Does anyone know what is best as far as using the track button vs economy button on my 850 wagon?

Hey, want more confusion? I have tracs on my 98 R wagon AWD...huh...why???
I can't spin unless I floor it on snow/ice/loose dirt. And mine is on unless I turn it off, damm liberal trying to think for me again!

Do what you want with it, it's your car! WHEEEEE

Spence

98 R wagon, IPD Power Pack.

Hmm. Two different systems.

TRACS
This system uses the ABS to slow down a drive wheel that has lost traction and has begun to slip. Does not affect fuel economy and has nothing to do with the transmission. TRACS can be a nuisance at times (and a help at others). System operates at speeds below 25. I turn it off during 'city' driving on rough pavement because it frequently activates which can be irritating.

SPORT (S) vs ECONOMY (E)
The Sport (S) setting holds gears longer during acceleration, and activates kickdown faster when you're already in a running gear and suddenly demand more power.The Economy (E) setting makes the car a little more sedate, or in my mind, lethargic. I get the exact same fuel economy using either setting, so I leave it in S.

WINTER (W) AND TRACS WORK WELL TOGETHER
During my daily winter commute, I have to climb a steep, winding hill that's usually icy. I have to do this after a stop sign, turning 90-degrees left, the road banking to the outside of the curve. With the car in Winter (W) mode and with TRACS on, this tough little spot is a piece of cake. Most of my neighbors drive the long way around to avoid this spot, entering the neighborhood from a more remote and inconvenient entrance.
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(98 S70 T5SE misc mods, mostly lighting) (92 940GLE)

i have never found the tracs button useful. u are talking about the traction control button and not the sport/economy mode right? the tracs activates ur brakes to cut down on the slipping up to 25mph. not too bad for rain and snow.

What? There is no reason to not have the tracs on all the time. It merely is traction control for the front tires, in case they start to spin out due to acceleration. You should leave it on all the time unless it gets in your way somehow.

Use the tracks (traction control)button for snow or icy conditions only.

Thanks Rick...so the track button should never be on other then for snow or ice,
is that correct? I recently purchased this car and not that familiar.
Thanks again

It's OK to leave the Tracs on all the time.

After you hit about 20 mph it automatically turns off anyhow. It's purpose is to reduce wheelspin on slippery surfaces.

Won't hurt anything to leave it on all the time- me, I turn it on whenever the roads are slick.

That is not what I've heard or would want to do. While tracs is on the car starts out in either 2nd or 3rd gear--the reason for it being called traction control. If you don't mind starting in high gear then by all means go for it. Check out your owners manuel or call the dealer and see what they say.

You're confusing TRACS with the Winter (W) button on the automatic shifter. TRACS only works ABS during wheel slip and is not connected to the transmission; the W selector on the transmission is what puts it into a higher gear (along with some ECU-controlled performance changes).
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(98 S70 T5SE misc mods, mostly lighting) (92 940GLE)

Okay, now I am really confused. That's not to say that I'm not normally, but...

What exactly is tracs for? When would you use it compared to the winter mode? I am okay with winter mode.

Winter mode affects transmission gearing. As you know, it slooooows down the transmission by putting it into a higher starting gear. Makes for reduced spin from over-torqued drive wheels. Your car pulls out evenly if ever so slowly.

TRACS uses the ABS to apply the brake if ONE of the wheels starts losing traction. This is to reduce the effects of FWD's biggest winter driving problems - fishnosing and snowplowing. Cuts out above 25mph. Sometimes this is a pain, but that's why Volvo gave us a defeat switch.

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, there's one spot in my winter commute where the two of these put together make it easy to get up a windy, icy slope I would otherwise have to drive a couple extra miles to avoid.
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(98 S70 T5SE misc mods, mostly lighting) (92 940GLE)

TRACS should not affect the gear you start in (that would be bad for us
70 series owners since it automatically turns itself back on every time
you restart the car -- I hate that!). Winter mode will start you in a
higher gear (auto tranny, obviously); but TRACS won't affect the gear
selected for starting.

Up through 98 TRACS disables itself at 25 MPH. Not sure if later models
do (since they can also limit the electronic throttle the system
became more sophisticated in 99).

I'd leave it on unless you have a turbo. With a turbo, the TRAKs can
turn on if you are doing a fast start and the pulsating of the brakes
(by TRAKs) causes major, major, axle hop (for "spirited" driving in dry conditions, better to just let the wheels spin, so leave it off).

Mine is on all the time.. the only thing my switch does is to disable it if I choose... think it's the same for '95
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'94 855 5spd 'Drew' 204,500 Miles *** Never assume that your factory timing marks are correct UNLESS you know for a fact WHO has been in there and WHAT they have done!! ASK ME HOW I KNOW!!! ***

It may be that way on your car. My 97 R acts exactly like I said before, and this is the same as the owners manuel says it is supposed to. Go figure...

This is a really simple matter, The Winter(W), Sport(S), and Economy(E), selector switch to the left of the transmission selector controls the desired shift style pattern to which the driver selects. The TRACS system (Traction Control) has absolutley nothing to do with the transmission (NOTHING!) or its shifting style, the traction control system simply monitors wheel speed at each of the front wheels using ABS speed sensors, when it detects one wheels is accelerating much faster than the other one, it applies the brakes in the ABS mode to kill the wheel spin, it is ok to leave TRACS on all the time. There thats all you need to know.

-Jake

HOLY MOLY...I know more about Tracs now then I could have imagined!!!
I want to thank you all for your input. It certainly cleared things in my mind about the "Tracs Control". I feel now I have a much better understanding of it all. I also heard differant opions.
Thanks Jake, you cut right to the heart of the matter and splained it beautifully.
What would I do without this board!!
Keep up the good work you guys!!