First snow in new 09 truck, differential unpredictable and sucks!

Ok, so this is the first storm of the season and I just went out to play.

I am used to my old trucks that had LSD... When approaching a turn too quickly and the truck still wants to go straight, you tap the gas and the ass end give out and you make the turn...

You all know what I'm talking about, if you've ever played in the snow..

Now, this 09 TRD offroad 4x4, I went to do the same, and every damn time either this yellow light on the dash would blink VSC I think?? and make the truck behave erradically and totally unpredictable...

To make things worse, I push that VSC button in, and then a red light on my dash lights up saying Auto LSD... This is the LSD that uses your ABS brakes to help the wheel in need of power. This feature sucks.

How can I disable this stupid shit before I get in an accident... Fuse? relay? Cutting wires?

 

User error.

 

push the button and hold it 10 secs

 

Press and hold the VSC button for 5-10 at a STOP. Your VSC light will light up notifying you that you have disabled all traction control. Now you can get all kinds of squirrly

 

i don't know why you would want disable the traction control,i just push the button once on snowy roads to turn off throttle intervention,best thing since sliced bread for me

 

Crash it and use the insurance money to get a 10 year old truck.

 

User error.. lol

Ok, let me try holding it in and test it out again.. Be back in 15..

 

Slow down?

 

Are you still on the stock tires? With snowies, mine is bomber - I can't get the tires to slip in snow in 4-hi.

 

If you want to fishtail .... get yourself one of these.

 

Gentlemen,

It works.... Holding down vsc button for 5secs disables all of that electronic garbage.
Thanks for info

I like my truck to behave the way I tell it to... Not the way it wants to.
I can understand people who aren't good drivers or need these features to help in tough situations, but I will never use them.. Never have before and 20yrs accident free...

Brandob9,
Yep, I just installed a set of Yokohama Geolandar I/T Winter tires... So far they grip like mad... Very impressed.

And yes, the fishtailing is all part of the fun... especially in a storm

 

You think the computer control on these things are bad now, just wait until the 2011 comes out, as soon as it snows the truck will shut itself off and bus tokens will be ejected from the dash.

 

When you disable VSC, be advised that the truck will...automatically re-enable this feature above 30 mph. And while traveling under 30 mph, it will stay off.

VSC is good above 30 mph, it helps keep you alive and the truck damage free.

 

Newbie?? Looks like we joined TW at the same time Pedro..
In case you haven't read above, the option to disable these features is simply holding the vsc button down for 5secs... Not that difficult.. I agree though, I miss my first gen alot...

 

Learn to use the thing before complaining. The auto-lsd feature is actually pretty efective, even more than a normal LSD. It gets the job done. Anyway, why don't you just put it in 4HI?

 

I had these in Quebec, loved them. I was about to buy another set, but I went with the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 SUV, studded and supposedly the best... We'll see because the Yokohama were really impressive!

 

yea i love having the lefty in mine now. its just like playing in my old 91 yota.

i start off on a snowy road with the front hubs locked but in 2wd...

apply generous throttle until truck goes completely crazy sideways, depress clutch pedal, pull lever back into 4wd.

dump the clutch and mash the throttle and the truck straightens right back up.... enjoy the huge thats on your face from all the fun.....


i love playing in the snow! and i'm so glad my truck dosnt have any kind of electronic crap to prevent me from having fun!

 

I just went out and played in the snow in my '09. There is nothing unpredictable about it--the truck is trying to keep you going straight. Totally predictable.

If you turn the wheel and you start pushing (front wheels not effective at turning the truck), the VSC will kick in and brake certain wheels to get the truck rotating the proper way.

Someone mentioned "user error", and I think this is correct. It's like antilock brakes--you can't use your old way of thinking with the new equipment.

After a bit of playing around with this truck's stability control, I am quite convinced that the truck is far safer to drive in slick weather than a truck without the equipment. The NHTSA agrees with my observation.

ETA: Press and hold the VSC OFF button for about five seconds while stopped. TRAC, AutoLSD, and VSC will be disabled. (VSC might come back on whenever you're going over 30 mph...still testing that one.)

 

Not in a snow storm.

Here how it works is that if you don't deliberately make your vehicle "lose control", you'll end up in a snow bank.