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Nuisance traction control activation during right turns

3701 Views 11 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Dark_Stang
I’ve had my 2013 Volt since August 2012. Just in the last 5-6 months I’ve noticed a new behavior where the traction control has started engaging when I make right turns at relatively high speed -- usually when exiting the highway onto cloverleaf-style exit ramps (which I admittedly take faster than the average driver), despite the absence of any slick spots or uneven pavement. This behavior never occurred before this year.

When traction control engages during one of these turns, it slows the car down and the result is probably less stable/safe than if no action was taken by the car. It's also just plain annoying. (I've since turned off Traction Control completely, but I don't like this as a permanent fix.)

I’m wondering if anyone knows why this behavior might have started?
Could it be due to a simple alignment issue?
Or could there be some kind of sensor/calibration problem?

  • The tires are Michelin MX4’s with ~20k miles on them. (~49k miles total on the car.)
  • Tires are inflated to 41-42psi cold. (Consistent with where I’ve had them for years before this problem started.)
  • Last tire rotation was ~8000 miles ago. (I know I’m due. But I might just wait until I swap them out for my winter tires.)
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It sounds to me like you have an alignment issue. Specifically your toe could be off. When you turn the inside tire turns more than the outside (that funny looking stearing arm does this). This would be more aggravated from right turns since they are sharper. This could explain why you notice it only on right turns.

If the toe has been off for a while you can notice it by looking at the tires. If the toe is off the tires are usually "feathered". Look to see if the inside and outside edges of the treads look to be worn the same. If one edge is sharp and the other is smooth, you've almost definitely got a toe problem.

I'd get the alignment checked either way. It shouldn't cost much.
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