The modern conveniences of today’s vehicles is greatly afforded by the advancements in technology over the past decades. Most vehicles utilize a large portion of technological components to regulate and manage vehicle performance. Your car uses various control modules to help detect and relay critical information about your car’s performance so that it can make adjustments and optimize its function.
One such module that is essential to vehicle performance is the traction control module. Your traction control system is heavily regulated by the module, but there are other, different opportunities for the traction control system to fail. In this article we’ll briefly discuss what the traction control system’s role is in your car’s functioning, and the most common ways of detecting failure.
What Does the Traction Control System Do for Your Car?
The traction control system is responsible for keeping your car steady and firmly gripped to the ground under certain conditions, such as rain, snow, and heavy winds. Through a system of intricate sensors connected to your vehicle’s wheels, the traction control module is able to make appropriate adjustments to braking and engine speed to keep the vehicle under control. There are several different parts that can fail when it comes to your traction control system, including pressure accumulators, pumps, sensors, and solenoids.
Most Common Signs of Traction Control Failure
As with any change in vehicle behavior or functioning, it’s essential to pay close attention to how your car behaves with and without traction control—this way you’ll be able to detect any significant or concerning changes that require servicing. Driving without traction control can be dangerous—especially if you’re used to having it functioning well. To detect failure in the TCS, these are the most common symptoms associated that you should be on the lookout for:
TCS Light Comes On
When your car detects an issue with any of the various systems, it will alert you by illuminating one of the warning lights in the dashboard. These warning lights emit a code that can only be read by an automotive professional with the right equipment and skills. The TCS warning light will illuminate if an issue is detected with any one of the various components, and it’s critical for your safety to follow up with having it diagnosed right away.
Traction Control Won’t Engage or Disengage
Of course, the most obvious symptom of failed traction control is that it is not performing its function well or at all. If you notice your car hydroplanes or loses control frequently despite the traction control being on, or the car is difficult to handle because the TCS won’t turn off, then the system is likely malfunctioning and requires servicing.
Anti-Lock Brake Failure
Since the traction control system and ABS system work closely together, it is common for drivers to experience issues with the braking system when the traction control is acting funny. However, losing control of your anti-lock braking system is highly concerning and dangerous, and at this point the issue is pressing to fix.
Noticeable Differences in Performance
Along with braking issues, if you notice that your car is tough to handle under wet road conditions especially, the traction control system may need to be repaired. Depending on what type of car you drive, where you drive, and how you drive it, traction control system failure will affect you differently than other drivers. Traction control makes driving safer and more efficient, and without it, your vehicle’s performance will noticeably suffer.
What We Can Do to Help You
Here at Foreign Automotive, serving the areas of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge, ON, we take pride in our ability to accurately diagnose and repair such significant performance issues as traction control failure. The weather in these areas can pose a threat to drivers who are without a working TCS, and it’s our mission to restore their safety quickly and affordably. Servicing brands such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes, MINI, Porsche, Volkswagen, Land Rover, and Volvo, we specialize in European import cars that require a high standard of continual care. If you’ve noticed any of the TCS-related symptoms in your own car, please contact us right away to schedule a diagnostic appointment.