How to get your Ford vehicle unstuck from snow

Winters in Edmonton pose the threat of snow and ice for your drive. Luckily, many new Ford models on today’s market are outfitted with Traction Control, technology that tells your engine which wheels need the most power to keep you moving forward. If you find yourself in bad weather or road conditions, today we’ll show you some tips on how to get your Ford vehicle unstuck from snow, as well as when you should be using its Traction Control feature.  

Features and Operation of Ford Traction Control

In Ford models, traction control is often paired with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) as part of AdvanceTrac. Using sensors located throughout your vehicle’s body, this technology can detect when you start to lose control of the road, and applies selective braking and torque shifting maneuvers to keep you centred in your lane.

Should you drive with Traction Control on or off?

One cool aspect about Ford’s Traction Control technology is that it’s always on in your vehicle, unless you manually turn it off either from your information menu or centre instrument panel. In slick, wet conditions, keeping Traction Control/ESC on is ideal, but this is not the case when you get stuck in snow or mud.

Since traction control decreases the rate at which your vehicle’s tires spin, keeping it activated when you’re stuck can lead to problems getting out. For this reason, we recommend turning your Traction Control off if you’re trapped in snow, so that you can devote your Ford model’s full power to spinning your wheels and getting you unstuck.

Read More: How to drive in a blizzard and what to do if your car gets stuck

What does it mean when your Traction Control light flashes or is on?

The second you disengage your Traction Control feature, you’ll see a light that resembles a vehicle with skid marks behind it above the word “Off.” This lets you know that Traction Control is deactivated.

Read More: What do the Ford Dashboard Warning Lights Indicate?

Directly to the right of this light is one with largely the same design, only without the “Off” disclaimer. That’s your standard Traction Control light, and it flashes when your AdvanceTrac or Traction Control systems have been activated. If this light starts to flash solid, that may indicate a defect or fault in your Ford model’s system – should this be the case, it’s always best to come see our Sherwood Ford team for service!