Some time ago I complained that Ford advertised the 08 diesels with traction control. Ad read "All diesel trucks"
When I called them on it they started talking about a truck buy back....then said they could add it...
Said it would take a couple of days because my F-450 had the wiring pack for the option...Well they have had the truck for 1 1/2 weeks now..Starting to get worried...I checked and if they add it to the truck it is covered by lemon law.....
The Tech that was working on it said oh it's an easy job....The Ford Engineer said "No it is not"...
Well if they screw it up I will look at getting a job 2 truck and add some more goodies...

 

cool, where can i get a copy of this ad?

 

You might not want it..Let me see how it turns out on my install and I'll let you know...

 

I've heard it's not worth it. It de-fuels the engine to lower power, not by controlling brakes at each wheel separately. Dealer also told me in turns off in 4wd.

 

There can be some confusion when you speak of traction control on 2008 Super dutys, all 6.4 diesels have "engine torque traction control" which derates the engine when wheel spin is detected.
This should not be confused with the optional traction control available with both diesels and gas engines that does use the brakes to manage wheel spin.
Below is a post from an earlier thread on the subject;

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by kw5413
Traction Control is listed as an option, even on the F-450 Lariat, on the build a Ford site.
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The traction control listed as an option is not "engine torque traction control" but rather the system that applies the brakes on the spinning wheel to shift power to the other wheel.


"The 2008 Super Duty is the only vehicle in its class to utilize a sophisticated type of patented engine torque traction control on all diesel models . While most competitors use brakes to manage torque, Super Duty’s state-of-the-art diesel uses engine torque to manage wheel spin. Super Duty’s system computes wheel speed from the differential and reduces torque to match the best traction to the wheels for that terrain. The system works in 4x2 only and offers the option of shutting it off when it's not needed"


The $130 option traction control using the brake system is optional on either gas or diesel engines, clearly its not the same thing.

 

Good post! And it definitely is not the same thing. I actually had/have the option on my 450, had the button and everything. But for the first 3 months it did nothing. The little light was lit (off) and pushing it 1000 times did not seem to fix it. I took it to 3 different dealers. The 1st 2 tried different things to get it to work, but never did figure it out. I did get 2 new switches and several new ABS controllers out of it. The 3rd figured it out. It was not programmed into the PCM for this truck from the factory. Got a new program from Ford, flashed my truck and away we go. Haven't used it since.

 

From the research I've done, the optional traction control is a throttle reduction when the wheels are spinning, not braking. There is one sensor at the differential that causes the throttle to cut back if the rear wheels are going faster than the front wheels.

In any case, I am pretty sure that it would not brake one spinning wheel like a limited slip is supposed to overcome.

Even though the Ford blurb says that all diesel models have traction control, that might not mean it is standard.

 

I've got the traction control on my 08 PSD and love it. I live way far north and we have icy snowy crappy roads all winter long and the system works great for keeping the back end from breaking loose. It does disengage in 4X4.

 

i have both brochuers fr the 350 and 450 and there is nothing about traction control? i woudbt want it ayway,,you loose the control to the machine. i dont want my vehicle slowing down because of a little wheel slip. my vw diesel jeta is a pain on some hills. it cn be over ridden a bit by flooring da pedl.

 

To each his own!..
Works great....

 

In the owners manual, it states that you can put the vehicle in 3rd gear (auto) and it keeps the wheels from spinning out - acting like a traction control. I've used this technique on slick boat ramps to prevent wheel slip when pulling the boat out with out needing to put the truck in 4WD.

 

So on the Super Duty's that do not have the 'optional' traction control; just how does the driver "shut it off when it's not needed?"

Bob

 

Good question.

 

The point is if all SD's have engine torque traction control per the post then all SD's would have a switch to disable it as the poster stated.

The argument is that the 'optional' traction control can modulate brakes with the ABS and the standard traction control is simply engine torque control.

So if all SD's have traction control where is their switch?

 

BTW, mine has the optional traction control.


From the service manual: note it says 'some' vehicles, not all.

Engine Only Traction Control

Some vehicles may be equipped with an engine only traction control (EOTC) system. In order to achieve maximum traction, the EOTC system is designed to limit wheel spin by modulating engine torque when driving on slippery or loose surfaces. Engine torque modulation is achieved by regulating fuel and spark to the cylinders. This means that the traction control system is controlled by the PCM and not the ABS module. The only function of the ABS module in an EOTC system is to provide wheel speed information to the PCM along the high speed communication area network (HS-CAN) bus. The PCM uses the wheel speed information to determine when traction control is needed.

The traction assist system can be disabled by pressing the traction assist switch (located on the instrument panel center finish panel) and is indicated by the yellow traction assist indicator light on the switch. The traction assist system will reset and return to normal operation when the ignition switch is cycled or when the traction assist switch is pressed and released a second time during the same ignition cycle.