Traction Control On Or Off In The Ice/snow?

[JRO09GMC]

I have a 2009 GMC 2WD Z71 5.3 6-speed. I live in Florida and am driving the truck to Colorado for a snow skiing vacation. My gut tells me to leave the TC on, but wanted the opinion of you guys who drive in the Ice/Snow regularly.

 

I know it's not a real truck without 4WD, but the wife won't take the regular cab 4x4 on a road trip.

[RyanbabZ71]

Been driving in snow and ice since Mid January. I havent touched the TC button once in either the truck (4wd) or Tahoe (2wd)

[JRO09GMC]

Thanks Ryan. That's what I was thinking. I'll post an update of how the truck does/ how I do in the Ice/snow when I get home. Also, anyone near sw colorado watch out for some FL plates!

[kdrchuck]

Thanks Ryan. That's what I was thinking. I'll post an update of how the truck does/ how I do in the Ice/snow when I get home. Also, anyone near sw colorado watch out for some FL plates!

 

I've been driving this truck in slick stuff for the past few months (never had any TC before) and i would suggest leaving it on unless you are stuck (as the manual suggests). Some situations i turn mine off (this is in 4x4, i don't think i have ever turned mine off in 2wd): Climbing steep slick slopes, Pulling into traffic (but you should leave yourself plenty of room either way), Backing, Deep snow or slush that "pulls" the truck.

 

Good luck on your trip and enjoy!

[temmert1]

If you are not experienced in driving in snow I would leave it on. I have lived in Pa all my life so Im used to the slop......Anyway TC and stabilitrac actually impress me as to how well they work. Im you start to slid it kicks in and straightens the truck out.......

 

I actually turn it off if I want to play!!!!!!!

[GPGuy]

Same here. Unless I'm in really deep snow or get stuck I just leave it on. Lived up here in the great white north all my life too. Have fun on your trip

[wurgs]

Agree 100% with Trey. Keep it on if not experienced with the white stuff, just might save your behind if you loose traction on the highway. I personally always turn it off, nothing worse than hitting the gas while pulling into traffic and having the tc keep you from accelerating.

[oldmann]

What Trey said!

[wurgs]

Holy Crap! Tried to back up my driveway tonight after 4 inches of snow and the traction control kicked in and stopped me. My truck would not move. Turned it off and backed right up it with just a little wheel spin. What a joke, love stability control but traction control sucks!

[07SierraMAX]

The only time i have shut it off, is when i got stuck in some soft/muddy grass(I have a 2WD) and traction control came on and stopped me from moving (i guess there was wheel spin) so i shut it off and pulled right out of it.

[GPGuy]

Traction Control is great under certain conditions to keep your vehicle straight but other times like snow not so much.

[Stevens03]

Traction Control is great under certain conditions to keep your vehicle straight but other times like snow not so much.

 

Agreed.

 

I've found in any kind of snow, I turn it off., but I can tell you I've had my heart in my throat once while driving that the stability control saved my butt. Slight bend in the road driving 60mph., I hit black ice and started to slide. The Stability track straightened me out and kept me from hitting the guard rails. It works.

[flatlander]

For highway driving I would leave the thing engaged. Am just learning as I've only had the 2011 for a couple of weeks but am finding that for driving in snow more than say a couple of inches and at lower speeds it is better to push the button and turn the traction control off. My first experience was when I tried to blast through a stretch of snow about 10 inches deep and having the traction control kick in and almost stop me just when I needed to go faster, have more throttle.

 

My second bad experience with the traction control (4 wheel drive engaged) in a parking lot with 6 inches of wet snow was that I got stuck after I had stopped and the 4 wheel drive would not engage even though I had the selector in the 4W-High postion. I punched the traction control button to shut it off, the front wheels engaged, and I idled out there. There was no reason that I should have gotten stuck other than the traction control working against me.

[whoudi]

Any 900 Denali owners out there have an opinion on this? I have been browsing denalitrucks.com in order to gain some info on what I hope will be my next truck, a 900 denali. I have ran across a couple threads that have honestly had me thinking twice about the AWD system on those trucks. Clearly a 4WD truck should out-perform an AWD in the snow but I have heard some real horror stories about the electronically controlled limited slip front diff under the 900 denali. People getting COMPLETELY stuck in 6 inches of snow. I currently have an AWD 03 Silverado SS with the old-style mechanical viscous coupling AWD that is not controlled by stabili-track and traction-control (my truck has niether ) I have never had even the slightest bit of trouble in the snow clearly blowing through 2 feet of the white stuff without hesitation. I have read that the 900 AWD guys find if they get stuck, totally disabling the system can help keep the front wheels moving and in extreme cases feathering the brake in order to try to fool the system. I'm sorry but thats a bridge too far for me living in Michigan where our winters are not pretty. If I'm going to spending that much coin on a 900 denali I sure as hell do not want to be feathering the brake in order to "fool" my front wheels into moving in 6 inches of snow. Sorry for the hi-jack but I thought it might be relevant here.

[whoudi]

^ any thoughts on this denali guys? Anybody get stuck after another brutal winter season?