help understanding TCS and recommendation to turn it off in mud, snow, etc

[tennysonian]

Would welcome some advice re when to turn off Traction Control/slippery conditions.

I have been reading the manual on my T5 Mutlivan - 132KW diesel with 7 speed DSG (just 2 wheel drive not 4 motion)

From memory the manual recommends turning off the TCS if in mud, snow which seems s little counter intuitive to me. I naively think you want power to be directed away from wheels that are struggling for traction?

I have had it on a country trip recently, pulled off the bitumen very slightly onto the dirt on a hill and just after some rain - all four wheels off and stopped briefly. When I went to start off again it was actually quite difficult for the front wheels to get grip to get it moving forward - van had three adults, three kids and a weekend end away kit of clothes - so not too heavy. I have driven lots of front wheel drive cars before but was really surprised about the difficulty to get traction, even when trying to be very gentle on the accelerator in this situation.

I had the TCS system still on at the time and only thought about what the manual has said after I got back on the bitumen and going again. Is this related or is this just the high torque from the diesel plus hill plus wet rain on the dirt making very slippery conditions?

Advice welcome about driving "2" motion multivan in slippery conditions like this in future?

[Sunny43.5]

Our 2005 has ASR which is traction control I believe, we never turn ours off except when you want to chuck wheelies . Now we encountered a situation while camping a few years back we had to leave a Moto Cross park here in SE Qld called Black Duck Valley . After a night of heavy rain we packed and left , but to leave the park we had to negotiate a couple of gullies etc . Now we had four teenage boys a trailer with 5 Moto Cross bikes and all camping gear for a three day stay we watched some other cars being towed out of a couple of places and thought what fun . We took of down the first hill and at the bottom I put my foot down fully expecting to slide off the very muddy slope , well part way up I felt the front end step out sideways for a second and then ASR kicked in my foot was still flat to the floor but the engine revs dropped by themselves and up the hill we went Now at the gatehouse the manager asked me what I had done as he had spent the morning towing out all sorts of cars etc and was shocked that we got up the hill trailer and all in a van no less with front wheel drive . The moral is leave it on as it alternates power to the front wheels which keeps the forward motion happening . Out on the highway I have also noticed how it works in heavy rain on bitumen if you have the cruise control on and you hit a large area of surface water the wheel that then looses traction aquaplaning causes the traction control to deliver power to the other wheel and then cuts off the cruise control . So it works !!!!!! Howard

[4wheels]

I can only speak for 4Motion, which is not what you're asking, but it may still apply. I've found the only time I really wanted the traction control off was in soft sand (especially at speed). Otherwise it cuts the power just when you want/need to power through a corner. Certainly leave it on on the bitumen. It recently saved my bacon on a windy bitumen road (Highway 1 mind you; in far east Vic.). I'd been cruising along at a moderate pace and came to a section of road where a past land slip must have left a coating of mud over the road, which I didn't see, as it was dusk. So, at a pace I thought was comfortable, suddenly there were dashlights flashing, power cuts, and brakes applied quite firmly, all before I would have realised (it was 5-6 hours into the trip). I like to think I would have been able to catch it without the electronic intervention, but it would have been quite a drama. So I'm suddenly really sold on the benefits, even though we sometimes criticise the 'nanny state' interventionist electronics.

Brian R.

[Rebuild]

Turn the ASR off in sand(dash light ON),otherwise you will be bogged in quick order,as the speed drops to zero.

[Tornado T5]

My van is optioned with ESP. There is one particular property I visit regulalry that has a steep gravel/dirt driveway and you cannot build up speed turning in to it. If I'm loaded in the van and with a trailer as well I pretty much bog down going up the drive. As Rebuild advised and experienced by myself, ESP off, gentle use of throttle and with some slipping front wheels I can manage to get up, if ESP (T/C as well) on no chance.

[tennysonian]

Thanks all for the advice. Mitch