You may commit an unpleasant situation while driving your vehicle if you don’t know anything about the traction control light button. So, you need to comprehend the traction control system of your car. You also need to understand why this traction control button turns on. Today’s post will explain the traction control mechanism, a few problems, and its remedy if you encounter any difficulty.
The traction control light
Every modern automobile contains a computer that monitors and controls its components, ensuring that they work correctly.
When anything goes wrong, the computer will notify you through dashboard lights. Anything that occurs in your vehicle causes the light to turn on. It aids your technician in deciphering the codes produced by the computer, which indicate which components need care.
The Traction-Control Light is another indicator on the dashboard (TCL). It may seem different depending on the car model. The initials “TC” or a picture of a vehicle with lines curving outward from the tires are typically present.
Your TCL may come on for a variety of reasons, each of which indicates a different problem. We’ll go through them in more detail later in this post.
What is a Traction control system?
A traction control system is an active safety feature that allows cars to optimize available grip on the road surface by restricting or eliminating the spinning of the driving wheels. TCL is often used to turn systems on and off.
The system must sense or infer both the instantaneous speed of each driven wheel and the net acceleration of the vehicle. When these data are compared, the system intervenes to prevent a wheel from spinning faster than the vehicle speed allows.
Effect Sensors usually detect the hall wheel speed. The devices may use onboard accelerometers, monitor the speed of non-driven wheels, or even use data from the satellite navigation system to determine vehicle speed.
The traction control systems use modified ABS hardware to decelerate a spinning wheel. ABS temporarily releases a small amount of hydraulic braking pressure to enable a sliding tire to recover traction. In addition, it needs to apply hydraulic pressure to allow a sliding tire to regain traction.
The system usually uses trimming the throttle, spark, and fuel to reduce engine output. So, a traction control system operates like this.
Purpose of traction control light
Traction control is a function that may be turned on at any moment, even if the weather is not hazardous. When you start your vehicle, the system turns it on by default. You may also disable the security function depending on your requirement.
However, there are certain circumstances in which the traction control must be kept on. Traction control will make a significant difference in keeping you safe when driving in severe rain, snowy or icy conditions, or even in areas where the ground seems loose.
When driving around bends in inclement weather, traction control may be helpful. A loss of traction may also occur while making a quick turn on a stable, non-hazardous surface. When the roads are wet or slippery, traction control may be the difference between remaining on the road and wrecking your vehicle due to sliding.
As a result, anytime you’re driving in dangerous circumstances, it’s advisable to have your traction control on. Even if events don’t seem to be hazardous, we suggest that you keep them on for safety’s sake unless you have a specific reason to turn them off.
Traction control light on – Common Problems
When the traction control light illuminates, it typically does so when the vehicle accelerates. When this occurs, do not panic; instead, concentrate on stabilizing the steering wheel as much as possible.
However, the vehicle’s TCL may come on in some instances owing to a few typical issues. The most frequent problems for which the TCL is activated are shown below.
Wheel Speed Sensor Problems
The wheel speed sensor has a connection between both the traction control system and the engine control unit. These sensors are in charge of measuring the rotational speed of your wheels. Each wheel is equipped with a sensor.
The wheel speed sensors will detect and alert the traction control system if the rotation speed of any wheel varies suddenly or abnormally when you’re accelerating.
On the other hand, the traction control system will not be alerted if the wheel speed sensors are not functioning. When your car loses traction, the traction control light will illuminate. Thus, the ABS or brake light may turn on due to a faulty wheel speed sensor.
Steering Angle Sensor Problems
The steering angle sensor measures the angle of the steering wheel as well as its rate of rotation. The sensor mounted in the steering column accurately track the angle and speed.
The stability control system usually uses this sensor to determine the driver’s intended direction of travel. When the sensor fails, the traction control light will illuminate.
ABS System Malfunctioning
Many of the functional components in the ABS and TCS are interchangeable. As a result, if there’s a problem with your ABS, the traction control light may come on. In this scenario, you’ll very certainly see both a TCS and an ABS light.
Steering Rack Malfunctioning
The steering rack is a component of the power steering system that is connected to your steering wheel. It gets the high-pressure hydraulic fluid required to make turning the steering wheel simple.
Smooth, easy-to-control steering is an integral part of having excellent traction. Driving your car on a bumpy road will be more difficult if you have a poor steering rack. Your traction control light may illuminate as a result of this.
Programming Errors
You need to reprogram the traction control system if it’s experiencing problems with its present programming. These types of programming mistakes may occur over time. Other times, they’re the consequence of a flaw or oversight on the part of the manufacturer.
The traction control light will illuminate if the traction control system ever has a malfunction. A qualified technician familiar with your vehicle’s make and model can only fix the programming problems.
How to fix if the traction control light is on
If the traction control light comes on and off, there is an issue that may or may not be permanent. A flashing light may potentially indicate that the system isn’t entirely functional, so drive carefully in bad weather.
Many traction control systems may flash the warning light when the system senses a lack of traction, such as snowy or wet conditions. When the system intervenes to maintain traction, the light is usually visible. It’s a good idea to acquaint yourself with your vehicle’s traction or stability system by reading the section in the owner’s handbook.
If the traction control light lights and remains illuminated without blinking, the system has already disables the traction control system, and traction control is no longer accessible. The driver information centre may even broadcast a message stating that it has disabled the traction control system and you should use that additional care while driving, particularly in wet, icy, or snowy conditions.
The only method to properly fix any of the issues above is to diagnose the car by a competent mechanic. Always have a thorough computer system scan performed by the repair company. It’s possible that a problem with the traction control system doesn’t cause the light. A problem in the engine management system, such as an occasionally faulty throttle position sensor in the electronic throttle control, may sometimes manifest itself first in the traction control system.
You must also thoroughly examine the powertrain system’s main mechanical components . anything that causes a jerky or harsh application of power may cause wheel slip, which implies worn drivelines, axles, and constant velocity joints are suspicious. a hard gearbox change or a severely misfiring engine may turn wheelspin, causing the traction control indicator to activate.
What is Service Stabilitrak?
StabiliTrak is a traction control system that, once activated, maintains a vehicle going straight on the road. The StabiliTrak sensors track the location of the steering wheel and tires in the direction you’re driving. This system will adjust the wheel’s positioning to meet slick road conditions and begins to veer.
The StabiliTrak technology operates similarly to conventional traction control, although the two methods are somewhat different. Here are some important characteristics about each system to help you understand how they work differently:
- Service stabiliTrak is a stability control system, whereas standard traction control is a traction control system.
- Traction control detects and regulates wheel spin by applying brake power to a spinning wheel through the anti-lock braking system.
- StabiliTrak sensors monitor the steering wheel and vehicle direction, applying appropriate pressure to one side of the vehicle rather than specific wheels.
- Stability and traction control are difficult to achieve without an anti-lock braking system.
Conclusion
“Leap before you look.”.” Before you drive your car, you should learn all there is to know about it. While driving, each button and light has its own purpose. One of your vehicle’s most essential indicators is the traction control light.
TCL will allow you to drive safely on a suddenly slick road. The superb hydraulic system regulates the wheel speed. We hope that this article has provided all of the essential information on TCL.
