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Sportage Traction Control

15K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  jflarin 
#1 ·
Just looking for thoughts on the system, especially if you have a '13 or '14 and want to comment.

If you're not aware, my previous car was an '04 Sorento (which I still dearly miss) and this Sportage is my first personally owned car with an Auto and the traction control.

For the most part, I understand how it works, and what the quirks are - but the traction control system really, really pisses me off sometimes.

If I take tight corners, sometimes one of the rear wheels will slip and then the computer takes over, robs the control and I get pissed off because unlike the Sorento, the power just is not there sometimes due to the computer taking over. It's not a pleasant feeling. The Sorento was also a stick, so I gave up control in some regards. Likewise, in the Sorento, this wasn't a big deal as the differential would make up the difference (pardon the pun) and sometimes I'd get a tire chirp or squeal - not a big deal (oo, on a roll tonight. whee)

In any case, does anyone know what turning off the TC gets me? Does the Sportage switch to FWD only or does it still use the AWD system to a lesser degree? I'm so totally new to this thing.. I had the Sorento for 8 years and knew it inside and out. Damn you Kia for not making the '04 with a timing chain. :p

I'd appreciate stories from all recent model Sportage owners, so don't be shy.
 
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#2 ·
The TC is a PITA. Just turn it off, but you have to turn it off every time you start the car. I guess you know there is an open differential on each end, so only one wheel can drive on each axle, but it could be either wheel depending on the circumstances. TC uses the brake on the slipping wheel to make the other wheel on that axle drive. To me it is largely ineffective in snow as sometimes you need to power out to get going, and TC brakes the wheels harder as you give it more gas. I ran into this on a snowy night in my wife's Sienna before I got the Sportage. I had never driven TC before and didn't realize what was happening. I was at a stop sign trying to enter a highway but the side road has a sharp rise up to the highway. The road was covered in slippery wet snow, and the damn van just wouldn't go up the hill. I tried to power it up which would have worked, but the TC wouldn't allow it. I couldn't back up and take a running start because a car might have been coming when I got there. All this screwing around caused us to get hit by a car entering the side road from the left and losing control. If it hadn't been for TC I would have been long gone when that car made the turn. No real damage, so I chalked it up to experience.
You can't drive 'sporty' with it. I gave up and leave mine on and simply avoid wheel spin. But now I know what to do if I have a similar situation with snow or anything else.
 
#10 ·
I ran into this on a snowy night in my wife's Sienna before I got the Sportage. I had never driven TC before and didn't realize what was happening. I was at a stop sign trying to enter a highway but the side road has a sharp rise up to the highway. The road was covered in slippery wet snow, and the damn van just wouldn't go up the hill.
I have 2 questions: 1) is the Sienne 4x4 (or equivalent?)
2) Was the car equipped with winter tire (made to be effective under 45 F) or was it equipped with summer tire, often market as «all-seasons»?

jf
 
#3 ·
The TC also helps with turning as it drags a wheel like a parking brake to help make tight corners with little steering effort. The slush box (automatic transmission) has the sport mode, which I use all the time on country back roads to gear down for a corner and power up out of the corner, otherwise the tranny won't downshift until you straighten out. Use the sport mode like a stick without a clutch and it will act like a stick, but be forewarned that it doesn't like knocking on the redline very much, which is where the peak horsepower is. Use the 4x4 button every time you leave paved surfaces as it is incredible what kind of traction this thing has with the drivetrain locked in. Hill decent control should not be used unless you plan on creeping down a hill. It makes an awful racket when engaging and gives a max speed of about 7 mph. Use the sport mode otherwise. Another thing about sport mode is that it turns off eco mode.

These videos should help explain how it works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GvzS3i-kM4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpQeXnMRO-8
 
#4 ·
I've run sport mode at the track and let it shift at the redline, and it ran slower than it did in drive. I've also logged 0-60 runs various times and reviewed boost levels/etc, and I'm not convinced sport mode provides any more power. It does help for holding revs, but it doesn't make the car any faster.

Regarding traction control, the previous posts are correct in stating it uses the brakes (and in extreme circumstances, throttle shut off) to control wheel spin, to each wheel deemed to need it the most. I'm 99.9% sure even when traction control is shut off, stability control is not. I've tried to slam the throttle going around a tight corner from low speed, or tried to drift it far on snow, and in either situation, the brakes/throttle cut off pull the power to keep the car from sliding. Quite annoying. I've found it can do some nice donuts on ice and really deep snow, but if you push it too hard even on snow, it will cut throttle or use the brakes to control it.
 
#9 ·
There is only one fuse between you and some awesome doughnuts. Stability control kept kicking in and interrupting my dirt road fun one day.
 
#8 ·
ESC/Trac is not the same as "Active Handling" like on a Mitsubishi Evolution. It doesn't apply the brakes around corners to improve lap times, the only time it comes to life is if it recognizes too high of a yaw rate or too fast of a rise in G force during cornering. The prior generation Sportage ESC would trip if you seesawed the wheel back and forth while driving down the street which i thought was weird.
 
#11 ·
TC in other vehicles is similarly as useful & dangerous. When making a turn across traffic on ice, expect to be stuck in front of oncoming traffic with no power (thus no steering), and hoping that traffic can stop on ice. And yes, even winter tires slip on ice.

I'm certain TC does a lot of good; I'm not as fast as a computer, and people make mistakes. I still believe taking away a driver's limited control is a mistake.

With 1saxman's experience, I'm surprised car manufacturers don't get sued. If some new steering technology autocorrects by refusing to turn, causing a collision in doing so, the manufacturer is now at fault.
 
#12 ·
The manufacturers are in a kind of "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. TC will help avoid skids and accidents, but it can also leave someone immobile in the slippery snow situation we are talking about.

At the end of the day, they give you a button and you need to operate the car. Know where the button is and be prepared to disable TC quickly if conditions arise.
 
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