Icon134 0 #1 December 27, 2010 I want to go on record as an ardent fan of the traction control on my V6 4WD RAV4... On our way back to Southern MD (from Ohio) this afternoon (where we've been getting some substantial snow showers all day...) we nearly got into an accident after a pickup truck 100 yards ahead of us lost control and spun into the lane in front of us on a 4 lane divided highway (not interstate)... now being faced with a pickup truck directly in front facing us (and a car in the lane to my right moving the same speed as we were... I opted to first attempt to stop but when that didn't seem to be likely I opted to take the median/inside path... thankfully our little rav4 went in the directions I pointed it and we were able to completely avoid the pickup truck (partly because he moved slightly and partly because of the route I chose to take...) so although I didn't feel like I was able to stop effectively (despite the ABS) I was able to avert an accident and maintain directional control of the SUV to find a path around the vehicle we suddenly had in front of us... and mind you I have had some practice in controlled environments in the snow and have in general found that it doesn't misbehave but I was glad to see it actually work when it actually counted... finally FWIW we probably wouldn't have been out if we hadn't have been returning from Ohio where we celebrated Christmas with my family and we definitely stayed home once we were safely there... edited to add: I'm not holding to the skill part in the subject very hard...as I think I owe it mostly to the traction control and luck...Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #2 December 27, 2010 QuoteI want to go on record as an ardent fan of the traction control on my V6 4WD RAV4... On our way back to Southern MD (from Ohio) this afternoon (where we've been getting some substantial snow showers all day...) we nearly got into an accident after a pickup truck 100 yards ahead of us lost control and spun into the lane in front of us on a 4 lane divided highway (not interstate)... now being faced with a pickup truck directly in front facing us (and a car in the lane to my right moving the same speed as we were... I opted to first attempt to stop but when that didn't seem to be likely I opted to take the median/inside path... thankfully our little rav4 went in the directions I pointed it and we were able to completely avoid the pickup truck (partly because he moved slightly and partly because of the route I chose to take...) so although I didn't feel like I was able to stop effectively (despite the ABS) I was able to avert an accident and maintain directional control of the SUV to find a path around the vehicle we suddenly had in front of us... and mind you I have had some practice in controlled environments in the snow and have in general found that it doesn't misbehave but I was glad to see it actually work when it actually counted... finally FWIW we probably wouldn't have been out if we hadn't have been returning from Ohio where we celebrated Christmas with my family and we definitely stayed home once we were safely there... edited to add: I'm not holding to the skill part in the subject very hard...as I think I owe it mostly to the traction control and luck... Even before the snow started while I was in TN, my truck went sideways making a turn... (The 1-2 shift happened half way thru the turn, and it broke the back tires loose) It's been in 4wd since. Sure, 4wd won't save your ass if you're an idiot and don't know how to drive, but it sure as hell can if you know what you're doing."I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #3 December 27, 2010 as with many things. it helps to anticipate, react quickly and be decisive. well done. go easy..... go far. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lauraliscious 0 #4 December 27, 2010 I still love my V6 4WD 4Runner, even after 9 years and 246,000 miles. Glad we didn't have to test it out in the snow driving to Ohio for Christmas this year though. Your story makes me glad we decided to stay home in TN this year! Last year over Xmas we had to stay overnight in KY on the way home from Ohio due to an ice storm. And the year before that it took us 12 hours to drive the 250 miles up there. Hope you and Beth had a great Christmas with the family though and that it was worth driving in that weather! Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Icon134 0 #5 December 27, 2010 Actually the weather in Ohio wasn't bad at all... we got a dusting overnight before Christmas and then just a bit more on Christmas day but that was about it... we didn't really have much trouble with snow until we were about back to Southern MD... where the roads got bad quickly... All and all our trip wasn't to bad although it was very short since Beth only just started working again just over a month ago... Which is why we're already back home... otherwise we probably would have stayed through new years and hung out with skydivers... I hope you guys had a good holiday as well...Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VideoFly 0 #6 December 28, 2010 With a rare snow storm in Virginia, I took my 4WD RAV4 into a parking lot to do donuts. Darn ABS and traction control. Hitting the wheel and brakes on an icy surface was no match for the car’s computer. It sure wasn’t as much fun as my old ’66 Buick Electra 225. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PiLFy 3 #7 December 28, 2010 I'm obviously happy you didn't have an accident. I wouldn't put too much faith in Toyota's traction control. I drove 75MPH on the highway this morning to work. Yes, we got about two feet of snow. My impression of their traction control isn't much. It reminded me of Jackie Gleason's HTN watch in Smokey & the Bandit... The damn thing never shuts up in the snow. Other than a clicking sound. I don't feel it doing anything. I think it's nothing more than the usual Toyota BS. A few random snow thoughts: Toyota's traction control is worthless (& noisy). Thanks to the defective manufacturing of my front end ( brand new Camry). My car is squirelly on dry pavement. It's dangerous in the white stuff. I couldn't feel what the car was doing today. Also, I like ABS brakes anytime except in the snow. I much prefer stab-braking. I can stop faster in snow & ice that way. Just because your tires are spinning, doesn't mean you're out of control. Think motocross. My last two cars were Subarus. Their quality has taken a nose dive, sadly. Subaru's all wheel drive system rules due to the variable power distribution. I've never driven another 4WD that can top them. Most importantly, NEVER BUY A TOYOTA! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Herky 0 #8 December 28, 2010 What's toyota's like? I drove a mustang and it's traction control, all it did was apply brakes, effectively abs to the tire spinning and stop it spinning. It turned off after 25mph I think it was? The chevy I drove was infuriating though. It also did the applying abs to the spinning wheels. But it did something called active power management or something like that. You could floor it, and it didn't matter. It would only give as much power as allowable without spinning. And pushed back against the gas pedal hard. It almost caused me to be t-boned when I pulled out in traffic on a wet day once. Spun a little, then all of a sudden no power at all. Rewired the vehicle so it is always off now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VideoFly 0 #9 December 28, 2010 I was packing snow down in a driveway today in my RAV4 and got stuck in a rut. I tried rocking loose, but on the reverse I kept losing power. Even though I wanted the power and floored the gas pedal, I had what felt like no power. It was weird and I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I assumed my gas input was being over-ridden by the car’s computer. I think I could have rocked the car out with more power, and with no power and rocking, I did climb out of the rut. Maybe, the car knows better, but it is frustrating being used to cars that do what you want and not what you need to do. I would imagine that if I was in a rush to avoid an oncoming car, I would like to be able to get power when I know I need it instead of being hit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VideoFly 0 #10 December 28, 2010 Toyota’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) monitors your steering angle and the direction your vehicle is actually traveling and senses when your front or rear wheels begin to slip. When it senses this loss of traction or slip, VSC reduces engine power and applies braking to the individual wheels that need it to help correct the slip and keep the vehicle in the intended path. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
