You can't.

 

Thanks
Ok, thats what I was afraid of. Hope it doesn't stop me from making up steep hills in the snow. I need to spin a little sometimes to make it to the top.

 

Try parking brake pulled so the light comes on or try low gear. Unless you have a manual.
You could take out the fuse for traction control

 

I was thinking about the fuse route on my way to work. Or is there a wire I can cut and place an on off switch? Like the one that is at the fuse? And yes it is a manual.

 

I have a selection on my mft in the dash to turn off the TC, but since it has a torque sensing Diff, it kind of always has a form of TC lol

 

From the Owner's Manual...

Switching off traction control
If the vehicle is stuck in snow, mud or sand, and seems to lose engine power, switching off the traction control feature of the AdvanceTrac system may be beneficial because the wheels are allowed to spin. This will restore full engine power and will enhance momentum through the obstacle.

The traction control system can be turned off through the message center. See Message center in the Instrument Cluster chapter for more information. If you switch off the traction control, the stability control off light will illuminate steadily. Selecting traction control on will turn off the stability control off light.

Then we flip to Message Center...

Settings
Driver Assist Traction Ctrl On or Off
Hill Start On or Off
Rear Park Aid On or Off

So apparently using the toggle on the left side of the steering wheel, you use the left arrow to get to the "settings" menu, then select one of the above options and turn it on or off? I'll try it later today and see what happens. []

 

^^^ he has an s model...... He doesn't have that feature

 

Seriously? Owners manual makes it sound like they all have that. Kooky...

So are you positive it has traction control? Haven't seen a car yet that has TCS installed with no ability to disable it... [shameful]

 

..........................

 

Are we sure the S model has traction control?

 

Positive, on the window sticker and light is on my gauge.

 

Does the "Trac OFF" light come on during start up?

 

No, I don't see a trac off light any where when starting.

 

If there is a "Trac on" light but no "Trac off" light may be telling. It seems strange that they would provide no way of turning Trac off even in the S model. My wife's old Buick Rendezvous had a button on the dash to turn off trac. I think I remember using it once or twice. I'm picking up an S model next weekend and never considered this. I don't think it will be much of a problem for me. Still, it seem like an oversight on Ford's part. I'm guessing that the "Trac off" feature is wired for the "info center" type dash screen and rewiring it for a button on an entry level car was not a priority.

I may be wrong. Someone may find out how it turns off.

 

I may be wrong. Someone may find out how it turns off.

I will be looking into cutting the wire and installing my own switch. Easier than trying to navigate the message center while driving.
Might as well be texting.

 

BTW, even with an SE, SEL, or Titanium Focus (with switchable-off TCS) I'd still rig the emergency-TCS-off button... 'cause fiddle-farting with the message centre dialogue boxes, etc, is BS when you need quick on/off action.

Oh, and as regards having these system manditory for model year 2012 -- yes you're right -- but defeatable ESC and TSC is allowed, provided that a dashboard light or lights are provided, and provided that on the next start-up, it automatically re-engages all systems (which the Focus does).

No one has figured out how to tone-down or turn off the ESC system, BTW.

 

Traction Control and ESP and other features are part and parcel of the ABS unit,
The only way to switch it off is through the display menus.
It would be Downright Dangerous and Irresponsible to purposely fiddle with the ABS sensors in any way. Taking out the Fuse would probably make the car unusable.
I've switched off the TC and it comes back by itself once the Ignition is cycled.
Does the "S" model not have a menu display ?

 

S Model does have a menu display, but it is ultra-simplistic -- and the S model has no steering wheel controls, so carrying out the keystrokes indicated in the owner's manual is impossible.

Further, Customer Svce Rep Natasha confirms that TCS is not switchable (off) in the S model, and agreed that the owner's manual is rather unclear in this regard.

Your comment about fiddling with the ABS sensor wiring: it is downright dangerous to NOT have cancellable TCS. Many have found, on this car, and on the original 2011 Fiesta, that they are effectively stranded in an intersection, on glare ice, in circumstances where a vehicle is bearing down on them. They get zero response from the engine under these extreme circumstances. It's called "being a sitting duck". No one wants to disable ABS -- but in my opinion, it is warranted under these extreme conditions. As I posted, the suggestion is to momentarily switch off the systems -- and then once mobile, again, immediately reactivate the systems (which takes about 20 seconds of re-boot time).

I should also mention that at no time did I suggest removal of the fuse. The only semi-safe way to do this, is to equip the car with a dashboard mounted switch -- better yet, with a next-start reset relay arrangement -- but obviously to immediately, then, switch the systems back on.

The fact that you have to cycle thru a bunch of menu steps to access the "TCS off" function -- on the SE, SEL, and Titanium, is also an inane design idea! The car needs a dashboard switch, as this function is a main driving control!

 

The S model does not have a menu of any sort except for the radio. So far, not being able to switch off the Trak has not been an issue but I haven't had the car in any bad snow conditions yet.

 

Beware when you do, I found out the hard way that the speed you'll be going when TCS detects no traction at either front wheel is idle speed. Pretty sad to see going up a hill.

 

^^ Thats what I was afraid of. ^^ You will need to spin some to get up hills covered in snow.

 

I guess what we need now is how to wire a switch in the S model (and the other models). What wire to splice a switch into, etc.

 

I will revisit a 2013 model year thread and put down that a traction/stability control defeat needs to be included!

 

Exactly! And we need to modify the 2012 model.
I looked in the manual to locate the fuse for the traction control only to find that there is not one dedicated for it. Location for the ABS feed is F 19 under the hood. I pulled the 5 amp fuse and started the car. The traction light was on along with the ABS and brake light. Which is what I had expected. I don't know which wire I would need to cut for the installation of my own on- off switch. But in a pinch if I was stuck on a hill or ice. I could pull the fuse and reinstall it to get the ABS back.
I thought I could make a set of wires that plug into the fuse location, with an inline fuse holder. Then install the switch inside the car. That way I don't have to cut into any wires, which would make it easier to revert back to stock.
I have not tried to drive the car with this fuse pulled yet.

 

Traction control is important!!

 

Yes it is, but I also need the option to turn it off.

 

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.

 

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

 

I know this is late, but, I was in this stupid situation... [rant]

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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).

 

I hate traction control

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.

 

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...

 

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...