Has anyone set off the VSC?

[finman]

yes. standard on all 3rd gen HSD Prii ('04 and up). Not sure on the classic ('00-'03).

It eliminates excessive wheel spin when on a slick (ice, snow or even wet) or loose (gravel?) surface.

Basically cuts power that is spinning the wheels and allows the tire to try to catch traction at a slower speed.

Cheers,
Curt.

[rufaro]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(finman @ Jun 26 2006, 10:31 AM) [snapback]276877[/snapback]</div>

yes. standard on all 3rd gen HSD Prii ('04 and up). Not sure on the classic ('00-'03).

It eliminates excessive wheel spin when on a slick (ice, snow or even wet) or loose (gravel?) surface.

Basically cuts power that is spinning the wheels and allows the tire to try to catch traction at a slower speed.

Cheers,
Curt.
[/b]

So traction control will kick in before I suddenly need to try to figure out how those dang antilock brakes work, is the idea?

[TheForce]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Betelgeuse @ Jun 26 2006, 01:14 PM) [snapback]276867[/snapback]</div>

I'm pretty sure you're refering to the Traction Control and not the VSC. I've definately noticed my Traction Control coming on when I go over a big bump from time to time. As Evan said, the VSC is aparently quite noticiable when it comes on, since the car beeps at you.
[/b]

Well I have had both happen. Loss of power one time and beeping the other. I think it happend when I was pulling out on a gravel area and turning at the same time.

[DocVijay]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rufaro @ Jun 26 2006, 01:28 PM) [snapback]276874[/snapback]</div>

Next question...Do all '06s have traction control and what does it do?
[/b]

Traction Control - prevents you from spinning your tires under low grip conditions.

Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) - prevents you from spinning your car in low grip conditions.


THe TC works by limiting power on acceleration. It;s a basic system that monitors speed differnetial in the wheels. If one wheel starts to spin much faster than the others, it cuts power in order to get the wheel to slow. It keeps you from spinning your wheels in rain or snow.

The VSC system is much more complex, with all kinds of sensors that monitor what a car is doing and compares it to what it should be doing. It can cut power and apply brakes in varying degrees to any of the wheels that need it in order to prevent the car from loosing control. It keeps the car going in a line and from going into a spin. This is the technology the IIHS said could save 10,000 lives each year if it became standard on all cars.




Most people have experienced the TC system. It is a fairly aggressive system, and quickly cuts power when the slightest amount of wheels spin is detected.

THe VSC is much harder to have activate, as it takes a situation where you would pretty much loose control of the car. I've never experienced it, and was wondering what it was like and what indications it gave. Now I know, three beeps and light the icon.

Thanks everyone for your input. THe VSC is not something I really WANT to expereince in my daily driving. I push limits, but not to where they are dangerous. I was more curious in that I'd like to tak emy Prius autocrossing, and was wondering what might happen there. That is a "safe" situation where activating the system would be OK (and likely!).

[Tideland Prius]

I've never had VSC come on under normal driving. It only comes on when I intentionally do something to activate it (e.g. purposefully yanking the steering wheel hard in snowy conditions to induce understeer). I find that if you can learn how it works (and reacts), you can take better advantage of it. If not, you'll try to outsmart the VSC and VSC just reacts to what you do and you'll end up crashing like some fellow here that complained VSC make him crash into a snowbank and claimed he'd be better off without VSC.

After much discussion, he agreed to learn and feel how VSC works.

[wilco]

I've set the VSC off a few times on wet pavement.

There's a cloverleaf overpass near where I work. If you take it fast, when wet, the VSC will sometimes activate as you cross the expansion joints in the concrete.

There is a railway track crossing near where I used to live that was about a hundred feet from a traffic light. When braking across the tracks on a wet day the VSC would momentarily activate, and when accelerating across the tracks (going the other direction) the TC would activate.

[nmrickie]

I set off the VSC a few months ago in the snow. I was driving (I thought) slowly through an "s" curve, and as I exited the first curve the rear of the car started fishtailing. Instead of the quick fishtailing I had experienced in my Camry, this time the rear-end drifted slowly towards the left, over-corrected itself and then drifted toward the right. The VSC was beeping like crazy the whole time. At one point I was in the other lane, and after correcting itself I almost left the roadway to the right.

I could definitely feel the VSC kicking in, and it probably made the difference between temporarily losing control and totally losing control. I learned two lessons: 1) get better tires before next winter, and 2) VSC helps, but it's not foolproof. Next time I'll drive a lot slower.

[Presto]

I think when VSC starts to beep, it means it's not able to do it's job. When VSC kicks in you won't really get an indicator. Extensive gravel driving gave me some better insight. I've noticed that taking sharp curves with wet roads tends to kick in the VSC. I can feel the car start to understeer, and VSC will take care of it... no beeps. I've gotten VSC to beep at me last week when I tried a hard turn on a wet road and it wasn't able to correct.

[jburns]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Jun 26 2006, 01:44 PM) [snapback]276889[/snapback]</div>

Traction Control - prevents you from spinning your tires under low grip conditions.

THe TC works by limiting power on acceleration. It;s a basic system that monitors speed differnetial in the wheels. If one wheel starts to spin much faster than the others, it cuts power in order to get the wheel to slow. It keeps you from spinning your wheels in rain or snow.

[/b]

I wish you could turn it off. IMO the way it is implemented it is not safe. I hit a bit of gravel as I was pulling off from a stop to cross over the the other side of a heavily traveled four lane road. I reached the death defying speed of about two miles per hour and it cut power leaving me across two lanes of oncoming traffic for a second or two. Not good IMO.

[Salsawonder]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Betelgeuse @ Jun 26 2006, 10:14 AM) [snapback]276867[/snapback]</div>

As Evan said, the VSC is aparently quite noticiable when it comes on, since the car beeps at you.
[/b]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Jun 26 2006, 12:11 PM) [snapback]276939[/snapback]</div>

I think when VSC starts to beep, it means it's not able to do it's job. When VSC kicks in you won't really get an indicator. Extensive gravel driving gave me some better insight. I've noticed that taking sharp curves with wet roads tends to kick in the VSC. I can feel the car start to understeer, and VSC will take care of it... no beeps. I've gotten VSC to beep at me last week when I tried a hard turn on a wet road and it wasn't able to correct.
[/b]

So which is it? Beep or no beep? The lights flash so quickly I am never sure. Potholes and such irregularities do set off the Traction Control. Even that feels weird, and it's over with before I can even adjust.