What *real" experience does anybody have of Traction Plus?

This is a serious question as yesterday I had to be towed out of front nearside wheel stuck (or should I say spinning in) in boggy ground.

Background. Pull of the road to a dry/damp firm grass verge about 3 to 4 feet wide. O/S wheel 50%-75% on grass and 50%-25% on grass/gravel/tarmac edge. Front N/S wheel on soft water laded boggy surface.

When I went to pull away the N/S wheel just spun. There was no Anti-Slip attempt or flickering ASR light on dash. Then put into Traction Plus mode. Central display changed to the fancy 2 wheel info legend. Tried again but the N/S wheel just spun as before.

Tried a 2nd gear start, the same. Tried the old trick of gently pressing the pedal, same again. No flickering ASR light. No sound or juddering of the N/S brake being applied.

All very strange and rather embarrassing to be pull out by a Forestry Commission *Ford* 4x4 truck.

Today I ran a second test. In my 1in10 slopped drive I jacked up the N/S front wheel to release axle load and grip wheel grip. (safety note - jack orientated so it could roll forward). I then chocked the rear N/S wheel for both forward and reverse movement. Released the parking brake.

In both Sport mode and Auto mode the front N/S wheel just span. No indications on dash or evidence of juddering/braking. Then went into traction plus mode. The display started to show %drive to O/S wheel only, increasing to 100% but the N/S wheel just span.

This sound totally wrong and not as expected. Also no errors etc. reported by the car.

Two observations I have which could explain

1) This is a starting off issue limitation

2) The clutch pedal may not have been fully released and the system does not fully engage whilst clutch is not fully released?

If 2) is true then I should have just fully released and blasted out but I was already digging in so could have ended up with the sill on the ground!

I've had the same experience while my right side of the car was stuck in ice (parked uphill). Eventually I let the car creep downhill, found a place with more traction and managed to get out.

Doesn't really make sense when you see this:



and this




My Croma had ASR and it worked better than having no ASR and you could feel the application of the brake (ABS juddering) and the flicker light on the dash.

In the 500X nothing so what is (or is not going on).

This makes two of us now.

Anymore ?

Yesterday I was at my Fiat dealer to pursue this further.

1) There were no logged errors codes (ABS/Traction)

2) There was however a 500X ABS software update that they applied.

Sadly apart from the fact that there was an updated the "referred details" on the update had no further information as to what the update was all about and what issues it may have resolved.

Quite frustrating really and nothing to do with my dealer's excellent support.

These electronic and software systems are getting so complex then unless you have a "hard fault" then the rest is all speculation / intervention and capture time and a modicum of bling faith

In this case there is no approved method of testing the real operation of the traction control system. Looks like I'll have to wait until the next time I get into a traction situation and then see what transpires. Short of that we need to organise a 500X / 500L 4x2 shoot out with of course suitable recovery vehicles in attendance (just in case).

As winter approaches (well maybe I'm a little early) I thought I would bring this thread up again so people will be more aware and critical of the 500X's so called Traction Plus (or Traction Minus in my experience.

If we get some consensus that the system is not working as it should then we have a better chance of Fiat sorting it out.

Just wish there was a 4x4 traction test rolling road to create various traction scenarios without have to go really off road and get stuck yet again and towed out by a Ford or other non Fiat vehicle