Quick Tips for Traction Control in Snow
- Traction control should stay on in snow 99% of the time because the system detects when your car’s wheel slips and loses grip. Yet, in some snow or ice driving circumstances like when stuck in snow, it’s best to turn off the traction control system.
- If you install chains on your tires, traction control can be turned off.
- Activate snow mode on snow- or ice-covered streets, and it will work in conjunction with the traction control system.
Winter driving can challenge even the most seasoned drivers experienced in navigating snowy, icy roads. However, today’s cars, trucks, and SUVs come with more technology than ever to help negate the effects of slick roadways. Traction control systems (TCS) and driver-selectable modes for winter driving, such as winter mode, are two technologies that bring an array of safety against the impact of driving on slippery streets. Generally, traction control should be on in snow, but when should you turn it off? To take full advantage of these systems, a driver should know when and how to use them.
Should Traction Control Be On or Off in Snow?
Generally, traction control should stay on in snowy conditions because the system detects when your car’s wheel slips and loses grip. However, in some snow or ice driving circumstances the traction control system needs to be off. Driving with tire chains on your vehicle would be a prime example of when it should be off. In other words, the answer is situational: usually yes, but occasionally, no. Read on.
RELATED: Traction Control System: How It Works and When To Use It
When Should Traction Control Be On in Snow?
We firmly believe in taking full advantage of your vehicle’s safety technology. Often, your car’s computer system, working hand in hand with a myriad of sensors, is more aware and quicker-acting than the human (that’s you) behind the wheel. Therefore, the traction control system should be engaged 99% of the time you are driving. Sure, on a snowy day, if you are going to make doughnuts in an empty parking lot, by all means, switch off the traction control. Otherwise, the TCS helps ensure that the speed of the drive wheel’s rotation matches the road surface. It achieves this by slowing down a spinning wheel that’s lost its grip. Consequently, in rain, mud, ice, sand, dirt, and snow, traction control maintains the optimum contact possible with the road surface by slowing out-of-control wheel spin.
When Should Traction Control Be Off in Snow?
You may find yourself in a situation where your car is stuck in deep snow or thick mud. Here, active traction control might work against you, foiling any attempt to free your car’s drive wheels. Whether you attempt to gain traction by powering out of trouble or by rocking the car back and forth by repeatedly shifting into drive and then reverse, the traction control system, in an effort to stop wheel spin, will stymie the wheel spin you want and need to break free.
Should I Turn Off Traction Control in the Snow?
No, snow- and ice-covered streets are precisely the conditions for which traction control was engineered. Designed to minimize wheel spin, traction control will help your car keep moving on slippery surfaces. An exception is if you get stuck in snow or mud (or muddy snow), leaving the traction control system on could work against efforts to power your way out of trouble.
Is Front-Wheel Drive with Traction Control Good in Snow?
Front-wheel drive (FWD) brings some advantages over rear-wheel drive (RWD) in snow because it places the drive wheels on the heavier end of the vehicle where the engine is. It also pulls rather than pushes the car, as rear-wheel drive does. On slippery surfaces, rear-wheel-drive cars are more likely to have the rear of the vehicle “break loose” into a skid. However, whether front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, cars with traction control systems are less likely to experience wheel spin.
RELATED: AWD vs. 4WD: Which Is Better?
Why Use Snow Mode with Traction Control?
Despite a similar job description, snow mode isn’t a replacement for traction control. On the contrary, it can work with traction control to help keep your car moving in snowy and icy conditions. Snow mode is an automatic system that, when engaged, allows a vehicle to handle slippery conditions by utilizing the transmission, brakes, and engine mapping to moderate acceleration. That is, it minimizes wheel spin on slippery surfaces.
TIP: As important as snow mode and traction control are in overcoming slippery streets, having the appropriate tires is equally, if not more important. Made from compounds with better grip and treads specifically designed for snow and ice, winter tires are a critical weapon in your winter driving arsenal.
Learn more about winter tires in our guide: Are Winter Tires Worth the Cost?
What Does Snow Mode Do?
Typically, snow mode will start a car in a higher gear to minimize engine torque to the drive wheels when accelerating from a standstill. It can also influence engine mapping to eliminate power surging and slow down overall engine speed. That is, it moderates the impact of driver input, minimizing wheel spin.
When to Activate Snow Mode
Because it’s engineered to minimize wheel spin on slippery surfaces, snow mode should be activated on snow- or ice-covered streets.
When to Turn Off Snow Mode
Engineered to aid a driver on snow- and ice-covered streets, a driver should turn off snow mode in the absence of snow and ice.
What If You Forget to Turn Off Snow Mode?
The good news is that turning off your car’s ignition deactivates snow mode. In other words, snow mode is one of those driver aids that must be reactivated each time you start your vehicle. Consequently, the only time a driver would want to proactively turn off snow mode is if the snowy and icy conditions suddenly disappear while driving. Having said that, driving on dry pavement in snow mode won’t damage your car.
As with other driving modes like Eco or Sport, switching to any driver-selectable driving mode simply instructs the car’s computers to respond to driver inputs in a specific way. For example, switching to snow mode usually causes the transmission to transfer less engine torque to the wheels by starting in second gear rather than first. It can also change the engine mapping to slow its response to added throttle. Failing to turn off snow mode on dry pavement will result in somewhat lackluster acceleration and overall sluggish performance, but it won’t harm your car.
