Dumb a$$ Toyota engineers, WTF were they thinking? Rant

[fix_or_repair_daily]

My aunt is on her third leased Toy Rav4. She had a stroke a little over a year and a half ago and lost most of her eyesight. So, either me or my mom do her driving for her. I didn't mind the first two Rav's but I HATE this POS she has now with an absolute passion. Mom took her shopping, and when they got home she pulled out of the plowed driveway into maybe 4" or so of snow in my aunt's yard so my aunt was closer to the door to the house. I was at home as this was happening, my aunt calls all upset my mom got stuck in her yard. I assumed it was in our s10 which has new Treadwright 31's on it. I was pissed and about to leave in my Aspire to go help. Mom pulls in our drivewav in the s10. She said the POS Toyota which has brand new a/s tires wouldn't pull out of the yard, it's just sliding and won't go at all. I was thinking woman driver = problem. Wrong. I get there and manage to get it turned around so it is maybe a straight 15-20 ft from a clear driveway heading toward her garage. It would move a foot or two then the stupid f_cking traction control, which there is NO WAY TO DISABLE would kick in and kill the engine power till it wouldn't even crawl. My tracks were down to the partially frozen grass and the son of a bitch still wouldn't pull its worthless ass out of there. In all, it took me around 20 tries to get it out. What a joke of a supposed 4x4. My mom agreed with me that my little Aspire that has knobby winter tread recaps would have pulled it's ass out of there with less trouble. JUNK JUNK JUNK thanks Toyota !!!!

Josh

 

[JC 97]

I hate all these devices that supposedly make our vehicles easier to drive in bad road conditions.They try to take the human element out of it and just make everything worse.Traction control should be an electric or air locker and full power.If I screw up my vehicle because I can't drive that's my fault.

 

[mp3deviant721]

It's just not Toyota. All companies are putting damn traction control in alot of new vehicles. I've been hearing stories about how traction control actually can make things worse like yours and how my friend couldn't get a car out of the parking lot because of traction control. It's just one of those things that make being a mechanic more frustrating like tire pressure monitors and ABS and 7 bajillion computers controlling everything.

 

[adsm08]

Pop the hood. Look at the brake booster. If it has an electrical plug on it, pull it. That should trigger about 700 faults in the Trac control module and disable the system.

 

[heptofite]

Cry more?
DO THIS:
http://www.spokanister.net/vehicles_RAV4_VSC_TC.htm

so much for "no possible way to disable it" eh?

 

[trail B2]

Traction control is a good thing but you gotta be able to turn it off.I love the piston goes down tire goes around feel of an old car but I love cars.There's a million morons out there who cant be taught what traction control does when you need it and when you don't.Man I bet that was frustrating every time you start to move the gas lets itself off.

 

[predator]

same on my brothers lincoln ls, he got it stuck in my driveway and I would say that was one of the MOST CHALLENGING "rocking the vehicle out of this snowdrift" expiriances of my life...damn new cars and the engineers that think this shit up

 

[LearjetMinako]

Traction control should be to assist in aiding traction. Not limit the power to prevent traction loss. I hate it too when those big thinkers don't build things right and make it worse. I think the idea they had in mind was on wet roads to prevent the vehicle from sliding out of control due to too much throttle input.

This reminds me when I got the 4x4 Blazer stuck in 3 feet of snow. I was just fooling around and giving the 4x4 a little test. So I was going slow in 4Lo. Blazer bottomed out and I got stuck. I had to rock the vehicle back & forth, turn the wheel from side to side, and spin the tires to dig for traction, to wiggle myself free. After about 5 minutes, I got it free and went on my way. If that would have happened in a new vehicle (like that Rav4), I would have been screwed. All thanks to those new Traction Control systems.

Here is a question. Doesn't the new 2010 Rangers come with the Traction Control System? And how are those fairing in the snow and ice?

 

[ranger_mclaren]

Thats why I don't buy newer cars an trucks. all this drive by wire stuff is retarted what if 10-15 years down the road that system fails theres no connection between you and the wheels of the car?? I hate how most newer suvs have active 4wd you can't turn on or off it comes on when it thinks you need it. As for traction control my wifes old cavalier had it but the only thing it would aid is it would have a blinking light that on the dash to let you know when you were sliding. But I know when I going down the road sideways at 20mph and the rear of the car is passing me by that i'm sliding I don't need a blinking light to tell me. When her ABS system broke it would no longer stop the car it would come on under normal braking on dry pavement and release the brakes, cause it thought the car was sliding when it wasn't causing us not to stop and come into several close calls of hitting something or someone.
Oh and one more thing the computer chiped keys we went over to a friends house shut the car off. later we left car wouldn't start, it had gas and spark but wouldn't start. after several hours with it i gave up and had it towed to a garage. After 3 months $1200 replaced the key, key pass, computer, and starter we got the car back. It read the key wrong thought it was being stolen an fried everything. no shit! We traded that wouderful GM qulity built POS, for our focus and have never looked back.

 

[CHKNFKR]

Pop the hood. Look at the brake booster. If it has an electrical plug on it, pull it. That should trigger about 700 faults in the Trac control module and disable the system.

This, or just pull the fuse(s).

 

[adsm08]

I think the idea they had in mind was on wet roads to prevent the vehicle from sliding out of control due to too much throttle input.

You nailed it on the head there.

This, or just pull the fuse(s).

I know on some Fords that will disable some other, better operating systems as well, like the ABS, and possibly the air bags.

 

[CHKNFKR]

i know in a chevy when you pull the abs fuse it kills cruise. the fords i've owned didn't have cruise to begin with so i can't say for sure there. as far as airbags go, I've yet to own a vehicle that has them so i'm not too worried about that. still good to know in case i ever buy a vehicle new enough to have to worry about this stuff.

 

[martin]

I think you're blaming the wrong people. Most of this unnessesary electronic bs is government mandated, now there's something to think about.

 

[JC 97]

They are trying to save us from ourselves.Might as well mandate "nerf suits" in case we fall down.

 

[Ranger Dave (B25)]

She said the POS Toyota which has brand new a/s tires wouldn't pull out of the yard, it's just sliding and won't go at all.

The problem is not the vehicle, it's not the traction-control, it's the all-season tires. Get some dedicated winter tires.