3rd Gen Traction Control Modes Explained

Thanks OP, this is great info

 

Why when you hold trac off it turns off the auto lsd?

Also with the auto lsd on, does it cut engine power or is that why you hold it for 3 seconds so it's no computer messing with you therefore you have no lsd?

So just pressing it for lsd is best for 2wd and holding it for 3 seconds is the playing/burnouts?

 

Been a long time, but per my memory.
Short press when stationary gets you autolsd. This provides no engine regulation (normally until it gets enough yaw) and simulates a limited slip diff using brakes.
Long press is fully open diffs with no engine regulation (until it gets excessive yaw)...

 

Thank you for the clarification, I new the auto lsd helps cause I had it on while on a slope and the back end slid, then turned it off and it didnt slide.

Alot different than the old 1st gen

 

Just read the entire thread and what I learned is I have much to learn. I have no idea how or when to use all the drive train configurations in my truck. I feel like I should sign up for off-roading school. Is that a thing?

 

I think that school is right here!

The best advice I can give is to go to your nearest four-wheeling area and test each of you drive modes to see what they do.

For me, 4WD is used when the ground and tires lose traction with each other. That usually is in the sand (beach or desert) or in deep ruts where one or more tires is not touching the ground or very rocky climbs.

The main things I discovered with my 2010 Tacoma over my 2005 and 2001 Tacomas was that TRACTION CONTROL (in H4) made a big improvement in beach driving and the need to deflate the tires was diminished. With heavy loads, I still do best deflated but could now drive in deep sand without deflating when the truck was not loaded down. In H4, the TRAC is normally without engine regulation, but that changed in 2012 and has since required a quick press of the VSC OFF button to turn off the regulation (throttle cut)... Toyota calls this TRAC OFF (a poor name, because the TRAC is not off, but stronger). In 2WD, the quick push mode is called AUTO LSD and is known also as TRAC OFF.

The other major discovery with my 2010 4WD OFF ROAD TRD was the A-TRAC system in L4. I found that it is about as amazing as can be and creates locker-like traction on all 4 wheels by matching the tire rotation across the axle using the brakes on a spinning tire, instead of the differential gears. The rear locker can be reserved only for emergencies (as Toyota advises) rather than used for many steep climbs or deep mud bogs. The A-TRAC is amazing and turns the Tacoma into a Sherman Tank off road. The Third Generation Tacoma automatics got an enhanced version of A-TRAC called MTS (Multi-Terrain Select) which is an adjustable A-TRAC system based on what terrain you are driving on. Always have the A-TRAC (MTS) on when in low range and you may never get stuck or need the locker.

Now, go places!!!

 

Whoaaaa

 

Has anyone printed off the pdf on the first post? Can they be scaled down to fit in the visor slot for the 4wd instructions and still be legible? Would like to have that up there for easy access. 2018 dcsb ormt if that matters.

 

I think what you probably want I already set up as part of 2wheel lo mod.

See visor pdf in the first post of this thread.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/lock-stock-and-2wheel-low-3rd-gen-diy-mod.536677/

Obviously ignore the 2lo stuff
Warning
Laser printing will adhere to the clear plastic

 

Thanks @BigWhiteTRD, That's perfect. Also thanks for the heads up about laser ink. I'll see if the copy shop can laminate it for me.

 

Blasting sideways in the winter months an drifting around round my street was my winter fun but no more with my new 19 Taco

 

ok question for those who know...

there's a guy considering AT vs. MT. he's leaning towards AT because CC. that is a weak reason to me because our ATRAC is the same thing w/o CC's automated throttle... at least that's my understanding.

but he said something interesting, that the CC has a descent control that individually brakes rear wheels to prevent the rear from coming around going downhill. he said he needs individual wheel braking like that, so parking brake or 1st in 4lo won't do since no individual wheel braking to keep a straight line.

does anyone know anything about this, what mode it is or what it's called, and if we have similar in ATRAC? and anything else related?

 

In the second gens, that is called DAC (Downhill Assist Control). DAC is a slow, downhill control where you don't use the brake pedal or gas pedal... just steer for a controlled, no-sideways skid, descent.
What CRAWL seems to be is DAC but for level or uphill driving, too... with adjustable speed choices.

 

Here's what I know. Toyota has the following.

Crawl Control as defined by Toyota below.

HAC (Hill Start Assist Control) as defined by Toyota below.

DAC (Downhill Assist Control) as defined by Toyota below.

According to the Toyota website the AT's have Crawl and HAC while the MT's only have ATRAC. Neither have DAC. That being said it's possible DAC is embedded within crawl. Out of curiosity I checked the 4Runners and found that models without Crawl have HAC and DAC while models with Crawl have only HAC and no DAC. So yeah, I don't know. Hard to draw any strong conclusions from that but it does support the possibility that DAC is embedded within crawl.

I can't say how much of the DAC functionality is in ATRAC, if any at all. You would have to look in the code to know definitively. All of these traction aids are using the same mechanical system, they are just going through different algorithms, so it's possible that it has all of the functionality, none of it, or something in between.

If I had to speculate I would say Crawl includes DAC functionality and ATRAC does not because DAC and Crawl take over control of the brakes. ATRAC does not take over control.

As far as the bit about needing the descent control and 1st 4Lo in MT not cutting it...this is of course debatable but I'd say the times where an experienced driver fails to safely descend in an MT and CC succeeds is few and far between if not non-existent. Now remove the word experienced or worse yet replace it with inexperienced and I think the chance of that scenario playing out increases significantly.

 

thanks very much it looks like i had it mostly correct in my head, but the hac & dac stuff is interesting, wonder what's going on there in different system configs.

beside the point, but i totally agree regarding the driving side of it as you mentioned. my experience is systems are not as real world as they are designed to be, and resourcefulness & adaptability are the winning factors. i have stories myself that seem to turn all this reasoning on its head. anyway thank you again.

 

Like A-TRAC, DAC also makes some weird noises, too. The important thing is they both work great and Toyota gets an A for having them but an F for explaining them or promoting these great systems.

 

so l can you answer definitively if the AT Off Roads have DAC built in? how about the MT's? this seems to be where things are unclear.

 

What you have to realize is that most any vehicle with ABS effectively have most of this logic built in. The difference being is that the alphabet soup is applied without driver input. Whereas, if you are on a tricky decent or similar, just smoothly applying the brakes and letting the system brake the wheels will do 95% of the work. You just need to keep a level head.

That said, separately, I did see MTS / CC extract an OR in wet snow.

Regardless, the control of the MT even in my Sport more than makes up for the gizmo shortcomings for me.

 

I am only able to describe my truck operation as I am not a factory tech. As said above, DAC and ABS, A-TRAC, and other features share the hardware, such as the hydraulic brake booster (Off Road TRD 4WD models).

My best guess is that CRAWL and DAC share the same things.