I'm not sure, but I didn't think Traction Control could totally eliminate slip in all cases.... ice would be about the worst case scenario.

 

How it worked in my Freestar was it "took over" control by lowering rpm's etc. I could floor it, and it would only provide enough power to the wheels to not slip. It had an override switch so you could turn it off and sit and spin and spin... I belive when it was on, both wheels would turn, like old fashioned posi, but with it off only one turned. Also when it was active there was an indicator or message on the dash display that said it was on. I was alone in this test, so not sure how many tires spun, but there was no computer take over or indicators in the dash.

 

My wife used to have a Monte Carlo SS that had traction control.

My driveway is slightly uphill & you have to turn sharply into it at the bottom so you can't get a running head start.

If the driveway was snowy, the T/C would totally prevent the car from making it up the driveway. As soon as the wheels started to slip, the T/C would bog everything down & the car would not budge another inch.. If you turned off the T/C before attempting the climb up the incline (there was a switch on the center console to turn it off), you could blast your way up just fine however (with the wheels spinning the whole time)

~John

 

My Sister had a Saturn.

With Traction Control, you could NOT spin the tires.
But there was a button to turn it off, if you were in a pinch and spinning the tires was helpful, like the steep driveway.

My hunch is ( and Bryan's test points that way ) no TC in the 2008's.

 

That is correct... TRACTION control only works with momentum on your side. If you were on black ice with a slight incline from a dead stop. You will not be able to get your car going with TC turned on. In fact, chances are, you will stall the car. The reason is that TC stops the wheels from ever spinning, hence a stall. In those cases you have to turn it OFF to get your tires to slip and move the car ever so slightly forward, at which point turning ON TC will help but only if you have built up enough speed.

 

It's not worth arguing but this last comment could lead to some misconceptions. It would take a very slippery and very inclined surface to defeat most TC systems from a dead stop. These systems are extensively tested in the kinds of conditions you & I will probably neer encounter and they continue to work, even from stopped. In fact, that's their primary purpose: To get the vehicle moving from a dead stop when it would otherwise just sit and spin.

 

Tell me that when you are on a frozen road with a slight incline stopped at a light. I've had that happen so I'm sure others here will run into a similar situation and you shouldn't panic, just reach over, turn off TC and get going. Then turn it back on. This will most likely happen only in a FWD vechicle. In a AWD or 4WD vechicle, I don't think you have to worry about this case ever.

 

Updat to my "test". So I finally had a reason to drive more than 10'

After we got out 6-12" of snow that actually tuned out to be a 1/2" at best. My driveway was all slushy. So I punched it for the duration of the driveway, about 300', and it just spun and spun. It tracked straight, no pulling to either side, so still unsure how many wheels were spinning, but guarntee there was no TC kicking in! So us 08's are no different than the rest!

 

"After we got out 6-12" of snow that actually tuned out to be a 1/2" at best. My driveway was all slushy. So I punched it for the duration of the driveway, about 300', and it just spun and spun. It tracked straight, no pulling to either side, so still unsure how many wheels were spinning, but guarntee there was to TC kicking in! So us 08's are no different than the rest!"


Did you mean NO TC kicking in? You have a TO in your sentence?

If it spun and spun, then that's not TC. You will know TC kicks in because the car power is dropped as the brakes engage each spinning wheel. TC = no wheel spin (minor wheel spin).

 

Mines a 4WD and in the snow and playing... I've got to say I can get the tires to spin... happened several times going around corners and such, especially with the back end spinning to push me around corners (ie fishtailing) if I gunned it....

Am I missing something? If an '06 4WD has any form of traction control and its supposed to stop all spin, I don't see it.

Incidentally mine handled 8" of snow BEAUTIFULLY... the tire slip and spin was all due to my flooring it for a little fun!