[princelake]

this spring i got a new 2012 chevy express work van with stabilitrak/traction control
i live out at the lake and the road in is a twisty hilly gravel road with 2 steep hills at the beginning of the road. monday we got dumped on and the road got real icy. monday evening im driving home and i gun it up these 2 hills and im almost up the second one and my tires start spinning and the stabilitrak/traction control kicks in and it basically shut down the motor and locked up the brakes! i slid backwards down the hill smashing into the grade rail! some other ppl came along and pushed my front end to spin me around and back down the hill i went. i smashed up the back fender and bumper and im pretty upset. this new "safety" feature is a bunch of b.s!! i turned it off and i tried to spin the tires on some ice to see if its actually off and it automatically turns itself back on.
i've done some searching online and in the manual basically from what i read is that you can temp. turn it off to get pulled out if your stuck! what the hell!?!? how does that make any sense?1? if i pull the fuse for it online it says it will turn off stabilitrak,traction control AND my ABS. it seems that this van is just destine for failure or just cant do icy hills what so ever!.
so now im trying to figure out what to do so i can get this computer on wheels home every night in one piece. you think get some studded tires for the back and hope they dont spin or throw a set of chains on it every night when i get to my road or am i missing something?
ohh and this stabilitrak/traction control is awesome around town, like pulling out into traffic,taking off at a light, or going around corners without fish tailing it.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Sounds like you made a poor choice in vehicles for your area, should've gotten a 4 x 4.

 

[Doc Holliday]

And you should've gotten a Ford. :laughing:

Life's too short to drive a Chevy.

 

[princelake]

i had a 2009 chevy express before the 2012 with good winter tires and no computer safety crap and i got home 90% of the time. when it was really really bad i parked it. my personal use is a 4x4 truck with bfg all terrains and i can do it like nothing. the van is just practical for carrying all my tools, drywall, etc.

 

[Doc Holliday]

More tool boxes on your truck, park the van.

 

[Mort]

Can you still get AWD on the Express vans? If not, you should. The Big 2.5 should realize that people still work in bad weather.

 

[creeper]

And you should've gotten a Ford. :laughing:

Life's too short to drive a Chevy.

Prince:

Nevermind the crazy person whom I just quoted. He meant to say RAM. You should have got the RAM

(Doc was just recently diagosed with tourettes..he can't be held responsible for the rubbish that sometimes slips out)

 

[ddawg16]

From what you described, it sounds like you got into a situation that nothing would have solved. If your still sliding and the tires are not turning....don't blame it on the vehicle.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Prince:

Nevermind the crazy person whom I just quoted. He meant to say RAM. You should have got the RAM

(Doc was just recently diagosed with tourettes..he can't be held responsible for the rubbish that sometimes slips out)

Oh creeper, you complete me, darling. That was good! :laughing:

Look what I just bought, a Harley Davidson Dyna Glide (to go along with my Ford diesel), the best truck ever made. 4k.

 

[Doc Holliday]

 

[Doc Holliday]

Hey sheriff, don't tell anyone I was doing 90, okay?



I was trying to see where my transmission fluid temperature would sustain itself at. Just at under a minute into the video I go under a bridge. The loud vehicle is my truck. Love that sound, love it even more on the bike!

 

[Canucker]

Oh creeper, you complete me, darling. That was good! :laughing:

Look what I just bought, a Harley Davidson Dyna Glide (to go along with my Ford diesel), the best truck ever made. 4k.

When did John Deere start painting their lawn tractors red?:laughing::whistling2:

 

[Billy_Bob]

If the wheels are ALL spinning / slipping, not much traction control can do!

I put studded tires on all 4 wheels, even if just 2 wheel drive. The front end can slip sideways if a road is sloping.

Also the way that traction control might work is to apply braking if a wheel starts to slip (on just one wheel). It may determine this by the speed of the rotation of the front wheels. And possible if both back wheels were slipping in comparison to the front wheels, maybe braking was applied to both back wheels? (Then the motor stalled.) And this would be a design flaw if that is the case!

So report the problem to your local dealer. Be sure to tell them exactly what you did. The speed you were going when this happened. If you stepped on the brakes or not prior to the engine stalling. Pressing the brakes and accelerator at same time, Etc. (Driver actions might override any automatic gizmos, so important to tell them exactly what you did.)

P.S. You can also put chains on your back wheels (if rear wheel drive).

 

[princelake]

i looked up what exactly stabilitrak/traction control does when you start spinning and it will lock the brakes and fire on less cylinders and stop fuel to the motor. its a great design if your falling down the highway and start sliding out out on black ice but if you start to spin a bit on a hill your done. i was doing between 50-60km and i was just about at the top, another 10feet and i would have made it. its a rear wheel drive van. i was thinking of studded tires so i dont have to put the chains on every day to get home. but will i get enough traction to not spin with studded tires is the question? or just go with the annoying chains then will i get the traction needed for icy hills with a 2wheel drive?

 

[joecaption]

Vans suck when it comes to ice and snow. The rear end of the vehical is just to light.
What I've done and it made a world of differance is build sort of a box that set between the wheel wells out of 2 X 6's. The front and back cross pieces were running across the whole truck to the walls, then just add 2, pieces between the two. Picture the letter H with two cross bars.
Then I set a piece of old carpet under it.
Now just fill the box with cement blocks.
Now all the weights right over the wheels, it does not take up much space, easy to install and remove.

 

[polarzak]

Stabilitrak will do nothing for you when gravity is involved. If you are sliding on a hill, you are going to go where gravitity takes you. Stabilitrak will help if the car yaws (look it up), and traction control helps if one wheel loses traction, then the other takes over (I have simplified it) Basic driving skills in inclement weather is the best control you will have. In other words, slow the "F" down, and stop depending on the vehicle to get you out of your mess. With the new cars that parallel park themselves, rear cameras, blind spot and backup sensors, etc basic skills are being lost. Soon you young folks, will expect the vehicle to wipe your bum. It is cool watching a 767 fly itself..hands off, but there is nothing like a flying a Cessna yourself..hands on.

 

[princelake]

ok so i'll just putt up an ice hill with a 2wheel drive van that will go over well. i was givinger up the hill with speed because that is the only way im going to make it and technology took over then gravity took over. i need to overcome the technology problem so gravity doesnt become boss.

 

[Doc Holliday]

 

[polarzak]

Doc...a beautiful bike.
I was driving a Kawasaki 750, bought new, and the fastest production bike on the road in 1971 before you were born. (Maybe) And lots after that...I once rode a Gold Wing in a sudden snow storm... no fun at all.
Nice bike, friend.

 

[Doc Holliday]

My list of motorized two wheelers throughout the years: moped :thumbup:, CR 125, YZ 125, XR 200, Husky 390, GSXR 1100, Virago 1100, CB 175, CB 750, Kawasaki 750 and now this Harley. I'm not sure what the motor size is on it, though.


D.O.B. 11-07-1976