What are the components of the Traction Control System?
4 Answers
The components of the Traction Control System are: 1. Wheel speed sensor; 2. Electronic control unit; 3. Brake pressure regulator; 4. Sub-throttle and throttle position sensor; 5. Warning device. The functions of the Traction Control System are: 1. Preventing the driving wheels of the car from slipping during acceleration; 2. Maintaining the driving stability of the car. The working principle of the Traction Control System is: During the driving process of the car, the ABS or ASR electronic control unit determines the slip rate of the driving wheels and the reference speed of the car by calculating, analyzing, and comparing the wheel speed signals sent by each wheel speed sensor. The ABS or ASR electronic control unit adjusts the slip rate of the driving wheels by controlling the opening of the sub-throttle and the brake pressure regulator.
This thing sounds fancy, but it's actually just a trio of computer + sensors + actuators. I've seen mechanics take it apart with my own eyes—the core components are the speed sensors on all four wheels, capable of measuring wheel speed hundreds of times per second. There's also a steering angle sensor behind the wheel, and an accelerator pedal position sensor hidden under the gas pedal. All this data gets funneled into the anti-skid control computer (we mechanics often call it the ABS pump). If the computer detects any wheel spinning freely, it immediately takes action: first, it tells the engine ECU to reduce throttle and torque, and if that doesn't work, it commands the ABS pump to apply targeted braking to the slipping wheel. The whole system is like an electronic bodyguard for the car, especially useful in rain or snow.
Our driving school instructors always emphasize the importance of the anti-skid system, which primarily relies on three coordinated components: the sensing unit (wheel speed sensors, steering wheel sensors), the decision-making center (the vehicle's computer), and the execution team (throttle control module + hydraulic unit). Last month, a student accelerated sharply on a slippery road, causing the anti-skid light on the dashboard to flash rapidly. This happened because the wheel speed sensors detected that the rear wheels were spinning faster than the front wheels. The computer immediately narrowed the throttle to reduce fuel injection, while the ABS pump applied intermittent braking to the rear wheels. The entire process was completed in less than half a second, and the car didn’t even wobble.
As a car modification specialist with ten years of experience, I've seen dozens of anti-slip systems. The most streamlined structure includes: four wheel speed sensors capturing data in real-time; a steering angle sensor determining driver intent; a yaw rate sensor measuring vehicle posture; a hydraulic control unit adjusting brake fluid pressure; and an engine control module reducing power output. Common failures often occur when wheel speed sensors get clogged with mud or when wiring between sensors and the ABS computer corrodes. Last year, a modified car lost control during a drift due to signal loss caused by the wheel speed sensor harness being melted by the exhaust pipe.
