Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance How-To: Mechanical T/C delete

The mechanical traction control system is a nice touch. It helps prevent wheelspin in slick conditions, and was a rarity in 1995, mostly found on much higher-end cars. However, for performance driving such as autocross or drag racing, it's quite instrusive. Additionally, a good driver can feather the throttle well enough to get around in nasty weather, so the T/C system isn't always wanted. Luckily, there's a button on the dash to disable it! There's also a fuse under the dash that will kill the ABS and T/C, if you desire, or you can remove the cable from the T/C control unit under the hood, behind the passenger side headlight. Either of these methods will let you keep it off more or less permanantly, which can be nice since the button on the dash only turns it off until you turn the car off.

So, with all these methods of disabling it electronically, why remove it altogether? Well, for me it's 3lbs 3 oz right off the front of the car, plus the (very small) weight of the cable. It's not a hard job, so if you're SURE you want it gone - forever - it's no big deal to do it. For those that modify for show-off status, it's one more mod on the oh-so-cool "factory option delete" list, and a little less complication in the engine bay.

So, here's how to go about doing it.

First attack the controller itself. It's a mostly round contraption behind the passenger side headlight, right in front of the coolant tank. Removing the hoses from the front of the tank makes things a little easier. First unhook the wire bundle connected to the top. Three screws (10mm) hold it down, and are easy to get with an extension. Pull it out a bit, disconnecting the power cable as you go. The connector is affixed to the side of the engine bay, but the male half slips right out and comes free.

The controller will now be out, but have the cables attached to either side. There's a plastic shroud on the top that comes off easily with no tools. Inside you'll see a rotating disc that releases the throttle when the motor turns. Unwind it, and pull the cables out of their slots. Now clip the metal stops off the end of the cables with wire cutters.

To get the cable housing that goes to the firewall repositioned, you'll have to loosen the coolant tank by removing the two screws (10mm) holding it in. Then it'll slide underneath it. Work it back through the cables along the firewall, and then pull it out and lay it next to the one currently hooked up to the TB. You'll see that there's a termination on the one that was hooked to the T/C unit that's the same as the one on the TB. Pull the metal clip off both of them. Grab the cable attached to the TB and pull it back out of the housing. You'll expose the metal wire in the center. When you do, grab it and pull the clipped end from the T/C unit through. Then remove the housing that it was in from the engine bay- we're done with that. You can also scrap the female half of the coupler on the housing coming from the firewall.

Now get inside the car, on the driver's side floor. Grab the button on the end of the throttle cable, at the top of the gas pedal, and pull it through. The whole thing should come out easily. Now go under the hood, and feed the wire still hooked to the TB through the now empty firewall housing, so it comes out by the pedal. Hook the male end of that housing to the female connector on the TB, and install the metal clip to secure it.

We're almost done! Now you just need to secure the cable to the top of the gas pedal. Use some sort of clip to pinch the cable tightly so it won't slip. I made a custom piece, so you're on your own here. They make cable ends for bicyles that will probably work well: try your local bike shop, or even Wal-Mart or a big sporting goods store. Get the kind for brake cables, not shifters.

Make sure the TB closes and opens fully, and adjust the connector on the TB if it doesn't. Then fire it up and test.

We have one problem left: the T/C light on the dash will be on. You can pull the gauges and paint the back of the overlay, but I'm working on buzzing out the connector to figure out how to override it.

Quite a bit of testing has me convinced there's a complicated set of signals used to determine T/C functionality, so there's no easy fix to the T/C light - aside from just removing the bulb or painting over the overlay.

so its running?

Yeah, the car is perfect now. Secondaries work, intake tract is clean, injectors are holding on, etc. Too bad the roads suck, so I can't have fun until tomorrow.

You going to do a SC cruise?

If you're really serious about trimming weight, you should tap a small spigot into the windshield washer reservoir so that you can get rid of that extra weight.

I've been running with the washer fluid low, and keeping an extra jug in the trunk. Tapping it might actually not be a bad idea though, since I could not worry about running out, and it's almost 10lbs when full.

I ussally drive with it the T/C off, but I have it on when i have the cruise control on. I figure the computers can talk to eachother if I hit something that makes the wheels spin.