iShawn47

When traction control is on and my rear tires start spinning, whether there be snow or rain etc, my car will stop accelerating. Is this normal safety feature to stop accelerating when the car feels that there is no traction or is there an issue? I have a 03 GT, the reason I am suspicious about this is because when I have my 2000 v6 I don't remember the car stopping acceleration just because I lost traction.

Soldier GT

Not trying to be a smart azz but thats why it's called traction control. Any slippage, the traction control kicks in.

Martel

If one rear wheel spins faster than the other then the engine will retard the timing and cut back on fuel. If both wheels spin at the same rate there should be no issue. Simple solution, turn off the traction control if you want to spin the wheels.

dawson1112

Its a little more involved than that, and it doesn't matter if 1 or both wheels spin, with the traction control on, if the rear wheels loose traction the computer determines when to engage the traction control based on information from all 4 wheel sensors. IE back wheels spin at the same speed but front wheels indicate no motion or much slower motion than the rear, traction control takes over to equalize the speed of all 4 wheels.

iShawn47

Ok thanks guys, I didn't wanna sound silly but like I said my previous 2000 v6 didn't that that when I had traction control on which made me curious which one of the two waddling something wrong.

Martel

Posted by Doug 02 on allfordmustangs.com

"DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 11 -- The development of all-speed
Traction Control System (TCS) started with Ford customers who said
they were interested in a feature that would enhance traction and vehicle stability in the rain and snow. Research disclosed that 57 percent of all Mustang V-8 owners (and a remarkable 74 percent of V-6 owners) and potential buyers would purchase a traction control system if available on the Mustang. The challenge facing Team Mustang and development partner Bosch was to create a system that not only satisfied these basic needs, but one that didn't alienate loyal, performance-oriented Cobra owners who occasionally like to
engage in high-energy driving.
The primary goal: reduce the demands placed on the driver by maintaining vehicle stability and steering response during rapid acceleration. To accomplish this, Team Mustang's system had to be capable of inhibiting wheelspin during initial or underway acceleration in a variety of conditions, including driving on a road slick with rain or snow on one or both sides; emerging from icy parking lots or highway shoulders; and acceleration during cornering or lane changes.
The Team developed a number of tests to simulate these conditions. The low-friction acceleration test was when all four tires were on a slick
surface, such as an icy road. The split-friction test placed only one drive
wheel on a slick surface and the other on a dry surface. In the low-friction lane change maneuver, engineers simulated an accelerated lane change on a slick surface. Finally, the asphalt-to-gravel cornering test combined acceleration and cornering on a low friction surface.
After considerable testing, the Team developed a hybrid traction control system for the Mustang that combines brake and engine management to control wheelspin. When any of the four ABS/traction control sensors detect that a drive wheel is spinning at a rate higher than its counterpart, ignition spark is retarded and the fuel/air ratio is modulated to attenuate torque delivered to the slipping tire. If the condition persists, cylinder cut-off occurs, brakes are applied to the wheel with low friction, and power is transferred to the other drive wheel. The driver is informed of TCS events via an indicator
light in the instrument cluster. TCS may not significantly improve traction when both wheels are on a slippery surface, but it optimizes the use of available traction. The benefit under this condition is improved vehicle steerability and stability provided by controlling excess wheel slip.
The system is very sensitive to driving conditions -- it employs the
difference in slip rates at the wheels to distinguish between cornering and acceleration slippage -- and it is extremely fast acting. In computer-speak, it has a "64-millisecond update capability." With TCS, the drive wheels are searching for optimum traction several times per second and adjustments are implemented accordingly.
The Cobra TCS was also designed to meet the performance needs of more aggressive drivers, permitting some wheelspin when the system detects that wheelspin is the driver's desire. Not only did Team Mustang provide a driver- selectable On/Off switch for the TCS, but perhaps its most clever aspect: the Power Start feature. Power Start senses when the driver is accelerating hard and goes into a
performance programming mode that enables optimum wheelspin from a standing start on dry pavement. As long as the Cobra accelerates forward, the Power Start feature stays engaged and the Mustang responds as it would without
traction control. When the system detects that the car is turning away from the straight, however, TCS is re-engaged.
For repeated hard acceleration, Team Mustang recommends utilizing the Off switch on the console, though at no time can the ABS be switched off. The TCS defaults to On mode when the engine is started.
This capability was specifically designed for the Mustang -- whose
flagship is the SVT Mustang Cobra. It provides the correct blend of traction and control that customers wanted, plus the high-performance operation Cobra drivers are unwilling to give up.
The sophisticated All-Speed Traction Control System is standard equipment on all 1999 Ford SVT Mustang Cobras."