A-TRAC Videos (Active Traction Control in Action)

so tacoma's have this? how do you turn it off and on a Sr5?

 

Only the 2009 and newer 4WD OFF ROAD TRDs have A-TRAC.

It works in L4 after you push the A-TRAC button, next to the cigarette lighter. Until you push the button, you only have open differentials in L4...

Without A-TRAC, H4 is better than L4 because it has TRAC.

The non-ATRAC new Tacomas can do the Yellow Wire Mod to give them TRAC in L4.. a BIG improvement!

 

Switch labled ATRAC - If you have one you have it. If not you don't.

 

It only brakes one wheel per axle, not both. If ATRAC stopped her, why was she able to re-start, and drive the rest of the way?

 

Hmmm, firstly have you ever climbed a steep muddy hill with A-TRAC before? Half way up the truck lost all momentum and she was flooring the throttle and you can see the results. Since there was no power available the wheels spin fast enough to get traction she stopped and tried again. On the second try she was able to get the wheel spin up immediately which allowed the truck to grab traction.
Lets try to figure out why its is bogging. If the RF (right front) is spinning then brakes are applied to that wheel. Thus allowing the LF tire to spin and find traction. Since it is muddy and slick there is not any traction for the LF to grab so brakes are applied to send power to the RF tire. At the same time the same is happening to the rear wheels. This keeps happing really fast so each tire keeps getting slowed down more and more till it starts to bog down. Once it is bogged down the tire shredding torque is what's keeping the wheels spinning, but not enough to clean the treads. Its like driving with your foot pushing on the brake and still trying to drive. It just doesn't work very good.

 

No, I have 21000 kms in 6 months, and broke my diff while mall crawling....Or I've spent hours off road, using ATRAC and the rear diff lock, I know how this stuff works, inside and out.

At 9 seconds she let off the throttle, at 12 seconds she hit it again, mystery solved.

 

Its absurd how some people try to argue something they dont understand. If there were no traction to be had on either tire, ATRAC would not be braking AT ALL. ATRAC brakes the spinning wheel ( no traction) to match the non spinning wheel with traction. If neither have zero traction then there is no braking action occurring. The explanation of "bogging down" just doesnt make sense. Lose dirt hill climbs is not where ATRAC shines, but it certainly didnt stop that truck from going up that wee little hill. I do believe that truck is a manual tranny. Which would explain the "bogging" and stopping half way up the hill. I got to experience my 2010 off road for the first time this past weekend. It works exactly as advertised, and I look forward to putting it in more compromising places.

 

The problem that they are probably reffering to is if you do not disable the Dynamic Stability Control (or whatever Toyota calls it) you will bog down. I couldn't understand bogging down on hill climbs at Pismo Beach. Then I disabled the DSC and no problem.

 

Are you referring to Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)? If so, for that hill climb video VSC would have been disabled automatically, because VSC operations are not allowed in 4Lo.

If the truck was in 4Hi, then the truck operator would have to manually disable VSC using the VSC off switch.

 

The vehicle stabilty control (VSC)? I dont see how that would effect anything being that it would not active in 4LO with ATRAC engaged on a TRD OR truck.

EDIT: Crom beat me to it.

The bogging down is due to driver inexperience/error in my estimation. Which is nothing to be embarrassed about, I too have had and still sometimes have that issue, especially when I havent wheeled in a while. Manual tranny off roading takes practice.

 

Exactly... the truck stalled, no big deal... It happens to all of us... but I do have an automatic now, and the stalling is no more.

As much as Crom, Isthatahemi, and I have written about how and when A-TRAC works, there are still those who don't know or take a moment to read either our posts, my signature, or their manual... and make wrong statements about it!

That's okay, I can be a slow learner too, sometimes! Just keep on four wheeling and use TRAC, A-TRAC, RR Locker and compare them to the old open differential system (VSC OFF MODE)!

 

Nothing like a pot calling a kettle black eh!
You are correct on sayin there is lack of experience in my part. In our years of wheeling we have just used simple lockers, none of this fancy new electronic stuff. The whole reason for us goin out that day was to figure out the whole system before taking the truck on a real trail. After spending a few hours reading different threads we went out to learn first hand. My opinions are simply based on what I saw, felt and heard on the 20 or 30 muddy climbs we did that day.
What is absurd is that I am arguing with people on the internet that are basing their opinions on a crappy 32 second cell phone video, that were not there to experience it. Much less haven drove their trucks in a similar situation.

 

I dont understand the "pot/ketttle" reference but it does not matter. The video is good enough to see and hear what happened on the hill. Your misrepresentation of bogging down is just not a fair assessment of the vehicles performance. I would be willing to bet that when the driver felt and heard the ATRAC kicking in, she panicked and let off the throttle. Thus, the truck "bogged" down. Then was able to restart effortlessly and continue the climb. It really isnt hard to see and hear what happened. Anyhow I am merely debating your explanation of ATRAC not working, which in your own words is not how ATRAC works at all. It does not cut throttle, it does not break both wheels, it simply break the spinning wheel to match the wheel with traction. If there is equal (no or little) traction then ATRAC would not have kicked in at all. The video clearly shows the ATRAC working before the truck stopped on the hill.

 

X2

 

sweet thanks for the vids helped me a bunch. now i know how to use it if i need to.
the other vids were cool too

 

A-TRAC is for maximum traction in LOW RANGE, which you would only need to go into for 'max. traction'... thus, I say push the A-TRAC button once and never again... it will be on any future times you go into L4. Makes the Tacoma unstoppable (or more-so than ever before)!

 

you referring to me? 2hat do you mean push it once and never again, i would like to use it more often.

 

oh, i have a prerunner though so yeah.

 

How can you use A-TRAC if you don't have it?

It comes with 4WD OFF ROAD TACOMAS 2009 +

 

oh shit im getting it confused with the vsc. dont gotta shoot me down.