# Toyota Prius traction control override
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 21, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385 "2010-11-21T00:46:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385/1 "2010-11-21T00:46:19Z")
From another thread:
> [@First snow of the season](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/first-snow-of-the-season/561334/23):
>
> > [@Johnny L.A.](#):
> >
> > The Prius’s wheels are driven by electric motors. As part of the traction system, if a wheel begins to slip power is shut down to it. You can see the problem.
>
> I can, but I have what is probably a dumb question: is there any way to override that “shutdown on slippage”? It seems a silly feature to have on a car that will be used in cold climes; I wonder why the Prius engineers would include something like that if they expected sales in places that experienced winter.
Is there a way to override the traction control in a (2005) Toyota Prius?
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### Author:  [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385/2 "2010-11-21T01:06:22Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#):
>
> Is there a way to override the traction control in a (2005) Toyota Prius?
My Insight has a button to turn off traction control. So did my previous car, a non-hybrid Saturn.
A cursory googling seems to indicate that you can’t turn it off on a Prius.
> **[Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=prius%2B%22turn%2Boff%2Btraction%2Bcontrol%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a)**
This page: [Can Toyota Prius traction control be turn off? - Answers](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_toyota_prius_traction_control_be_turn_off)
claims that you can but, considering the described procedure, I think the poster may be full of crap.
> [@](#):
>
> To disable traction control on the prius:
>
> 1. Turn the car to ignition by pressing START twice without pressing the brake.
> 2. Floor the gas pedal two times (two full top to bottom pressings)
> 3. Make sure the parking brake is on, and while pressing the brake pedal put the car into NEUTRAL
> 4. Again press the gas pedal two times
> 5. Push PARK and press the gas pedal two more times
> 6. Now put your foot on the BRAKE and press START one time while holding the brake down.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385/3 "2010-11-21T01:26:06Z")
Thanks for the hint, **davidm**.
I found [this](http://www.eaa-phev.org/wiki/Prius_Modifications#Disabling_Traction_Control) (emphasis original):
> [@](#):
>
> **WARNING: The shop manual apparently states in no uncertain terms that this procedure must NOT be used to drive the car as damage to the transmission could occur due to traction control being defeated.**
>
> Follow the sequence below (quickly - within 60 seconds)
> [ul][li]Set Ign switch to ON, not READY (Power button twice, no brake)[/li][li]While still in “P” fully depress the gas pedal two times.[/li][li]Select “N” fully depress the gas pedal two times.[/li][li]Select “P” fully depress the gas pedal two times.[/li](LCD display will indicate a !Car! in upper left corner of screen)
> [li]Turn key directly to “start” to start the engine (brake+start button)[/ul][/li]It forces the ICE to run continuously and defeats the traction control system. Normal operation returns after turn off and reboot. Unlike EV-Mode this is **strictly a diagnostic function and should not be used under normal situations.**
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### Author:  [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385/4 "2010-11-21T01:33:55Z")
This doesn’t strictly answer your question, but your understanding of how traction control works isn’t quite right. The TCS doesn’t cut power (for one thing, many TCS-equiped vehicles have old-fashioned cable throttles and so _can’t_ cut power), but applies the brake on the one spinning wheel, which will prevent all the power from being sent to that wheel by the differential. So it sort of acts like a limited-slip differential.
Now, this is the stuff of rampant debate, but generally there’s no reason to turn the TCS off, except maybe to do burnouts or spin doughnuts. The only exception is _maybe_ if you agressive truck-style tires, turning the TCS off and spinning your tires might help you “paddlewheel” out of mud or snow. But for the kinds of tires you’ve got on a Prius, there’s (arguably) really not going to be a situation in which you’ll have no traction with the TCS and some without.
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385/5 "2010-11-21T01:41:53Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#):
>
> This doesn’t strictly answer your question, but your understanding of how traction control works isn’t quite right. The TCS doesn’t cut power (for one thing, many TCS-equiped vehicles have old-fashioned cable throttles and so _can’t_ cut power), but applies the brake on the one spinning wheel, which will prevent all the power from being sent to that wheel by the differential. So it sort of acts like a limited-slip differential.
I had a 2004 Prius and now have a 2010. On those two models the power\*\* is\*\* cut for traction control. This does make it difficult to ascend a snow covered or iced slope in some cases. It’s also difficult to rock your self out of a snowy parking place as well.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385/6 "2010-11-21T01:44:36Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#):
>
> This doesn’t strictly answer your question, but your understanding of how traction control works isn’t quite right.
Apparently I was confusing the power recovery system at the wheels with motors that drive them, based on the animation on the nav screen.
Nevertheless, the car will not move (from a stop) in snow. Whether power is cut to the wheels, or brakes are applied to them, there is no motive force.
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### Author:  [@aajaay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aajaay)
#### Post date: [March 28, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-prius-traction-control-override/561385/7 "2013-03-28T00:30:23Z")
I drive and the light comes on and beeps! I lose power and my car slows and it is very dangerous the drive conditions are normal. this started when I had a low tire I changed it to the spare. I immediatly had the spare replaced the car did fine on the way home I parked it then went out for an errand and it started doing the same thing. the tractino control light come on and it beeps and I lose power at first it was only at speeds over 30 miles per hour seems to be the rule.😕