So it snowed in Massachusetts about 8-12 inches where I lived. I have to admit the parking lot where I work was in bad shape but I have never been stuck in the snow with a front wheel drive car as much as I was a few days ago. I had to be pushed by hand just to be able to back up enough to where I could get enough traction to move!!! Then I had to crawl forward at a snail's pace to reach another spot that was cleared so I could move again! As I was being pushed I had the throttle all the way to the floor and the engine was not revving it would only rev once in a while. I thought something was wrong with my car but then I realized it was the traction control system "working". I found this system useless in deep snow where you have to punch the accelerator to get the momentum you need to plow through snow. I have had a few older Cavaliers and other front wheel drive cars w/o traction control and have never had a problem getting out of unplowed driveways through deep snow. Isn't that what the traction control should help you with?

 

Traction control is not four wheel drive.Traction control works, when there is no traction to the wheel it thencutsgas to that wheel. Its not a perfect system, butifdrivingon slick roads it is helpful.

 

for a more accurate description it retards the timing in the vehicle and applies the ABS very quickly to avoid wheel spin, it is not perfect, and can be turned off for situations like you describe..for climbing up icy hills and around town it is the shizza, works awsome.

 

So exactly how do you turn off the traction control on a Cobalt???

 

shift it to low...'L' it will turn off and allow you to spin freely....