to disable or not to disable VSC

[foxtrot]

The other day it was raining, and I went to change lanes on a 4 lane road. When my rear tire passed over the painted stripe on the road, it lost traction for a split second, enabling the traction control. it did not want to stop pulsating and actually sent me skidding into oncoming traffic lanes. luckily there was no traffic at the time but it was pretty scary and could have ended badly.

I am wondering if it is better to disable it if it is going to do things like that. is there maybe something wrong with the system that I should get checked out? It is under warranty so it wouldn't cost anything. just trying to get some opinions on what I should do. I feel that I have pretty good driving skills to avoid accidents without the traction control, but obviously I'm not as quick as the VSC

:lookout:

 

[Sungod]

I personally don't like VSC. I nearly took out a guard rail making a U turn on a snow covered road because it took over and the brakes wouldn't apply.

 

[aha2988]

I had a similar experience driving in the snow a few years back when i went to turn into my neighborhood. I was traveling maybe 10-20mph began to slow down and make the turn into the neighborhood i entered the turn at maybe 5mph. As i entered the turn one of the front tires broke loose and began to slide. from my 4 wheel driving experience i know for a fact that this is when you want to hit the gas as a little wheel speed on the front tires will actually pull the front of the truck in the direction the front tires are pointed. Naturally when the tire began to slide the traction control tryed to apply the brakes to the rest of the trucks wheels to match there speed to the speed of the wheel sliding and not spinning. This ofcourse caused the rear of the truck to kick out putting me into a spin. Durring the second i knew to push the gas pedal the truck had cut my control of the throttle. Luckily it didnt take my steering control to as i was able to just take my feet off of both pedals and just steer the slide. as i was put into the spin i imediatlly bailed on trying to make the turn and pointed the tires left (i was attempting a right turn). i was able to get the truck back straight and put on a funny show for the neighbors. I then took out some door bell wire when i got the truck stoped and did the steps to erase the zero points for the yaw/decent control system which in turn disables the stability traction control. went back down the street turned around. came back to my neighborhood entered the turn about the same speeds. felt the front tire slip hit the gas, rear end slid out a tad as i exited the turn counter steered the wheel and with no interference from the VSC systems i sucessfully made the turn safely and controlled. I've left the system disabled ever since. I will say it would be nice to have the VSC system on a switch. As durring normal driving conditions i do believe it helps with gas mileage. The yaw/decent control system functions tell the computer when the trucks starting to go up a hill or down a hill allowing the ECU adjust shift points without you having to apply more throttle. as well as use's the transmission to control the speed of going down a hill instead of the brakes. thats my 2 cents

 

[emelianenkov]

I had the VSC take over my throttle while pulling out of a driveway one winter. It kept me crawling out, though my foot was to the floor, and an F-350 was barreling towards me. That night, after a change of shorts I put a switch in to disable the VSC! Woooooo!!! I defeated the system selectably.

I can now control slides myself, do donuts, do burnouts, and then flick a switch (restart the engine too) and have all the life-threatening safety features I could ever want!

 

[YotaDriver]

The other day it was raining, and I went to change lanes on a 4 lane road. When my rear tire passed over the painted stripe on the road, it lost traction for a split second...

I feel that I have pretty good driving skills to avoid accidents without the traction control, but obviously I'm not as quick as the VSC

:lookout:

If you managed to lose traction changing lanes on the highway you were either using too much throttle, attempted to change lanes too fast, or both. In other words, operator error. Disabling the VSC won't prevent that from happening again, but it may prevent you from recovering from it.

 

[NJshadow93]

This may be a stupid question, but were you in 4WD on that rainy day when you lost traction? I've had my 4Runner for almost a year now and never had trouble with the VSC on snowy or rainy days...even with the crappy Dunlop AT20s

 

[aha2988]

This may be a stupid question, but were you in 4WD on that rainy day when you lost traction? I've had my 4Runner for almost a year now and never had trouble with the VSC on snowy or rainy days...even with the crappy Dunlop AT20s

I know i was in 4 wheel drive with center diff locked with my situation. I kept it in 4high thinking the traction control was helping me. (4lo disables the traction system on mine but not stability control) once the vehicle reaches a 10 degree angle in a slide the stability system kicks in tryin to send brake effort to individual wheels attempting to straightin out the vehicle. This is great for someone who doesnt know what to do in that situation as all they have to do is hold on to the wheel and trust there computer??? I on the other hand have a few second nature reactions gained by experience that i use to control every asspect of my driving. There once was a day that there was no power steering, no ABS brakes, no traction control, where people learned how to drive safely responsibly and vigilanty. Now we learn how to press a pedal to go and a pedal to stop not how hard to press each one or at what times are best to use each one, other than stoping and starting.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

VSC/ABS/Traction Control is a mixed blessing... I find its pretty well designed for the 4Runner and is not nearly as intrusive as I thought it would be and in some instances helpful offroading. But at the same time, I am annoyed that it won't let me slip my wheels a little bit when making a sharp turn, instead making me feel like the truck is going to flip from the jerking motion of the system engaging. Also some situations I want the vehicle to lose traction in a control manner (i.e. slide or slip a tire or two on purpose) and the system does not like that.

These systems are designed for the majority of people who do not understand how to control their vehicle in non-normal situations. They end up being a mixed blessing at best, and a horrible intrusive and potentionally dangerous feature to those who are experienced.

A toggle to turn the system on and off is on my to do list, sometimes I don't mind it, other times I want it off, I'd like that choice rather than either one or the other.

 

[SUP3RJEFF]

I'd love to install a disable switch for my VSC, but I'm really nervous about picking at expensive electronics, otherwise it would already be done! I never thought that after buying my 4Runner I would long for the days where I could turn off the traction control in my VW with the touch of a button lol!

 

[emelianenkov]

I'd love to install a disable switch for my VSC, but I'm really nervous about picking at expensive electronics, otherwise it would already be done! I never thought that after buying my 4Runner I would long for the days where I could turn off the traction control in my VW with the touch of a button lol!

It's not expensive electronics by any means. Just unplug the pressure sensor from your master cylinder and it's off.

 

[foxtrot]

If you managed to lose traction changing lanes on the highway you were either using too much throttle, attempted to change lanes too fast, or both. In other words, operator error. Disabling the VSC won't prevent that from happening again, but it may prevent you from recovering from it.

I can assure you I was driving safely. haven't you ever taken off from a stop light or stop sign and when your tires hit the white stripe at the intersection, you loose traction? every vehicle I have ever had has done this when the paint is wet. heck even walking on the road paint when it is wet is extremly slipery. I think that is going to be on my immediate to do list is to add a switch to disable it.

 

[emelianenkov]

I know i was in 4 wheel drive with center diff locked with my situation. I kept it in 4high thinking the traction control was helping me. (4lo disables the traction system on mine but not stability control) once the vehicle reaches a 10 degree angle in a slide the stability system kicks in tryin to send brake effort to individual wheels attempting to straightin out the vehicle. This is great for someone who doesnt know what to do in that situation as all they have to do is hold on to the wheel and trust there computer??? I on the other hand have a few second nature reactions gained by experience that i use to control every asspect of my driving. There once was a day that there was no power steering, no ABS brakes, no traction control, where people learned how to drive safely responsibly and vigilanty. Now we learn how to press a pedal to go and a pedal to stop not how hard to press each one or at what times are best to use each one, other than stoping and starting.

Why would you drive on the highway with the diff locked!?

 

[aha2988]

Why would you drive on the highway with the diff locked!?

UH ICE AND SNOW lol read the first post that i was describing the situation i referenced. I wasnt on the highway i was just driving around my town durring a snowy icy day. btw: when your in two wheel drive your center diff is always locked turning the front driveshaft your front carrier just disconnects electronicly in the V6's. on the V8 awd setups running in slippery surfaces with an open center, center diff basicly provides only two wheel drive because when the rear tires start spinning the center diff just lets all the power transfer back to the tires free wheeling. so when running in ice, snow, mud unless im in the mood for some drifting i have the center diff locked.

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

I know i was in 4 wheel drive with center diff locked with my situation. I kept it in 4high thinking the traction control was helping me. (4lo disables the traction system on mine but not stability control) once the vehicle reaches a 10 degree angle in a slide the stability system kicks in tryin to send brake effort to individual wheels attempting to straightin out the vehicle. This is great for someone who doesnt know what to do in that situation as all they have to do is hold on to the wheel and trust there computer??? I on the other hand have a few second nature reactions gained by experience that i use to control every asspect of my driving. There once was a day that there was no power steering, no ABS brakes, no traction control, where people learned how to drive safely responsibly and vigilanty. Now we learn how to press a pedal to go and a pedal to stop not how hard to press each one or at what times are best to use each one, other than stoping and starting.

VSC has saved me a fewband didn't to crap on some of the others.

 

[chaz]

aha, just curious, why do you say the v8 FT4WD center diff. not locked, on slippery surfaces basicly only provides 2wd? i was under the impression there was always power, at least 30%, going to the front wheels.

 

[aha2988]

aha, just curious, why do you say the v8 FT4WD center diff. not locked, on slippery surfaces basicly only provides 2wd? i was under the impression there was always power, at least 30%, going to the front wheels.

I believe it will ratio to 20%/70% if im not mistakin. i say "basicly only provides 2wd" because if your rear axel is diggin and spinning through mud with %70 power going to it and your front axel is only putting %20 power to the ground. your rear axle is certainly going to slide around (like a 2wd truck would). to add to that statement on the 4runners both front and rear diff carriers are open center. if a tire looses traction all the power going to that tires axle is transfered to the wheel that has the leased about of traction (the one spinning) so you wined up with %70 of power going to the right rear tire and %20 of the power going to the front driver side tire. and there you have 2 wheel drive. and if im mistaken about the %20/%70 ratio of the torsen then just change all the "20%'s" to 30%'s and all the "70%'s to 60%'s.. hope this expains what i was meaning.

this is certainly only speaking for the mechanical functions of the driveline. ATRACK is supposed to apply the brake to the free spinning wheel giving the carrier the idea that wheel has recieved traction and then transfers the power over to the wheel that needed to begin with (the one not spinning but obviously has the weight of the truck to dig with for traction).

 

[JB.]

i was under the impression there was always power, at least 30%, going to the front wheels.

There is. Sometimes 30% of whatever the rear is getting is not enough. Lock it and now the front can potentially get 100%, but that's not always enough either.

The center when not locked is not open. It's limited slip which is kind of between locked and open.

 

[aha2988]

There is. Sometimes 30% of whatever the rear is getting is not enough. Lock it and now the front can potentially get 100%, but that's not always enough either.

The center when not locked is not open. It's limited slip which is kind of between locked and open.

The center diff isnt limited slip, a limited slip carrier provides at most a 90% lock so if this were the case then then when our center diffs wern't locked then the minium power split ration would be 40%/50% similar to the way a true trac LS rear carrier splits the power across an axel if one tire begins to spin.

Our center differentials are Torque sensing (TOR-SEN) torsen open center carriers use a planetary gear drive set up to sense the torque requirments to each axel it continuously makes power transfer ratio changes durring turing, braking, axcellerating, lane changing. When locked it lockes the planetary drive setup to send 50/50 power to front rear axles at all times..

 

[chaz]

ha, ha, sorry guys, with all the electronics & stuff these days, sometimes it gets a bit confusing. makes me long for the old days.

 

[aha2988]

There is. Sometimes 30% of whatever the rear is getting is not enough. Lock it and now the front can potentially get 100%, but that's not always enough either.

The center when not locked is not open. It's limited slip which is kind of between locked and open.

hey JB i've got a similar pic of your avatar!!