Traction Control!!

[Bashy]

Hi guys, long time no speaky!!

Well i appear to have a problem!!

My traction control does not appear to work!
The bloody thing just spins, with no atempt to grip
any ideas??

regards

Martin Chadwick
Bashy
98 C70 GT T5

[SG]

I'm assuming you've got TRACS rather than STC.

TRACS is only meant to help you get going in slippery conditions by braking whatever wheel is slipping. It cuts out above a certain speed. I can't remember exactly what speed but it's quite low. I've only ever felt it kick in on snow as I've tried to pull gently away from standstill.

[Bashy]

HI

It is TRACS that i have and the damn thing is useless in the wet!
My car is named below!
Strange as well cause it dont seem to hold the road that well at all!
Even in the dry i get the feeling that it wants to slide!!
My tyres have plenty of tread left on them, cant rememebr the make though!!

Regards

Martin Chadwick
Bashy
98 C70 GT T5

Ps.(it was on 1st take off that i was reffering to, also when i use
kick down it just spins until either i let up or it takes hold
itself!!
My mate has a Ford Mondeo ST24 an when his traction control kicks in
(100 x Better than mine and the Vauxhall) it lights an indicator
on his dash, does the volvo do this???))

[Networkguy]

The TRACS system is hopeless. I have it on my S70 and have had it checked more than once by the dealer.

It will not work over 35mph
It only works if one wheel is spinning faster than the other (so if both wheels are spinning away fromt the lights, tough).
I have only ever seen it work once (and that was in heavy snow).

[Bob]

Traction control on front wheel drive cars is a waste of time. I recently finished 10 months teaching on the skid pan at the Met police driving school, and I always showed everyone how useless it is, on most fwd cars. In fact, it can get you into more problems if you are going into or on a bend as it will throw you into it too quickly and develop a front wheel skid, and you don't want that. That is one of the reasons why BMW have stuck with rear wheel drive.

Just learn better control of the accelerator.

I trust your advice implicitly, but why is it no good for front wheel drive cars ?

And while we're at it .... several months ago I entered a roundabout a little too 'spiritedly', in the wet. I had to brake rather later and deeper into to the 'bend' than I would have liked ... and the back end came right round ... twice! I realise afterwards I had my foot hard on the brakes as soon as I felt it go (big mistake I presume?) . Luckily no damage to anyone or anything but was a sobering experience ! I certainly take it easier in the wet.

What did I do wrong (apart from entering the roundabout at an obviously inappropriate speed ...) and how should one handle back end slide in fwd car ?

Steve

[Peter Milnes]

Sounds as if your ABS was not working either. It should have cut in and enabled you to steer your car safely, whilst your brakes were applied.

All the best, Peter

Traction control is useless on a FWD car as when you pull of / hit the power peddle etc all the weight is transfered to the back of the car. Then as you have nothing holding the front wheels to the floor they will spin quite easily, meaning that any traction control system will have to remove most of the power before it does anything.

As for the rear skid, again it's all physics, and I don't think ABS would have helped as you can achieve the same thing without using the brakes. When you hit the brakes all the weight went to the front, causing the back end to lose traction. To do it without using the brakes simply go full tilt into a corner (in a big empty car park of course) and don't back off the power as much as just slip your foot from the peddle and the back end will slide round.

If this happens then release the brakes and try to balance the car using the throttle. It's not that easy, although if you back off the brakes (or apply a *little* throttle) early enough it should swing back into line.

Hope all involvoled are fine and that the motor is okay.

Stu

[Simon Linton]

As Bob will I'm sure confirm, the natural reaction in a rear-wheel skid is to wind off lock and back off power, both of which are correct.

A front-wheel understeer skid makes you automatically do all the wrong things like put on more lock, worsening the situation.

Of course, you can balance oversteer like really good drivers (of which I'm not one) can do, but that needs practice - off to your local skid pan or Advanced Driving school.

As I said last night in another context, if your ABS goes on you're driving like a prat; too fast for the conditions or too close to the car in front.

Thus speaks a lunatic driver...

[Bob]

Simon and Stu are correct. When you get into a skid, front or rear, with a fwd, pray!!

This is why we only use rwd cars for fancy demos on the skid pan...great fun.