Do it yourself
Frequently asked questions about cars and motorcycles
Car tutorial (Do it yourself) Motorcycle tutorial (Do it yourself) Frequently Asked Questions

How does traction control work?

Model: (Various brands) Various
Part: Onboard computer

Video tutorial

This young youtuber explains to us how traction control works, whose purpose is to prevent the tires from spinning freely in case of strong acceleration: this operation can be done in two ways: reducing the power sent to the wheels or applying the brakes to the spinning wheels.

Let's take the example of a truck traveling at 45 miles per hour (about 72.5 km/h), and pressing the accelerator the rear wheel starts spinning as if it were going at 75 mph (120.7 km/h). A sensor detects that the speed of that wheel is greater than the actual speed, and the ECU activates the brakes so that the speed matches that of the vehicle.

Once the brakes have been released, we can regain full control of the vehicle, and continue to accelerate.


Posted on 11 June 2025 by ScegliAuto


Related tutorials

What Does the Traction Control Light Mean?
What Does the Traction Control Light Mean?
(Various brands) Various This video explains what it means when the traction control light comes on, which may vary slightly depending on your vehicle model, but should never…
How the electronic traction control works, and when to disable it
How the electronic traction control works, and when to disable it
(Various brands) Various Common names for this device are: TCS (Traction Control System) or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation). Its main purpose is to prevent wheel spin. The system …
How to check a car's traction?
How to check a car's traction?
(Various brands) Various Advanced traction control has two modes of operation, with the automatic mode being the default. The system can identify surfaces with low grip and a…

Other guides you may be interested in

How to Open the Fuel Flap on a Volkswagen Tiguan?

To open the fuel flap on a Volkswagen Tiguan, first unlock the car using the appropriate button on the remote. This will open the car and unlock the mechanism that controls the fuel flap. At this point, apply light pressure to the left side of the flap to open it and access the cap underneath. Once this is unscrewed, you can refuel and then close everything.

Watch the video!


by ScegliAuto

More videos