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Sedans Midsize Sedans 2.0
13268 messages, Last post on Nov 28, 2009 at 8:32 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: waygrabow (Nov 03, 2008 8:03 pm) it does require active involvement of the driver. they have to be willing and able to make the avoidance moves. awd is higher up my list than ESC. |
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Nov 04, 2008 3:17 pm)
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Replying to: waygrabow (Nov 04, 2008 7:47 pm) |
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Nov 04, 2008 3:17 pm) If you are trucking down the highway and start to skid because you are hydroplaning ESC will kick in to help. Or if you are skidding on ice and snow ESC will kick in to help. It has nothing to do with avoidance manuevers. It's sole purpose is to keep the car from slipping and sliding and to go where the front wheels are pointed, before you know you are about to skid.
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Replying to: kdshapiro (Nov 06, 2008 4:05 am) It has everything to do with avoidance manuevers. ESC counteracts understeer and oversteer (in Nascar terms understeer is when the front of the car hits the wall and oversteer is when the back of the car hits the wall). When you make an emergency avoidance maneuver (lane change) ESC keeps the vehicle under control and prevents it from spinning out. Just look at all the ESC demonstrations and this should be obvious.
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Replying to: kdshapiro (Nov 06, 2008 4:05 am) That varies from vehicle to vehicle. I know my Explorer uses both engine retardation and individual wheel braking for its ESC but I'm pretty sure the Fusion only used brakes. Or if you are skidding on ice and snow ESC will kick in to help. It will kick in on ice and snow but its effectiveness is limited on those types of surfaces. I agree with akirby in that it is most useful in emergency maneuvers. If you are depending on ESC to save you in spirited driving then you have other that ESC will not help. Like oncoming traffic, guide rails, and trees to name a few. You can still move off the beaten path somewhat even though ESC is doing its job.
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Replying to: akirby (Nov 06, 2008 7:07 am) It has nothing to do with avoidance maneuvers. If at any time the front or rear of the car is not going in the direction of the steering wheel ESC will kick in. There are various reasons skid could occur or could be about to occur that are not due to avoidance. Stupid driving in slick conditions is one example that comes to mind.
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Replying to: baggs32 (Nov 06, 2008 10:08 am) As noted, ESC can't manufacture traction or go beyond physics. It's another safety device, of which stupidity can negate it's effectiveness. |
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Replying to: kdshapiro (Nov 06, 2008 1:33 pm) Go here and click on the 1.5 minute video on the right hand side. Almost every demonstration of ESC includes an emergency lane change.
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Replying to: akirby (Nov 06, 2008 2:23 pm) I'll repeat, one does not have to make an emergency manuever to have ESC kick in. I have some knowledge about ESC systems as my former car had one. ESC would kick in to keep the car from sliding or to stop the wheels from spinning. |
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