I am guessing these steps do not disable VSC/VDIM on our cars?

Transition to the service mode (TRAC and VSC OFF mode)
The TRAC and VSC systems can be turned off by following the procedures below:

When using the parking brake and brake pedal:
1) Check that the Ignition is off and the shift lever position is at P.
2) Start the engine after turning the Ignition to the ON position.
3) Perform the following steps 4 to 8 within 30 seconds after engine start:
4) Turn the parking brake switch on.
5) Depress and release the brake pedal twice.
6) Turn the parking brake switch on and off twice while depressing the brake pedal.
7) Depress and release the brake pedal twice while the parking brake switch is on.
Notice: Steps 6 and 7 should be performed within 15 seconds each.
8) Check that the VSC warning light and slip indicator are turned on.
If they are not turned on, start over from step 1.
9) The brake control system will return to the normal mode by turning the Ignition to the ON position from off

 

This is the reason I've turned off my VSC in the past. I tried and tried to get up a steep incline that was packed with snow. The VSC just kept kicking in and my vehicle would come to a complete stop. I even tried backing up and hitting the hill with just a little bit of forward motion. Still couldn't make it up! So, I turned off VSC, let the wheels slip just slightly, applying just enough throttle to keep the wheels in motion without letting them spin out of control wildly, and I was able to make it up that incline!

Other than that one remote instance, it stays on 100% of the time.

 

It seems like some folks might be mistaking VSC with TC....for example, on packed snow, it is TC that prevents your wheels from continuously spinning correct?

I wish there was a button to quick disable TC because I recently had to back down a steep snow packed hill because some guy in an SUV felt the needs to due a u-turn because he was afraid...thus causing me to lose all forward momentum. I had to back down the hill because TC prevent my wheels from just spinning me up as I would have liked.

 

VSC and TCS is the same in my '05 Odyssey. It's one switch, and it does both functions. However, my '05 Accord only has TCS.

 

Too many acronyms eh?

 

The simplest way to disable TC & VSC but not ABS is to create a "false" CEL. Unplug the MAF/IAT module with the engine idling, the engine will die, plug things back together, restart the engine and be on your way.

The CEL will clear within a few drive cycles.

 

As others mentioned already, I think it is TCS (traction control system ) that prevents tires from spinning , when stuck on snow or ice, not VSC (vehicle stability control), that works only when the car is moving. From what I remember reading VSC uses gyro, speed, ABS, steering angle and other sensors to see if the car is going out of control. If it does, it will lower the power, apply breaks to individual wheels and correct steering angle of front wheels by few percent maximum to keep you on intended track. Now I could see many reasons why one would want to turn off TCS on slippery surface, but none for turning off VSC, except maybe for racing and sliding the car sideways on purpose. I did some testing on my own and VSC works pretty good in snow. You can feel the car will keep correcting itself to stay more or less at the desired track, but it won't stop the car from losing control if going too fast or changing direction too hard, showing pronounced understeering. Floor mounted hand break makes doing 360 spin much more difficult, but I did it with no problem, by locking rear wheels with hand break in the turn even with VSC, but you have no more power to get out of it gracefully. Anyway, big mistake there is no TCS overide button and I would use it in snow from time to time and NO, I don't see any reason to disable VSC, unless driving in the rally, but then not sure if TCH would be my first choice.

 

My '01 Porsche 911/996 C4 has PSM. PSM will delay reacting to yawing conditions for a few hundred milliseconds, long enough for an experienced driver to react and "crank in" some corrections. I have even been on the track at Daytona (TRILL..!!) with no interferrence from PSM since I always quickly and correctly.

 

I haven't really seen an answer to the question: Has anyone actually turned off their traction control or VSC in a 2007 Camry Hyrbid?