Normal Operation
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2005 Mercury Montego, 2005 Ford Freestyle, and 2005 Ford Five Hundred. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Engine torque modulation is achieved by regulating fuel and spark to the cylinders. The traction control system operates using the anti-lock brake system (ABS) module to interact with the powertrain control module (PCM) to reduce engine torque if the wheels loses traction and begins to spin during acceleration.
The instrument cluster sends a voltage reference signal to the traction control switch through circuit 1412 (WH/PK). When the traction control switch is pressed, the signal is grounded through circuit 1205 (BK). The instrument cluster then sends a traction control disable command over the controller area network (CAN).