tcs on icy roads
could you help me understand these situations? I was driving on icy small city streets
about 15 mph for these scenarios & don't know when to hit the tcs button. Car is 2009
ford fusion SEL, v6.
First my car was spinning tires to pull away from a stop sign, and the slippery car light
came on flashing. What does that mean? Just that the car is slipping? I could feel the
tires spinning. Should I hit the button so the light is staying lit up on the dash in this
situation when the tires are spinning?
Another time when I was breaking for a stop sign the tires were spinning & the dash light
was flashing, should I hit the button so the light stays fixed on? This time I couldn't stop
& slid past the stop sign well into the intersection, which could have been an accident
scene, luckily not!
Should I use the tcs button when driving in icy & slippery conditions? This would make
the slippery car dash light come on & stay lit up on the dashboard. Is this the correct
mode for driving on slippery roads?
Thank you in advance for explaining this!
TCS actually works if you leave it on, and proceed slowly. Its my estimation that it alternates traction side to side intermittently to each tire independently when a loss of traction event occurs. Don't try to turn it off or help it, just try to proceed slowly and let it do its job. "Traction Control" works excellent! I have used Ford 2WD vans in the Colorado Mountains for many years in absolute snowbound and ice conditions. Make sure you have appropriate tires for your conditions as well. Tires are cheaper than an insurance deductible and are the only connection your vehicle has to the roadway surface.
