What does traction control do?
 

looking at a car with it but whats it for? didn't have this on my 97... is it a must? thanks.

My understanding of TC is that it helps in snow, rain, etc. by adjusting the power to each of the wheels to reduce losing control. That said, most people who track their cars turn it off, and my car does not have it and I have been fine driving in 2" of snow with just snow tires.
Although it would be nice to have if you plan on driving in a lot of snow and rain. :cheers:

Rick3000
 

Nothing to do with topic but, that's a great picture you have. Love the background..

Hi wayne, did a quick search for you and found these on the Porsche site, hope they help, that's all I could find. Not 100% sure if they apply in your situation though.

http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/911/911-gt3-rs/indetail/chassis/
http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/boxster/boxster/featuresandspecs/?gtabindex=3

I added the other link just in case others were interested in what the other things did.

Anyways, cheers :)

Traction control is a little different from every manufacturer. In a nutshell, the car's wheel speed sensors tell the computer if one wheel or both wheels are accelerating faster than expected. This gets translated as a slipping wheel in a low traction situation.

To counter the excessive acceleration, the engine's timing may be altered, the e-gas may close the throttle, or one or both of the rear brakes may be activated. This is not only used as a traction enhancement tool for straight line acceleration in slippery conditions, but it also serves as a kind of limited slip differential, slowing the speed of the inner wheel during a turn to enhance cornering stability.

The drawback to all this, if you haven't already surmised, is that all of the actions of traction control are to somehow slow down a wheel or two. That robs the car of power under track conditions, which is undesirable. It also tends to force the car to dynamically behave in a way that is undesirable in high performance driving situations.

Thanks! :cheers:

Now back on topic... :D