Can you switch off the Traction Control?

eatpasta

Veteran Member
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Apr 5, 2011
Location
Santa Barbara, Ca
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2012 Passat
Yes, BMW GS motorcycles spefically tell you to turn off the ABS when going off road. This is because you need to feel what the bike is doing to control it off road; something you can't do if a computer is trying to keep your tires from slipping.
Ive got a GS and I can tell you, if you try ride off road or negotiate a hill with the ABS on, you're about to poo yourself. It's TERRIFYING. You have zero control over slowing down. Every time the wheel slips, the ABS kicks in and you have no brakes at all which is evidenced by this hilarious and terrifying video of a guy on a $20,000 bike.

http://youtu.be/SboCAsNUU7Q

I only laughed because Ive been there....

:D
 

Driver_found

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Former MKV Jetta TDI 5M, Former 2013 Passat TDI SE 6M, 2015 Mazda 6 Touring 6m
I'm guessing the first time someone gets in an accident going down hill on gravel, VW will add a switch back to a system, that used to have a switch.
 

VernK

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Kelowna
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2012 Passat 2.5L Gas
How many cars do you know of that allow the ABS to be turned off? I can't think of any.

Yours
Vern
 

VernK

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2012 Passat 2.5L Gas
Well, at least 1 then. I'm sure there are others, too. But not many.

Yours
Vern
 

Driver_found

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Three MKV Jettas, four Audis we previously owned. As well as our current MY'11 Audi A4.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
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La Conner, WA
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... None :S
The 80s Audi's had an ABS off button, other modern VWs have an ESP off button, which retains EDL and ABS.

-J
 

TomB

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Well, I am reviving this thread after two incidents this week that I find totally unacceptable with this new version of the ECS.

First, when accelerating from a start on a slightly wet surface ANY slippage will IMMEDIATELY cause the system to cut power no matter how far you continue to apply the accelerating. Today while pulling out making a left turn across two lanes of traffic the tires slipped just a little and the ECS immediately shutdown all power in the middle of pulling out. It was a full 3 seconds before any power would be provided.

THIS IS NON-SENSE!!! They can NOT possibly know when to cut power this severely just because of MINOR slippage.

As well, starting on a hill in rain will trigger the ECS to do the same thing. A wet road with the smallest amount of slippage takes away ALL power and then when it comes back it causes a "thump, thump, thump" sound under the hood near the firewall (motor mounts?).

Has anyone else experienced this chaotic behavior of the ECS cutting power so dramatically for the littlest slippage.

Like on the left turn today, I believe it was in response to "torque steer" of the front wheel drive. The transverse mounted engine seems again susceptible to this where the 05 longitudinal mounted engine with the differential seems not to have the issue.
 

yamaguy

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2012 Passat SE 6man TDI, 2014 F-350 PSD, 2003 F-350 7.3 PSD, John Deere 2032R, Cub Cadet 882
This must be an issue with the DSG, because I can pretty much spin the tires if I want with my manual. Now I don't drive it hard nor have I driven it in snow yet, but when I do break traction (mainly when it's wet) the Ecs light flashes and I can feel it limiting spin, but I still accelerate at a good rate. The one time I remember really smashing it when it was wet out, there was a clunk and the front end skidded sideways a bit as I took off (I believed the clunk was the front limited slip kicking in). I guess I will save final judgement for when the snow flies and I need to rock it out (which won't happen because on those days the SuperD comes out of retirement!!!)
 

yamaguy

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Ok experiment conducted. I was thinking about this as I was driving home tonight, so when I got home I pulled into my side yard and decided to dump the clutch and let er eat and eat she did. I felt it limit my spinning, but even on wet grass I just took off. I didn't pop into second so I only got to 15ish, but there were two equal skid marks in the grass and I didn't feel like the acceleration was being limited. I think another test is called for...
 

mnelsonx

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Prospect, Ohio
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2012 Passat TDI SE DSG
Has anyone else experienced this chaotic behavior of the ECS cutting power so dramatically for the littlest slippage.
I have experienced this on a left turn when crossing a lane into traffic on the other side of a busy city street. It made for a very "tense" moment as oncoming traffic was bearing down on us broadside when we lost almost all power. Since traffic was very busy and we had been waiting a while for an opening to cross, I gave it a bit of extra foot to make sure we cleared easily. I was relatively new to the car at the time, so the torque was a bit more than expected and the wheels chirped, right before losing power. It only lasted a second or so, but that's an eternity when you are broadside to oncoming traffic and your options are zero if the car doesn't go.

At the time I thought maybe the hill hold was to blame, as I have had other incidents where HH has given some unanticipated behavior (not necessarily bad, but can take some getting used to). However, reading this thread and thinking back, especially with the tires breaking free, I think it's more likely that ECS is the explanation. In this case, I don't think the ability to turn it off would have been helpful, since I didn't see the situation required it until I was in the middle of the it.
 

VeeDubTDI

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The thump thump thump sound is the ABS activating to control wheel spin and manage power delivery between the two front wheels. It sounds scary, but it's perfectly normal.
 

VeeDubTDI

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So I messed around a little in the 1/2" of snow we got this weekend. The Passat seems very stable and the traction control will allow quite a bit of wheel spin. Of course, this wasn't much snow so I have no idea how it will behave in deeper stuff.
 

unixb0y

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Joined
Oct 1, 2003
Location
Manitoba, Canada
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2013 Passat Comfortline 6MT Nav
I've had many situations when turning off traction control slid me right out of a snow drift w/ no effort.
Not having a switch is serious minus in my opinion.
Not having a switch leads to me stalling when trying to cross snow burms left behind by snow plows.

I end up having to back up and charge into the snow burm. This can be quite dangerous when crossing into a busy street.
 

VeeDubTDI

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That button might fit in one of the places in the glove box, but it won't fit anywhere in the center console or on the dashboard.
 

Sbeghan

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Triangle, NC
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03 Jetta Wagon 5spd 390k mi
On my MKIV a way to defeat traction control but leave ABS on is to wire a switch into the wire for the steering wheel angle sensor. The switch cuts the sensor wire and without it traction control can't do anything so it is completely off. I assume this would work for you guys too.
 

VeeDubTDI

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On my MKIV a way to defeat traction control but leave ABS on is to wire a switch into the wire for the steering wheel angle sensor. The switch cuts the sensor wire and without it traction control can't do anything so it is completely off. I assume this would work for you guys too.
That sounds like pretty crude method of defeating traction control, as well as hacking up the body harness to install a switch in line with your steering system.
 

APT

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2012
Location
Metro Detroit
TDI
2012 Passat SEL
Disabling the steering wheel sensor should not disable traction control, only stability control.

After some more time this winter driving in the snow, the Passat works very well. It allows a lot of wheel slip to keep moving in snow. Somehow, the Bridgestone EL400's even have some grip in the snow.
 

VernK

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Jul 31, 2012
Location
Kelowna
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2012 Passat 2.5L Gas
I'd second that. I've got the 2.5 gasser, and had the ideal test last week, parked slighty downhill on essentially a flat sheet of ice. Been using this parking spot for 20 years, and normally you drive off it forward because any 2WD vehicle likely wouldn't be able to back up.

Anyway, decided to back up and the car settled at about 3,000 rpm and the tires kept spinning, TCS light flashing away, and I managed to back up out of the spot. I though that was pretty good performance.

Yours
Vern
 

Jim13tdi

Active member
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Jan 5, 2013
Location
Branchville NJ
TDI
13 passat sel prem
Just tried this in the driveway, very icy and slushing right now, just step on it and both wheels spin and pull very straight, tach's 3500 rpm no loss of power.Pulls better and more control than my 97 wrangler in two wheel drive.I don't see a problem with the traction control on this car at all, or at least haven't experienced it yet anyway.
 

NateM

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Dec 20, 2011
Location
NW Conn.
TDI
2012 Passat TDI Manual
I could not make it out of my hilly driveway with my passat and 4 inches of snow. I'm running new winterforce tires. My equinox with almost bald tires makes it out with the traction control off. I need the button!
 

Moltenburn

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May 28, 2010
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Denver
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2013 B7 Passat 2.0 TDI
One of the members think redneck racing has the Chinese switch. This along withe mk vi DYI and bold sport harness shoul make disabling tcs not o crazy.
 

JM Popaleetus

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Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Location
Connecticut
TDI
Signature.
You can wire a button in, and like everything else we want on our NMS, the parts are all available at China dealerships. It is however a very tedious task as it requires splicing deep down into the car's computer.

I found a step-by-step on VWVortex a while back. I'll look around again to see if I can find it.
 
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