Breambasher

Ive got a MK2 Mondeo Automatic and today for the 1st time that i have ever noticed my traction control light flashed on the dashboard... i had tried to pull away a bit quick in damp weather and i thought that was that, i should add that it was not that fast a pull away, just a tad quicker than usual, nothing spectacular.

I must confess that i didnt know what the light actually was until i checked my owners guide... and inside this guide it does say that the light may illuminate if accelerating in damp conditions or uphill... so i thought all was ok, until i read more from the next paragraph...

Now i dont know if i have this correct or not, hence my post here... but in the owners guide i think it is trying to say that i should have the button pressed in all the time when i am driving? the button on the centre console that lights up the traction control... is this right?

It says 'the control light will flash when driving the car' mine does not... it is not lit up at all... i do see the light on the dashboard light up when i turn on the ignition but that goes out shortly afterwards (this is the same light i saw flash today when i pulled away in the damp a bit but not much keenly).

Basically i am very confused if i should have the button pressed in so it lights up or pressed out so the light on the button is not lit (as it has always been since ive driven the car)...

The guide says the light will flash... but it dont, except that one time when i pulled away as i have explained.

Can anyone offer any advice on this please...

Thankyou

Paul

p17fld

Pressed out would be 'on' , and the light will illuminate only when you spin the front wheels. If the button is 'pressed' in, the traction control is 'off' and the light will stay on all the time to warn you of this fact.

bookwyse

Traction control is on UNLESS yoiu press the button and the light on the dash will lght to warn you that it is off.

In normal driving conditions it may flicker on to indicate that it is working due to pulling away a bit sharply in the wet. It will only flash when it actually being active or if you have switched if off as stated above.

What you have descirbed is perfectly normal.

Breambasher

Thankyou very much, i think i understand although i will be honest and say im only about 80% sure as 30 minutes ago i didnt even know i had a traction control light.

So if i press the button on the centre console (which makes it stay lit) i have turned OFF the traction control?

And if the light on the dashboard flickers (mine flashed for about 2-3 seconds) then that means its just cos i pulled away a bit quick and ive done no damage at all to anything and its normal to do this?

What would the benefits be for turning off the traction control on the centre console...

Sorry for being a bit slow here, its just i always associated lights flashing on the dashboard as being a warning to something being wrong.

Paul

bookwyse

You are correct in that the light indicates traction is off and flickering n is normal.

It's useful to be able to turn it of in some circumstances ie stuck in snow or mud to assist in moving the car.

DanW@FastFord

iTrader: (1)

Virtually all cars with traction control operate this way. As Bookwyse stated, it's perfectly normal.