I own a 2007 Touring Model B, which I drive into the Cascade Mountains routinley, required as I teach Skiing at Crystal Mountain. Going up the last 6 miles to the ski area I can hear the engine revving up and then down as the VSC kicks in to control the traction in the snow. I've only had to put chains on once, to climb out of a valley. However, the light weight poses a problem just pulling out of an icy parking lot. I finally got a 200 lb snowboarder to sit in the front seat and the tires stopped spinning.

 

To: Tideland Prius: Please tell me how/where to get these items.

JDM Prius Interior Footwell Lighting? and what exactly is 'Phillips Vision Plus'? Their Cost?

I will sure appreciate your reply. Thanks, Robert

 

Back in the dawn of time, we used to keep a pile of sand and a shovel in the back of the pickup truck during the winter. The weight helped the traction. And, when we got stuck on a slippery patch, you could just throw a few shovels of sand under the tires. A bag or two of sand in the trunk served the same purpose for sedans, which used to be "rear wheel drive".

Perhaps a front wheel drive car could benefit from having a bag of sand stowed in the passenger foot-well, during the worst part of the winter?

 

I would have to say I do pretty well with my 2004. I have the Michelin Hydroedge tires on it, and snow doesn't do much to impede me until hill-climbing. I have had to do the sidewinder manuvering to climb some steep ones before they were plowed. I do have some troubles on icy streets, but I can usually solve it with the sand I keep in the trunk for such occasions. The joys of living in Moline!

I am actually more scared of potholes with my car than ice or snow.

 

I have a late 2006 Prius that does the severe cut-power thing. In a recent storm I had a car slide out into the road ahead of me on a hill, requiring an almost complete stop on my part. Getting up the rest of the hill was agonizing at ~2 mph. I would much rather have had some tire spinning to get down to asphault.

Here's the rub -- I ordered package #2, which does NOT include traction control. So why does my car do this? And how can I make it stop?

 

No modern day FWD or F/awd vehicle is likely to get shipped without TC, the insurance companies have prevailed again. It may be VSC that you didn't get, not TC.

 

First I want to thank everyone for your help. I live in North Alabama and drive a 2003, NHW11 Prius and really don't have much experience with these systems except for one rainy day, ABS stop. So this is what I've added to the FAQ:I really wouldn't have tried to add this without your excellent help and postings.

THANK YOU!
Bob Wilson

 

VSC, Vehicle Stability Control, is a system that will use selective braking to correct for any "yaw". Yaw is a condition in which the vehicle is not following the "line" set by the position, angle, of the stearing wheels. Overstearing/plowing and understearing/skidding, are both instances of yaw, potential loss of directional control of the vehicle.

The most typical VSC response to overstearing is to apply the brakes to the front wheel to the outside of the condition while simultaneously dethrottling the engine. For understearing/plowing the most common response is to apply both rear brakes while also dethrottling the engine.

 

HI all you Hyper-Milers - My 2007 Touring is wearing one-size-smaller-than standard-for-a-Touring 15" American Alloy style 126 rims and Toyo Observe G-02 super-siped tires. We have had an even more severe winter here in N-E Oregon this year than last, but the Toyos get me through on my winter daily commute (70 mi round-trip) and the road runs along the Blue Mountains up to nearly 3,000 feet. LOTs of packed snow and ice and ice-fog. The Traction Control does its thing on starting and will DEFINITELY stop you from getting out in front of on-coming traffic! The yaw sensor function (also used by the Nav system, btw) also kick in when the driving gets even more sporty! The Trac light blinks, and the BEEPER kicks in to say "HEY, cut it out - this isn't a Corvair!)

Two problems are obvious for winter - NO ground clearance for those deep ruts, and the rear lights are coated with snow in a mile or two. Problem #1? Gonna get one of them 6" lift kits and put some DUBs on . #2 - got nothin.

JUST about to 44,000 miles - my first 1,000 gallons! NO problems so far

 

I have had mine get stuck on a snowy hill because it rolled backwards against the curb. 2 feet of snow, but the streets were plowed. If I even get stuck in the middle of nowhere and get frost bite they will have a lawsuit on their hands. I totally don't understand why they would build in a "turtle on his back" feature on these cars.

"Traction Control does its thing on starting and will DEFINITELY stop you from getting out in front of on-coming traffic!" THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION and should be a recall issue !!!