Winter is here and conditions such as snow, rain, ice are bound to dramatically affect your driving experience or even compromise your safety. Reduced tire traction is a major concern during winter and for safe driving slower speeds, gentler stops and turns are recommended.
However, there are also a number of safety features that can help you navigate winter roads safely. The Traction Control System (TCS) is one of the features that comes in handy during winter.
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What is Traction Control?
Traction control is an automotive safety feature designed to help the wheels of your vehicle have a good grip on low traction surfaces such as wet and slippery winter roads. It comes into play when engine torque and throttle don’t match the surface you’re driving on.
This is a standard safety feature in most automobiles and a secondary function of your vehicle’s Electronic Stability Control (ESC). This is the onboard system that kicks in when you accelerate.
As you attend your seasonal car maintenance this winter at AAMCO Colorado remember to have your traction control system checked. This system is critical for winter driving since you’ll be navigating through wet slippery roads. Traction control helps you build speed without losing grip by limiting power delivery to your wheels.
What is The Mechanism Behind Traction Control?
This system works by electronically controlling throttle and braking of wheels to ensure they maintain good grip even under slippery winter road conditions. Its operation is somewhat complex since it replaces your driver input with that of your vehicle’s computer to react appropriately. To accomplish this the traction control system employs hydraulic boosters to modulate your brakes and throttle without your input.
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What Other Systems Work in Tandem with Traction Control?
- Stability Control: The purpose of stability control is to prevent your vehicle from losing control. It makes use of data from wheel speed sensors as well as lateral or yaw sensors. It’s aim is to stabilize your vehicle and prevent skidding under tricky driving conditions. It achieves this by applying brake pressure on one or multiple wheels and if necessary, engine torque is also adjusted depending on the situation.
- Anti-Lock Braking Systems: Commonly known as ABS anti-lock braking systems prevent the wheels of your car from locking and improve steering control when you’re braking. The ABS system works by releasing and reapplying brakes during heavy braking.
How To Know Your Traction Control System Has a Malfunction
One of the initial signs that something’s wrong with your traction control system is illumination of the traction control light on your dashboard. This may be due to failure of your vehicle’s traction control module or failure of the wheel speed sensors.
You don’t want to find out that your traction control system is malfunctioning when you need it most. Therefore, as you attend your auto repair session at AAMCO Colorado this winter remember to have your traction control module checked.
Winter Season Car Maintenance at AAMCO Colorado
Some features of your vehicle never cross your mind until you need them. One of these features is traction control. It plays a critical role in ensuring safe driving during winter. It helps your vehicle make good use of available traction as you navigate through wet and slippery winter conditions.
AAMCO Colorado is dedicated to ensuring that you are safe on the road during winter. Pay us a visit to ensure that your traction control and all other systems are revved up for winter.
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