TCS DSC traction control and sand off roading

Just a question about Traction control..

So I read ab out Mazda TCS and DSC. They can both be switched off by pressing and hold the TCS button for 5 seconds. But even in this situation, the DSC will still kick in when you push it.

I never went off roading in sand with my CX-5 but I am worries about any form of traction control kicking in and cutting power or apply breaks or anything when I'm driving through sand that's the last thing I want to happen as I will surely get stuck.

From what I've read, the only way to really get rid of traction control on Mazda is to pull the fuse. Any experience out there?

On a side note, I am really dismayed by the fact that I can't easily switch off all traction control. The CX-5 is an SUV that can actually be made to oversteer into a corner if you keep on turning aggressively. Of course, by then traction control kicks in and kills the oversteer you managed to accumulate. Such a spoil sport.

rennlistuser3 said:

Just a question about Traction control..

So I read ab out Mazda TCS and DSC. They can both be switched off by pressing and hold the TCS button for 5 seconds. But even in this situation, the DSC will still kick in when you push it.

I never went off roading in sand with my CX-5 but I am worries about any form of traction control kicking in and cutting power or apply breaks or anything when I'm driving through sand that's the last thing I want to happen as I will surely get stuck.

From what I've read, the only way to really get rid of traction control on Mazda is to pull the fuse. Any experience out there?

On a side note, I am really dismayed by the fact that I can't easily switch off all traction control. The CX-5 is an SUV that can actually be made to oversteer into a corner if you keep on turning aggressively. Of course, by then traction control kicks in and kills the oversteer you managed to accumulate. Such a spoil sport.

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5amp ABS fuse

rennlistuser3 said:

The CX-5 is an SUV that can actually be made to oversteer into a corner if you keep on turning aggressively. Of course, by then traction control kicks in and kills the oversteer you managed to accumulate. Such a spoil sport.

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This is the exact reason why it can't be switched off

You really don't want an SUV with 8.5" of ground clearance sliding sideways around corners with an average driver at the wheel. A dumb 16 year old would turn of DSC and roll a CX-5 in a matter of minutes, but it takes a slightly smarter 16 year old to pull the right fuse.

I think the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 both allow DSC to be disabled, but they are a little closer to the ground, so the rollover risk isn't quite as high.

Most other SUV's are much harder to oversteer and some do have the ability to fully turn off DSC. In those SUV's the DSC isn't needed as much to keep the car from going sideways.

The tradeoff for the neutral handling of Mazda's is a reduction in stability, so with DSC off Mazda's are easier to crash than other cars.

Check out this moose test of a Civic and a Mazda 3 with DSC off.
The Civic understeers boringly through the cones while the Mazda 3 wags it's tail and takes out the cones. Do you really want a button that'll allow your child to take the CX-5 and drive like that?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pxHfKGvMmE&feature=youtu.be&t=8m21s

Chris_Top_Her said:

5amp ABS fuse

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Do you still get AWD with the fuse pulled out?

piotrek91 said:

This is the exact reason why it can't be switched off

You really don't want an SUV with 8.5" of ground clearance sliding sideways around corners with an average driver at the wheel. A dumb 16 year old would turn of DSC and roll a CX-5 in a matter of minutes, but it takes a slightly smarter 16 year old to pull the right fuse.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pxHfKGvMmE&feature=youtu.be&t=8m21s

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Wow thanks for the video, I didn't know the Mazda advantage was that big.

I am very impressed that an SUV can be induced to oversteer and I fully understand (as I have experienced myself) that taller cars are much more of a handful when they oversteer. However, I still maintain, that I want to have right to choose what the car will do.

I admit, did not try it with both TCS and DSC off (by holding TCS button for 5 seconds), I'll see if I can get enough body play by doing that.

I'll also hopefully get the chance to try this setting when I'm going off road. Last thing I want to see is the TCS light blinking and hitting the breaks and cutting the gas when I'm trying to keep my car from bogging down in sand.

rennlistuser3 said:

Wow thanks for the video, I didn't know the Mazda advantage was that big.

I am very impressed that an SUV can be induced to oversteer and I fully understand (as I have experienced myself) that taller cars are much more of a handful when they oversteer. However, I still maintain, that I want to have right to choose what the car will do.

I admit, did not try it with both TCS and DSC off (by holding TCS button for 5 seconds), I'll see if I can get enough body play by doing that.

I'll also hopefully get the chance to try this setting when I'm going off road. Last thing I want to see is the TCS light blinking and hitting the breaks and cutting the gas when I'm trying to keep my car from bogging down in sand.

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I haven't heard about holding down the TSC button for 5 seconds before (I don't think it does anything?).
But pulling the fuse will definitely turn things off. Maybe you could hard wire a switch up to the fuse if you need to kill DSC on the fly?

piotrek91 said:

I haven't heard about holding down the TSC button for 5 seconds before (I don't think it does anything?).
But pulling the fuse will definitely turn things off. Maybe you could hard wire a switch up to the fuse if you need to kill DSC on the fly?

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Holding the TCS down for 5 seconds does work, I just checked. It is pretty confusing though. Basically if you press it, the orange TCS light comes on. If you keep on holding it, the TCS light turns off and that's your indicator that both TCS and DSC are off !! If you press the TCS button after holding it for 5 seconds, nothing happens. This is the only indicator to you that both TCS and DSC are off. You can only turn them on again if you turn your car off and on again.

Pulling the fuse is a good idea but I am worried with these modern cars of something weird happening. Like frying the computer or the AWD not working as you suggested above.