Well Iv'e had my first snow drive in my 2014 Prius three and the car sucks in snow

I haven't driven the Prius in snow yet, but I can't imagine the traction control is much worse than any other.

In my extensive snow experience, traction control is way better at regulating power to the wheels than my foot. After all, the computer is analyzing wheel slip many times per second and varying throttle input in a fraction of a second.

All deficiencies in snow performance that I've run across are due to using the wrong tire. It's the only point of vehicle that is in contact with the ground, and the only thing providing the friction for traction. Of the whole tire, only a very small patch is actually contacting the ground. It's extremely important that the small patch of contact is designed for the conditions it encounters.

If you could fit the tires that are on your Prius onto a Jeep, you'd still have major problems driving it in the snow.

 

I encountered ice last year, both in the driveway, and in the small upslope on the road. Cars with normal tires and snow tires easily were able to climb out, whereas the Prius was rendered motionless. So much for the computer control being the be all and end all. Traction control on very slippery conditions can be a useless impediment. On general snow, it's not bad, and many times an advantage.

 

I have no complaints with our Prius in the snow (this applies to the OEM tires).
Never stuck, never immobilized.

 

We likely put around 2,000 miles every year just on ice or snow.

While on level ice, we find it handles great.

But as you have experienced climbing up a slope, the traction control renders it motionless. When one tire spins, the vehicle stops. So long as one tire is spinning, the other tire does not get power sent to it.

Disabling the Traction Control, forces the Prius to send power to both tires, regardless of spinning. Then you are able to climb up a slope of ice [assuming your tires can get traction].

 

Can someone explain how the traction control is disabled please.

Fuse pull??

We have 8-18" pending over the next 48 hrs. My guess is closer to the 8" as they always over hype the storms around here. We shall see...


Thx.

 

If there's over 6" I'd say just stay home. The prius has low ground clearance, it is what it is.

Also, disabling traction control is a maintenance-only measure, tearing around in the snow thus could blow the transaxle.

 

Disabling traction control | PriusChat

How to disable the stability/traction control? | PriusChat

Traction Control | PriusChat

How to Disable Prius Traction Control- CarsDirect

 

I have to categorically disagree with the earlier description of traction control and its absence.
Traction control can apply braking to the spinning wheel and in that way direct some power to the other. Without traction control the open differential will only send the non-spinning wheel as much torque as the spinning one is seeing in traction (very little).

Forget doing the disabling dance and drive your Prius with good tires and good judgment and you'll do fine.

 

My experience is that somewhere around that distance, the OEM All-Seasons have lost whatever winter capability they had, becoming just 3-season tires.

Get a tire gauge, and monitor the pressure yourself. This is necessary for mpg and tread life too.

 

I'm new at this not sure I am in the right place but will try any way

Yesterday I hit something while driving in the snow on the left front while turning right. I assume it was a curb. Everything seemed OK I made it to work I was almost there and 25 miles home,
Today I heard some noise which sounded like the tire hitting snow when I turned a little, there is about 4 inches or more of snow now and all roads aren't clear yet (before the big storm tomorrow) . When I got home I checked under the wheels for snow but noticed my left front tire is closer to the back, I can't fit my fist behind it like I can with the right front tire even my flat hand is tight on the left front tire and the car body behind it.
I emailed the insurance company + think I will take it to Toyota in the morning any ideas on how bad this is or anything else I need to do

 

Applying brakes in that manner is a great idea, while making progress on level ice.

Climbing a hill, no forward motion, one wheel spinning; braking do not exactly help.

 

Again, I'm unqualified to give my experience with the Prius in snow, but the manual states that the traction control automatically applies braking force only to the wheel that is slipping, which then applies torque to the wheel with grip.

Applying the brake is not something the driver does, it's something the car does. If the system is functioning properly, it should do a much better job at providing useful traction than disabling the traction control.

 

When attempting to climb a hill, you do not want braking. You want both tires to be forced to spin.

 

You do know what happens when a vehicle with an open differential and no traction control starts having one wheel spin freely, don't you? How much thrust can the other, gripping wheel provide?

 

Both wheels driving the vehicle is ideal, but no vehicle has that unless they have a locking differential or some sort of LSD. Almost every vehicle is designed to apply power to the wheel that slips. Applying braking force to an already useless and slipping wheel is not going to negatively affect the potential to climb a hill. Quite the opposite, actually.

The Prius is equipped with among the best traction control technology offered for a 2-wheel vehicle of its class. You're looking at all-wheel-drive as the next step up in capability, and that is silly for a car that was designed to fight stop-and-go traffic in urban environments.

Most people have no need for all-wheel-drive, and would get themselves into trouble if they thought they did need it.

Do you know what happens when you get an all-wheel-drive vehicle with low ground clearance stuck while going downhill with chains on all 4 tires? 5 hours of digging the Subaru out with your bare hands and a screw jack, in the dark, in blue jeans and a tee shirt.

 

The traction Control system in a Prius, is, IMHO one of the pinnacle achievements of automotive technology.

In terms of handling through curves on roads that are covered in ice, the Prius is great. When crossing rivers where the ice has ripples, it handles smooth.

Every week after church services I have to drive up a shaded hill that is usually to slippery to walk without cleats. Big heavy cars do fine, they have the weight to keep their tires gripping. AWDs and 4WDs do fine climbing up that slope. The Prius seems to be too light, it lacks enough weight. Once one tires starts spinning the other tire may be gripping but no power is sent to it. So you sit motionless. So long as TC is engaged.

TC is great for all other daily driving on ice.

 

that's right - you don't know .... and that's because (like many members on PC) rather than read up on PC threads that have already addressed the traction control/snow issue over the past decade - you never installed decent snow tires on your prius .... and if you had read up & followed your fellow PC members advice - we wouldn't be rehashing the same issue again - for the one hundred bajillionth time ... not that I mind repeating myself for the one hundred bajillionth time ☺ Btw, thank you in advance for giving me a little slack as I vented .... just as I'm certain you appreciate slack for repeating the continually ongoing fail of so many of us PV folks ... to do a bit of homework on snow issue. Yea - a bunch of us fail in this regard ..... Welcome to the dufas club. I'm the captain Btw.
Short answer? Likes sagebrush said, some 2 dozen posts earlier - get a 2nd set of tires - specifically made to run on snow. I prefer studs ... but some states won't allow 'em.
.

 

Prius + Rocky Mountain Snow = OK
We had 12inches overnight last week. Just got back from driving it through ski country for the weekend where there is annual perma-snow until June.

As to "wait until next winter since it is already February", here we get snow for another 4 months. Again, the Prius does just dandy.

Times like these cause you to question the organic behind the wheel... Steering wheel...

 

Phillip, you really do need to check the tp before driving off the dealer's lot. The tp depends on the guy. Some adjust, others do not. Whatever it was in the 70F bay it's now 3 or 4 psi lower in the freezing cold. Soft tires contact the road on their edges. Snow and slush is going to accumulate under the center of the tire.

If you don't have a pump & a gauge, buy them. Then use them right there in the parking lot.

If there isn't a sheet of ice on the road now there will be. Look at your ground clearance. Do you really want to use your car as a snow plow?

Every storm brings the traffic report of a chain reaction pile up somewhere caused by people who thought they knew how to drive on snow and ice. Please don't be one of them. If the roads are bad stay off them so the plows can get them cleared.

 

This is what is supposed to happen with a ordinary open differential with no TC. The wheel with grip can't get any more propulsive torque than the wheel that is spinning, so thrust is lost.