Set off this morning and the local roads are like an ice rink... Soooo, I thought 'I know, I'll test the traction control and abs on the slippy stuff...' (Only had the car a few months so never been out in the proper cold yet).

Well the TC light flashes like mad on the dash but the car still wheelspins all over the place?!? :eek: Now forgive me for not reading the blurb, but I thought TC was supposed to stop this?? :confused:

No it is just a very expensive flashy light for your dashboard.

Set off this morning and the local roads are like an ice rink... Soooo' date=' I thought 'I know, I'll test the traction control and abs on the slippy stuff...' (Only had the car a few months so never been out in the proper cold yet).

Well the TC light flashes like mad on the dash but the car still wheelspins all over the place?!? :eek: Now forgive me for not reading the blurb, but I thought TC was supposed to stop this?? :confused:[/quote']

It's there to provide something for you to turn off.

If there's no traction to be had it will wheelspin - TC can't work outside the laws of physics...

Rob.

surely the car should just stop, Rob

surely the car should just stop, Rob

Can you imagine the traffic jam?

I'm glad it's not just mine, then. I've had to be VERY restrained with the old right foot lately.

(Although the voices in my head keep telling me to try and spin the wheels in 3rd - it's easy enough in 1st and 2nd!!!)

surely the car should just stop, Rob

I don't know, some of us don't have traction control...

Rob.

ESP is making light work of ice under shadows etc, a brief flicker and you barely feel it's work... just easy when it's late \ kids are screaming etc....

I turned mine off the other day then set off briskly when turning right from a junction - loads of wheelspin and I went straight on!

So I turned it back on until I learn to drive better

I found a large and clearly deep area of ice, turned ESP off, dipped clutch, and booted it....

Sat stationary with all four wheels going nuts for about 5 seconds, then it must have melted through and set off like a rocket....

Really childish, sandra wasn't amused

new clutch sir?

I turned mine off the other day then set off briskly when turning right from a junction - loads of wheelspin and I went straight on!

So I turned it back on until I learn to drive better

Mine kinda went straight with it switched on... I can tell im gonna have to find an empty icy carpark soon for experimental purposes

ESP is making light work of ice under shadows etc, a brief flicker and you barely feel it's work... just easy when it's late \ kids are screaming etc....

ESP, is that where the car just knows where you want it to go?

Mine kinda went straight with it switched on[/i']... I can tell im gonna have to find an empty icy carpark soon for experimental purposes

I played with it this time last year.

ON the business estate where I work I floored it with traction contol on and it went straight(ish) on.

When I turned it off and floored it, it swapped ends.

This was in about three inches of snow.

new clutch sir?

Clutch was fully engaged.... why would it wear the clutch?

Has lasted 75k, is fine for a while yet.

ESP, is that where the car just knows[/i'] where you want it to go?

In a sense, yes, as it takes an input from the steering wheel sensor, and will use individual wheel braking until the car is pointing is doing what it would expect, based on the yaw sensors.

From what I've found the traction control will only activate when after the wheel starts to spin. I don't think it could ever posibly be clever enough to stop it from spinning before the wheel loses traction.

With this in mind, its going to be normal to see a bit of wheel spin, the amber light will flash and IF you continue to boot it, the power to the wheels will be reduced or cut out completely. Depending on how much your trying to accelerate and if the wheels get traction - the traction control might activate again, on / off / on / off / on / off etc etc, in the same way as ABS works (but in reverse).

If you don't think its working properly try turning it off and booting it on a bit of slippery surface, you should see a HUGE difference. Instead of the revs being limited when you wheelspin with traction control on, the revs will go right the way up and redline until you take the foot off the accelerator. At the same time your wheels will be spinning tremendously fast, and should you suddenly regain traction, the car wil fly off very quickly

Try it and see, I'm sure you will notice a difference if you drive 'briskly' on slippery stuff with it turned off.

It helped me today, there was nowhere to park so i aimed for the grass bank, it was a tad steep and frozen. The TC made it possible to climb, although the tyres did not have enought grip to keep it there once i stopped. As i got out and walked away i turned to see it slowley sliding back down. Doh!

so i aimed for the grass bank... QUOTE]

"Keep the Machinary between the Greenery!"

Ah, theres nothing like following your own advice...

Today I picked up a Furby vRS demo drive car for my test drive

It's pretty wet around the Oxford area, and I used some backroads.

Slightly unfair comparison against the Rover 100 I took in

Either way - I easily managed to get wheelspin with ASR activated, when I was in Wantage pulling away at a hilly roundabout area (if you've been to Wantage you know the one, otherwise I can't be *rsed to explain )

I found my old place of work (shut down now) and tried out with and without the ASR activated. It sure makes a difference.

Hopefully when I return the car to the dealer he'll be able to give me a good deal on it + finance on the car I'll actually order. Delivery times will kill me though, no doubt.

ESP should help a fair bit too, I did get it as I regularly have to deal with those incompetent enough to not indicate, and then attempt to change lanes INTO my car (3/4 next to mine at the time). Diving out of their way sometimes appears to be the only way to avoid getting hit. Boy the M4 sux.

ESP is great for a FWD car with this much torque. I know I can control it as I've done some 'testing' on black ice in The Netherlands whilst I still lived there so that's cool. But once the Mrs passes her test I'd rather have some assistance in not getting killed

I turned mine off the other day then set off briskly when turning right from a junction - loads of wheelspin and I went straight on!

So I turned it back on until I learn to drive better

I did that too after a couple of days in my Furb vrs, scared the bejesus out o me

When I had my A4 quattro I am sure it said something in the manual about turning traction control off in snow...why?does it send the system loopy and is it the same for you 4x4 octavia owners? I probably had the book upside down

have heard i about the octavia but i don't know why

When I had my A4 quattro I am sure it said something in the manual about turning traction control off in snow...why?does it send the system loopy and is it the same for you 4x4 octavia owners? I probably had the book upside down

The 4x4 does not have traction control, it has ESP, which works wonderfully in snow, you just need to remember to not back off the power when turning as then it has no "opposing force" to work against, turning the car.

If you are too heavy (read: daft!) with the throttle it will cut it back, but only in extremes...