Do all BMW's come with traction control these days?

[wasssup]

My dad's coworker is selling his 3yr old low-mileage 3-series BMW (don't know any more details yet), but if its the normal rwd one i'd probably have problems with it in the winter in NJ without traction control...does anyone know if they all came with traction control back then, and if not, how can I tell if it actually has it?

 

[maziwanka]

i would bet it does come with it

 

[Zenmervolt]

Well, you could always ask a dealership if they can run the VIN and see what options the car had. It doesn't always work, but it's something. BMW VIN's don't tell anything about options but it's conceivable that somewhere there is a database that will link each VIN to the option list for the car. Definitely not 100% sure though.

Also, you could check with a dealer and see if BMW does what Porsche does and affixes an option code sticker somewhere on the car. If the car has an option code sticker, you can check from that.

ZV

EDIT: Never mind, clicking the very first link that comes up in a Google search for "2001 BMW 3-Series" (without the quotation marks) takes me to a review's intor page. The review lists traction control as standard on all 2001 3-Series.

 

[Rkonster]

Check for the button to turn it off.

 

[cquark]

Originally posted by: wasssup
My dad's coworker is selling his 3yr old low-mileage 3-series BMW (don't know any more details yet), but if its the normal rwd one i'd probably have problems with it in the winter in NJ without traction control...does anyone know if they all came with traction control back then, and if not, how can I tell if it actually has it?

Edmunds.com is a great place for researching cars. Otherwise, find a situation that would trigger the traction control; gravel roads may work if you don't have snow.

 

[3chordcharlie]

see the thread on 'dumping the clutch' Text

do this, and if the tires don't spin there's probably traction control.

Seriously though, there is almost always a button in the car to disable the traction control system in a car that has one - you should be able to find this button easily. A lot of cars also disable the traction control system when you engage the emergency brake, so you might try this and see if an extra warning light (besides the red "!") comes on, "Trac" "ETS" and "TCS" are some of the symbols I've seen used for this on various cars.

 

[spidey07]

floor it...if the wheels don't spin then you have traction control

OR

not nearly enough power.

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: wasssup
My dad's coworker is selling his 3yr old low-mileage 3-series BMW (don't know any more details yet), but if its the normal rwd one i'd probably have problems with it in the winter in NJ without traction control...does anyone know if they all came with traction control back then, and if not, how can I tell if it actually has it?

Try driving really fast in the rain or snow and see if you lose traction. :evil:

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: spidey07
floor it...if the wheels don't spin then you have traction control

OR

not nearly enough power.

Floor it with the steering wheel to maximum right or left. This spins the wheels even on lesser cars (oh, yeah - in an empty parking)

Calin

 

[wasssup]

thanks for the help guys

well, i can't even test drive the car, as its located in texas and i'm in nj..basically, my dad will check it out, and if its in good condition i'll tell him to go ahead with the purchase (the guy's selling it for $14k, so even if its an auto its still a decent deal i think)

 

[Argo]

Normally you'd have a little button to turn it off somewhere on the dash. On my car it's called "ESP Off". And just for your info - traction control doesn't help that much in the winter. The only scenario I can think off where ESP (electronic stability control) helps is when you take a turn too fast on a slippery road, where ESP kicks in increasing your chances of maintaing control.

 

[wasssup]

Originally posted by: Argo
Normally you'd have a little button to turn it off somewhere on the dash. On my car it's called "ESP Off". And just for your info - traction control doesn't help that much in the winter. The only scenario I can think off where ESP (electronic stability control) helps is when you take a turn too fast on a slippery road, where ESP kicks in increasing your chances of maintaing control.

hmm...so i'd probably still have trouble driving in blizzard conditions, huh? its going to be my daily driver, so i'm still going to have to get out and about in the snow

 

[3chordcharlie]

most rwd cars respond well enough to a set of snow tires and/or a few bags of sand in the back.

With or without traction control, it will not be as easy to drive in snow as a fwd car, but there's no reason you can't do it. I've driven rwd with no traction control (or even ABS) in Ontario since I started driving, it just takes a little more concentration.

 

[m2kewl]

Originally posted by: wasssup

Originally posted by: Argo
Normally you'd have a little button to turn it off somewhere on the dash. On my car it's called "ESP Off". And just for your info - traction control doesn't help that much in the winter. The only scenario I can think off where ESP (electronic stability control) helps is when you take a turn too fast on a slippery road, where ESP kicks in increasing your chances of maintaing control.

hmm...so i'd probably still have trouble driving in blizzard conditions, huh? its going to be my daily driver, so i'm still going to have to get out and about in the snow

just buy a set of snow tires. it's not that bad unless you're driving it like you've stolen it.

 

[z0mb13]

bmws actually fare very well in snow.. just use snow tires

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: wasssup

Originally posted by: Argo
Normally you'd have a little button to turn it off somewhere on the dash. On my car it's called "ESP Off". And just for your info - traction control doesn't help that much in the winter. The only scenario I can think off where ESP (electronic stability control) helps is when you take a turn too fast on a slippery road, where ESP kicks in increasing your chances of maintaing control.

hmm...so i'd probably still have trouble driving in blizzard conditions, huh? its going to be my daily driver, so i'm still going to have to get out and about in the snow

I drove my C-class through the winter. Didn't have much problems with it. I mean it's definitely not as safe and easy to drive as AWD cars but I wouldn't make that a deal breaker - you'll just have to drive more carefully in the winter. The only problem I had last winter is when the snow started melting and I got a little 2" inch accumulation of ice behidn my rear tires. Need a friend to help me get my car out of the parking lot. Thank god i have a garage now.

 

[isekii]

Hey, you don't need traction control in the winter.
I have traction control on the IS300 and I always turn it off.
the power to the wheels when it slips, but in the winter you expect slippage and that totally kills the car in terms of driveability. You won't get anywhere with the traction control on unfortunately.


Yea as Zomb13 mentioned, get a set of good snowtires.
They'll be you best friend in the winter.

 

[z0mb13]

Originally posted by: isekii
Hey, you don't need traction control in the winter.
I have traction control on the IS300 and I always turn it off.
the power to the wheels when it slips, but in the winter you expect slippage and that totally kills the car in terms of driveability. You won't get anywhere with the traction control on unfortunately.


Yea as Zomb13 mentioned, get a set of good snowtires.
They'll be you best friend in the winter.

???? I thought traction control is supposed to HELP you during icy conditions!?!??!

its not like you are going to drive like a MOFO when snow is on the ground..

 

[CtK]

ya my 2002 BMW has DSC (Dynamic Stability Control)