4x4 Traction Control questions

[Gargoyle]

Hello all - I have an '08 Explorer XLT 4.6 4x4 which I take to the Sierras fishing on occasions where I use the 4x4 in sand, gravel and very steep, rough trails. I have noticed that when in auto or 4x4 hi mode, traction control will not function when starting from a stop. I can place a front wheel up on a berm resulting with the rear wheel being off the ground and very little traction on the opposite front wheel, and they will just spin - I can exit the vehicle and watch it!

Question 1. Does traction control only work if the vehicle is moving?
Question 2. Does traction control only work on the rear axle assy?

Also, I can no longer climb steep hills with deep lateral ruts caused by caused by countless others spinning (their) wheels. My old Landcrusher handled these with ease. I have driven it in deep snow with no problems but I don't really know if the TC is actually working

Thanks!

 

[Eagleisx]

DO you stop and put vehicle in Neutral before switching to 4Hi or 4Low??You have to do this and you will hear it locking.If this does not work then i would have it checked out by a mechanic that is familiar with these systems. Good Luck
PSo you have a Switch on dash to go from Auto to 4Hi and 4Low??

 

[Gargoyle]

Yes, I know how to work the 4x4 aspect, my concerns are about the traction control, but thanks ...

 

[edwx]

I know my owners manual has a lot written about it. More than I care to digest or think I remember. All I know is that it apparently works when I lose traction, (the light flashes, which means it's working) which happens quite a bit here in upstate NY in the winter. I think the owners manual suggests disabling when off-roading etc., and you want the tires to spin intentionally and dig. I also think I remember the manual saying that the traction control automatically disengages (is off all the time) when in low range or when disabled intentionally by pressing the button. Like I said, I might not be remembering correctly and all I can really suggest is to check the owners manual first. I think there are some other forums on this site that could answer your ? also. Hope this helps.

 

[Gargoyle]

Thanks EDWX, I guess I will reword my problem. On several occasions I have gotten into a situation where a rear wheel was off the ground and the opposite front was barely touching the ground (due to limited suspension travel) resulting in next to no traction. The vehicle would not move forward or backwards in 4x4 auto, Hi or Lo with traction control turned on or turned off. I know it is not supposed to work in 4x4 Lo (probably because the drive train can't handle the torque - the axle assemblies are much smaller than in my old Landcruiser). I thought that when in 4x4 Hi or Auto with traction control turned on that it would stop the spinning wheels in order to transfer power to the opposite wheel 'with the traction'. The reason I decided to purchase this 4x4 was this understanding of how Traction Control is supposed to work. This problem is an annoying situation to get into.

 

[edwx]

OK, yeah, I see what ya mean. You would think there would be a transfer of power like you say. I don't know enough about it. If you don't get much response on this forum, maybe check the transmission forum.

 

[STEVEN_XLT_08]

I have looked in to this too as I have an 08. It is the rsc portion of the traction control. To prevent rolling the computer applies breaks one or more wheel while power to others to prevent (aid) it not to roll. It is tied into the traction control and if you turn tc off you are better off while off road. I had same issues while on the trail in CO so I looked into it and have not had issues since i just turn it off before i pull off road.

 

[michael loibl]

I would think the traction control would be hard at work with limited or no traction at one front and one rear. I never got mine in too agressive of a situation like you but mine flashes and brakes aggressively in lesser situations like starting from a stop on an icy hill, gravel, etc. I think you may have a problem

 

[STEVEN_XLT_08]

RSC™ adds a second gyroscopic roll sensor to determine the vehicle’s body roll angle and roll rate. If this unique roll rate sensor detects that the vehicle is about to roll, the system automatically applies additional countermeasures – such as reducing engine power 15 percent and/or applying brakes to one or more wheels – to enhance vehicle rollover resistance.
http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=20679
i found this site to be very helpful with this problem

 

[janiedoe]

sounds familiar kinda

I just had my yaw replaced! i also have an 08 explorer limited v8. What is happening with mine is when i am driving on the road in clear conditions and brake my dashboard is lighting up the car with skidding marks i think its abs or traction control. it sounds and feels like its metal on metal and i cant stop or accelerate. i just slow down and i can steer. then maybe like 90 seconds later the rsc service now comes on in my message center and it chimes super annoyingly. then the brakes go back to normal. and i can accelerate again. it doesnt matter my speed its happened from 35-65 mph. they also replaced my front tie end. this was the 2nd time. the 1st time they reset the abs system or something like that. they said they test drove it and hooked it back up to the computer and it was fine and the problem was fixed. within a month it kept happening in the rain so i thought that was supposed to happen but then it happened again in dry conditions so i brought it back. and it totally sucks when it happens because i cant brake or go. they say that it isnt reading any problems on the computer or test driving it so its fixed. but to me they already told me it was fixed the first time so what if its not fixed again? i got lucky twice i didnt get into an accident im not really wanting to find out if it is or isnt. its just too dangerous of a risk im not willing to take. especially when it comes to my kids and families life. i really just dont trust the truck anymore!

 

[seannydeez]

Gargoyle - I hear what you're saying and I don't really have an answer, but I think it just has to do with all the safety features built in to the explorer and I doubt there is any way around it unless some company has made an override or you modify your drive train. Unfortunately they weren't designed to actually be driven off road, but more to get to the grocery store in inclement weather. Ford puts real off road technology into their F-series. I like the looks of the explorers now more than ever, but they have become less "explorer" and more car like.

 

[dgsloan]

Service RSC Now

It appears that I was having a problem which became solid after a few days of rain. The problem had the same three lights with the service RSC now. The Ford Dealer traced it to circuit VCA04 (BU/OG) as a corroded wire which was replaced. Ford Canada has no recall on this one yet but I suspect that if it is getting corroded that there will eventually be a recall. It took the mechanic a couple of hours to find this one - so thought that I would post it to save some time = hope this helps....

 

[Gargoyle]

Recently I went back up into the mountains and applying some advice on traction control I received from a local ford service manager, I discovered that the traction control does actually work, in auto, 4X4 HI, LO-range. I just have to put my foot in it a lot more to make the traction control effective. I was trying to crawl along like I used to do in my old Landcruiser - it did not have the limitations that the explorer has in off-roading; very limited suspension travel (the main problem) and lack of ground clearance. Also, while driving on a snow covered road with no traffic, I slammed on the brakes, floored it and attempted to spin out to test the traction control system, but the system instantly corrected the traction problem and I was surprised to see how quickly and efficiently the system corrected my attempted spin out.

-Gargoyle