Should traction control be disabled on unsealed roads?

[rowan194]

See subject. Kicked in a couple of times today when I was on a backroad, I didn't even realise it was TC until I caught the light on for a moment the second time. I wasn't exactly driving hard and I couldn't hear or feel any slipping.

[rowan194]

BTW the reason I knew that TC was activated each time was because I heard a faint buzzing noise from the front (ABS unit?)

IMO Traction Control should be illegal.

It kills the fun!!!

1. If you know how to drive on dirt roads, turn it off.
2. If you don't know how to drive on dirt roads, learn how and then see item 1.

Sometimes the ONLY way around a corner on dirt is to get the back end loose and go around sideways but the traction control is there to stop just that.

[GreenMachine]

Originally Posted by WeirdEL

Sometimes the ONLY way around a corner on dirt is to get the back end loose and go around sideways but the traction control is there to stop just that.

Agreed... If you're driving on kitty litter and you're not backing the car in to the corners, you're not driving...

I've never driven a TC car on dirt, but I've found that ABS on dirt can be very unpredictable, and often outright dangerous... Anyone else had the same experience?

Sorry to hijack...

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

Agreed... If you're driving on kitty litter and you're not backing the car in to the corners, you're not driving...

I've never driven a TC car on dirt, but I've found that ABS on dirt can be very unpredictable, and often outright dangerous... Anyone else had the same experience?

Sorry to hijack...

CAMS issued a notice to the Porche Cup drivers to advise them to turn off ABS. Seems the ABS stopped the tyres digging into the gravel traps with the result that the cars just kept going until they hit the wall...

[4.9 EF Futura]

Originally Posted by GreenMachine

I've never driven a TC car on dirt, but I've found that ABS on dirt can be very unpredictable, and often outright dangerous... Anyone else had the same experience?

Absolutely. Unlike bitumen, a little bit of lock helps give the tyres something to hang onto... with ABS doing its thing you just skip along on top of the gravel.

Not nice.

TC would just be boring wouldnt it!??!

[buickman]

Traction control is great for oil on wet roads at lights and in a few other situations. But I turn it of on some rough dirt roads as it can be annoying and drive to suit the road conditions.

buickman

[jonbays]

Traction control can be good on good roads and bad on unsealed roads.

Although Ford did work on it for dirt roads its is pretty useless.

The ABS can be frightening on dirt roads though. Try it on loose gravel and you will see what I mean!

I know you are supposed to panic brake but continue sterring but you sort of expect it to slow down a bit too.

[Dauphin]

Once I was at a night party up at a farm and when it came time for every one to leave we literally almost floated the whole way down the muddy exit track because it had just poured down. Even with no throttle, the TC was engaged all the way at idle and all I could do was try and keep the thing going straight, even with a lot of turn in the wheel and a slow sideways drift. It was scary!

[EvilChief]

just came back from some rally driving ... and i would hate to think how boring it would have been with TC ... lol, on a serious note, driving on dirt is rather easy, its takes only 5min to get the ahng of it, just take its easy for teh first few corners, but you quickly can feel how the car handles and behaves ...

ABS - THE DEVIL!