[Engineer]

@maydk65, here's my stupid question. Can you turn Traction Control off with a user control, or is that a forscan thing or something else?

It's not a stupid question, @ColoradoGuy . You can control that from the Driver Assist settings in your IPC. Our cars don't have a button for it, but you can go into the Driver Assist settings and turn it on or off that way. It's been a long time since I tried it but I think a warning light comes on your dash when it's turned off, just to let you know it's not enabled, but I could be wrong about that part. I know you can control it from the Driver Assist settings though.

 

[bbf2530]

@maydk65, here's my stupid question. Can you turn Traction Control off with a user control, or is that a forscan thing or something else?

Hi CG. Traction Control can/could be turned, via a button, on all of my past/current cars with Traction Control. All have been Lincoln/Fords/Mercurys. I would certainly think it would be able to be turned on/off one way or another on the Fusion Sport.

Also, you can check your Owners Manual for the instructions. Go to the Index under "Traction Control". It will direct you to the correct pages.
I just checked the PDF version. It seems on some Fusion models you disable TC through the IPC, as Engineer stated.
On other models. a button "may" be available.
However, the Manual does not specify which models are which.

And as Engineer also stated, it is not a "stupid question".

Good luck.

 

[DaMiFo]

@DiMiFo, thanks for the comment. I am running brand new Bridgestone Turanza Quiettrack all seasons. OEM tires were the Goodyear's. Neither tire provided much Sport-engaged change that I could perceive. I am coming to the conclusion that I am not driving it hard enough to notice a lot of the Sport-mode benefits.

I don't typically drive mine hard at all either - on the road I mean. A few people I've had as passengers really don't notice a difference, where others do as soon as I press the S button. I think some people just don't notice is all.

 

[Engineer]

One thing about these cars is you don't have to drive them hard in normal use. They boogie pretty good without having to dog them. I wanted a car that didn't feel like it was having to work hard. This is definitely that car.

 

[LeVeL]

Traction control can be turned off, as stated above, but stability control cannot - it's always on.

 

[maydk65]

@maydk65, here's my stupid question. Can you turn Traction Control off with a user control, or is that a forscan thing or something else?

Colorado, no stupid questions here, ever. I can't speak for all our FS, but on the 2017 with the 401a package, you can turn the traction control off via the Right side IPC. I don't remember which heading it is under, but I believe it is driver assist. Once you turn it off, it will remain off as long as you don't turn off the engine or you go back in the IPC and return the setting to the on position. As you can see from above there are quite a few folks here that always willing to help out.
That is why this is a great community!

 

[MFGL]

In my case when car was bone stock and under 20k miles I was getting 28-30mpg on the turnpike - lots of steady, fairly level cruising at 75mph depending on wind conditions and what type of fuel (winter or summer blend) whether in Normal or Sport. I got 26mpg around town in Normal and 23-24mpg in Sport. Average combined was 26.4mpg. At 112k now and lots of mods later with cheap fuel for the last four years making it easier to be careless about economy, and my combined average is 23.2mpg. I consider that a small miracle. One thing to be said for a boosted small displacement V6 versus a big N/A V8 is that if you decide to go easy on it, it’ll reward you with great mileage.

Wow thats way better then mine. Im bone stock except for k&n and a size up on tires. Depending on gas I get 18.6 to 20.9 around town, but i drive it kinda hard. I get 30ish on the highway if I stay around 70ish.

 

[MFGL]

It was slightly better before the k&N and the Tires.

 

[Shawnski]

My car is very lightly optioned. No moonroof (heavy glass, wiring, and added frame), no drivers assist package (heavy wiring and additional components). I run Continental DWS 06 tires at 44psi in 245/40 size which are as light as any on the market. Pre-Covid I was doing 30k miles annually with probably 75-80% highway, mostly alone in the car. I weigh 160 lbs., so even passenger payload I’m below average. I’m a jackrabbit starter, I brake late and hard, and I drag race but everything else about my driving is skewed toward getting better fuel economy than many people. My wife, on the other hand, is a smooth cautious driver, with no bad driving habits to speak of, yet she consistently gets worse mileage than the lowest ratings out of any vehicle she drives. That’s because she drives maybe 8k a year, almost all of it consisting of getting in a cold vehicle, drive 15-25 minutes tops, park vehicle for 15-90 minutes, get in cold vehicle and drive 15-25 minutes again, repeat as necessary until all tasks are done for the day. Her cars never get out of warm up mode.

 

[BOT_ROCKET]

Colorado, no stupid questions here, ever.

In that case...

What's the biggest tire I can fit without a lift?

 

[Shawnski]

Well, there’s that one...

 

[maydk65]

In that case...

What's the biggest tire I can fit without a lift?

Well, see if this helps answering that question. Alternative Tire Sizes

 

[ColoradoGuy]

Also Ive noticed when I drive with Sport mode on Traction off all the time, but dont neccesarily drive any faster i get about 3 to 4 mpg better. Or I push the car harder when its not in sport Im not sure but im inclined to believe turning traction control off is responsible since the car isnt working against itself.

@MFGL, do you normally turn Traction off when driving? Sounds like an easy way to get better gas milage. I wonder if there is any benefit to Traction on the highway? Or in city driving for that matter...

 

[Engineer]

I'm curious what's going on here and might try this some time just for kicks. But here's the thing I keep thinking about:

Traction control isn't stability control. Remember, stability control is always on no matter what, as someone else mentioned above. That's going to selectively hit your brakes (as well as reduce power) as needed in stability-compromised situations (flying around a slick road in a corner, or similar).

Traction control is going to reduce power to wheels where slipping is occurring. To my knowledge, traction control doesn't apply the brakes. It's just cutting power on traction loss. Think getting moving on snow, for instance.

And of course, none of the above is intended to save someone driving unsafely. You still have to drive.

Anyhow, if I'm correct, I would expect similar or better mileage with traction control on, and similar or reduced mileage with stability control on (the latter being mandatory, of course, so you can't turn that off through any ordinary means).

 

[DaMiFo]

I agree with @Engineer, it wouldn't make any sense that you'd get up to 4MPG more with TCS off. If the wheels aren't slipping, it's not affecting anything. TCS does use the brakes some with our AWD system to direct power, but only in ways to direct that power to another wheel (such as only 1 front wheel at a time that it detects the slipping on) since we have open differentials. But again, that's only if the wheels are slipping, otherwise it's not actively doing anything to the drivetrain.

 

[BOT_ROCKET]

If you're driving in a way that is causing the brakes to act as a simulated limited slip diff, you're not getting very good mileage no matter if it's on or off. Under normal driving, it should have no affect on economy.

 

[MFGL]

@MFGL, do you normally turn Traction off when driving? Sounds like an easy way to get better gas milage. I wonder if there is any benefit to Traction on the highway? Or in city driving for that matter...

Yes unless there is snow or ice I turn Traction off as soon as I get in the car. I launch pretty good from most stops and I think this is the slippage that makes the tractions control come on when I dont have it turned off. I dont know what it is, but When I run a hole tank with S mode and no TCS my mileage is better.

 

[ColoradoGuy]

Yes unless there is snow or ice I turn Traction off as soon as I get in the car. I launch pretty good from most stops and I think this is the slippage that makes the tractions control come on when I dont have it turned off. I dont know what it is, but When I run a hole tank with S mode and no TCS my mileage is better.

@MFGL - that is interesting. Thanks for responding.

 

[LeVeL]

Yes unless there is snow or ice I turn Traction off as soon as I get in the car.

I do the opposite - leave it on when it's dry because with AWD it doesn't really kick in, but off if it's snowing.

 

[Engineer]

I do the opposite - leave it on when it's dry because with AWD it doesn't really kick in, but off if it's snowing.

To play in the snow, I assume? 🤣

There's a video somewhere of one of these starting up in some fairly deep snow, and it just takes right off. No idea what tires it had, and I'm sure it had TC on, but it was pretty impressive.