When racing in an auto with traction control from a dig, is it best to have it on or off? And I assume the best (and only) strategy is to just floor it and don't let up?

 

when traction control engages, it takes power away from the wheels..which is how it controls the wheel spin...that being said, i would feel that it is best to have it Off. when you launch, and the tires spin, the pedal it enough to try to get the tires to bite down...quick repeated lifts until it bites...at least that is what i do...i dont have traction control, but when i lose traction, i will back out of it just enough to settle the tires down and get back into it..if you have very cheap tires, and alot of power...youre probably not going to get traction until youre out a bit...

 

Have it off. If you start to spin then it will cut fuel and apply the brakes. You will most definetly lose. So, even if you do break traction with it off, you will still recover from spinning before you will the Trac Control on.

When I owned an auto, I would always apply the brake and give it some gas to load the rear suspension. When you release the brake and nail the gas then you should be good to go.

 

Thats kinda what I was thinking. I tried to make the wheels spin with traction control on and it seemed like a pretty long pause before I was able to give it gas again, which I figured would not be a good thing in a race. Thanks for the replies.

 

i've still won even with TC kicking on. gotta love them hondas.

 

Yeah, Traction Control is almost worthless. The only time I don't mind it is if my tail spins out more than planned and I'm on regular roads. In general, you'll do much better just using the pedal to feel when you're losing traction.

 

Traction control is worthless unless your drivin in the rain or on slippery roads

 

i hate traction control. My right foot is my traction control.

Ford t/c also pulls timing as well as cutting fuel and applying the rear brakes. Fug that. I shut mine off permanantly and have never missed it, even in the snow.

BTW - I hate antilock brakes too.

 

You raced a riding lawnmower? j/k

I used to turn TC off EVERY damn time, but then I stopped after a little “incident”: Was heading home one evening and my GD radar detector came off the bracket. I had just gotten on the interstate on-ramp and decided to pull to the shoulder instead of trying to fart around with it while maneuvering the car down the on-ramp and merging (seemed like the safe thing to do, unlike those “talk on your cell phone while applying eye liner and smoking a cigarette” drivers, oblivious to everything around them! [:@]).

(I had TC off mind you.) So I fixed the detector, checked my mirrors and with no one coming began my ascent down the ramp again. AS SOON as I pulled out, some fu<ker darted onto the ramp and got RIGHT on my ****. I punched it to speed up, but gave her too much gas apparently, as she went into a tail-spin[:-]. Scared the living **** outa me, let me tell ya! GD car went onto the shoulder, but I regained control. That really shook me up, so after that, I just leave the TC on. That was a weird situation, as whenever I got/get on it with TC off, I’ve never had a problem. Could have been gravel/sand on the ramp (?) – who knows…

Now, I only turn if off if I am gonna run someone…

 

Turn it off when dragging, turn it on during "normal" driving. That's what I do.