Huge Disappointment

Jay, if it was to protect MG1 why did Toyota only use TRAC on AM & BC why not all pkg. I bet Coastal could design an on/off switch like 4 Wheel drives have.
This is an isolated situation that Toyota can't engineer around every situation. They didn't intend on the traction control to be used in the snow. The salesman should have sold you one without TRAC.
or a Tacoma and a Pruis. You can have everything.

 

TRAC is on ALL Prius. It's VSC that is in packages.

Go to specs on the official Prius web site and you will see. TRAC is standard on every line.

www,prius.com

 

Your right what was I thinking. That make sense Jay has it right it is on all of the to protect MG1. So thats why nobody is going to make a way to turn it off. So the Taco maybe nice in the winter. I'm up way to late My brain shut off a long time ago. good nite

 

Yup, taco would be great in the winter, esp. with lots of hot sauce. That will keep you warm!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

If it's any consolation, I know *exactly* what you mean. Mine did the same thing on that snowy/icy parking ramp at the mall last November after our 2nd major blizzard.

And on glare polished ice at intersections, you could get out and shuffle away and still beat the Prius.

The only practical solution is aggressive sticky studless winter tires, or really good sticky and studded winter tires like the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 2. I have found with a good sticky studless winter tire, my traction concerns pretty much went away.

If anybody paid attention, Winnipeg had a much worse winter than usual: blizzards, extreme cold, etc. So the snow and ice hung around for 3 months. A couple of times I had traction problems on treacherous ice, but I still blew the doors off a 4x4 next to me.

As far as mud in the Spring thaw or summer though ... beats the h*** out of me. There is no way you'd want to run aggressive winter tires in warmer temps: they'd quickly wear out, corner somewhat sloppy, etc.

I have a gravel driveway at my hobby farm, but I refuse to venture out there during the Spring thaw unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise I leave 2-4 inch deep ruts in my otherwise nice driveway.

What I usually do is park on the sideroad, put on some s*** kickers, and trudge in. It's only 600ft and I'm sure I could use the exercise.

From the sounds of things, this is a year-round home for you. Not sure what you could do. Have you thought of mixing up a batch of cement to cover that steep driveway? You could screed in perpendicular channels to assist in traction.

 

Kyle:

Hmmm you're up late. Why hasn't the Old Lady tucked you in yet?

BTW: when are you getting your University of Utah plates?

Jay

 

Not a Prius engineer here but . . . as computer controlled as this car is, I don’t think it would have been difficult for the Toyota engineers to devise a Traction Control mode - enabled by a push button - which would retard the Traction Control system and protect the PSD, MG, etc., by limiting the power output from the electric motor and gas engine to a safe level.

I know the VSC and Traction Control already have the ability to retard power. So why not a mode switch for slippery hilly conditions?

I think this is one major flaw that Toyota should rectify!

TSB for instillation of Traction Control Mode Switch anyone???

 

Toyota will have to do something for the 4 wheel drive highlander or what good is it as a 4X4 I won't be taking that up hunting. My point is Yes they can protect MG 1 & have w/o TRAC.

 

Kyle:

There are also "all wheel drive" luxury SUV's and pickup trucks out there that become useless when they bog down. Most have an open center differential and depend on some sort of electronic traction control to modulate wheelspin.

Over Christmas I ventured with some coworkers in a 2003 Olds Bravada SUV to Lake of the Woods to go ice fishing. Yeah, what was I thinking, I almost froze my b**** off.

Anyhoo, we hit some slush right at the edge onto dry land on the way out and the front wheels bogged down. And we got *stuck* I mean it was useless. The Check Engine came on too.

The front wheels spun and the rear wheels didn't budge. So finally after 3 of us pushing like crazy to no effect, a "real" 4x4 came along and offered to pull us out. So we finally got out of there.

Apparently, the Check Engine was set due to the electronic traction control exceeding some sort of limit, so it shut down.

If you have to go into "real" off-road conditions you need a "real" 4x4 with a center differential that at the very least does a mechanical linkage to both axles. Open diffs are out too, mechanical lockers work best.

For other driving conditions, electronic traction control works well and is easier to live with.

 

I found some info on how the 2006 Highlander Hybrid is going to control traction with 4WD.
I'm afraid that Jay is going to show me up again.
If you think getting stuck in your Prius is a Huge Disappointment, try selling this 4WD and Oh by the way don't take it off road.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Kyle Pehrson\";p=\"79565)</div>

Kyle:

Oh geez, I didn't mean it *that* way!



I meant that every car-based "all wheel drive" SUV out there has about the same limitation: Honda CR-V, non-hybrid Toyota Highlander, Ford Escape, etc.

I would bet that +90% of the time, the "all wheel drive" works great for the average driver who only has to worry about the occasional snowdrift in the driveway or street.

If you happen to get into "true" off-road conditions, better be in something with a mechanical center differential. Something like a Tacoma or Tundra 4x4.

For better off-road traction you want front and rear differential locks of some sort too. Hate to say it, but the Jeep Quadra Drive II does work as advertised.

Jay

 

We just went through our first winter in Northern Michigan with our '05 Prius/option #6. Before the snow started falling I had a set of Blizzak WS-50 tires installed. The Prius performed flawlessly in both heavy snow and on icy roads. The only problem I could ever forsee is trying to drive in very deep snow w/o enough ground clearance. If you wait for the plows to clear the roads, this is not a problem. By the way, we removed the Blizzaks last week and installed a set of Michelin HydroEdge tires. The comparison to the Goodyear original equipment tires is like night and day! The car handles and feels much more "solid" on the road, especially on wet roads. Sold the original tires in a few days time thru the local paper for $100, which brought the net cost of the Michelins down to around $75 each.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hofstet\";p=\"82639)</div>

I've used Blizzak tires in the past and they are excellent on ice and snow. Like a true "studless" winter tire, like my Dunlop Graspic DS-2's, they sacrifice dry highway performance for snow traction. That's just the way I want it too.

As you've done, I also take mine off when they're no longer needed. The Blizzak's and Graspic's can wear quickly in warmer temps. Keep them on their own steel rims, and you can put them on when needed, then take them off when warmer.

 

Hmm, I'm trying to figure out exactly what happened to cause this. Too much go juice maybe?

The reason I write this is that my experience with Traction Control is exactly the opposite. We live in very rural Maine. Two weeks ago we got a few inches of slushy snow- really terrible conditions. I went out before the snow came down and was on the road as it was falling. After trying out the ABS, TC and VSC in an empty parking lot so that I knew how the car would handle I had to drive home.

The roads were the pits. Vehicles were off the road and some couldn't make it up hills. VSC came on a number of times as did TC, once, even though I was feathering the brake ABS corrected me. Anyway, we live 1/2 mile off of a back road, up a steep hill. This road was the pits too, under these conditions my 4wd will make it but only if I keep my wits about me. I didn't know what the Prius would do, but just by giving it a small amount of throttle, even with the OEM tires, the Prius made it up first time. Sure the VSC came on 3x (the chime is unmistakeable) and I felt TC come on at least once at the bottom of the hill, but it climbed the hill. I did back off on the throttle when I felt TC start to come on.

Could it be too much throttle causing the TC problem? I seem to have experienced something like you describe, but not to the degree you describe, in the parking lot when I was testing the TC, but backing off on the pedal seemed to correct it immediately. Same with the hill climb.

FWIW, even though my experience was a good one I plan on getting studded snows for the winter. Can't have too much traction on slick roads.

Another FWIW, after seeing what VSC does I'll never have another vehicle without it. It's truly amazing.

 

Well, when it was cold with the all-season tires, it didn't matter if I floored it, or backed off and feathered the pedal, the car would barely move. Once I put my Dunlop Graspic DS-2 studless winter tires on, no more problems.

The Trac is a bit too sensitive, but I wouldn't be without it. Same as VSC. The vast majority of the time, they work to help you, not to be a hindrance.

Since I've always used winter tires in winter, it's not like I had to get them just for the Prius. That said, the Prius appears to have benefited most from good sticky winter tires.

If you can't use studded tires like the Cooper WeatherMaster ST-2 or Nokian Hakkapellitta 2, then the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-50 or Dunlop Graspic DS-2 will work fine.

 

I came to Beautiful SoCal as a College student and after Graduation I never looked back. It is 72* and sunny way more the it should be. I would never do snow or AZ Heat again. Cars drive better in California!

 

I love to see 6 year-old threads revived... Always fun to see how many of the members then are still active now. Only 3 here on this one, but that's pretty good 6 years later...

 

6 year old threads coming back to life is creepy

 

Its 7 yrs, not 6