Check Traction Control?

Trixie

Moderator
Staff member
So on my way home today, all of a sudden, the car revs (not high, just slight surge), and then RPMs drop to what reads 0 although it doesn't feel like the car died, and I did still have power brakes. Pulled over to the side of the road, and while doing this got messages "Check Traction Control" and something about the Data Message not reading or somesuch thing.

Restart car, seems fine. Later, another surge in RPMs, with a slight drop, take foot off gas, Check Traction Control comes on again. Same thing a little later.

Anyone know what's going on or where to start looking?
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

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So on my way home today, all of a sudden, the car revs (not high, just slight surge), and then RPMs drop to what reads 0 although it doesn't feel like the car died, and I did still have power brakes. Pulled over to the side of the road, and while doing this got messages "Check Traction Control" and something about the Data Message not reading or somesuch thing.Restart car, seems fine. Later, another surge in RPMs, with a slight drop, take foot off gas, Check Traction Control comes on again. Same thing a little later.Anyone know what's going on or where to start looking?
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Just a guess...dirty or failing speed sensor?
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

Hi, Trixie!

First of all, a quick explanation:
Your traction control uses two methods to get your car back under control when (it thinks) it detects wheelspin:
1. It pulses the brakes on the rear wheel that (it thinks) is spinning faster than the other,
and,
2. If it cannot regain control that way, it will reduce engine torque by sending commands to the PCM through the OBDII network, ordering it to retard timing and reduce injector flow.

ABS/TC will use both methods at lower speeds, but at speeds above 40mph (I'm not 100% sure of that number, someone correct me if I'm wrong) it will avoid brake pulsing for safety reasons and use engine torque reduction only.

You're feeling that.

Why? Don't know yet, but here's a few options:

If the ABS/TC module decided a problem was severe enough to trigger the warning message, it SHOULD set a trouble code. You can retrieve it via the OBDII network at the DCL connector with a scan tool.

The problem is MOST LIKELY a mismatch between rear wheel speed signals. If the scan tool you use is capable of datalogging, you can go for a drive while reading all four wheel speed signals and see if one is (even slightly) different than the others.

If you don't have access to such a device, here's the by-guess-n-by-gosh method:

Re'n're your rear rotors and look very carefully for anything that may affect the rear sensors' ability to magnetically count the exciter rings' teeth correctly, ie., rust or metal flakes on the ring teeth or sensor magnets, cracked, chipped or missing teeth on the rings, and nicked and thus corroded wiring from the sensors. I've seen sensor wires come loose from their clips and brush ever so gently against the back lips of the rims, generating erroneous wheel speed signals.

Clean and correct anything you find, sacrifice a red chicken to the OBDII gods, hope for the best, and go for a drive!
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

Thanks Frankie! Hubby says he knows what you're talking about and will check it out this weekend. We don't have a scan tool.
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

Hubby and son went to test the car and tbe problem seems more extensive:

Error message stated "Gear Data Error"

All kind of problems, car not running on all cylinders, temperature not reading, and a few other things. I told them to take out the chip, disconnect the battery to reset the computer and see what happens.
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

Kinda sounds like a voltage issue, all kinds of goofy things happen when a battery or alternator decides it's "had enough".

Can you get the kid or hubby to measure ALT voltage?

Should be somewhere like 13.8-14.2 measured at the bolt sticking out of the top of the ALT.


I found something interesting when looking thru the SCT tuning software..

The voltage required to set the "check charging system" is something stupid low like 9.8 volts

The voltage to say charging system is "GOOD" is something stupid like 10.8 volts.

Which would explain why USUALLY the car will put up the "Check Charging System" message mere nanoseconds before the car just STOPS.

Just a thought from the FAR SIDE!
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

(ozzy osbourne voice)
shAAAROOON the *&%^()(*#$ alternator has crapped on the *^*()(#$)(%rug again!
(ends ozzy voice)
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

Hee hee.

OK, so Hubby checked the poor running first, and it appears to be at least one bad coil pack.

Could a bad coil pack cause weird electrical stuff, or should he still check out the back sensor thingies?
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

The EMF ("electrical noise") created by a malfunctioning coil or coilpack can do some truly frightening things to sophisticated electronic components. More importantly, it can interfere with the signals flashing back and forth between some or all of the modules and sensors in your OBDII network.

If you've got an obvious problem, deal with it first.

If someone gets rushed into ER with a leg cut off in an accident, the attending doctor shouldn't say,
"I noticed you've got a bad rash on your ass. I'd like to run some dermatology tests on that before I close off the bleeding arteries in your leg..."
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

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Hee hee. OK, so Hubby checked the poor running first, and it appears to be at least one bad coil pack.Could a bad coil pack cause weird electrical stuff, or should he still check out the back sensor thingies?
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Just to clarify. Your car has a coil on each plug. I would definitely take it to your local auot parts store and have them check your alternator output and battery condition, as this can be the basis for alot of the strange happenings that our cars percieve that are wrong when the electrical power is in the failure mode. Make sure they use a good wheel out style testor that can do a complete check (Advance Auto has them).
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

Trixie, the Roadboss and XLRVIII are giving you advice that can't be overlooked. I agree with them. Being sure of correct battery voltage and alternator output is an essential first step in any electronic diagnosis.

Sure, a bad coil might be responsible for some things, but low or excessively high voltages can wreak havoc upon everything.

Back to my ER analogy: we should ignore the rash, but let's be sure blood pressure is high enough to keep the patient's brain alive!
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

Thanks guys!

This is getting more complicated, and I told Hubby to post himself. He did check the alternator and battery (he didn't believe me at first), and I did suspect it as my battery light kept going on about a month ago (but back then everything tested fine, too).

I think he borrowed a code reader, but I don't know what he's found yet. Hopefully he'll post soon as the new coil (actually 2 - he broke one of them in addition to the bad one) didn't solve the problem with the poor running.

Actually, Pony taught me to start with the basics a while ago - he told me a long story of car repair and the ultimate outcome of it was always check the fuses first. }(
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

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did suspect it as my battery light kept going on about a month ago (but back then everything tested fine, too).

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Yuk... intermittant electrical gremlins!
Those are sometimes very difficult to track down.

Keep us posted!
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

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[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong] did suspect it as my battery light kept going on about a month ago (but back then everything tested fine, too).[/div]Yuk... intermittant electrical gremlins!Those are sometimes very difficult to track down.Keep us posted!
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Well, in Drivetrain is what Hubby (beerdog? what kind of a name is that?) was working on. He told me that I had some bad boots (how he missed that is beyond me - he probably cracked them, lol), 2 bad coils, and whatever else.

Anyway, IMO it's coincidence perhaps that this poor running just started, as I've had odd electrical issues actually since back at WFC9, when my seat fuse kept blowing. We never figured out where a short or whatever was.

Anyway, at the moment my car is running just fine, but now his is messed up as he switched my coils/boots or whatever with his. I don't know exactly what's going on cause I'm really too tired to listen right now.

But I'm leaving this post here because I think there's some awesome information here on what would have been the problem with the traction control. :D
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

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Anyway, at the moment my car is running just fine, but now his is messed up as he switched my coils/boots or whatever with his. now.
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I believe that narrows it down to one of the problems!
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

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... Hubby (beerdog? what kind of a name is that?)
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LOL. :7

I had no idea. I would've had him check the blinker fluid! }(
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

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[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]... Hubby (beerdog? what kind of a name is that?) [/div]LOL. :7 I had no idea. I would've had him check the blinker fluid! }(
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ROFL, you can still do that JP - he'd listen to you!
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

I like the name beerdog!

It puts a big smile on my face.:7 :7
 
RE: Check Traction Control?

[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong][div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]... Hubby (beerdog? what kind of a name is that?) [/div]LOL. :7 I had no idea. I would've had him check the blinker fluid! }( [/div]ROFL, you can still do that JP - he'd listen to you!
[/div]

Left out the quote.

Would never work.

I am taking back my coils.....tomorrow.
 
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