Other brands call it ETC (electronic traction control), ESC (stability), TRAC, etc. Generally speaking, slip detection that applies brakes selectively and will retard throttle. The throttle retarding aspect is the worst. I have actually defeated it on one car. Call me an anti-VSC activist, Call me late for dinner, but don’t call me Shirley.
I’m very opposed to it on my cars - when I’m driving - but very happy to have it in place when others are driving them. Being older-school and with a lot of driver training, I want to do the work myself and am able to. Not everyone is. Fortunately I have cars where I can defeat it, and even ABS on one vehicle.
One of my great auto-hack pleasures of the last few years was figuring out how to retro-fit a TRAC (same thing) defeat switch into the dash of my older Volvo XC, so I can selectively disable it. A really happy day.
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Pic below, the arrow shows what is a blank space on an early gen AWD Volvo dash. I found out, after being PO’d at throttle retardation when driving uphill in heavy snow, that I could defeat it. I scavenged this switch out of an older car and plugged it into the car harness to be able to turn the TRAC (ETC, ESC, etc) completely off and get back full control. Oh happy day.
I did a lot of miles recently with a freinds very new Subaru Outback Limited, where the electronic intervention was not switchable. There were virtues to the car, but at the end of the day I’d never own one as it was too “interventionist” and as a long-term vehicle, I could not imagine keeping all that electronic BS working once out of warranty.
This is my winter happy switch. I’m ok with leaving it enabled in summer, but come winter, I want to own it: