[jroden]

there's no switch to turn off the traction control on my 07 AWD, is it hidden somewhere? If I put a switch on the wire leading to that fuse, would it just defeat the TC or would the VSC also not work, if this thing has it. I want it off sometimes, it in deep heavy snow or when pulling another car out of the ditch

 

[Act162this]

might depend on the model, but i think in the 04+ the TC switch was down by your left knee.

i don't know if every model had TC or if it was only defeatable on certain trims.

 

[brian_bp]

i don't know if every model had TC...

Certainly not every Sienna has traction control in every year (for instance, in 2004, for Canadian 2WD trim levels, traction control was only XLE and Limited). It may be (and seems likely to me) that all AWD models have had traction control.

I would consult the owner's manual for a defeat switch.

 

[bill_toyota]

The forum went down and it looks like my reply is gone. Anyway, the wiring for the switch is on the blank piece where the switch should go. It's actually clipped onto the blank piece. If you find a switch it may work. I'm not sure it will but perhaps you can try it and let us all know.

 

[datsa noydb]

there's no switch to turn off the traction control on my 07 AWD, is it hidden somewhere? If I put a switch on the wire leading to that fuse, would it just defeat the TC or would the VSC also not work, if this thing has it. I want it off sometimes, it in deep heavy snow or when pulling another car out of the ditch

I must not understand how traction control works, because my mind is asking
"why would you NOT want all available traction when pulling another car out of the ditch?" ???

.

 

[robster]

there's no switch to turn off the traction control on my 07 AWD, is it hidden somewhere? If I put a switch on the wire leading to that fuse, would it just defeat the TC or would the VSC also not work, if this thing has it. I want it off sometimes, it in deep heavy snow or when pulling another car out of the ditch

I must not understand how traction control works, because my mind is asking
"why would you NOT want all available traction when pulling another car out of the ditch?" ???

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[jroden]

there's no switch to turn off the traction control on my 07 AWD, is it hidden somewhere? If I put a switch on the wire leading to that fuse, would it just defeat the TC or would the VSC also not work, if this thing has it. I want it off sometimes, it in deep heavy snow or when pulling another car out of the ditch

I must not understand how traction control works, because my mind is asking
"why would you NOT want all available traction when pulling another car out of the ditch?" ???

I was thinking the same thing.

because it cuts off the throttle to idle, sometimes you want a little wheelspin. I find when the car is in deep snow i'd also like to shut it off and use my devices to decide how much gas it needs. I generally like it but in real low traction situations I want more power going to the wheels then it allows. I'll try jumpering the two wires and see what it does.

 

[datsa noydb]

because it cuts off the throttle to idle, sometimes you want a little wheelspin.

Interesting. :

One of the many things I learned in Physics class that was later confirmed in the real world is that spinning (or sliding) wheels have far less traction.

It is better to keep them from sliding. I recently had the opportunity to play with my AWD on ice. While I did notice an immediate drop in power if all wheels broke traction, power came back very quickly and I was able to pull away from other traffic like they were standing still. ;D

.

 

[brian_bp]

because it cuts off the throttle to idle, sometimes you want a little wheelspin.

Interesting. :

One of the many things I learned in Physics class that was later confirmed in the real world is that spinning (or sliding) wheels have far less traction.

It is better to keep them from sliding. I recently had the opportunity to play with my AWD on ice. While I did notice an immediate drop in power if all wheels broke traction, power came back very quickly and I was able to pull away from other traffic like they were standing still. ;D

.

Yes, but it depends on the surface. With a rigid road surface (such as asphalt) spinning is certainly bad, although a slight slippage is necessary due to the compliance of the rubber. On ice, spinning is particularly bad as it polishes the surface. In gravel, on the other hand, substantial slippage is required for peak traction, as the road surface material moves. Snow can be somewhere between ice and gravel in this characteristic, and the allowed amount of slippage may not be optimal.

My Sienna doesn't have traction control, but I have found with my Ford Focus that it is best - even in deep snow - to keep the traction control on (there is a convenient defeat button in that car); it allow significant slip without completely killing power output.

 

[datsa noydb]

there's no switch to turn off the traction control on my 07 AWD, is it hidden somewhere? If I put a switch on the wire leading to that fuse, would it just defeat the TC or would the VSC also not work, if this thing has it.

OK, I was doing some poking around under the dash this afternoon and found some wiring that might interest you.

In front of your right knee is a blank spot in the dash. Behind that is a black, 6-position connector. The pink/blue wire goes to the Skid Control ECU, the white/black wire goes to a ground. The wiring diagram shows this as an open connection, so I would presume that you close the switch to turn the system OFF.

It was near 70 degrees here today, I'm having a hard time finding any icy roads to test the switch. :

.

 

[kmahren]

Traction Control applies breaking to the spinning wheel and decreases the throttle body... When plowing through snow, especially climbing a snowy hill, you WANT to keep up your momentum, which Traction Control defeats.... I ALWAYS turn off TC on my 2003 XLE when climbing a snowy hill. On my model there is a TC OFF button by my left knee. This does not defeat the VSC which only kicks in if your skidding off center.

 

[slk]

OK, I was doing some poking around under the dash this afternoon and found some wiring that might interest you.

In front of your right knee is a blank spot in the dash. Behind that is a black, 6-position connector. The pink/blue wire goes to the Skid Control ECU, the white/black wire goes to a ground. The wiring diagram shows this as an open connection, so I would presume that you close the switch to turn the system OFF.

It was near 70 degrees here today, I'm having a hard time finding any icy roads to test the switch. :

.

Was anyone able to test this? I keep having my system cut power and apply rear brakes while accelerating from a stop on dry pavement.

 

[sturd]

Interesting. :

One of the many things I learned in Physics class that was later confirmed in the real world is that spinning (or sliding) wheels have far less traction.

/QUOTE]

That is what we all learned but with real tires in real conditions, it's not 100% true. That's why you'll see a big black
mark behind every roadrace motorcycle as it comes out of a slow corner. Maximum acceleration for a real tire,
one that isn't limited by mu kinetic, is with some small amount of spin. Heck - top fuel dragsters pull 4Gs. Think
about that with relation to your mu static for a second.

So, now that I have tires on my AWD Sienna that seem to confuse the TC, anybody try putting a switch on those
wires? I want to be able to get up my driveway in the snow in a manly fashion instead of on one and a half cylinders.


Mike S.

 

[trevor-t]

Hi, browsing ABS stuff for another problem and found this thread, was an answer found?
There is a way, have the instructions in my glove box for when I need the extra traction, there is way more go in the snow with TC off, and nice throttle on oversteer, just like an Audi quattro..
Let me know if you want me to post it..
cheers, Trevor

 

[406Hawke]

Hi, browsing ABS stuff for another problem and found this thread, was an answer found?
There is a way, have the instructions in my glove box for when I need the extra traction, there is way more go in the snow with TC off, and nice throttle on oversteer, just like an Audi quattro..
Let me know if you want me to post it..
cheers, Trevor

Yes please! I’m having the same issue with my’08 XLE. Sometimes, the TC is a hindrance. I’d love an option to temporarily disengage! 🙏