[Chan]

I noticed when he was being chased by baddies in the mall that he had traction control disabled. I know that you can't disable traction control, but in the ISx50, you technically can't fully disable by the press of a button but you can disable it entirely by doing some crazy Nintendo combination of hand brake + brake pedal and what nots before startup. Maybe this can be achieved on the Fiesta as well....

 

[mrbirdman330]

I actually contend that the switch does fully disable traction control. I switch it off during Autocrossing, and when I have to climb my grandparents hill in the winter. I have had no incdients of the TCS re-enabling itself to override my shut off command. Of course if they completely disabled so it doesn't come on at all they may have simply pulled the fuse.

 

[BRGT350]

as some agents found out, you can remove a wheel speed sensor, and the ABS/Traction/ESC is turned off. I never tried it since I love ABS on a FWD car, but it does work. When you really watch the TG video, there are tons of odd things going on. Lights go on and off on the IP in different shots. Also, with enough speed, handbrake, and fancy footwork, you can overcome the ESC. I was able to do this on snow with no problem. On marble, I think it would be quite easy. Also, there are some European models that have a traction/ECS on/off switch on the dash, just above the shifter. That spot is where the heated seat switches are on the US version.

I have not given up the fight for a way to turn off those systems. I have talked with Ford Racing and the Chief Engineer for the Fiesta.

 

[Reddog99]

I actually contend that the switch does fully disable traction control. I switch it off during Autocrossing, and when I have to climb my grandparents hill in the winter. I have had no incdients of the TCS re-enabling itself to override my shut off command. Of course if they completely disabled so it doesn't come on at all they may have simply pulled the fuse.

I don't understand. I would think that climbing a hill in the winter would be easier with traction control. What am I missing?

 

[Chan]

What is this "winter" you guys speak of? In California we have one season, "dry". How invasive is the stability control for those of you who's driven the Fiesta.

 

[mrbirdman330]

I don't understand. I would think that climbing a hill in the winter would be easier with traction control. What am I missing?

Traction control prevents wheel slip using an electric motor to lower engine revs. Slick Driveway + TCS + Manual Transmission = Focus dying climbing hill.

 

[iamz]

"....prevents wheel slip using an electric motor to lower engine revs."

Not quite.

From Edmunds.com;

"Let's say you're at a stoplight on wet pavement. The light turns green and you press too firmly on the accelerator pedal. There is slick asphalt under your tires and the wheels begin to spin. The traction control system instantaneously kicks in, sensing that the wheels have begun to slip. Within a fraction of a second, this data is fed back to the control unit, which adjusts throttle input and applies braking force to slow the wheels (some older systems also retarded engine spark). The wheels are thus prevented from spinning and the car maintains maximum traction. "

There is no electric motor.

In any case, in some situations the system tries so hard to prevent wheel slip, you can't go anywhere and your better off turning it off.

 

[mrbirdman330]

Here's what my owners manual says:

During Traction Control operation,
the traction control active light will
illuminate, you may hear an electric
motor type of sound coming from
the engine compartment and the
engine will not “rev-up” when you push further on the accelerator. This
is normal system behavior and should be no reason for concern.
At speeds below 53 mph (85 km/h), both the engine and the brake
system will be used to control wheel spin; at speeds above 53 mph
(85 km/h), only engine torque reduction is used. When the Traction
Control system is switched off, the braking system will still be used to
control wheel spin at speeds below 25 mph (40 km/h).

The last sentence is false though, if that happened I would never be able to climb my grandparents drive way. Which still sucks! It actually nearly caused me to roll my Focus last week because it kicked in on the road when it was snowing.

 

[Chan]

If you want to climb your grandparent's driveway you need an LSD. Speaking of which, are there any LSD solutions for the Fiesta?

 

[eRic]

you need winter [aka "snow"] tires. my current car is a manual w/o traction control nor abs. i mount winter tires in winter and have fun in snow. we autocross on a frozen lake when it's frozen enough [10 inches of ice].

 

[mrbirdman330]

Sorry I'm not one who is going to put those things on, just how I am.

 

[BRGT350]

The EU version does get stuck on ice, even with Blizzaks. The system continues to add brake and reduce throttle until traction is reached. On a hill, on ice, traction is never found, so you just sit there. The US car has been completely remapped and should work much better. Ford NA engineers were not happy with the EU system, and reworked it for better snow, ice, and gravel traction. I had a long talk about the system at the NAIAS, after getting stuck on a hill in an ice storm going to the show.

I am a strong supporter of running 2 sets of tires on a car. Summer tires for summer, and winter tires for the winter. Anything less in snow climates is a compromise of safety and performance. An average winter for me is over 100" of snow, so not having snow tires is stupid and a risk. Besides, it is a great deal of fun to smoke a 4WD truck at a stoplight in a snowstorm with a tiny car running snow tires. Haha, I get 40 mpg and still out perform a truck in the snow.

 

[Chan]

There just really needs to be a stability defeat button.

 

[golf strom]

There just really needs to be a stability defeat button.

Exactly....I really get annoyed when car companies insist on making you a slave to a computer that simply can't compete with the human brain of a good driver.