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Electronic Stability Control

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  • A red car equipped with ESC is able to maintain control while swerving to avoid a truck pulling out in front of it. A black car without ESC loses control while trying to avoid the same truck.

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  • A red car with ESC is able to safely negotiate a very sharp curve whereas the black non ESC equipped car cannot maintain control and goes off the road.

iso symbol for ESCElectronic Stability Control (ESC) reduces the risk of loss of control. Its sensors compare the direction of the steering wheel to the direction the vehicle is going. When they are not the same, ESC will automatically brake one or more wheels for short periods of time, reduce engine power, or both, to correct it.

ESC has many sub-systems, two of which are traction control and skid control. Traction control minimizes the spinning of driving wheels by cutting down engine power and/or applying the brakes as necessary. Skid control keeps the vehicle stable, especially in emergency situations such as when you need to suddenly steer to avoid an obstacle.

 

 

Operation

ESC is normally on when you start your vehicle.
Some vehicles have an “ESC Off” switch to use when you are stuck in snow, mud, and sand or you drive the vehicle with snow chains or the compact spare tire. An "ESC OFF" light will appear in the dash or a message will appear in the message centre.

ESC sensors are always at work when you drive, unless:

  • you disable ESC;
  • your speed is below 20 km/h (12.4 mph);
  • you are driving in reverse

Things to keep in mind

Keep ESC on unless you are stuck or you are driving the vehicle with snow chains or the compact spare tire. Turning off ESC will disable Traction Control and in some systems it will disable Skid Control, as well. Skid Control is very important for maintaining vehicle control during emergency situations.Without Skid Control, you could lose control of your vehicle and crash, especially on slippery surfaces.

ESC does not and cannot change the laws of physics.
If you drive too fast for road conditions, you can still lose control - even with ESC.

Keep your tires and brakes in good condition.
 The best ESC system can do little if your tires are worn-out, under-inflated or overloaded.

Learn more

http://www.tc.gc.ca/ESC
http://www.carsp.ca/hitech/hitech_esc.htm

Date modified:
2011-06-23