Traction control question.

This is probably a dumb question, but is the traction control light in the speedometer gauge supposed to illuminate on when you're in 2WD, and spin the tires? I'm not talking about doing burnouts, just a momentary slip of the rear wheels.

Several times now, I've been running in 2WD and for various reasons, the rear tire slips a bit. Each time, I've only caught a glimpse of the yellow light on the dash, but I think its the traction control warning light.

I was picking up a load of firewood and had the bed full. The exit of the dirt driveway had a short, but steep uphill and the rear wheels spun a little, and the traction light came on.

Another time I was turning hard right, entering traffic on a wet road and the rear wheel(s) broke free a bit.

 

I believe that's an indicator it's in use.

 

Yes it is just an indicator saying the tires were slipping. When I first got mine, it took me a few times to realize it only came on when the tires were slipping.

 

Yes. It flashes very (too) quickly. I only catch it out of the corner of my eye because when it is slipping, I'm definitely paying attention to other things.

 

I think I noticed I also get it when my tires rub and drive on it at full turn.

 

Thanks all. i was concerned there was a sensor out of whack.

 

It’ll usually make a faint kind of clicking noise as well. Or at least mine does.

 

It's an indicator that the system is actively intervening and not that the wheels are slipping. Totally normal and proper.

 

What everyone already said.

G.

 

Most definitely. I do normally hear the brakes chirping though, especially on the OR; albeit probably only when the wheels are spinning at different speeds.

 

I cant be the only who thinks a flashing light on the dash while you are sliding is a bad idea. Its toned down from my old rav4 where the light would flash along with a loud beeping alarm. But the last thing someone who is sliding needs is a flashing distraction on the dash.

 

Agreed. For me, it is quiet unless the wheel spin is aggressive. Then, it gets louder.

 

I believe on our other cars with traction control, the light was steady and stayed on for half a beat after the system decided that life was fine. I don't distinctly recall since they were FWD turbos. On every drive, the first thing that I did was turn off the BS because it was less safe than dumping all torque and losing a second or so for it to build again. Esp when the slip was usually caused by a bot dot or paint line.

Even on snow or ice, the one with stab control ran dangerously wider when the system was active.

Flashing might not be the best implementation, but the Taco TRAC system is the only one that I actually have liked and don't turn off by default.

 

Go drive a 2007 rav4 awd in the snow... You will want to burn toyotas headquarters to the ground. It was by far the worst implementation of a traction control in the world, between beeping, flashing the lights, it also cut all power and applied the brakes till it got traction again.... oh and you couldnt turn it off either... there was a special procedure to turn it off.
Here is how to turn it off on the old rav4
Put the Rav in Park and start it
1 .Put the handbrake on (not too hard, enough for the handbrake light to come on)
2. Pump the foot brake twice (not hard) on the 2nd pump hold the foot brake on
3. Release the handbrake & engage it twice (leaving it engaged)
4. Then pump the footbrake twice

 

Geez! Don't forget to toss a pinch of salt over your shoulder and spit?

Toyota and M-B (I think?) are somewhat infamous for having systems that are hard or impossible to turn off.


On the rain dance side, to shut off the seat belt chime after a battery disconnect in our Forester, you have to insert and release the belt 20 times in 30sec. Friggin' engineers . . .

 

Yeah, but consider this: It's pouring the rain and you are trying to pull out into traffic. You see an opening, stomp on it and you see the light flash. That tells me to back off the throttle a bit so it won't spin and retard the throttle. I can't hear it spin because it's pouring the rain.

 

I told myself before I got married that I would never buy a car with obd1 or newer just because of the ease of repairs. But then I got married and had kids.

 

But its already applying traction control when your spinning your tires. The truck should be actively fixing the spin instead of yelling at you that it is actively fixing the spin.

 

With always dealing with carb problems, esp on non-adjustable ones, I was a big fan of early EFI. It was the proper balance of things to me. Unfortunately, that era is pretty slim. The prospect of ever getting my dream car in that time, the last gen air-cooled 911, is pretty much nil since I don't wanna deal with stuff of that vintage not even considering prices.

For me, the real malaise era was EFI and electronic throttle bodies. Sure, things are too complex these days, but DI seems to be working nicely and is responsive enough to keep me happy. We'll see how the Taco lasts.

 

My dream was always a cyclone swapped astro van