Low trac

[Seal]

its raining like crazy here, and my car almost lost all its control, when that low trac light came on, and went off... what exactly is it? is it like ASC (Anti Skid Control) like BMWs and Mercedes? cuz it never goes on when i floor it, and wheels spin sometimes, i saw it going on for the 1st time (and i thought only 99+ had this, i have a 98)

[Ryan97Firebird]

Yeah mine does that too when the front brakes lock up and it skids. Like if I hit the brakes hard in the sand or rain. I think it only has to do with the front wheels locking up.

[Seal]

i wasnt hitting the brakes though, i got my right side of the car in a water puddle, and the car steerd into it, and low trac light came on...

[Seppo Kaitainen]

Do you have traction control? If so the light comes on when the cpu has to correct for different wheel spin. Thats what the light means in my TA.

If not then it must be the anti-lock brakes "failing" under low traction conditions.

[Seal]

i dont know if my car has trac. control, cuz i bought it used... and if abs failed, wouldnt abs inop light come on instead?

[bu-bye]

the light comes one when your front tires arn't stuck to the road as they should be. The computer does nothing on our cars to help when this happens. They might as well changed the light to say "You're Fu*ked". The light does nothing but state the obvious. Cars with Trac Control is a different story. The computer limits the power to the driving wheels and uses the brakes on different wheels to help control the car. IMO I think its for people who can't drive. Most "Real Driver" turn it off if it came with their car. I know I would not want a computer telling me when to brake and not let me give it gas. Thats like Drivers Ed all over again.

[Brian Dieckman]

I'm not sure that's entirely accurate.

My Low Trac light comes on when my anti-lock brakes activate. Yours probably came on because the sensor at the brakes got wet and shorted that sensor. (Not that the sensor is ruined, just that it was activated when it got wet)

Check that connector over really well. You don't want your ABS to go out, the car breaks like crap when that happens.

-Brian

[gregmondro]

i've seen it happen before (but on the highway going about 70 while it was raining). It was in the '96 Monte Carlo we had. Don't know if the car was slipping or anything, but it didn't seem like it (fwd car btw).

so i'm not sure either.

[Seal]

himmm

[gregmondro]

i'm not saying the front of the car couldn't have been slipping (i only drive rwd cars mostly with the exception of the Grand Prix every once in a very long time). Although, i do think it has something to do with the front tires slipping (but i'm not sure how it works on Camaros since they are rwd).

[bu-bye]

Oh OK. After re-reading the first post I get it now. My Low Trac light comes on only when I hit my brakes which is what I though you did when yours came on. If its coming on when you are not touching the brakes then there is something wrong and you should look into it ASAP. Like Brian said, you don't want your ABS to crap out on you

[SuprSpdDB7]

actually... what most of u said is true... but the LOW TRACTION light is nothing more than a light that tells you when your front tires do not have traction with the ground. this will happen when u slam on your brakes and your front tires might skip (skid) especially in water... BUT try going over something like a railroad tracks /-\ something like that and if you fly over it the low traction light will come on too... it will come on WHENEVER your front tires don't have traction with the ground... PERIOD>

but, like someone said if it comes on for no reason i would definitely get something checked out. not necessarily the ABS, but that could be a start...

[fbody4life]

sometimes my low trac light comes on when i'm driving at 5 mph. It happens on dry days with 100% traction. It usually happens when i come to a stop sign and i hit the brakes. When I brake I go about halfway then I depress it all the way down. Sometimes when I all the way down the low trac light will come on. When this happens my car will continue to travel for a few feet, then I will hear a clicking noise and magically the brakes return and I stop. It's actually kinda of scary and I have no idea what it causing it. It feels like it could be the abs computer or one of the sensoers sending bad info. There should no reason for the abs to kick in under these conditions. I have never gotten a abs inop light so I'm sure what the problem is.

[Seal]

well, mine doesnt come on out of nowhere, it just came on today when my car lost control...

ok ok, lemme go get my manual, it says what it is there...

[Seal]

here we go:

"When your anti-lock system is adjusting brake pressure to help avoid a braking skid, this light will come on.

If you have the ASR system, this light will also come on when the sstem is limited wheel spin. You ma6y feel or hear the system working, but this is normal. Slippery road condition may exist if the low traction ligth comes on, so adjst your driving accordingly. The light will stay on for a few seconds after the ASR system stops limiteing wheel spin. the low traction light also comines on briefly when u turn the ignition key to run. if the light dosnt come on then, have it fixed so it will be there to tell you when the anti-lock brake system or ASR system is active"

so I have ASR i guess, but mine is smart, it doesnt stop me from doing burnouts, only when my gets in the water, and looses control. what a smart car i have [img]smile.gif[/img]