I understand that it is possible to get your Prius out of a ditch by turning off traction control. But I have never done this before and have never been in this situation before. My Prius slipped down the up slope of a wet dirt driveway covered with wet leaves and 1/2 of it went off the road and got stuck on the slope on the side. The ground in this area is all wet because it has been raining. Initially, I tried to get out of the situation by accelerating, but the Prius would not move and I could smell rubber burning. I have now learned that this is probably because of the traction control system being engaged. Is there a chance that I can get my the right side of my car out of the ditch area on the side of the road and back up on the road again if I turn off traction control? Is there any risk of damaging internal components of the Prius if I do this? having never been in a situation before, I am trying to figure out if this is worth a try, or it is too risky, and I should just call a winching service
I would avoid doing that, consider traction mats at the drive wheel(s), or get a tow. There's no button on the dash for it; it's a special mode, explained in the Repair Manual, for shop tests, not for day-to-day use.
You could try wheel traction mats, however I don't know how well they work on a Prius... (edit - Mendel beat me to it!)
The "Traction Control" in a Prius is misnamed. It is there to protect the drivetrain from sudden high torque situations (a spinning wheel that suddenly gains traction). That is why my current Prius is an AWDe model so that there are always at least two wheels that get some torque and it is less likely to get stuck. JeffD
As someone who watches lots of auto rescue celebrities on Youtube, most of them turn traction control off as soon as they get in the vehicle and start it up. And I'm always hesistant to do that because damage can be done. But if you call a tow truck because you're stuck, don't be suprised if its the first thing they do.
They show up in a tow truck, maybe they'll try towing? There's no button on the dash; it's a complicated chicken-dance procedure. Do you think they'll know it? Also, if I was in their shoes, I'd be loath to risk it, for liability reasons.
