The whole system that allows your car to run properly is composed of various functionalities.
Your car’s dashboard lights contain different signals in the form of lights to help you know when there’s a problem with any of the systems.
Another essential feature is the traction control (TC) feature, and you may be saying to yourself, “What does TC mean on a car and how does it do this?”
Information just for that has been provided in this article so that you can understand what TC means on a car and how the system operates for your safety.
What Does TC Mean on A Car, and How Does It Work?
TC is short for Traction Control, found under the abbreviation title, and it is the system that helps your car to accelerate and does not allow your wheels to spin/slip when you are on a slippery surface.
Traction control is a part of the car’s active safety system related to the car’s acceleration process. The traction control system allows drivers to enjoy a smooth ride with effective acceleration and stability, especially during inclement weather, for example in the rain. This is a different information for the person wanting to know, “What does TCS mean for food?”
Traction control picks up information from the wheel speed sensors indicating the vehicle is slipping, as one of the driven wheels is spinning faster than any of the other wheels in the set (i.e. on the same axle).
When the system detects that a wheel however, TC engages utilizing the ABS control processor to apply the brakes to that wheel to slow it down, creating traction, and releasing the processed brake on that wheel to continue the accelerative process.
In some situations, the ECU also aides in reducing the engine torque at the same time while the ABS engages the brake. And since you’re wondering “What does TC with a slash through it mean?” it is just a way of writing TC and the meaning is the same.
You may be under a circumstance where the traction control light illuminated on the dashboard display.
This means that there is some defect with the system. Whenever you do see the TC light illuminated or illuminated, you will want to find out what the problem is immediately, to prevent an impending problem, for example a possible accident.
So for those wondering “What does TC mean on a Camaro?” the information stated above could apply.
What Can Cause The Traction Light To Come On?
When you turn your car engine ON, the traction control light and some other lights on your dashboard will turn ON and then turn OFF after a few seconds. This is a normal experience that is reassuring that they are there, and that they are working correctly.
However, the traction control light might come ON and stay ON until you do something about it. In this situation, here are some reasons that might be causing your car’s traction control symbol to show.
#1. Bad road conditions.
If you are driving on a road with bad road conditions that don’t allow the tires of your vehicle enough friction to accelerate properly, the traction control will not work properly and as a result, the light can pop ON.
A classic example of bad road conditions is a snowy or icy road during winter. Your car’s traction control might be fine as it can switch off after that, however, if it still doesn’t switch OFF to signal a problem, you need to show your car to the local car mechanic to check it out.
#2. Bad wheel speed sensors.
The wheel speed sensors are used to detect how fast the wheels of your car are turning while you drive. The wheel speed sensors are connected to the engines control unit of your vehicle and to the traction control system.
If the wheel speed sensors go bad, then the sensor will not be able to send a signal to the traction control system. As a result, the traction control light will pop ON. If you find that your wheel speed sensor is faulty, you will have to replace it.
#3. Faulty Steering angle sensors.
The steering angle sensor determines the angle of your car’s steering wheel and how quickly you turn it while driving. The sensor is located in your steering column to provide accuracy in the information it sends as signals.
If the steering angle sensor is bad, your traction control light will come on because it works with the stability control system to understand the driver’s intended direction while driving.
If you are asking, “Why do I have the traction control light ON?,” the failures explained above are the main reasons your car has the traction control light ON. The next paragraphs will describe how to get out of the situation.
Can you drive with the traction control light on?
The traction control light being on indicates that the traction control system is working, which is good. However, you should never drive with your car’s traction control light on. It indicates your car’s traction control has been disabled, and in some cases, it means your ABS has also been disabled.
The traction control light indicates you are not receiving assistance from the traction control system to ensure one wheel doesn’t spin faster than the other wheels.
So, when your vehicle is losing traction control, you will have tire slippage. You will need to do a good, old-fashioned job of lifting off the gas to control the tire slippage.
If your car’s traction light is illuminated, don’t ride around with it on because you are sitting on a time bomb. You need to have it seen and fixed by an auto mechanic first.
How can I fix the TC on my car?
If you notice that your vehicle’s traction control light suddenly turns ON, don’t worry! Park your car right away. Then switch your car’s engine OFF, let it sit for a few seconds, and restart your engine.
If the light turned ON by some fluke within the traction control system, it should turn OFF when you switch your car’s engine OFF and restart the engine.
If after turning your engine OFF, you wait a period of time to restart the engine, and the traction control light is still ON, then you should try to see some sort of tech or mechanic to do a proper diagnosis of what might be wrong with any of the components of your vehicle that have something to do with the traction control system.
Once a proper diagnosis is achieved then you can fix the issue. The tech or mechanic may find some of the issues are something like; bad steering angle sensor, bad traction control switch, bad wheel speed sensors, withdrawal issue, faulty wiring, etc.
Replace any and all bad components once found. Once you discover the component is the issue it is best to fix that component as soon as possible so you do not cause the related components or system further damage. The second or first option above is the to fixing the TC light on a car.
How much does it cost to fix a traction control system?
The cost for replacement of the traction control switch is around $100 to $125. Parts cost about $50 to $75 and the labor is about $50 to $75.
It’s not going to cost a fortune to fix your traction control in your car if you happen to discover it is bad. Instead of dealing with a bad traction control system and possibly losing control in an imminent accident, you should take a moment to have a technician fix the problem.
FAQs.
Q: Is it OK to drive without traction control?
It depends on the circumstances of driving. If you’re having difficulty getting your car to move efficiently due to a slippery road from snowfall or a similar incident, then you’d want to turn off traction control.
For all other circumstances, the traction control system in your car should be on for safety while driving.
Q: What does the traction control light look like?
The traction control light resembles a rear-end of a car with curvy, screwy lines behind it. This light indicates that your car’s traction is faulty, and, as a result, one or multiple tires on your car are losing traction which could result in unnecessary swerving while you are driving.
If you discover that your auto mechanics traction control light is on, try to please take your auto to an auto mechanic on a timely manner to fix the problem.
Q: When should you not use traction control?
You should not use traction control if your car is stuck in sand or snow.
Since traction control is designed to lessen and even reduce power to the wheels while you drive to ensure that there is no slippage, you want to overall turn traction control off, to get out of the snow or sand and use a “rocking” strategy.
This involves reversing a little and then going forward a little. If you do this back and forth a few minutes to hopefully get out of the snow or sand.
Q: Should I turn off traction control in the rain?
You should not turn off the traction control system while driving the rain because you could be losing approximately one-third of your traction otherwise.
The best option for driving in the rain is to slow down to the point that you will have enough time to control the wheel in the event of slippage, but do not do both, do not turn your car’s traction control completely off while driving in the rain.
Q: Is it better to drive with traction control on or off in the snow?
If your car is stuck in the snow, the best thing to do is turn off traction control because traction control limits wheel spin. However, wheel spin can sometimes be the best way to get the car out when it is stuck in the snow.
The turning off the traction control system allows your car’s tires to gain more power (force) to help get you out of the situation.
Final Words
The traction control (TC) system has been exposed a lot of information on what it does and how does the traction control system works. If you have been thinking of “What does TC mean on a car,” then, you probably have seen some reasons why your traction control light can come ON, when you do not expect it to.
You will want to try and avoid situations that can affect your cars traction control under various situations when driving such as driving on a bad road, etc.
However, you may not be able to fully avoid some situations that will impact the cars traction control system. If you discover your traction control light is ON in car, you will kindly follow the follow the solution provided in this article to solve the issue.