Here's a dumb one for you....
Is it possible to add traction control to an 06 Pontiac Vibe? Ours has ABS
and the auto trans, but we couldn't find one with TC when we bought it.
If you haven't guessed, we just had our first major snow storm. I am
appropriately embarassed to be asking now.
Any idea how much $?

gad wrote:
A set of snow tires and steel wheels will be cheaper, and offer more
benefit to you.

good luck,

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

"Nate Nagel" <njnagel (AT) flycast (DOT) net> wrote

Agreed. It would undoubtedly cost a King's Ransom to put traction control
on that vehicle and it's of marginal value. Good tires are a must in snow
country. I use radial mud & snow tires year round and I'm certainly in snow
country. The biggest single thing a driver can do to improve drivability in
winter is to learn how to properly drive in winter conditions. Not trying
to be wise, but there is nothing in traction control, ABS, or any other
feature that will give any significant improvement over good driver skills.

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE (AT) alltel (DOT) net

If one thinks traction control will help in snow, it will not. TC is great
on wet roads but useless in snow. Both of my current cars, a FWD and a RWD
have TC standard but for the most part one needs to turn off the TC when
operating in deep snow. Why? As the wheels begin to lose traction the TC
cuts power to the engine and the vehicle simply bogs down. I would not
purchase TC if it were optional. As suggest put the money in winter tires
or snow tires.

mike


"Mike Marlow" <mmarlow (AT) alltel (DOT) net> wrote

I have TC on my 02 Impala, and I find that it does help in snow, actually.
When the wheels start to slip, the front end stays put and I don't need
much/any steering correction. The Vibe front end will wander almost
immediately, and you need to be on top of it all the time to maintain
course.

Granted, the Impala and Vibe are two different cars, weights, tires, etc.,
so there are no doubt other factors involved. I'll have to turn it off on
the Impala sometime and see if there's a difference.

Agreed that deep snow is another story entirely.

Thanks for the inputs.

"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2 (AT) mailcity (DOT) com> wrote

"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2 (AT) mailcity (DOT) com> wrote

That may be true in deep snow, but in light snow with a slick underlay, it
is a big help. I've lived in New England for 25 years and have not driven in
deep snow. They do such a good job plowing, it never builds up to deep.
When I pull out of my driveway, I have to turn left and go up a hill. If it
is at all slippery, the TC will kick in and I just keep moving along.

I also like the stability control. I've not had reason to use it "for
real", but fooling around in a slick parking lot, it certainly keeps the car
tracking. I made a full circle with a nice round arc with some power
applied. The same turn and same power with the ESC turned off, the car did
not readily go where I steered. Sure, slowing down on the exit ramp is the
proper way to drive, but if you find yourself going to fast, or if you have
to do a quick avoidance maneuver, it will help you keep your ass behind you.

"gad" <nospam (AT) spamless (DOT) com> wrote

The point was that proper driving practices will do the same thing and more
than TC will do. When your wheels slip, let off on the gas, or let
off/apply in sequence, in order to gain traction and momentum as well as
maintaining control. Likewise, so many of today's vehicles have tires that
are designed to look cool, but perform miserably. Good tires are a must -
not a fashion statement.

--

-Mike-
mmarlowREMOVE (AT) alltel (DOT) net

In article <b1bd1$45d59001$4528958e$25979 (AT) ALLTEL (DOT) NET>,
"Mike Marlow" <mmarlow (AT) alltel (DOT) net> wrote:


not the tire to have on snow, very dangerous to say nothing of how easy
it is to destroy the tire and/or rim on a pothole.