If you own a car manufactured in 2012 or after, chances are your automobile has the traction control system, which has become a standard safety feature on cars sold in the United States. Running in the background, many drivers may not be aware of it until the system malfunctions, and the traction control light comes on. This article focuses on what to do if the traction control light stays on in your Chrysler 300.
The Chrysler 300 traction control light stays on when the traction control system is disabled or malfunctioning. You’ll need a mechanic to diagnose the problem and apply the appropriate fix.
To understand how the traction control light functions, you need to understand the traction control system. You’ll learn about it below if you aren’t familiar with it. Continue reading to learn about the control traction. Here we go.
What Is The Traction Control System?
Traction control is a safety feature that comes in handy when driving on wet or slippery roads. The feature has existed in one form or the other in automobiles for decades until it became a requirement for all cars to be sold in the United States in 2012. So, any vehicle built in 2012 and afterward and intended to be sold in the US must have the traction control feature.
Using the same electronic sensors as the anti-lock braking system (ABS), the traction control system sets out to prevent or reduce wheelspin, which occurs when a vehicle’s tires rotate without traction. Wheelspin is likely to occur on wet, snowy, or slippery roads, and there’s the risk of oversteering or understeering the car, which could be very dangerous.
How Does Traction Control Work?
If you’ve been paying attention till now, you’ll already know how traction control works. As mentioned earlier, the basic function of traction control is to detect wheelspin which occurs when a tire loses grip. When traction control detects that a tire has lost grip, it works to reduce or cut power to that tire, and this involves stopping or slowing down the rate of spin.
The sensors that traction control uses are also the same as the ABS uses, and when these sensors detect wheelspin, they send a message to the onboard computer to reduce or cut power to the wheel. Doing this allows the wheel to slow and ultimately regain traction.
Depending on the model and design of a car, the traction control system could be fitted to the front or rear wheels. The traction control is usually fitted to all four wheels in a four-wheel drive. Older traction control can result in changes in engine performance when they activate, which is usually noticed as engine misfires by drivers. However, modern vehicles tend to come with more sophisticated traction control, so drivers hardly notice any changes in engine performance when the system kicks in.
The Traction Control Light
The traction control light illuminates whenever the traction control activates. When you start the engine, the traction control briefly illuminates before switching off. This shows that the traction control system is functional.
After briefly illuminating and switching off after starting your vehicle, the traction control light should remain off until you are in a low-traction environment. So, when the traction light activates when you are driving in ice or slippery condition, and the light illuminates, it’s working as it should – working to prevent wheelspin.
Traction Light Not Switching Up
If the traction control light does not switch off after starting the engine or when driving in fair conditions, then something is wrong with the system. You may need to restart your car and see if the problem resolves. If you still need to, you’ll need to have your car inspected by your mechanic.
Sometimes, the traction control light intermittently blinks on and off, and when this happens, it indicates that the system is starting to deteriorate. The main cause of traction control deterioration is malfunctioning wheel-speed sensors. When wheel-speed sensors start to fail, they send wrong information to the car’s computer, making traction control activate when it shouldn’t.
If the traction control light turns off without blinking and remains that way, it means the system has been deactivated. The system won’t know when the wheels are losing traction or not, and you’ll need a mechanic to inspect and repair the traction control system.
There are two ways the traction control light can appear on your dashboard. Depending on the model of your car, you may see the letters ‘TC’ illuminated on your dashboard, with TC standing for Traction Control. Sometimes, TC isn’t used, and you’ll instead find a symbol of a car with lines bending away from its tires. The symbol simply represents what the system does.
In some situations, the traction control light, anti-lock braking system light, and brake-warning light may all illuminate your dashboard. If this happens, stop driving and park your car since it’s dangerous to continue driving as both the braking and traction system are malfunctioning. Tow your car to a mechanic for repair.
How To Fix Traction Control Malfunction
Whenever the traction light illuminates when it shouldn’t, you can first try to restart your vehicle to see if the problem will resolve. But if the problem still persists after restarting your vehicle, you’ll have no choice but to take your car to a mechanic.
Your mechanic will use a code scanner to scan the traction control computer to determine the problem’s underlying cause. After that, the appropriate fix will be applied. The repair cost will depend on the extent of the problem and the auto shop carrying out the repair.
Don’t overlook any problem with the traction control system, especially if the braking system has also been affected. It’s important you fix the problem for your safety and that of other road users.
