I played in the snow, so to speak, this morning as I pulled into work and a giant empty snow covered (under 2 inches) parking lot. I love to put the car into a skid or swerve to see how it handles.
I was pleased to see the VSC system kick in and I tried to figure out what it was doing (I don't need a 24 page explanation).
I think it did the right thing, so I was happy.
I got to work and told a co-worker (who drives a big-a** Suburban) and he said that you're supposed to disable it in the snow. He said that VSC is fine for non-snow situations, but you'd be better off without it and that it will have the reverse effect and cause the car to lose control...although I'm not sure if I understood his explanation or if just did a poor job explaining it. For the record, I didn't know that the system could be disabled.
In any event, isn't VSC designed for snow/ice conditions?
Was he right or wrong?

 

The VSC/VDIM is to help prevent loss of control in all conditions, especially when it is slippery. So your co-worker is quite wrong on this one.

Remember, it is fancy electronics not magic so it does not negate the laws of physics. If you get your car badly out of shape, the VDIM will not save you.

 

Thanks!
I like it and, to all you southerners with your 40+ winter time MPG, this is the great equalizer (IMHO). It's neat when you feel the wheels, in effect, gripping rather than slipping.
I noticed that when I tried to fishtail, it wouldn't, but wasn't sure if that was VSC or if I wasn't going fast enough.
Thanks!

 

i have a harder time making my car fishtail with front wheel drive cars. havent been able to test this in socal

 

Your co-worker may have heard some of the stories about TC, Traction Control, interferring (not ALLOWING any level of wheelspin) with efforts to get FWD and F/awd vehicles (***) up and going initially up an incline on the slippery stuff or spinning/rocking back and forth out of a mud hole.

Many newer vehicles have a PB which can be used to disable TC for these times. circumstances.

***Due to the much higher potential for loss of directional control with inadvertent wheelspin on a FWD or F/awd vehicle the onset of TC is much, MUCH, quicker and more agressive on these vehicles.

 

Ok... I was under the impression the VSC could not be disabled on the TCH. Am I wrong?

 

I couldn't tell you...I'm just trying to follow up on something I heard, which very well may be wrong.

 

Most newer Toyota and Lexus vehicles have a PB that can be depressed to disable TC and then once TC is disabled a second depression of the same PB will disable VSC also.

 

For about 99.72% of drivers, turning off the VSC -- assuming that you can -- is a mistake. (OK, I made up that number, but would bet that it's not far off!) That's because very few of us are as good at driving as we think we are. Professional drivers, i.e., race car drivers -- and I'm not talking about teenagers with tuners or weekend warriors, I mean *real* professionals who drive race cars for a living -- really may do better controlling everything manually. The rest of us just don't get enough practice to develop that level of skill.

Oh sure, lots of people *think* they can do better than contemporary ABS/TCS/VSC systems. They're the ones sitting in the ditch as you drive by in your TCH.

Want empirical evidence? Consider the discount you receive on your auto insurance for buying a car with VSC. The analysts who set rates and discounts at insurance companies didn't just dream up the idea that VSC might be nice: they have the statistics to show that their claims losses (meaning accident frequency and severity) are reduced for cars with VSC.

I certainly include myself on the side of the non-professionals. I have no interest in turning off VSC so don't know if I can. I might become interested if I ever have to rock the car out of the snow, but am hoping that the VSC keeps me from getting stuck in the snow in the first place!

 

The only way that I know of to disconnect the VSC is to start pulling fuses. The ABS actuator would be first in line. This WILL set codes on the ECU however but if you are stuck on ice, that would be the last of my worries.