Traction Control?

[Dadillac]

So I was driving home from work today. I was at a stop sign waiting to turn left. I had an opening so I took it. Decided to goose it around the corner and the rear tires lit up and I started drifting out. I controlled the outcome. Never felt any traction control kick in. Traction control was active. What gives? Does the Mustang have a very loose traction control? Does my car have an issue? I have never driven a carf that would allow this much spin without taking over.

Don

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[ChromaticGrey]

Yes, it's a bit loose. I *THINK* that it will let you have more spin at lower speeds, than say at 30 -40 mph plus. Again, i am *not* sure, but also can kick out the back end a bit freely while leaving from a stop and then getting on it. There may be a time component to it as well, little bit of spin, ok. Prolonged spin, then it kicks in. The other day i did a "quarter doughnut" without disabling anything, i feel like it may have been starting to kick in, but i was already done and let off. It's a mustang, they let you have a bit of fun. Never expect the nanny to save your life, would be my recommendation. Don't mash it in dangerous situations thinking nothing will happen.

Hopefully someone with real knowledge will enlighten us.

 

[evoaire]

Nice, so we have a cool nanny. I was worried about that.

 

[Ebm]

So I was driving home from work today. I was at a stop sign waiting to turn left. I had an opening so I took it. Decided to goose it around the corner and the rear tires lit up and I started drifting out. I controlled the outcome. Never felt any traction control kick in. Traction control was active. What gives? Does the Mustang have a very loose traction control? Does my car have an issue? I have never driven a carf that would allow this much spin without taking over.

Don

Your car has what's called AdvanceTrac

- Traction control helps keep your wheels from spinning when pressing the gas pedal and losing traction on the road.
- ESC(Electronic stability control) helps prevent sliding sideways and skidding.
- I believe the Ford trucks also have RC(roll control), but the Mustang does not.
- AdvanceTrac tries to sense(getting data from several sensors on your car based on the current situation at hand) when you're losing control and will automatically apply braking at any wheel.

AdvanceTrac won't fix stupidity as you can tell with all the Mustang crowd jokes. Although a fair amount of those people turned AdvanceTrac features off.

Keep in mind this is a sports car, not an econobox so the way the control systems work on this car is a bit different. Plus it has a whole lot of horsepower that the AdvanceTrac system has to get a handle on.

It'd be a good idea for you to take your car to an empty parking lot and practice losing control and recovery. It's a good skill to have.

 

[StangTime]

Nice, so we have a cool nanny. I was worried about that.

Yeah this nanny likes to wiggle her ass a little. She's a naughty nanny.

 

[Norm Peterson]

So I was driving home from work today. I was at a stop sign waiting to turn left. I had an opening so I took it. Decided to goose it around the corner and the rear tires lit up and I started drifting out. I controlled the outcome. Never felt any traction control kick in. Traction control was active. What gives? Does the Mustang have a very loose traction control? Does my car have an issue? I have never driven a carf that would allow this much spin without taking over.

Don

The real "issue" isn't with your Mustang. You've let the nannies in those other cars teach you to expect nanny intervention to cover you for a minor lapse in judgment + poor throttle technique in this one.


Whatever flame you may perceive here is aimed squarely at the consequences of having TC and such other nannies. Which had to be unintended but I don't believe for a moment were unexpected.. This is the part where the nannies keep you from learning what a car's true behavior (beyond some arbitrary point) is like in exchange for teaching you that you can get away with stomping down on all three pedals pretty much the same way you do a manual transmission's clutch pedal.


Norm

 

[BlackandBlue]

Yes, it's a bit loose. I *THINK* that it will let you have more spin at lower speeds, than say at 30 -40 mph plus.

This completely.

The lower the speed the less intrusive the traction control is in certain drive modes. The yaw control in the advanced trac is also speed sensitive.

From what I understand the advanced trac on the 18+ has been completely revamped compared to earlier models. These systems are extremely good IMO.

The yaw control on these cars will allow about 15* slip angle to about 25 mph. Passed that it starts braking to straighten car.

 

[Dfeeds]

The real "issue" isn't with your Mustang. You've let the nannies in those other cars teach you to expect nanny intervention to cover you for a minor lapse in judgment + poor throttle technique in this one.


Whatever flame you may perceive here is aimed squarely at the consequences of having TC and such other nannies. Which had to be unintended but I don't believe for a moment were unexpected.. This is the part where the nannies keep you from learning what a car's true behavior (beyond some arbitrary point) is like in exchange for teaching you that you can get away with stomping down on all three pedals pretty much the same way you do a manual transmission's clutch pedal.


Norm

It can also have the opposite affect. My 2019 is the first car I've ever owned with traction control or even ABS. I was a poor lad. Anyways, the first time I got on it, the car did nothing I expected it too. I was fully expecting some wheel spin and the back end to break loose, so I postured for it, only to get nothing. Now I drive almost exclusively with ATC/TC turned off.

I agree with the suggestion of getting a feel for how the car handles. The s550 is pretty easy to keep under control during occasional spirited driving, but knowing how to is what's important. Don't be one of those guys on youtube that slams his car into a curb because they expected the computer to keep a 400+ HP v8 under complete control. The TC did what it was supposed to. If you floored it from a stop, making a turn, you would've been facing the same stop sign you started at if it was all turned off. Even with the fatter pp1 tires this car can get away from me if I'm careless.

 

[Zinc03svt]

I run tuned and full unplugged all the time. Only way the car is consistent and I know what it is going to do.

 

[Bluemustang]

I turn Advancetrac off now every time I get in the car. I rather learn the car's limitations on my own then relying on the nannies to save me from doing something stupid. It's a reminder not to be overly aggressive to a point where the nannies probably would not save me anyway. The car has a lot of power, you have to respect it. And it's a machine. It has limitations.

 

[stangs-R-me]

I'm thinking Kevin Hart wishes his '70 'Cuda had some sort of AdvanceTrac.

Doug

 

[Norm Peterson]

It can also have the opposite affect. My 2019 is the first car I've ever owned with traction control or even ABS. I was a poor lad. Anyways, the first time I got on it, the car did nothing I expected it too. I was fully expecting some wheel spin and the back end to break loose, so I postured for it, only to get nothing. Now I drive almost exclusively with ATC/TC turned off.

That's what happens when you go the other way, from driving cars with no nannies to a car that has them. Where you're going from having to have greater self-reliance to potentially being able to get away with having less.


Norm

 

[Norm Peterson]

I'm thinking Kevin Hart wishes his '70 'Cuda had some sort of AdvanceTrac.

Doug

I'm thinking that what both Kevin and the guy driving needed was a much bigger dose of self-discipline.


Norm

 

[Sivi70980]

My car must be broken. I have a 0-60 time of 4.6 saved on the dash but I can't spin the tires for crap. They just hook up and she goes. Making me loyal to the stock tires for sure! Also, this isn't a complaint by any means, I'm totally fine with no tire spin and making the car behind me super small.

 

[Ben James]

Nice, so we have a cool nanny. I was worried about that.

It’s like a nanny that’s had a few drinks. Let’s you get away with a few things but pushes you in the right direction when you go to get something out of the poison cabinet

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