Traction control won't turn on.

[PolloLoco]

I have a convertible '99 mustang gt. 17inch rims. I've checked the tires and they seem fine, but twice on rainy days I have now spun out. I am a fairly conversative driver especially during the rain after the first spinout.

First time I had just recently gotten the vehicle so I did not notice before, but after I noticed the first time I spun out and hit a wall the traction control off light is constantly on. I cannot say if this problem occurred before or after the accident.

2 days ago I spun out again and nearly hit oncoming traffic head first on the freeway. Needless to say I am definetly going to get the car looked at. Any ideas on specifically what I should have looked at?

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The ABS sensors need to be tested, also the ABS rings need to be inspected for damage. Did you try resetting your PCM?

 

[SilverGTV8]

U = Learn how to drive

I drive with TCS off all the time in the rain and today it's snowing and have NEVER spun out.

But anyways. It sounds like the the TCS is overriden in the PCM. Does the car have a tune? Does the car have a chip? Are you the 1st owner?


If you bought it used the car may have gotten a tune and had the TCS overridden.

You could have the dealership reflash the PCM if everything else checks out.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Oh yeah! That's a good point, TC could be shut off by custom tune

And no matter how good a driver you are if you do one of these two things you will crash:
-fail to respect the rear wheel drive
-screw up the suspension geometry by lowering improperly

 

[Mike97gt]

if you have a ABS fault the traction control will be inop, is your abs light on?

and yeah you really need to learn how to drive, I drove my mustang once 34 miles from my shop to my house on bald summer only's with 4 inches of snow on the highway without traction control on and made it home.

in the rain I have never had ny problem driving without the traction control on.

 

[40oz]

+1 to "learn to drive." If your tires really are "fine," you need to find a wide, empty gravel road, and practice getting the car out of shape and bringing it back. There is no excuse for "spinning out and hitting a wall" other than you were doing something dumb or going way too fast, or both. I'm not attacking you, because we all had to learn how to drive at some point. But you seem to think the problem is the car and not you. For crying out loud, take your foot of the gas when the back loses traction like that. And learn how to control it when it slips out. It isn't hard, it just takes a bit of practice.

 

[HoustonGT]

Weird, do you even have a traction control button? I used to have a 99GT and now have a 2000 GT and neither had TC and the light never flashed no matter what. Alot of the guys on here prolly wish they did'nt have traction so they wouldnt have to hit the button everytime they get in

 

[PolloLoco]

Yes I am not the original owner and yes the ABS light is constantly on. The person I purchased the car from was not the original owner as well, so he may not have been aware of any tunes either.

 

[03ghoststang]

Weird, do you even have a traction control button? I used to have a 99GT and now have a 2000 GT and neither had TC and the light never flashed no matter what. Alot of the guys on here prolly wish they did'nt have traction so they wouldnt have to hit the button everytime they get in

yup i use to hate pushing the button noe that i have the tuner i shut it off........+1 on the learn to drive thingy. Check the wheel speed sensors or your abs system

 

[Mike97gt]

Yes I am not the original owner and yes the ABS light is constantly on. The person I purchased the car from was not the original owner as well, so he may not have been aware of any tunes either.

well the abs light being on means you have a abs fault, go have the codes pulled for the abs and get back to us.

your traction control will not work untill you fix the abs

 

[03ghoststang]

well the abs light being on means you have a abs fault, go have the codes pulled for the abs and get back to us.

your traction control will not work untill you fix the abs

i agree with that you have a fault in the system

 

[hotrodnut]

Are you talking about the traction control button light being on all the time or the warning light in the instrument panel?

Where do you live? There are some good vehicle control schools with "skid pads" that will help you get aquainted with the way a rear drive car likes to outrun its front tires. Road Atlanta and Sebring have them here on the east coast.