### What is Traction Control? 

Traction control is an automated system in your vehicle that helps keep the wheels on the road and prevents them from slipping. This is especially helpful in snowy or icy conditions where it is imperative that your tires keep a good grip and wheel slippage doesn’t happen. If your tires can’t keep from slipping, you will not have as much control of the car as you should and could end up skidding or spinning out. 

Traction control essentially controls the amount of power that goes to each wheel when you press on the gas pedal. If the system detects that a wheel is starting to spin, it will decrease the power going to that wheel. If your car is on a snowy or icy road and you slam on the gas, the car won’t move at all if the traction control is engaged. 

The safety features in modern cars have made them easier to drive than ever. With new technologies being introduced all the time, there are more things to understand about your vehicle than there have been in previous years. One of the most prominent car safety features in modern vehicles is traction control. 

While the traction control system, or TCS, does exactly what it sounds like, there is more to it than simply increasing the tires’ grip on the asphalt. Understanding what traction control does and when you should use it can help you get the most out of your car’s safety features and help you feel secure on the road. 

### How Does Traction Control Work? 

A traction control system will work in a variety of different ways depending on the automaker. The system features individual wheel-speed sensors in each wheel that detect any kind of loss of traction or spinning that occurs. These are also sometimes called yaw sensors. If any one of the wheels starts to spin at a rate that is faster than the car is moving, the sensors input a signal to the control unit and it stops sending engine power to that particular wheel. 

Traction control often works in conjunction with the anti-lock braking system in the car. Both of these systems use the same sensors to detect and monitor the speed of the wheel. However, with anti-lock braking, the system makes sure that the wheels keep spinning when the brakes are applied, which prevents locking. Both of these systems are designed to keep your car from skidding and going out of your control. 

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### What is the Difference Between Traction Control and Stability Control? 

Just like traction control, electronic stability control, or ESC, is an automated safety feature that helps ensure that you are always in complete command of the vehicle. Stability control and traction control are different features but they work similarly and work together. While traction control makes sure wheel slip doesn’t happen, stability control makes sure that the car is always moving in the way that you are intending it to. 

Using the sensors in the wheels as well as on other parts of the car, stability control monitors the entirety of the vehicle’s motion. These sensors send signals to the computer unit in the car and make sure that the movement of the steering wheel is lining up with the movement of the actual car. If these two things don’t match, the stability control will make some automatic adjustments. 

The stability control system helps the handling of the car and ensures that it is responsive to what you are doing. For example, if you are turning right and the sensors read that the car is not turning at the proper rate due to slippery road conditions or oversteer, the computer will make the slight adjustments that are necessary to correct the motion and keep the car under your control. Both traction control and stability control help you keep control of the car no matter what the conditions on the road surface are like. 

### When to Use Traction Control

In most cars, the traction control can be turned on and off using a switch in the cabin. There are times when you may not want this system to be on and there are others where it is incredibly important that it is engaged. Knowing when to use traction control and when you should turn it off can help you get the most out of your car in each situation. 

#### By Default 

For the most part, you can leave your vehicle’s traction control on by default. There are going to be more situations where it must be on than not, so it is a good idea to get used to keeping it on. For everyday driving or commuting, keeping it on allows you to be in control of the car and ensures that you don’t experience slipping wheels where you shouldn’t. 

#### Heavy Rain or Snow 

If you are driving in heavy rain or snow or on icy roads, keeping traction control is incredibly important. These are the conditions that the system is designed to work in and it will ensure that spinning wheels on slippery surfaces don’t put the car into a skid. If you are driving off-road or on loose turf such as gravel, it is also important to keep the traction control on. This will ensure that the vehicle doesn’t slip on the surface and that you will remain in control of it at all times. 

#### Curvy Roads 

Sharp curves are another area where traction control can be very helpful. If you are driving on a very curvy road such as one going up a mountain, traction control will make finite adjustments to your braking as you drive and make sure the car doesn’t slip while you are making the hard turns. It will also help you feel more secure and in control as you are driving, which can be very important under those circumstances. 

### When to Turn Traction Control Off

While it is recommended that you keep traction control most of the time, there are certain situations when it would be best to turn it off. Knowing which instances require you to disengage the traction control can help you get yourself out of some precarious positions. 

#### Tires Need to Spin

If your vehicle is stuck in deep snow or mud, you will need to turn off the traction control to get it unstuck. While you don’t want to spin the tires so much that the car only goes deeper, you will need to spin them while pushing the vehicle to dislodge them. If the traction control is on, the wheel spin will cause the engine to cut power to the tires and keep you from getting out. 

#### Driving Up Long Hills 

If you are driving up a steep, long, or slippery hill, it is best to turn off your traction control. In those situations, it is normal for the wheels to slip slightly as the vehicle makes its way up. However, if the traction control is on, the engine will cut power to those wheels and you could end up sliding back down. 

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#### When You Want Looser Handling

For the most part, you don’t want to have looser handling on the street. However, if you are racing your car on a track, turning off the traction control is essential. Cars with looser handling are faster and the traction control can cause you to lose speed in the corners by keeping the wheels on the ground at all times. 

### Why is My Traction Control Warning Light On?

If you notice that the traction control warning light on your dashboard has been turned on, this is an indication that something has changed with the system. Sometimes, this means that the system is working to keep the wheels gripping the road, which you might notice in the feel of the handling. However, every car is different and the warning light could also mean that the system has been turned off. This could be due to accidentally hitting the switch in the cabin or by hitting the curb and knocking some of the sensors out of place. 

Your traction control may be covered under your vehicle’s powertrain warranty. If your warning light comes on and you can’t figure out why then check your warranty and see if you can get it repaired as soon as possible. Not having traction control could result in poor performance on the road. 

### Fixing the Traction Control Light

Many times, the traction control warning light in your vehicle comes on because the control unit needs to be reset. When this is the case, you may notice that the ABS light is also on. One of the things you can try is turning the car off and back on. Just like any other computer, sometimes all this unit needs is a reboot. If that doesn’t work, you can try unhooking the negative battery terminal and putting it back on. This will reset the whole system and most of the time it will fix the traction control warning light. 

If you try both of these options and the light stays off, this is a sign that there is something wrong with the system and you will need to get it fixed at a shop. While it is not necessarily dangerous to drive without your traction control working, it is not as safe as it could be, and getting it fixed will be your best bet. 

### Final Thoughts 

There are many different safety systems on new cars and SUVs and a lot of automatic systems that help keep you safe. Upscale automakers like BMW and Porsche have many of these systems in place but so do some of the more middle-of-the-road manufacturers like Ford and Toyota. Traction control is just one of them but it is incredibly important, especially for people who live in places with poor weather and dangerous road conditions. Understanding what this system does and how it works can help keep you safe when you are out driving in the rain, snow, or ice.

A vehicle's traction control system helps drivers recover from a loss of traction on the road. Learn more about this important stability control system.

Traction Control: What is it and How Does it Work?

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