How many of you IS owners here keep your traction control turned completely OFF ? That is VSC and TRC both OFF.

I know it's a lot safer with them ON but I also know for a fact that these interfere with our speeds if it feels that the wheels are loosing traction or in other words cut off power and the driving pleasure of spinning the wheels when needed. I have it on for now but based on a poll on how many IS 250 /IS 300 / IS 350 owners have their setting's on "ON" vs "OFF" I may change my mind.

 

I heard it turns back on after 40 MPH I got a IS350

 

i leave mine on

 

Though often very restrictive, its probably for the best to leave it on...until visiting the local race track.

 

This is dumb. It's incredibly ill-advised to drive around in normal daily driving with VSC turned off. It's there precisely to keep you safely on the road.

Exactly. It's a feature to keep you safe. End of story. No need for buts...

Interfere with your speeds? It only interferes with your speeds when you're about to lose traction and spin out, or when you're taking off from a stop and you spin your wheels. Neither of these things should you be doing intentionally. Even if you are trying to launch on the streets, you would turn it off just for that launch but leave it on the rest of the time.

The driving pleasure of spinning your wheels when needed? When exactly is this needed? On the streets it never is. On a track sure. But you never WANT to spin your wheels on the streets, it's incredibly unsafe and frankly makes you look like a jerk.

No one should be driving this car so far to the limit in normal, everyday street driving that they spin their wheels. It would be extremely reckless. The system is there precisely to keep you safely on the road.

 

got my IS sideways without traction control back when I had 19s on the car. Now i wont even dare touch it lol

 

I was always confused about that button. When you push it the orange light comes on does that mean its on or off? Now lets say it means its off when you spin out It just kicks back on again. Or in time it will kick itself back on after a few miles

its a no win situation

So

Light on: Traction Control off

Light off: Traction control on

 

^ you're right.

 

There are two options, and then a whole nother thing for 2006 models only:

For 07+ models:

Press the button once and it turns off traction control. Once you hit 30 mph it turns back on.


Hold the button down for 5 seconds and TWO lights come on on the dash- this disables traction control and VSC... and both remain off until you turn off the car (or press the button again to turn them back on).


For 2006 models to get them to stay off you have to do the pedal dance.

 

Thanks and congrats on post 6,000

 

Safety rules are written in blood...

 

I leave mine on 99% of the time. Every once in a while I'll turn it off and do a few 0 - 60 runs.

 

Then why does Lexus give us a button to turn it off? There are hundreds of models of cars that have zero electronic traction control (Dodge Viper!). You don't have to "spin" the tires for the traction control to kick in. Just pushing the car hard from a standstill causes the traction control to kick in, limiting the power to the wheels. There are a few winding hills where I live that I love to drive hard on when the chance presents itself. I can't stand it when the traction control kicks in. I might as well drive a 250 the way the traction control limits things. Unfortunately, I drive an '06 and have to do the peddle dance to disable it. So unless the weather is crappy I usually disable it when I get in my car (which, living in Seattle, it means 9 more months of rain and driving around with traction control on )

 

On for daily drive. Off for the dragway and winter snowy season.

 

I drive with it on always under normal conditions. TRAC off for "red light races in Mexico", and VSC off on the track