Disabling traction control

You're screwed.

 

Sand, chains, better tires, or another vehicle for winter.

With the Gen II Prius you can turn off traction control by doing a crazy dance with the controls. It's not meant to be a user selectable mode, but it can be done. The Prius v may also have some similar mode.

Be careful driving a Prius without traction control. It's there to keep you from doing expensive damage to the HSD.

Tom

 

No, it's easy... I have had to do it for the same reason (to get the danged car up a hill one snowy day!):

These steps must be completed within 60 seconds.

Step 1: Set the ignition switch to ON, not READY. To do this press the power button two times, without pressing the brake pedal.

Step 2: While the transmission is still in park (P), fully press the gas pedal two times.

Step 3: Apply the parking brake to ensure that the vehicle will not move during this step. Put the transmission in neutral (N) and fully press the gas pedal two times.

Step 4: Put the transmission back in park (P) and fully press the gas pedal two times. The car will display “!Car!” in the upper left corner of the LCD screen.

Step 5: Press the brake pedal and turn the ignition switch to the start position, without going back to the ready position, to start the engine.

If these steps are followed correctly, the vehicle will start with the traction control system defeated.

 

These steps are no longer work on Prius v (lowercae v), you can not shift to N without "Ready" mode.

 

Looks like "T" is messing with us!

 

Sure you can.
IG on/RDY off, just depress and hold brakepedal, then move shifter to N for a couple of seconds.

Sincerly
Certified Toyota Mechanic from Denmark

 

Exactly what does this mean:

Step 5: Press the brake pedal and turn the ignition switch to the start position, without going back to the ready position, to start the engine.

What's the "ignition switch"?​

 

I have a Canadian model and I tried this procedure, it worked (I think).

The vehicle when started displayed the following icons:
- (on the right) Hybrid System Warning Light (warning buzzer) - indicates a malfunction on the hybrid system.
- (on the left) Slip Indicator Light (stayed ON). Indicates a malfunction in: VSC; TRAC; or Hill-start assist control.
I would not advice to drive in this mode but I run into a situation (stacked in a deeper snow) where this procedure would be useful.
Correct me anybody if I'm wrong.

 

Yes, you describe what I remember happening when I performed the procedure. I did not test by spinning wheels and nobody should risk transaxle damage for a test.

I didn't know what to make of the ignition switch and ready position (I have Ready light but no Ready position) reference either. It works if you read the intent and push the start botton while pressing brake to get into ready mode.

 

AH! Ok, thanks.

But why would spinning wheels create transaxle damage? Isn't the purpose of getting out of traction control to spin the wheels?

 

The revs on the transaxle and electric motors can get very high very fast without the traction control to maintain normal operating parameters. Those high revs can shorten component life spans even if there is no damage noticeable initially, or they can get you out of a slippery situation with no consequences.

Do you feel lucky?

 

As you can see, users are not supposed to defeat traction control, that is why it is not in the manual, and is ridiculously complicated, they hope you never use it to spin the wheels. The mode is there for mechanics, who may need to defeat Traction Control during repairs.

Do not expect warranty service if you defeat the Traction Control and break the $5000 transaxle. (I am guessing there is a 0% chance that it is not logged in memory)

 

I have a 2013 Prius v5 with a smart key, here are my instructions to turn off traction, which is slightly different from the above instructions since there is no ignition to turn. I've tried this several times and it works!

1. With car off, set your parking brake.
2. Without stepping on the brake, press the power button twice. Make sure P button is lit after car powers up.
3. Press the gas pedal all the way to the floor twice.
4. Step on the brake and while pressing, shift gear to N. (Look at panel indicator to confirm that it shifted to N)
5. Press gas pedal to floor twice.
5. Press P button, then press gas to floor twice. At this point you'll see orange traction control icon start to flash on the right upper corner of the panel display.
6. While pressing brake, push power button to start car. Orange traction icon will remain flashing.

Easy way to remember the steps above is: P 2x gas, N 2x gas, P 2x gas.

 

thanks!

 

Tested these steps from iibw and drh20s above on my 2012 on a small patch of ice on my driveway. This definitely helps you out if both drive wheels are on a slippery surface and you have decent tires - the car doesn't just whine at you making electronic nanny noises. The only differences I'd note in the instructions are that my car didn't flash the orange TC icon (it stayed on), and the right side of that screen went into "Maintenance Mode." I don't plan on driving this way as a matter of habit - the TC is probably very helpful 95% of the time - but the next time I get stuck in my parents driveway I at least have a fighting chance. Thanks a lot!

 

Thanks for this much more detailed instructions. I would suggest adding a step 7, "Unset the parking brake, by pressing the parking brake a second time". I had never before used the parking brake on my Prius. I spent five minutes looking for the brake release lever that does not exist.

I bought my 2013 Prius v on Saturday, and got some wet snow here in Philly on Tuesday. Snow in Philly in mid march is unusual. On Tuesday, I was parked on my almost flat driveway in only 4 inches of wet snow. I could not move the car more than a few inches, before I got really stuck! Four inches of snow means I was not bottoming out. This is totally ridiculous.

I shoveled a several foot long clear spot in front of both wheels, and I got enough momentum to move forward. Knowing how to disable the traction control would made a big difference. At least I hadn't parked on the street, or I would have been forced to call a tow truck.

Note: Any transmission can be fried by spinning the wheels too fast. The trick is to rock the car gently, and only let the wheels spin a little.

 

This has nothing to do with a transmission. High current motors and inverter will fry instantly if over-speeded. In a pretty spectacular way. Many thousands of dollars, enough to make a transmission look cheap.

 

It probably means that the tires suck, at least in winter conditions.

 

The Prius v pulls like a train in snow, if your tires and driving techniques are up to the task.