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Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Traction Control

21 messages,  Last post on Dec 13, 2009 at 3:45 PM

You are in the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Car Safety, Sedan

Messages Page 2 of 3

#2 of 21 Fusion Traction Control by mschmal

Sep 25, 2006 (11:08 am)

Traction Control uses the ABS computer and sensors to
monitor wheel slippage at any speed. It helps improve traction
on slippery or loose driving surfaces by using engine controls
to reduce the amount of torque being sent to the drive wheels.
Engine controls are:
• Fuel injection cutoff
• Ignition spark retard
Traction Control helps provide a confident driving experience
under adverse road conditions — improving vehicle traction
and steering control — without sacrificing dry pavement
performance:
• When the lane is slippery on one or both sides
• As the vehicle pulls out from icy parking lots or
highway shoulders
• During acceleration when cornering
 
Mark

#3 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [mschmal] by evandro

Sep 25, 2006 (11:56 am)

Replying to: mschmal (Sep 25, 2006 11:08 am)
Unfortunately, that's the cheap kind of traction control that give some problems. Imagine you waiting to get onto a street on wet pavement quickly and the TC sapping power...
 
More sophisticated TC, widely available even in the Fusion's competition, breaks the spinning wheels before throttling power.

#4 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [evandro] by baggs32

Sep 25, 2006 (1:24 pm)

Replying to: evandro (Sep 25, 2006 11:56 am)
Unfortunately, that's the cheap kind of traction control that give some problems. Imagine you waiting to get onto a street on wet pavement quickly and the TC sapping power...
 
Not quite. Ford's new system, which is in the Fusion, uses the vehicle's PCM to control traction wheras the "cheap" systems you are referring to use a separate sensor and/or processor which can be slow and annoying to live with.
 
This link is the only one I could find quickly that goes into it but I have read others like it. One was on Edmunds IIRC. Scroll about half way down to read it or just read the quote below.
 
"May 30, 2006
Ford's New Traction Control System Among the Best Performers
 
DEARBORN, MI – Ford Motor Company began rolling out its patented traction control system last year as an option on the 2006 F-150, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and as standard on the Lincoln Zephyr and 4x2 Lincoln Mark LT. The innovative traction control system, among the best performing systems on the road, works by momentarily decreasing engine power to help regain traction at the tires.
The system is particularly helpful while accelerating on a slippery surface. Using signals from the vehicle’s anti-lock brakes, a computer algorithm — embedded in the Powertrain Control Module — detects if the drive wheels are slipping. Then, within milliseconds, the system adjusts the engine power to allow the tires to regain traction. The system is unique in that it was developed to operate using the vehicle’s engine computer processor, rather than a standalone module."

#5 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [baggs32] by kurtamaxxxguy

Sep 25, 2006 (3:12 pm)

Replying to: baggs32 (Sep 25, 2006 1:24 pm)
good info, but it's still "power cut" version, not one that actually brakes the spinning wheel(s). Versions with power cut all have trouble in some situations that a braking traction control can deal with.
 
An Audi A3, which uses Haldex and wheel braking, can plow through 10 inches of snow without breathing hard (so say a couple of reviews). But in that vehicle, you get a mandantory sports suspension and lo pro tires; good handling, lousy ride.
 
Sometimes raction control varies on the model itself. The Malibu, for example, has the engine power only version, but its SS variants get engine power and brake application version. Of course, none of these have AWD.

#6 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [kurtamaxxxguy] by akirby

Sep 25, 2006 (4:18 pm)

Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Sep 25, 2006 3:12 pm)
Even the systems that use the brakes individually also cut power at some point (like the Lincoln LS) and can be a problem in certain situations.

#7 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [akirby] by evandro

Sep 25, 2006 (7:07 pm)

Replying to: akirby (Sep 25, 2006 4:18 pm)
Yes, but it's so only as a secondary resort. In other words: better. Ford's better to wise up...

#8 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [kurtamaxxxguy] by baggs32

Sep 26, 2006 (5:24 am)

Replying to: kurtamaxxxguy (Sep 25, 2006 3:12 pm)
Versions with power cut all have trouble in some situations that a braking traction control can deal with.

 
I have to agree with the others. Show me where Ford's new system is worse than one with the additional braking mechanism. You're trying to compare their new quicker reacting system to an older, slower system which isn't really fair.
If the only reason some other manufacturers add the braking mech is to back-up the power cut system then doesn't it stand to reason that a better power cut system will be just as effective if not better? Plus, having only one system reduces complexity and cost.

#9 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [baggs32] by evandro

Sep 26, 2006 (8:31 am)

Replying to: baggs32 (Sep 26, 2006 5:24 am)
I have real world experience about both systems. I will not bend my knees to Ford because it says that the one on the Fusion reacts quickly.
 
The TC that retards ignition does so for longer than necessary. Whereas the TC that breaks only the wheel spinning can allow a wheel with traction to pull with full power. That's a major difference whose advantage should be quite clear to anyone.

#10 of 21 Re: Fusion Traction Control [evandro] by baggs32

Sep 26, 2006 (9:33 am)

Replying to: evandro (Sep 26, 2006 8:31 am)
The TC that retards ignition does so for longer than necessary. Whereas the TC that breaks only the wheel spinning can allow a wheel with traction to pull with full power. That's a major difference whose advantage should be quite clear to anyone.
 
I think the point some of us are missing is that the Ford system is new and unique. If you haven't driven a vehicle with it then you can't compare it to an older system from another manufacturer. Everything offered here so far has just been speculation and mis-information. I own two vehicles with the new Ford system but have never driven, to the best of my knowledge anyway, one with the dual system. Therefore I will not praise one and bash another.

#11 of 21 Traction control with the AWD by fredvp

Jun 22, 2008 (9:38 am)

I still haven't figured out how the Traction control works with my AWD model.
I don't see anything happening other than power being shifted to the wheels
that have traction. Maybe if all the wheels lose traction?

Messages Page 2 of 3

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