[Closed] Switched the traction control off on my car this morning

Back end was distinctly more twitchy.

That can happen when you’re nervous

I have a long twisty gravel drive to the farm. I always used to switch the TC and DSC off on the Beemer when driving back up the drive and pretend to be Colin Mcrae. I can testify to the fact that there is quite a big difference when it is on or off 🙂

I was expecting a picture of a car wrapped around a tree..... gratuitous injury pics and the OP questioning whether a doctor's visit is necessary.

Do the indicators work on it?

Ahh that n the hand brake and an empty car park.

All the sideways fun you need

Its recommended to turn the traction control down when driving slowly through snow. Especially in a RWD car otherwise the system just pick up that the wheels are loosing traction and reduces power to them.

Get the rooster tails up.

when I first met my wife she had a MX5, pretty much brand new
First decent snowfall I took it to the local Tesco car park and did some late-night buggering about - magic (apparently I am God's gift to driving after all)

Next time I was in there I noticed just how many raised kerbs there were in various parts of my racetrack. Seems I'm God's gift to luckily not knackering your girflriend's suspension too!

Seems I’m God’s gift to luckily not knackering your girflriend’s suspension too!

You could also have damaged her car.

Yes I drove Mrs Gti's Primera SRi right over a hidden flower bed while playing in a snowy car park. Ooops.

I didn't realise my Passat has traction control because it does allow a fair bit of slip. Only noticed when trying to get up an incline to get to my house in rush hour traffic and really nearly failed. Didn't know how to turn it off then either. That was before I had snow tyres mind.

I had an Alfa 147 Selespeed (flappy paddle semi automatic), that I had to switch off the traction/stability in snow - the car just got terribly confused and didn't go in a straight line. It was awful in snow.

Do the indicators work on it?

Not very well on the BMW 520 I was driving until recently. They would turn themselves off at random points around a roundabout, try not to turn themselves on when I clicked them and generally arse about until I wasn't paying any attention to the road. It's almost like the designers thought that the stereotype should be reinforced.

I took it to the local Tesco car park and did some late-night buggering about – magic

fnaar fnaar

pretend to be Colin Mcrae.

Safer in a car than flying a helicopter like a loon and killing your kid, his mate and a pal.

when I first met my wife

I took it to the local Tesco car park and did some late-night buggering about

Seems I’m God’s gift to luckily not knackering your girflriend’s suspension

Ah now my Passat does have an indicator light and it was flashing like mad this morning. Tried traction control off, certainly no more grip. The roads were appalling with no apparent sign of there having been any gritting. This is Cheadle Hulme, we expect better, blah blah, the sooner we are out of the EU the better. More money for gritting and potholes, rant, rant.

Anyway I'm off now to recover my car from where I dumped it this morning.

Tried traction control off, certainly no more grip

I agree.

What I found with the TC on the Passat, Touran and Galaxy was that my feet were a better judge of reacting when [b]slow[/b] on snow or ice. I found that going uphill in all of them, the TC used brakes to slow down spinning wheels, leading to a drop in speed through slower wheels. I found that I can feel slipping, ease off and re-apply as more grip was found a few metres up the road.

At any speed, TC can react quicker.

I once got flummoxed by hill-hold - trying to climb a snowy hill in that well known graveyard of 4x4s that is Birmingham city centre (actually Snow Hill though, so maybe I am justified). Dropping back down the hill meant the car would engage HH then I couldn't set off again as the front would break traction with the rear brakes on. Ended up slithering sideways, going around a loop and having a run at the hill to get up it, thereby meaning I didn't have to turn in my mancard.

Also discovered today that the electronic handbrake in my Karoq will engage on the move! So handbrake turns in the snow are back on the agenda. Only issue is that the brake doesn't disengage unless your foot is on the brake pedal (and it just locks fully on) so some crafty heel and toe action is going to be required if I'm going to perfect the move. Maybe a project for next winter's one day of snowfall...

Anybody who can have sex in an MX5 in a snowy car park deserves a lot of praise, I think

Roof on - black belt yogamaster
Roof off - what, at minus 5 degrees? She'd have been lucky to see it, let alone feel it

Anyway, suspension lasted a good while later before it started to sag, so I did OK
(err, 😉 )

Careful with the elctric handbrakes. Im not sure about Skodas but in some of the later VAG cars, hitting the elctronic handbrake whlie moving sends the car into an emergency stop mode, slamming on all the brakes, front and rear, but still using ABS to control any skidding.

Anybody who can have sex in an MX5 in a snowy car park deserves a lot of praise, I think

Mx5? Easy. You should try it in a Triumph Spitfire. Or better still...an MG Midget. Especially if you are 6'2".

Careful with the elctric handbrakes. Im not sure about Skodas but in some of the later VAG cars, hitting the elctronic handbrake whlie moving sends the car into an emergency stop mode, slamming on all the brakes, front and rear, but still using ABS to control any skidding.

Very much! When our Golf GTD was new I pulled the switch once whilst moving, it wasn't happy with me!

Interesting. I may have to experiment. I've been keeping away from electronic brakes as bitd I had a full on failure to stop abs'd up 40mph 200yd+ slide (pumping brakes and everything) and only managed to avoid stationary car by going up the kerb and verge, then handbrake to stop.
That was a Ford though so maybe the vag system is better?

I used to have an old beemer 520 automatic
Pretty big tyres, agricultural auto box and the "traction control" involved braking the wheel that was slipping. Was a bastard in the snow.

My current car has an electric handbrake but I don't THINK it does anything while I'm on the move ... tell my family I love them, i'm going in ! (well, out)

I’ve been keeping away from electronic brakes as bitd

Wasn't the problem that if all four wheels locked the car assumed you were stationary and did nothing, so you slid uncontrollably? These days pretty much all cars have ESP instead of simply ABS which includes motion sensors and the like, so it knows that you're still moving even if the wheels aren't. In theory anyway!

Wasn’t the problem that if all four wheels locked the car assumed you were stationary and did nothing, so you slid uncontrollably?

I think it's more that they had ABS that would cut in if one wheel slid, meaning you got the worst situation your brake bias could give. In a modern car it would react on each wheel individually, and should find more traction.

Wasn’t the problem that if all four wheels locked the car assumed you were stationary and did nothing, so you slid uncontrollably?

No, ABS banging away, everything sliding. To stop in the snow needs the wheels to lock and a wedge of snow to form in front of the wheels which then act to brake you.
This was a 57 plate Mondeo, but I've also had similar experience from a 60 plate Golf.
Anyhoo, looks like it'll be icy tomorrow so might pop out for a trial.

A friend switched the TC off in his M3 and put it backwards through a hedge about two miles up the road, a very expensive lesson.

"That was a Ford though so maybe the vag system is better?"

Are we back to sex in sports cars again?

the PSM traction control thingy

#humblebrag 😜

No way I am turning it off in mine in this weather. 265 wide rears and a bucket or torque has the TC light flashing in summer (tried P-Zeros and Pilot Sport 4's).

Ended up in a good bit of fresh snow high up on the Cotswolds last night trying to get back to the M5 which took a lot of concentration and tippy toeing.

Last year in the snow, eco mode and TC off gave me all the grip I needed with 265 rears, 245 fronts and xdrive, coupled to in excess of 500Nm of torque driving was a doddle, then just switch to sport mode for fun 🙂

"Spoiler malfunction, do not exceed 130kph" was the message I got yesterday on the M56 when it was -5C and the spoiler was frozen down. Surely the spoiler on a 3 series GT ia a toy and doesn't serve any useful purpose?

Subaru XV on 'All Season' tyres.
Going up a compacted snowy hill, lots of traction control wizardry and a perfectly straight line.
Coming down, even more of said wizardry, a lot of wiggling, but certainly proved that it could do it better than a human.

Surely the spoiler on a 3 series GT ia a toy and doesn’t serve any useful purpose?

They do actually serve a purpose above a certain speed and the handling is affected if not deployed above a certain speed

Mx5? Easy. You should try it in a Triumph Spitfire. Or better still…an MG Midget.

I once did it in the passenger seat of an Austin Metro on a very stormy night at the base of Emley Moor TV Mast. Every time I drive by it on the M62 I fondly recall the heady autumn of 1991 with Sarah - she was a thoroughly naughty young lady.

I once did it in the passenger seat of an Austin Metro on a very stormy night at the base of Emley Moor TV Mast. Every time I drive by it on the M62 I fondly recall the heady autumn of 1991 with Sarah – she was a thoroughly naughty young lady.

Ah, a magnificent erection I'm sure. But a fair way from the m62. Maybe your memories have affected your eyesight?

Doh - sorry, M1. No idea how I got them mixed up but there you go 🙂