TC on ice

[russianfrog]

I need a buddy's advice:

I parked today on the side of the road, after a good pile of fresh snow fell. The street had been cleaned more or less and the snow was pushed on the side. There was not too much snow, maybe 20cm max.

When coming out, the car was stuck. The right wheels were skidding in a little ice dip. The TC was on while I tried to manoeuvre, the car moved a bit but not enough to get out.

I did not want to make the embarassment last too long (a Def stuck in town! ) so I got out, took my spade and in 5 seconds freed the wheels. The car went out without problem.

Now, here is the question: While standing, my wife noticed that the back wheels were not really spinning. What happened? Is it the TC? Should I pressed the gas to get any grab? Or, should I plugged directly the Diff-Lock?

What is your opinion?

[LandyManLuke]

four wheel drive isn't four wheel drive if one wheel looses traction.

With a standard landrover, and an open centre diff, losing grip at one wheel will stop you moving.

If you lock the centre diff, you still need traction on both wheels of one axle. if you lose traction on one wheel of each axle you will be stuck again.

[BogMonster]

The traction control requires a few revs to really work properly - I can crossaxle my Discovery in low 1st at idle and a wheel will spin slowly in mid air without the ETC engaging at all! A bit of throttle and it wakes up and locks the spinning wheel. One of the reasons why ETC is vastly inferior to proper difflocks IMHO.

[101sean]

I was out last weekend with the Hillbillys in the hills above Kilaloe in Co Clare. My difflock wouldn't engage so I relied on ETC which got me everywhere until the last track where I went off line and fell in a bog. Took an hour and three winches to get me out. Untill that point, ETC and road tyres had got me everywhere those with MTs and difflocks had gone.

Before I go out again with them I'll be fitting better tyres and replacing the silly little nylon washers that are missing out of the wobbly levers that operate the difflock or I'll get some serious stick!

A lot of DIIs didn't have difflock and totally relied on ETC, it's very capable but can get you in deeper than you expect! During my recovery it was working so hard it stalled the engine twice.

[alantd]

russianfrog,

When you say "the traction control was on" do you mean that you hadn't dissabled it or that it was firing? Was the light coming on?

The correct proceedure with TC is to increase the revs. It works by sensing the different rotational speeds of the wheels and apply the brakes to the one that is moving fastest. The faster it spins, the more brakes applied. If that wheel has no grip - give it some gas

You may find that you would have been fine without the TC if you had engaged diff-lock. It sounds like your back wheels had traction. As LandyManLuke says, however, if you lose traction in one wheel of each axel, you won't go anywhere (search for "differential" if you need more info on how they work). That's when the TC comes into its own.

I normally use my diff-lock first but there have been plenty of situations when I've benefited from TC as well.

[JST]

theres a thread on TC in the defender forum and how it works try that.

[JimAttrill]

A lot of DIIs didn't have difflock and totally relied on ETC, it's very capable but can get you in deeper than you expect! During my recovery it was working so hard it stalled the engine twice.

What we find here is that some poor DII non CDL owner finds himself in the poo, and then his ABS fails, which it is wont to do. Then he is back to one-wheel drive which doesn't get you very far when miles from nowhere. As most owners have no idea on how to even go about fixing ABS faults (and why should they), they discover that ETC is only as reliable as the ABS, which is not saying much.

[Top90]

Russianfrog, if you think traction is an issue lock the centre diff and give it enough power to get the wheels spinning. The spinning wheels will activate the Traction Control. If the revs are up, the TC light is on (and you should hear it working) and you are still not going anywhere it's time to try something else...

I took my 90 with TC trialling and even without the diff lock on it was going through slippery sections easier than standard LRs without TC and difflock on.

Having used it I am very impressed with it.

Richard

[BogMonster]

What we find here is that some poor DII non CDL owner finds himself in the poo, and then his ABS fails, which it is wont to do. Then he is back to one-wheel drive which doesn't get you very far when miles from nowhere. As most owners have no idea on how to even go about fixing ABS faults (and why should they), they discover that ETC is only as reliable as the ABS, which is not saying much.

Yeah that is pretty much what I found... wait in fear for the Three Bongs to arrive

I know somebody who blew the top out of their D2 ABS modulator and the general thought was it happened because it was working flat out all the time (the vehicle lived off road).

[jacks906]

Russianfrog, if you think traction is an issue lock the centre diff and give it enough power to get the wheels spinning. The spinning wheels will activate the Traction Control.

if that fails the wheels spinning will met the ice an you'll be out anyway

after going to resue a mate the other week and couldnt pull him out of a ditch because there was to much ice i got a plastic bag and filled it with road salt chucked sum under the wheels an got loadsa traction an out he popped

dave