2010 traction control

No defeat switch. Yet another example of dealer misinformation.

Tom

 

Dear was,

I just got a bit of extra info on that subject! Thanks to zenMachine who gave us the link (http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...anything-you-want-about-prius.html#post915302), I asked your question on that forum and got an answer! (see You ask, they answer: Japanese car firm Toyota | Environment | guardian.co.uk)

Here is their answer:

Would any experienced Prius II driver tell us what that would mean in terms of driving experience on slippery conditions?

 

To translate:

Toyota finally implemented the kind of traction control system that has been around for quite a while in other makes and models of car. (Decades.) If a wheel loses traction you will hear the ABS kick in on the one wheel...a grinding or buzzing sound. That gets power transferred back to the other wheel in hopes that it will have more grip. With any luck this will reduce the tendency for the car to bog down and give people the sensation that it quit. It has worked well in other FWD cars that I have driven with this kind of system.

 

Is there any proposed solution for the 2006 Prius model? (Gen2?) I posted the problem a couple of years ago when it happened on snow, even with snow chains on the front wheels. Then I had the same problem in summer on a gravel driveway with some grade to it. I can replicate the problem there any time. My Prius is arguably unsafe in snow as a result. By the way, I grew up in snow country and have plenty of experience of driving a wide range of vehicles on snow and ice and can assure you it is not "pilot error" as some posters have previously replied. Is there some way to get around this problem other than replacing the car? I am told that the problem is not encountered on all 2006 models, just some.

 

Traction control is particularly important in areas like Canada where the winters are long and cold. A traction control systems are totally loses all power is not just a flaw with the second-generation Prius and has been known to happen in early 90s General Motors vehicles. The problem gets particularly bad, if the tire tread is worn out giving the tires less grip. Having a system that totally gives up, is almost a dangerous thing. Ironically I have been in the second-generation where the parking brake was left on while the driver attempted to move on the slippery surface. At least in the 2009 model, the system appeared to have jerked the car around like the wheelspin was being transferred from one side to the other. This leads me to believe, that the generation to system is probably very similar to the generation three system with tuning adjustments. Being that it was very slippery there, I definitely did not do the system give up. It was like going through slow motion antilock brake system vibration but only accelerating instead of trying to slow down. I think where the really big benefit is that the new third-generation is in the vehicle stability control system being standard on all models. One thing I would recommend is a set of studded winter tires if they are legal in your area. Newer studded tires have soft padding so they don't damage the road like the old ones did but still offer the ultimate in traction. I think when I get the generation three I will get it with a 17 inch wheels because I like the other features that model in Canada comes with. But for the winter, I plan to get myself 15 inch set of rims and some Nokian factory pre-studded tires. The narrower rims are going to be an advantage on the snow. I work shift work, so I leave for work at 4:30 AM usually before the snow plows had a good chance to remove the snow from the road. Using a small front wheel drive car I have never been in a situation where I cannot make it work. And I have seem some deep snow. If anything that can slow me down, is a large wind drifts of snow since my ground clearance is not very good. From what I've heard, the second and third generation post to not have very good ground clearance to maintain good aerodynamics.

 

I gave up halfway through. Did I miss anything?

Tom

 

I totally agree with you but most other Priuschat people won't. I'm waiting for our first bad weather and can only hope the Gen III will be better than my old Gen II was.

 

Too bad you couldn't keep the Subaru and use the Prius as a replacement for something else, as I did.

My Subaru certainly can get stuck. Not being an Outback, it gets high centered several inches before yours. But there are times when I want a rig that doesn't get stopped by that man with a gun, standing in the middle of the road next to a Chain Checkpoint sign.

 

same here.

i came from 5 subarus over 12 years.

i could always depend on them.

the prius abs system, in the wet, sucks.


i just hope we have very mild winter here in NJ.

 

Ok, now that a significant portion of winter is behind us, would the PriusIII owners who drive regularly on snow and ice confirm that the traction problem that used to caracterize the PriusII is now a thing of the past?

In other words, is the Prius III capable of climbing snowy hills as efficiently as any other front-wheel drive car? (assuming they use the same tires)

(It may sound strange, but we have had only a little snow this winter, and it nearly always fell during the weekends, so I could never test drive a Prius in snowing conditions).

(It may sound strange to many of you, but dealers are closed during weekends over here...)

 

We live on a private, unpaved street, and my driveway is uphill from the paved street leading to it. Until we get our street significantly fixed this summer, it turns into a mud bog as snow melts. A few days ago, on melting snow over mud, I decided to drive very slowly to minimize additional road damage. Traction control came on, and I had great difficulty finding a path that would get me to the driveway (nicely paved, shoveled and dry).

I learned to keep the speed up a little (not even to the normal level), and it goes fine.

 

I was a loud detractor of the TC on my '05, going as far as to say that the car was dangerous to drive on ANY slick surface.

After driving my Gen III for 15,000 miles and through one of the worst winters ever in my area, I can categorically say that the car does very well on snow, ice, and mud.

A world of difference from my Gen II!

 

I didn't own a previous Prius but I can say that my 2010 does better than my 97 Camry in everyway. I thought my Camry did pretty well too.