Driving up a long slippery hill, where your wheels keep slipping, traction control may continually cut power until you have no more forward movement. In that case turn it off and apply the gas pedal gently. (2:58 in the video) Otherwise leave it on.
@@GreatIaker Thanks dude, am a new driver and so new to all of these. 👍🏾
Jeff’s demo on the hill was brilliant. Nicely done!
Haha it seemed appropriate
Had to watch this twice to take it in as I was too distracted by Christina’s beautiful looks 😊🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Best traction control explanation I've been looking for ! Thank you so much !!! ❤
On my 2011 Chevy sedan, if I press the button it works the same as you presented. If I hold it for 8 seconds, it will also defeat the ESC - electronic stability control - which helps to maintain the predicted (calculated) path of the vehicle.
I definitely want to push Christina’s fun button!
There's always one. 😆
Never turn off the Traction control button.
It's probably stinky
You're gross
@@ronl9357 Hey, can you be nice for a change ? Cristina's a nice person ......
Thanks. 👍
Traction ON - Minimize Fishtailing on wet roads and conditions, or minimize spinning wheels by applying brakes or reducing engine power to spinning wheels
Traction OFF - Help you get unstuck in snow, embankment, or hill; or if you want to do “donuts”
By default, leave the traction button ON.
here in the tropical Philippines, we really don't need to know about traction control bc we don't have snow, but this is great additional knowledge
Simple, easy explanation. Thank you.
I learned this from my mom if you are driving in snow going up And down hills put your car in a lower gear works best on roads where traffic is not driving crazy
Always love the bloopers 😂.. you 2 are awesome 👏👍🏼
Thanks haha
We have fun filming lol
I drove a 1987 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight for decades, and my uncle drove a 1988 Ninety Eight and his had Anti Lock breaks which was a new feature at the time only on some luxury vehicles at the time. And he didn’t know what it mean’t until he heard it kick in on an icy road one winter drive in the late 80’s.
You guys were great! I love the demonstration of going up the hill😂😂😂😂😂😂
How do you turn it back on in the Camry? Everytime I press it, it just says traction turned off.
Thank you so much for the excellent explanation of how traction control works.
im from florida and they are correct, i have a 23 corolla cross and moved to new hampshire, we just had a snow storm and I could not get up the hill at all due to snow and it being a 2wd vehicle. I had to back down the hill, the vehicle just stayed in one place no matter how much i applied the gas pedal, it just wouldn't move up the hill. After watching this, I tried again without the traction control off and up the hill it went. Thanks guys.
I think you meant to say WITH the traction control turned OFF. The default mode is: "traction control always on," unless you turn it off.
My last car was in an AWD 06 Honda Element that did not have traction control. My current car is a 2023 Subaru Forester that does have a traction control button. I don't anticipate needing to turn it off very often with the Forester but it's nice to know that I can if I need to.
i gave this a like you guys are too funny the snowless snow bank and the carless hill climb are hilarious
lol thanks so much glad you liked!!
Jeff is the Star of the show
I never use it, much rather drive myself, in fact when you learn how to drive in slippery conditions it can actually be fun. 😁
In my friend's old truck, the traction control button was within arms reach of the passenger seat. I would occasionally turn it off. (Don't worry, road conditions were good.) The orange light would illuminate and my friend had no idea what the heck it meant. He was afraid to drive with the light on because he was afraid it would damage his vehicle. So he would pull over, shut his truck off, and restart it, which would reset it and turn the light off. To this day he had no idea it was me doing that, nor did he figure out all he had to do was press that button to turn it back on again.
😂😂
I knew how traction control worked. I watched the video just to see Christina. 😂
Thank you that was a big help for I've owned a Jeep for a year, my first jeep and I had no idea what that button was for. Thank you, now I'm an expert.
I could've done without that picture of your mom. Thanks!
Thank-you, for an excellent explanation. I don't plan on ever being stuck, going up a steep slippery hill, or making donuts, but it's good to know! 😄
What about car sway side way when you u turn? Is that button help stabilise the car?
no
I love modern vehicles, but this video made me thing of my first car...manual transmission, no traction control, no ABS, no power windows or power door locks, no cruise control. It did have power brakes and power steering. Cars have come a very long way.
And they were a lot more fun because people knew how to drive them
So when do I turn it on? I have a Honda CRV, I think it is off all the time. When I drive on icy road or snowy slippery road where I tried to slow down but not pushing on break too much, should I leave the traction button on?
best way to explained ...amazing demo
Thank you from a 2017 Highlander user.
I turn Traction Control off when I am encountering muddy, slippery roads or black ice. The vehicle seems to handle better when it’s off under those conditions. Not sure why….
best video on trac control ever😻
that's a huge compliment!
This is quite a change as Jeff is usually the one pushing our buttons 😃
Hahaha, good one!
@@mommynova- 😉
Nice job Hoggy!
@@AutoJeffReviews 😁
🇧🇬👍
I drive an off road rated 4X4 - 3 ton truck. I turn off the traction control and use the 4X4 wheel lock when going in to deep snow to park or get out of a parking spot. The truck has deep thread high traction snow/mud tires. I have no issues with snow and off road conditions. I can park on streets in winter where normal cars cannot park. I make my own parking place in the the snow. If to get stuck with this truck I would have to do something stupid or try to get stuck.
My 2010 Ram the manual states to leave it on and when wheel slippage is detected the dash light lights up on your dash then when traction is gained it disengages so the system turns on when it's needed only.
What do you select when you are parked uphill, the road is wet and the wheels are spinning when you are trying to leave?
Turn it off when you need to make an aggressive move on dry pavement. In my wife's Audi I was trying to get out of an uphill driveway and merge onto a curved highway with limited visibility of oncoming traffic. I had to be quick about it. Unfortunately, and obviously, the traction control kicked in and the car simply wouldn't accelerate once I had gotten onto the highway. Traffic caught up with me. Fortunately they didn't honk or anything. I don't know if a wheel left the ground causing it to kick in (as there was a hump as well), the fact that I was driving uphill, or what.
I now know what that feature does. Thank you!
Best explanation I’ve heard, thanks.
Awesome, thank you!
Thumbs up! I thought Jeff was going to do a flip when he raised his hands up. I'll have to look in my 2008 Volvo where that button is if I even have it.
Still I didn’t understand it should be off or on . How about on a snowy day off or on .
OFF when stuck in a snow bank or climbing a steep hill.
There are two situations where turning it off can help. 1) If the vehicle is stuck and you want to rock it to get momentum. (2:12 in the video) 2) Driving up a long slippery hill, where your wheels keep slipping, traction control may continually cut power until you have no more forward movement. In that case turn it off and apply the gas pedal gently. (2:58 in the video) Otherwise leave it on.
I want to know what the hill decent button is for i've tried it but doesn't seem to do anything?
Does it just lock the differential? If so - it can be used only in slippery conditions to avoid any damage/wear.
I thought was Brilliant , great video by the way I rarely have my traction control on
Can you engage or disengage while the car is moving?
Yes
Hey, Im confused I am not sure if I turned mine off or on because of the word “off” when that icon is lit in Orange does that mean is turned on or off?
If you're leaving Cars and Coffee in a Mustang with large crowds, do you turn Traction on or off?
I don't even listen to what you say. I just watch and it makes me feel real good for the day.
Traction control is stupid in dry driving, I've had it litterally kill the car turning left with oncoming traffic on a side street with a low drainage dip. The car sensed the right wheel was slipping and killed the throttle pausing long enough to almost cause an serious accident that would have nailed me.
Well, well, well... so that's what happened to me. Had a truly horrible experience on a long, steep incline road during a sudden snowstorm 5 years ago. Car just kept slipping backwards down the hill and I was too far up to let it slide all the way back down. I fought it for almost 10 minutes before getting to the top. If I had only known. I suspected something when I noticed how much my car hates the ECT button on my own driveway at home - that's why I watched this video! Well, thank you now.
I keep forgetting to turn my Traction Control off when I've done doughnuts in a snowy parking lot but it seems just fine with it on. However it might be bad for the brakes when purposely trying to loose traction ...so next time we get snow I'll have to try turning it off
First thing I turn off on any new vehicle we get in the winter. This is in my opinion the worst thing on vehicles while driving on icy roads. I find the traction control very dangerous and best way to end up in a ditch. It sounds so wonderful, but my experience with them is that it is just completely useless and dangerous
Great vid .but drive up here in Saskatchewan 🇨🇦 in -50 in the winter or freezing 🥶 rain
Refer to your owner's manual for specific details. In some vehicles, pressing this button may disable stability assist while keeping traction control active. Though these systems work together, they serve distinct purposes. Traction control aids in maintaining grip during straight-line movement, while stability assist reduces engine power if erratic steering inputs are detected.
For example, in my H3, turning off stability assist leaves traction control active, which helps maintain forward traction. However, stability assist intervenes by cutting engine power if I sharply steer left or right while accelerating to climb out of a hole. This highlights the importance of having the option to disable stability assist in 4-wheel or all-wheel drive vehicles for optimal performance in challenging conditions. FYI: Dumbest demonstration of TC on a hill.
Winter is the time to turn it off if your traction control activities at 110 kph on ice, you will be rolling in the ditch. That's a great piece of safety equipment. It happens all the time in Canada
Back in the 90's (before most vehicles had traction contro) I used my brakes to add pressure to the pads. Not near as good or as efficient as traction control but the concept was sound back then.
I have two different vehicles and when turn off the TC off they have more power, runs more freely and it saves gas.
I prefer the TCS off as the default setting (press and hold TCS for 3 seconds for default off). How do I eleminate the gauge cluster warning window (TCS OFF) always taking over the screen while driving between the tach and speedometerso I can see the other functions ?
Thank you guys. ❤
You bet!
I have to turn off TC on my 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer all the time because it actually causes me to slip when accelerating from a stop more often than not. Even with brand new tires, the torque just seems to be a little too much for it
When is it appropriate to keep TC on?
For safety, always leave it on unless you have a reason not too. The reasons not to generally involve unusual situations such as being stuck (including difficulty when slowly climbing a slippery incline) and off-roading.
Fantastic shoes Christina!
T C on means your brakes are slightly on all the time. It's like you have your foot on the brake all the time. It affects negitivly the mileage and wears out the brakes sooner. As a professional driver, I always turn it off unless the pavement is wet or icy. Some newer cars will not let you disingage it when the cruise is on.
Im old school, and like to always be in total control of the vehicles. So i hate trac control!
Totally get that
so, for everyday driving in good wx and on no issue roads is it better to leave it on or turn it off??? 🤠
🤔 Now I'm wondering. When going uphill, what gives you better traction control. Nike or Adidas?
This video confuses me because it contradicts everything the new car salesman told me regarding the traction control feature in my 2017 Subaru Legacy.
Being unfamiliar with a traction control feature, I asked the salesman when I should and should not engage the traction control feature. He explained to me as follows in the next two paragraphs:
While driving on paved or hard-packed gravel roads in any weather, I should leave the traction control disengaged as that would allow Subaru's computerized symmetrical intelligent all-wheel drive software to control slippage and maintain better control of the vehicle by automatically applying more power to the wheels that need it and less power to the wheels that don't.
But while driving in deep mud, live sand, or trying to get out of a ditch or climb an unusually steep grade that is slippery, then I should engage the traction control feature as that would allow the engine, the transmission, and the differential to work together by applying raw gripping power to all the wheels equally for better traction, and once the vehicle has returned to normal driving conditions, then I should disengage the traction control and allow the intelligent symmetrical all-wheel drive system to take over again for best on-road control.
So, since I purchased this vehicle brand new off the lot in January 2017, I have never used the traction control feature because I have never found myself in a situation like any of the ones described above. My 2017 Subaru Legacy has always performed flawlessly in our erratic New Hampshire winter weather, with the traction control feature always disengaged.
This RUclips video has caused some confusion for me, and I seek more information from my dealership. Someone is misinformed and disseminating misleading and potentially dangerous information to the public. I need to know who is right and who is wrong.
Don’t be confused sir, as you’re learning about a traction control system in this video that is inferior to the one in your Subaru. Your Subaru salesman told you correctly.
Subaru has one of the best and systems.
I think you are confused with what the button does. Normally the traction control is ON. When you push the button, it turns off.
traction control almost got me into an accident in the snow becasue my tires stopped moving and I stopped on a hill and a 4x4 that was behind me barely missed me
I'm still not sure in what conditions it needs to be turned on. I live in an area with no snow and only rain during winter. I'm suspecting it's just better to have it on all the time...
You are both very nice. Thank you for this video, although it would have been better if you had waited for the winter and actually shown us how to use the traction control, rather than Christina telling us over and over imagine a snowy day ... 😄
I am still confused, what conditions you want it off vs at what other conditions you want them ON? If I understood it correct, you do want it OFF when you want to move around smoothly in up hills. Does it help provide more grip during slippery conditions like snow or rain? I am lost.
I have the traction control on as it really don't benefit my needs. A well explained video it is!! I can say for the price of the TRD it don't have digital custer and is 15 years behind in tech! I did take the Sonata N Line over the TRD due to the over the top tech it has.inside it!
I can't wait to try traction control off. 2017 Sante Fe, NW lower Michigan.