How To Turn Off Traction And Stability Control In Any Car

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Join Nowsign in Traction Control System. There's a few of these names floating around for the electronic system that intervenes to prevent your car from skidding. Whether it goes by traction control or anti-slip regulation, it works the same way, monitoring relative speed between the wheels, and activating the brakes or reducing engine power to curb wheelspin.

Traction Control System. There's a few of these names floating around for the electronic system that intervenes to prevent your car from skidding. Whether it goes by traction control or anti-slip regulation, it works the same way, monitoring relative speed between the wheels, and activating the brakes or reducing engine power to curb wheelspin.

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Lots of newer cars have complex ABS and stability control systems that can't be fully disabled, even if there's a button that seems like it should turn everything off. If you're in a situation where you need those systems totally defeated, that can be an issue. Luckily, there are still a bunch of workarounds you can try.

Wyatt Knox from the Team O'Neil Rally School put together a video showing how you can mess with your car to disable those traction-aid systems. The first thing he suggests is to read your car's fuse diagram, and try pulling fuses related to your stability or traction control. It's best to pull one fuse at a time and test drive your car to see how it's been affected. Sometimes, when you pull a fuse, multiple systems can turn off, which might create an unfavorable situation.

Of course, if the fuses don't work, you can start unplugging sensors. Removing a wheel speed sensor will disable ABS—and sometimes, stability control. If your car has a yaw sensor, you can unplug that for results. You can also try simply unplugging the ABS module, though that could adversely affect your car's braking performance. If none of those things work, Knox has a few more suggestions, which he outlines here:

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Of course, you shouldn't be unplugging any of this stuff for driving on public roads—these tricks are reserved for race cars or off-road driving, where electronic safety controls can be a hindrance. Don't attempt this stuff if you don't know what you're doing.

Brian SilvestroFormer Lead Deputy Editor, Rankings Content

Brian Silvestro was Hearst Autos' former lead deputy editor for rankings content. He spent over seven years as a staff writer for Road & Track Magazine where he contributed car reviews, industry interviews, and more. He has a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.

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