New owners of Tesla often get curious about the well-known Traction Control after seeing all the test videos on the internet.
Well, the Tesla Traction Control (TC) is a feature that limits the 4 front and rear wheel’s rotation based on the ground. When it’s turned on, Tesla can run over snow, mud, or hard surface which can jam the car. But, you don’t have to turn on this feature all the time!
If you are a newcomer and have zero knowledge about it, then keep on reading this guide as I’ll share everything about the TC system. Let’s Go!
Tesla Does Have a Traction Control Feature!
In all Tesla cars, you’ll find a feature known as Traction Control. It is a system that causes the car to constantly tracks the front and rear wheel’s speed to adjust the spin based on the road. That’s what Tesla Traction Control is!
Well, Traction Control on Tesla helps the car to limit the wheel spin based on the traction level. If your car seems to lose traction on a road that seems difficult to drive, the system lessens the wheel spin by controlling the brake pressure and motor power.
In the same way, if your car finds good traction or ground support from the road, the system raises the wheel-spinning ability to a normal level.
By default, you’ll find the Traction Control system on in all cars. It’s because the car needs to ensure maximum safety on the road.
However, that doesn’t mean the system will stop a crash or collision which occurs to a person who drives riskily or turn too sharply at high speed.
You’ll see a yellow indicator flashing on the touchscreen when the Traction Control is adjusting the brake pressure and motor power to lower the wheel spin.
When to Turn Traction Control System On?
In the usual cases, Tesla suggests to not turn this feature on. However, you are allowed to enable this feature in some situations where you purposefully want the wheel to spin in a little harsh manner. In these surfaces, turn this feature on:
- Loose up surfaces (like gravel or snowy path).
- Roads fill with snow, sand, or mud.
- Highways contain holes or deep ruts.
- Off-road paths, unpaved roads, or trails.
How to Turn On Traction Control Tesla Model 3, Y, S, and X Cars?
To activate the Traction Control feature on Tesla cars, the procedure is similar except for the Model Y AWD (All-Wheel Drive) cars.
You can turn on this feature via the car’s screen and go to Controls > Driving or Pedals & Steering > Slip Start option. Then, just slide the option (make it blue).
After this, you’ll see an alert that says Slip Start enabled (with the TC icon in the yellow shade) on the bottom section of the car’s screen.
However, on Model Y AWD cars, you can turn on Off-Road Assist or Slip Start. For that, just click on the option (make it blue). Also, note that you can’t turn on the Slip Start feature when using cruise control.
Be sure to turn off Tesla Track Mode if it’s turned on as this can change the car’s behavior when driving on public roads.
How to Disable Traction Control on Tesla?
To turn off the Traction Control feature on Model X, Y, S, and 3 cars, know that you can only do this on RWD (Rear-Wheel Drive) and AWD (All-Wheel Drive) cars. You’ll also need to use the car’s touchscreen.
Start by clicking on Controls > Driving or Pedals & Steering and then locate the Slip Start option. After that, hit on it to turn this feature off (make it grey).
In AWD cars, you’ll see another option called Off-Road Assist (right above the Slip Start) just slide it to turn this option off.
Another way how you can disable this feature is by turning on the Dyno Mode. To do that, go to Controls > Software and then touch the D word on the car’s name (for example MODEL 3) for a few seconds.
After that, a prompt will pop open that says Please enter the access code and you’ll need to type the dynotest in small letters as the access code.
Then, simply click on the Ok option and the car will activate the Dyno Mode. You’ll also see Dyno mode enabled – Do not drive alert on the bottom of the screen or instrumental panel. FYI, you can turn this mode off by unbuckling your seatbelt or opening the door.
Even if the Tesla Valet Mode can disable some features (Autopilot, Voice Command, and so on), it doesn’t turn off the Traction Control.
How Good Is the Tesla Traction Control System?
It’s a great system for the different road types. Based on the terrain, you can turn this system on or off and let all wheels spin at a limited speed.
Thanks to this setting, the car can adjust the speed of wheel spin to drive on sloppy roads. To do that, the car controls the motor power and brake pressure. This thing isn’t possible with the combustion engine.
Based on most drivers, the car drives better when stuck in the mud, snow, ice, or other roads in Slip Start setting. It does great and runs smoothly which is noticeable on the road. On the other than, Off-Road Assist helps the car to run at a balanced speed on rough, soft, or rocky surfaces.
Wrap Up
Indeed, the Tesla Traction Control is a good feature that helps drivers to have a smooth and fast driving experience on harsh roads like heavy snow, mud, and so on. It also helps the stuck car to run easily.
Just be sure to try the basic reset if the yellow indication of TC on the car’s screen stays on to fix the issue. And be sure to try the Traction Control test on the road to understand the whole thing better.
Hope you like this guide and find it helpful to comprehend all about the TC system. Catch you in the next guide!
