How to?? Winter driving with traction control

Hey yall.

So today indiana got our first real snow storm of the winter! I am beyond impressed with how well my truck did in the snow. I used 2wd everywhere besides one parking lot that hadnt been plowed with 8" of snow...

Anyways so traction control... how do i turn it COMPLETLY off? I know if you push the button it turns it "off" but i noticed that it still engaged occasionally if i really was getting sideways or slipping and you could see the light flashing on the dash.

I had a 2010 charger that if you held the button for 10 seconds at start up it would beep and be off for good (till you turned truck on and off). So my question is how do i completely disable the traction control?

I'm really hoping that I am wrong since this is my first Ram, but after the research I've done it sounds like the traction control is the only thing that can be defeated with the button. Stability control cannot be turned off.

Thanks for the reply! I didnt realize that was stability control turning on. If that is unable to be disabled i may cry a little cause it was making it nearly impossible to do a donut and drift. Plus it sounds god awful when it turns on.

If you hold the traction control button down for 5 seconds or so, I believe it will pop up on the dash that the stability control is turned off*. If you exceed 40 mph it will turn itself back on till you drop below 40 again.
IIRC it is fuse F26 you pull out to disable the ABS module so the traction/stability control can't kick back in. Some guys wire in a relay so they don't have get out to disable.

We just got our first real storm also and my new 2017 is the first truck i bought without LSD and i do not see any difference at all without having it.

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Buy a tuner and disable it.

I have a tuner but went back and forth about disabling the TC. I left it on because it is there to serve a purpose. I can still whip it sideways without much effort just by hitting the button and turning it off.

I can't get my truck sideways for ****. Sure it'll bust the tires loose but as soon as it starts to slide, boom the fun is over.
Anyways, the only way to truly turn off both traction control and stabilitrac is to pull the abs fuse. Obviously this will have other repercussions. Another option is to wire a switch inline with that fuse that'll just temporarily disable it till the fun is over. Or put it 4wd. When it's in 4wd you can hold the button and it'll turn off both


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In 4wd hi, hold the esp button for 5 or 10 seconds until it chimes. Traction control will be full off up to 40 mph, beyond 40 it'll go to partial off. Slow down to about 35, it will go back to full off. In 2wd, you can only go partial off. That's how it worked with my 09, I'm sure it hasn't changed with the body refresh. I'm not sure how it works with 4auto, I'll have to try it later.

You have to be in 4wd to completely disable.

On my 2012.....you can not turn it all the way off unless you use a tuner.

The 5 sec or even 10 sec thing doesn't work. I tried it in snow, and even with it supposedly all the way off, once the tires are spinning, it tries to use the brakes to slow them down, and then, if that doesn't work and you hit 3000 rpm (tires spinning of course), it will start to kill spark to drop engine speed back down.

Traction Control System (TCS)

The TCS monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s), and engine power is reduced to provide enhanced acceleration and stability. A feature of the TCS functions similarly to a limited-slip differential and controls the wheel spin across a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is spinning faster than the other, the system will apply the brake of the spinning wheel. This will allow more engine torque to be applied to the wheel that is not spinning. This feature remains active even if TCS and ESC are in the “Partial Off” mode. This brake pressure modulation transfers drive torque from slipping to non-slipping wheels to provide optimal forward traction.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

The ESC system enhances directional control and stability of the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESC corrects for oversteering or understeering of the vehicle by applying the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist in counteracting the oversteer or understeer condition. Engine power may also be reduced to help the vehicle maintain the desired path. ESC uses sensors in the vehicle to determine the vehicle path intended by the driver and compares it to the actual path of the vehicle. When the actual path does not match the intended path, ESC applies the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist in counteracting the oversteer or
understeer condition.
• Oversteer - when the vehicle is turning more than appropriate for the steering wheel position.
• Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than appropriate for the steering wheel position.

All Ram Two-Wheel Drive Vehicles And Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles In 2WD, 4WD AUTO, Or 4WD LOCK Modes Can Choose The following ESC Operating Modes:

ESC On
This is the normal operating mode for ESC in 2WD/4WD AUTO/4WD LOCK modes and in 2WD vehicles. This mode should be used for almost all driving situations. ESC should only be turned to “Partial Off” or “ESC Off” for specific reasons as noted below.

ESC Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily pressing the “ESC Off” switch. When in Partial Off mode, the TCS portion of ESC, except for he “limited slip” feature described in the TCS section, has been disabled and the "ESC Off Indicator Light" will be illuminated. All other stability features of ESC function normally. This mode is intended to be used if the vehicle is in deep snow, sand, or gravel conditions and more wheel spin than TCS would normally allow is required to gain traction. To turn ESC on again, momentarily press the “ESC Off” switch. This will restore the normal “ESC On” mode of operation.

This Is the ESC operating mode in 4WD LOW:

ESC Full Off
This mode is intended for off-road use when ESC stability features could inhibit vehicle maneuverability due to trail conditions. This mode is entered by pressing and holding the “ESC Off” switch for five seconds WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED and the engine is running. After five seconds, the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will illuminate and the “ESC Off” message will appear in the odometer. ESC and TCS except for the “limited slip” feature described in the TCS section are turned off until the vehicle reaches a speed of 40 mph (64 km/h). At 40 mph (64 km/h) the system returns to “Partial Off” mode. When the vehicle speed drops below 35 mph (56 km/h) the system returns to Full Off mode. To turn ESC on again, momentarily press the “ESC Off” switch.

Is f26 the fuse you pull? When you put the fuse back in do the lights on the dash go out? Or do you have to clear the codes?

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John thank you for that informative reply! That legit explains everything.

So my question is then because maybe I did it wrong... to turn the ESC completely off by doing the hold down for 5 seconds and listening for the chime... does it have to be in park? And if I have already placed it into drive will it still do it?

The reason I ask is that I tried to hold it down for the 5 to 10 seconds but never got a chime or anything but I was already in drive and had moved (under 40 mph though). I guess my question is what is the exact process to turn it off? And if I understand it correctly... once I turn It off at start up it will remain off (under 40 mph) until the vehicle is restarted? It will automatically move from on to off when you hit 40 mph?

I feel your struggle

Laporte county got hit pretty decent the other night. I go Rear wheel if I know I'm going just through town as well, the TCS is pretty good at keeping you from whipping around. I only go 4 high if we get heavy lake effect or busting through drifts or parking in my yard so I can move snow... only used 4 low to pull a semi out of our dry dock that was completely iced over at work.

Mbrp.Ram said:

Laporte county got hit pretty decent the other night. I go Rear wheel if I know I'm going just through town as well, the TCS is pretty good at keeping you from whipping around. I only go 4 high if we get heavy lake effect or busting through drifts or parking in my yard so I can move snow... only used 4 low to pull a semi out of our dry dock that was completely iced over at work.

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Nice im actually located in Porter County! We got a good snow the other night ayh?

I used 2wd the whole time. The only time I switched to 4x4 was when I attempted to do some donuts in a parking lot that hadn't been touched yet. Had a solid 8" of snow in it and was on an uphill. I had stopped to turn the TCS and sure enough I was stuck. dropped in 4wd high and she drove out like there was no snow.

I am beyond impressed with how well this truck handles in the snow.

update--- i tried to do this this morning with no luck... i tried to as soon as i turned car on and still in park holding button down. after about 15 seconds the light just turns off again. never got a chime. i tried to break it loose in the snow and the stability kicked on.

Tried again while in drive still no luck...

What am i doing wrong?

savage_46 said:

In 4wd hi, hold the esp button for 5 or 10 seconds until it chimes. Traction control will be full off up to 40 mph, beyond 40 it'll go to partial off. Slow down to about 35, it will go back to full off. In 2wd, you can only go partial off. That's how it worked with my 09, I'm sure it hasn't changed with the body refresh. I'm not sure how it works with 4auto, I'll have to try it later.

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Thanks for this. I didnt know how .

Bdersch said:

update--- i tried to do this this morning with no luck... i tried to as soon as i turned car on and still in park holding button down. after about 15 seconds the light just turns off again. never got a chime. i tried to break it loose in the snow and the stability kicked on.

Tried again while in drive still no luck...

What am i doing wrong?

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Were you in 2WD? It will only work in 4WD (hold button for 10 sec). Other than that, pull the fuse and completely rid yourself of the 'nanny' features.

Okay so I was in 2wd... so this ONLY works in 4x4???

Man, driving is getting complicated.......