shut off TC in AWD 07?

Act162this said:

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

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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.

Datsa Noydb said:

jroden said:

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

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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

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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.