How to turn off traction control? S model

[Eurofordfan]

The switch installation is as follows (provided you would be OK with a simple on/off switch, and not a next-ignition-on reset to an ON position...):

Any one of the leads going out from a wheelhouse-anchored position, out to the individual wheel "tone-ring" ABS wheel sensor can be interupted (i.e. any one of the four wheels) -- i.e. an on-off switch added-in, to either of the two wires will do the trick.

In other words, you cut one of the wires of the two-wire pair -- and attach a wire to each end of the cut. You bring these two wires in to the dashboard area, where you want to mount the on-off switch.. and then you wire it so that "ON" is when the connection between wire-ends is made, and "OFF" is where the connection is broken.

Note that I don't know if there is a voltage present on the wire, a normal voltage or a milivoltage.. so I do not know whether (when you break the contact, or MAKE the contact) any switching voltage spike would be sent anywhere (i.e. possibly to the ABS logic module). I would say that the electrical engineers who are lurking on this forum ought to weigh-in on this point, and indicate whether some sort of voltage-spike-quelling technology (adding-in a capacitance or ???? or filter or ????) would have merit.

Also, note that the whole car is wired CAN-BUS... so I don't know whether individual tone-rings / ABS sensors are smart sensors or whether they generate milivoltages, when the tone ring moves past the sensor...?

Finally, on FiestaFaction, there is a thread on how more than one person used this methodology to cancel TCS action, on their '11 Fiesta -- on a car which had either Series 1 or Series 2 Body Control Module (BCM) program. Note that on the '11 Fiesta - Series 3 BCM program added TCS-off to the human/machine interface arrangement... so you can turn it off using "message centre" or the Fiesta equivalent thereof. BCM 1 and BCM 2 Fiesta's cannot be updated, 'cause the TCS Off warning light is not in place on their dashboards (like it is, in the latest cars); accordingly, Ford will not do the update. Still, due to the slowness of the steps required to cycle thru the Message Centre, in my mind, a dashboard mounted switch has merit.

[lscrx]

Both my '05 Saab and my '12 Focus SE sport 5MT let me spin tires in first gear even with the TCS enabled. I would have to be spinning for a good bit before the TCS started applying the brakes and reducing power. Has anybody with a '12 model actually gotten stuck because their TCS wouldn't let them move?

Posted via FF Mobile

[Eurofordfan]

Iscrx - see Post No. 10 in this thread: http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275786 The Poster mentions turning off ESP -- but of course he means TCS (as ESP cannot be turned off). The statement at the end of his post is revealing.

I have seen others, too.

I would have to say that based on these accounts, for me (living in an area where we can get snow and ice -- an S Model, without ability to turn off TCS, is just not viable). I regret this, 'cause I am a fan of the minimalist arrangement in the S... where you pay very little, but get the big majority of the engineering goodness evident in the car.

[devvy]

Originally Posted by Eurofordfan

Iscrx - see Post No. 10 in this thread: http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=275786 The Poster mentions turning off ESP -- but of course he means TCS (as ESP cannot be turned off). The statement at the end of his post is revealing.

I have seen others, too.

I would have to say that based on these accounts, for me (living in an area where we can get snow and ice -- an S Model, without ability to turn off TCS, is just not viable). I regret this, 'cause I am a fan of the minimalist arrangement in the S... where you pay very little, but get the big majority of the engineering goodness evident in the car.

Originally Posted by lscrx

Both my '05 Saab and my '12 Focus SE sport 5MT let me spin tires in first gear even with the TCS enabled. I would have to be spinning for a good bit before the TCS started applying the brakes and reducing power. Has anybody with a '12 model actually gotten stuck because their TCS wouldn't let them move?

Posted via FF Mobile

When I actually got stuck with the TCS on was trying to go up hills. It may be rare for you, but in Canada, having to drive up hills that are completely snow covered in the winter is a reality. I'm not convinced that the TCS is what actually causes this, but more like the TCS as it interacts with the (non-defeatable) ESP, which I would imagine causes greater action via TCS when the car is on an incline. My post (#10) could have led you to believe that on a regular flat highway the car wasn't moving forward and that's not the case. Most major highways would pose no problems with TCS in a winter situation even when the highway is totally snow covered, but getting from the house you live in to the highway down regular city/suburban/rural streets is a different story.

[DVolpe]

Traction Control is way too aggressive in this car. A slight bit of wheel spin and the engine bogs down. not very safe when your accelerating and you engine slows down when you need WOT!! Im def going to add a button on my dash soon so when I need the power with the handling of the "sport package" I paid for its there! not having to wait a minute while I fumble through the horrible dash layout.

[Dondi]

OK. I've driven my S model in the snow now. I have found that Trac control turns off if I let my foot off the gas. If I proceed gently after that (until I get by the slippery stuff) it does not come back on. So far, not being able to turn it off has not been a problem. Of cousre, we have not had much snow this year (yet).

[MEF66]

Not being able to turn off the traction control on the Focus S is a BIG miss by Ford engineers. (Especially on the manual transmission). Winter driving conditions change rapidly in Wisconsin and this option is essential. I should have researched the Focus S more before purchasing. I am pretty good at driving in snow and ice conditions and the traction control actually takes away some of that control.

I will try removing the fuse F19 (?) and give it a test drive on the country roads where I live. I will let you know how that goes, in mean-time, if anyone comes up with aftermarket TC over-ride kit, please let me know.

[unclebrud]

Yeah, the traction control needs to be toned down and should be defeatable (on the S) in the snow. I was turning around (briskly) in an empty parking lot and the light started flashing. There was no apparent wheel slippage...

[thejsx]

the light also flashes when it detects over/understeer

[Eurofordfan]

Originally Posted by MEF66

Not being able to turn off the traction control on the Focus S is a BIG miss by Ford engineers. (Especially on the manual transmission). Winter driving conditions change rapidly in Wisconsin and this option is essential. I should have researched the Focus S more before purchasing. I am pretty good at driving in snow and ice conditions and the traction control actually takes away some of that control.

I will try removing the fuse F19 (?) and give it a test drive on the country roads where I live. I will let you know how that goes, in mean-time, if anyone comes up with aftermarket TC over-ride kit, please let me know.

Traction control (TCS), Electronic Skid Control (ESC), and ABS are all tied together. I don't know if pulling fuse F19 will disable ABS, specifically, but in doing this, you might be disabling the four wheel ABS sensors, and the two solenoid valves in the HCU - Hydraulic Control Unit. If you do this, the brake bias, to the rear wheels - may be lost... and then the rear wheels will over-brake.

I would suggest you see this thread: http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=283150

I used to think that putting an interrupt switch in any one of the wires out to any one of the ABS tone rings would do the trick... but that will for sure cut out the Electronic Brake Force distribution... and you lose rear wheel proportioning...

If you need more of a description of the system, PM me...