Brand loyalty evaporates as car demand hits all-time high. Skip to Content Skip to Footer. How does traction control work? Should I ever switch traction control off? Share this on Twitter Share this on Facebook Email. Most Popular. Top 10 best hybrid cars to buy Best cars 22 Oct Tips and advice 4 Nov What is a DSG gearbox?
Should I buy one? Car buying 3 Nov View All. Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide. Tips and advice 10 Aug Electric car charging stations: a complete guide. Tips and advice 5 Nov PCP vs HP — which type of car finance is right for you?
Enter electronic traction control. In modern vehicles, traction-control systems utilize the same wheel-speed sensors employed by the antilock braking system. These sensors measure differences in rotational speed to determine if the wheels that are receiving power have lost traction. When the traction-control system determines that one wheel is spinning more quickly than the others, it automatically "pumps" the brake to that wheel to reduce its speed and lessen wheel slip.
In most cases, individual wheel braking is enough to control wheel slip. However, some traction-control systems also reduce engine power to the slipping wheels. On a few of these vehicles, drivers may sense pulsations of the gas pedal when the system is reducing engine power much like a brake pedal pulsates when the antilock braking system is working.
Many people mistakenly believe that traction control will prevent their vehicle from getting stuck in the snow. This couldn't be further from the truth. Traction control does not have the ability to increase traction; it just attempts to prevent a vehicle's wheels from spinning. For drivers who routinely drive in snowy and icy conditions, traction control, antilock brakes, and snow tires are must-have safety features. These early systems were referred to as limited-slip differentials because all of the hardware was located in the differential.
There were no electronic components involved, so these systems had to sense a lack of traction and transfer power mechanically. During the s, General Motors produced some of the first electronic traction control systems.
These systems were capable of modulating engine power when a lack of traction was sensed, but they were notoriously unreliable. Electronic stability control, a related technology, is now required equipment in cars sold in the United States and the European Union. Since many electronic stability systems include traction control, these regulations mean that it is increasingly likely that your next car will have traction control. Traction control systems function sort of like reverse anti-lock brake systems.
They use the same sensors to determine whether any of the wheels have lost traction, but these systems look for wheel slippage during acceleration instead of deceleration. If a traction control system determines that a wheel is slipping, it can take a number of corrective actions. However, traction control systems are also capable of exerting some management over engine operations.
In vehicles that use drive by wire throttle, the TCS can also close the throttle to reduce engine power. If they break loose during acceleration, the vehicle can go into a slide that you may not be able to recover from. Those methods work, but a TCS has a much more granular level of control over engine and brake operations.
If you frequently drive in wet or icy conditions, traction control can really come in handy. Rapid acceleration is sometimes necessary when merging with freeway traffic, crossing busy roads, and in other situations where spinning out could result in an accident. When you absolutely need that kind of rapid acceleration, traction control is extremely useful. If your vehicle is completely stopped on slick ice or in heavy snow, traction control will most likely be useless.
In addition to providing assistance during acceleration, traction control systems can also help you maintain control while cornering. If you take a turn too fast, your drive wheels will tend to lose traction with the road surface. Depending on whether you have a front or rear wheel drive vehicle, that can result in either oversteer or understeer.
0コメント