# prefer traction control on in snow, would like your feedback



## justmike (Dec 6, 2010)

I am curious why I've read in the forum here that its better to have Traction Control off. I have been experimenting with it on and off on our snowy, icy roads and have found that the car has a much better rate of acceleration with the T.C. on. I have tried it by using petal to the metal and under normal gas saving driving measures on ice and snow. Personally, I feel I am just as well off leaving it on in these wintry conditions. How about yous'all?


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

The reason I keep the traction control off is because I have the 6 speed and it is a pain especially if you are on hill traffic. It made me stall a couple times because it wanted to slow down the tires Or stop the tire spin. I try to keep the rpms as low as possible.


Sent from iPhone 4


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## CHUV (Jun 25, 2011)

Yes when you are on a hill or steep driveway the traction control won't do good because you need to spin the tires a little to dig in. You'll basically be at a standstill. On flat ground it definitely helps having it on.


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## yourdoinitwrong (Aug 7, 2011)

In normal driving there really isn't any reason to turn it off. But in situations (like the one above) or if you are stuck then wheelspin is beneficial so you would want it off. If that isn't the case for you though I would go ahead and leave it on.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

tecollins1 said:


> The reason I keep the traction control off is because I have the 6 speed and it is a pain especially if you are on hill traffic. It made me stall a couple times because it wanted to slow down the tires Or stop the tire spin. I try to keep the rpms as low as possible.


+1. There's a big difference between using the TC with an auto and the manual trans!


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

CHUV said:


> Yes when you are on a hill or steep driveway the traction control won't do good because you need to spin the tires a little to dig in. You'll basically be at a standstill. On flat ground it definitely helps having it on.


X2!!! In deep snow, wheelspin is good to get going. 

After getting going, it goes on to keep the car going.


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## justmike (Dec 6, 2010)

so unless I am stuck, leave it on. I must say that even with it on and the gas pedal floored I certainly got going quickly. My car is an automatic and the T.C. seems to be a good thing. Thanks for the responses guys


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## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

I get why some like it off, but my experience with driving around in snow in the city, having it on works best. That being said, I kind of wonder if traction control with two wheel drive instead of four wheel drive is mostly an after thought. Sometimes when I am stuck on a slight incline, I hear the drive wheels taking turns; front left, front right, etc. not getting anywhere and if perhaps the back wheels were also part of the drive train, I would be out of that mess much sooner. This situation is quite rare for me, however, not frequent enough to get AWD.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

It really depends on how much snow you are in and what conditions you are facing. If you are trying to go up a hill (especially with a manual) and don't keep your RPM's up you are gonna get stuck. With an automatic unless you get stuck in deep snow there really isn't a reason to turn it off. If you do get stuck T/C will make it hard to get the car out as ti will keep killing the throttle as soon as the tires slip at all, and anyone who has been stuck knows once you get it moving you don't want to stop again.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

SilverCruzer said:


> Sometimes when I am stuck on a slight incline, I hear the drive wheels taking turns; front left, front right, etc. not getting anywhere and if perhaps the back wheels were also part of the drive train, I would be out of that mess much sooner.


You def would with AWD, but your Cruze would cost $5000.00 more.


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## GoldenCruze (Dec 18, 2011)

I found out yesterday that starting out in second gear on the automatic transmission can help reduce slipping on the snow.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I was getting on it today, and the TC helped out on some snowy roads when trying to accelerate quickly around a corner. I felt the car having traction issues caused by my heavy right foot. The TC did a fantastic job of keeping the driver-induced issues to a minimum while not being a complete buzz-kill.

Overall, the TC in the Cruze is pretty good. It stays on, except for the rare occurrence of starting in deep snow on a hill.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

GoldenCruze said:


> I found out yesterday that starting out in second gear on the automatic transmission can help reduce slipping on the snow.


2nd gear is also a common way to start out with a manual trans EXCEPT on the Cruze. 
Just to update......yesterday we got 9" of snow and my 35 mile commute from work (which usually takes about 40 minutes at an avg speed of 49 mph ) took me 2 hours and 16 minutes at 16 mph. My TOP speed maxed at 37 mph and that was for about 1 block. Well I had my TC on almost the whole time and it really did help on the hwy. My TC light on the dash almost looked like a turn signal indicator the way it kept blinking on and off but it did do the job.
On another point..my General Altimax Artic's just paid for themselves!


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## ifazliu (Feb 3, 2012)

TC is more safe to be on when you drive on open road since it will not allow the car to slip out of the road .But if you are up the hill and got strucked in the snow or starting the car from stoped position than I think you should put TC off


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