Ford AWD Vs. Traction Control?

[CrazedHoosier]

Hey, fellow Maverick lovers!

I’ve been watching a lot of Maverick walk around videos, and have noticed they all have a traction control button—even the AWD models! Isn’t that a bit strange? Isn‘t traction control a system that cuts power to spinning wheels, and sends it instead to wheels that have traction? Isn’t that also what Ford’s intelligent AWD system does? If so, why have the traction control option? What would happen if you turned it off?

Sorry if this is a stupid question. I’ve never had an AWD vehicle, but do have a car with traction control.

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[teamsauce]

To add to this, does holding the traction control button for 15 seconds disable Advanced Traction Control like it does in the Mustang?

 

[dalola]

Hey, fellow Maverick lovers!

I’ve been watching a lot of Maverick walk around videos, and have noticed they all have a traction control button—even the AWD models! Isn’t that a bit strange? Isn‘t traction control a system that cuts power to spinning wheels, and sends it instead to wheels that have traction? Isn’t that also what Ford’s intelligent AWD system does? If so, why have the traction control option? What would happen if you turned it off?

Sorry if this is a stupid question. I’ve never had an AWD vehicle, but do have a car with traction control.

It's basically the same system, except now it's working "actively" on all four wheels, vs the front two. On the front drive, the rears are a "passive" control for lock-up, vs being driven. If you turn it off, on either drive type, the wheel(s) with no traction will just spin as hard as you apply throttle. With the Mav, it's a cheaper brake biased system, with no clutches (side to side) to provide any torque transfer.

Not sure how the button specifically works in the Mav, but typically you push once for defeat, and twice for reduced parameters.

 

[Darksider]

The traction control main thing is to cut power when a slip is detected, moving power to a wheel with traction is a secondary reaction which will have a delay.

For example you take off from a stop with wet road and spin a tire, engine cuts power and tire stops spinning, no braking to the slipping tire involved. Now you do the same thing in mud, engine cuts power but tire keeps slipping, now braking slipping wheel will be activated.

So that traction control button is the one that controls the first step, cutting the engine power. This is important to have off in some situations like mud where you want to keep those wheels spinning.

 

[Macaroon]

My understanding is that the On-Demand AWD system in the Maverick will distribute torque from the front axle to the rear if slippage is detected, while traction control uses the ABS to pulse the brakes on a slipping tire to reduce its speed to prevent things like hydroplaning.

So you can have the AWD system sending "power" to the rear without having traction control stopping spinning.

 

[TruckVille]

Great question. There is some overlap. Traction control used to be called Stability control and adjusts brakes and engine power. It was built to reduce a slide if one or wheels started to skid when you’re moving. AWD uses clutches in the gearboxes and transfer cases, and differentials to put power to wheels that aren‘t spinning. Disconnecting the traction control is what you do when you want to smoke the tires from a dead stop or drift around a corner. Traction control does it’s best to inhibit that kind of enjoyment. https://www.autolist.com/guides/what-is-traction-control

 

[CrazedHoosier]

My understanding is that the On-Demand AWD system in the Maverick will distribute torque from the front axle to the rear if slippage is detected, while traction control uses the ABS to pulse the brakes on a slipping tire to reduce its speed to prevent things like hydroplaning.

So you can have the AWD system sending "power" to the rear without having traction control stopping spinning.

Wait, so is the On-Demand AWD system different than Ford’s intelligent AWD system?

 

[jalbano2]

It's basically the same system, except now it's working "actively" on all four wheels, vs the front two. On the front drive, the rears are a "passive" control for lock-up, vs being driven. If you turn it off, on either drive type, the wheel(s) with no traction will just spin as hard as you apply throttle. With the Mav, it's a cheaper brake biased system, with no clutches (side to side) to provide any torque transfer.

Not sure how the button specifically works in the Mav, but typically you push once for defeat, and twice for reduced parameters.

The Maverick has a single clutch pack in the rear. The Bronco Sport has the Upgrade of dual clutch pack

 

[Champ]

"traction control can help to keep your car moving in a straight line in rainy or snowy conditions, it can also prevent your car from moving forward if it gets stuck in the snow or sand."

 

[fbov]

I would expect traction control to be automatically turned off in driving modes that care. The Escape Hybrid's "Deep Snow/Sand" mode does.

 

[Macaroon]

Wait, so is the On-Demand AWD system different than Ford’s intelligent AWD system?

No, Ford's "Intelligent AWD" is just their brand's terminology for an On-Demand AWD system

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