Grinding up front with DSC on

[J.A. Ford]

If this is buried somewhere in the forums, I apologize for bringing it up again.

I've purchased my wife a 2007 Mazda 3 with 81,000 miles on it this past week. It's been beautiful outside since then, but last night it snowed. We were headed out today to bring my son to an eye appointment and when leaving the driveway, the tires started to spin. Upon spinning, there's a bad grinding noise up front...sounds horrible. If I turn DSC off, I can give it all the gas I want, and the tires simply spin in the snow. Turn DSC back on and hit the gas - it grinds like crazy again. I never noticed this before because the roads have been nice and dry. This *only* happens when the front wheels lose traction.

So my question is; is this normal? (I can't imagine so.) What should actually happen while driving on slippery roads with DSC on?

Thanks everyone!

EDIT: I should mention it's an automatic...if that makes a difference. 2.3
There's also a TON of forums here...sorry if I posted this in the wrong place.

 

[njaremka]

its probably the brakes dragging to slow down the spinning wheel.

 

[J.A. Ford]

Do they apply/release hard and fast, like an anti-lock brake? It makes more of a grinding noise than a quick thumping (as if the brakes are being applied/released.)

 

[chief_wiggum]

its probably the brakes dragging to slow down the spinning wheel.

This is my educated guess too; it's the traction control at work.