Traction control (OFF) position SOLUTION!!!

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Erict

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I recently posted a comment/question regarding the Traction control button and the fact that it would always reset to the ON postion.

I consider this an anoying thing.

Well one evening on an outing on my sailboat with some freinds, we got to talking about this.

Well one of my freinds suggested I try depressing the button permanently and see if this would solve the problem.

Well it DOES!!!!

If you depress the traction control button and keep it depressed all the way through the ignition cycle and the electronic check the car goes through (Airbag, ABS and Traction control), what you endup with is a Traction control "OFF" position.

I am now looking at a descrete way to wedge the button in the depressed position.

I think the flat part of a tie rap in a black color so it will not show will do the trick. I need to slip it between the car trim on both sides of the button and the tention built into the plastic should be enough to hold the button in the depressed position.

From an esthetic point of view, it should not show.
 

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The answer is quite simple to why I would want this feature to be selected as default off.

1. It limits power output severely on takeoff. (try it on, then off)
2. This is not a feature I would have ordered on the vehicle, but in Canada it came standard, I had no choice in the matter.
3. The feature is destined for bad weather and winter condition driving. (Something I dont plan to do with this car).
4. I like to decide on my own, if I wish to have a feature on or off.

I hope those of you who find this feature anoying will benefit from the solution.
 
It is interesting to hear ERICT indicate that with the traction control on, it robs power from the engine. I wonder if there is an explanation as to why having the traction control button in the on position would rob power from the torque of the rear wheels.

Dennis Crago

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At some point in time, someone gave a disertation on how the traction control works. I don't remember if it was on here on on the old or new BON. My understanding is that it doesn't "rob" power but cuts power off to one wheel or the other if one starts spinning faster than another.

(I tried "traction control" search and came up with nothing on this site - maybe someone else will have better luck)
 
The symptom I am getting with TracsOn the vehicle feels underpowered.

With TrackOff, the vehicle feels ok and I get little or no wheel spin even with Max power applied.

Result, I think there must be a little computer work controling the acceleration ratio, to prevent wheel spin.
 
The traction control incorporates the ABS system. When one of the rear wheel sensors senses one or both wheels starting to spin, it applies the brake to the affected wheel(s)thus giving the sensation of lost power. It uses the ABS just opposite of how the ABS normally works. When the sensors sense any of the four wheels starting to slide while the brakes are applied, it releases the brakes and reapplies them several times per second to the affected wheels. Hope this explains how the two systems work.

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Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V
 
What ever is happening, its affecting the overall feel at takeoff. I intend to go to a drag srip one of these days, and I will sure try the system on/off and compare the acceleration curb.

Odds are that on top of just not feeling right, it will also show that feeling of loss of power.

As far as ABS systems in general go, they have not met my fancy.

They tend to perform poorly in most conditions and lengthen stopping distances.

I have noticed that many of the improvements on cars are improvements destined to make cars "Idiot proof".

Unfortunately this is done to the detriment of many fundamentals.
 
Eric,

Since I had never tried full throttle acceleration with the trac control off (except to do a power brake burnout) I could not respond yesterday.

On the way into work this morning, while sitting at a light, I turned the control off and floored it when the light changed. I was not concerned about breaking the tires loose, the car does not have enough low end grunt to do that. When it hit 40 or so mph I turned the control back on. If your theory about the computer somehow limiting the rate of acceleration is correct then I would have expected to feel the cars acceleration decrease. This was not the case, I felt absolutely nothing. At the next light I tried it again, this time turning it back on at about 20 mph with the same result.

One time in my 5 speed manual '00 Stang GT (it also had default on trac control) I was going to cut a donut in the sand but I forgot to turn the control off. Not only does the system apply brakes to the spinning wheel it will also selectively stop firing cylinders to limit the engine's power. The end result of this episode is that the engine totally bogged down, just like the older cars with a badly adjusted carb would do. Believe me, that was quite noticable.

I will be interested in seeing the results of your timed runs but my bet is there will be no difference between trac control on or off, other than your reaction times.

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This only happens when the wheel spin cannot be stopped by applying the brakes. The Bird does not have enough power to turn the tires over like that, at least on pavement.

When I say it bogged down, I mean it practically stopped. RPMs dropped from 4000 to just above idle.
 
Ok, I raced a friend a couple times with the traction control both on and off. I was able to beat him every time, but always pulled away from him faster with the system activated. My car does spin the wheels on take off with the system off. Leaving it on provides better, quicker take off. I did notice that the car felt faster with it off, but this was just that; only a feeling as the car did not pull away as quickly.

I plan to race a drag strip within the next month or so and I will test it again.
 
As Erict has indicated and RTBIRD observed for his mustang, the traction control does reduce engine power and apply braking to 'control traction'.

I have a Mustang, Lincoln LS and Bird with this feature.
On the Bird and LS the system is called ADVANCETRAC.
The difference is that the Mustang has less sensors and when 'burning donuts' it will identify an unsafe condition but more subtle manouvers like burn outs the reduction of engine power is not noticable to the same extent as the bird and LS.
Advance trac has a bunch more sensors and it does indeed limit engine power when accellerating, especially in the wet, on a loose surface and or hot pavement.

I turn off the system on both cars in good weather as I drive 'spirited'.

My winter car the LS is driven on ice and snow and the system makes the car as good in snow as any FWD car iI have had and bettwer than any RWD I have driven.
The system is as good as the MERCEDES BENZ system.

If you 'drag race' off corners switch the system off!
Also note on the 03 bird the 'select shift' when engaged starts the car off in 2nd gear, not first gear!
For better accelleration you must start in D4 and shift into the selectshif gate after second gear!

Regards Tony
 
I do not deny that the car is appling brakes and maybe even cutting some power, but the results of my test were that the car was faster with the system on due to wheel spin on take off with the system off. Sure I could modulate the throttle with the system off and if I raced it all the time I might find the very best way to launch this car.

This was the first time I raced this car and did it just for fun since my friend is a chevy person and I wanted to let him know that the T-Bird was quick for what type of car it is.

I will eventually take this car to the track and run more test, but that will be at a later date. I really use the Mustang for racing at the track. I like banging through the gears manually. The auto T-Bird is my daily driver.

Thanks for the info on the advancetrac. I thought Ford fixed the select shift so it would start in first gear now. I know I read this on the Lincoln LLSOC.Com Web Site. Did Ford not carry over the same fix when they added select shift to the T-Bird?
 
traction control (off)position solution

i have a 203 tbird after i start my car up and turn the traction control off by just pushing a button. i can kick it to the floor and burn off pretty good i notice a difference in performance.i turn mine off all the time. dennis.w
 
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