One of the most important advances in the history of the automobile in terms of safety has been the Stability control. Since its arrival on the market, this system, popularly known as ESP, has become a guardian angel for the driver, managing to reduce accidents caused by loss of grip or skidding by 80%. And it is that, with its fast and effective operation, it is proclaimed as the second most important safety system only behind the belt.
Despite the fact that until November of last year 2014 the resolution that forced manufacturers to mount the ESP as standard did not come out, this system was developed in 1995 by Bosch in collaboration with Mercedes and used at first by the brand's representative saloon, the S-Class. In the next few lines we will not only get to know what this stability control is and how it works, but also how we protects this system and the disconnection possibilities it offers. Join us.
What is ESP?
ESP or stability control It is a system that acts when the vehicle loses the trajectory marked by the steering wheel.. Automatically works on the brakes in order to regain control of the car after losing adherence and, in short, the stability that guarantees us that security in progress. Whether the skid or loss of grip occurs in the rear, the front or both, this system will act accordingly, returning the vehicle to the trajectory as long as we do not exceed the limits set by Physics.
Stability control works with similarly popular systems like ABS or traction control., braking the wheels individually when it detects a dangerous situation. A situation that comes when the behavior of the vehicle does not correspond to the order that the driver gives with the steering wheel. Numerous studies have concluded that the same system is capable of reducing road mortality by 20% avoiding road exits.
How does ESP work?
El operation of stability control is based on the work of some actuators located in the braking system, in some sensors that collect information and a electronic control unit (UCE) that analyzes the data and then is responsible for giving the order. This unit compares the data collected by the sensors at a rate of 25 times per second, if at any time it detects that the position of the steering wheel does not match the trajectory of the vehicle, the ESP will intervene.
This information is collected by the ECU from the steering angle sensor, which reports on the movement of the steering wheel, from the speed of rotation sensors, common to the ABS, which report on possible wheel locks, and finally, from the sensors angle of rotation and transversal acceleration, in charge of sending information regarding the real trajectory of the vehicle. With all this information the electronic control unit will assess the situation braking, if necessary, the wheel or wheels that are most convenient for the vehicle to recover the trajectory.
The key to ESP operation is given by the knowledge of this system of the wheel that rotates at a different speed from the rest. With this, it is capable of detecting whether it is a loss of grip of the front axle, understeer, a skidding of the rear axle, oversteer, or both axles. Selectively, depending on each case, stability control will brake the wheels or even reduce torque to reduce that slip and get us back on track.
In order for the performance of the ESP to be clearer, we can give an example. Let's imagine that we enter a left turn too fast and we notice how the front of our car goes out of the trajectory, that is, it begins to understeer. This system will evaluate the collected information and, in tenths of seconds, it will act by braking in this case the left rear wheel. If we repeat the same situation but it is the rear axle that skids, that is, we will survive, the system will brake the front right wheel in order to recover the trajectory.
How to drive a car with ESP?
The action of the ESP protects us in the event of loss of adherence that causes a departure from the trajectory. In certain situations, the performance of the driver can impair the work of this system, tricking him into giving imprecise orders to the car. Stability control knows where we want to go thanks to the steering wheel, so if we don't handle it clearly and precisely, we won't be helping ESP work. It is important that let's not backfire, limiting ourselves to pointing the steering wheel where we want to go.
Likewise, taking care of the condition of the vehicle is essential. We must bear in mind that keep tires in good condition it will avoid to a greater extent the loss of grip as well as helping to recover the trajectory in situations of understeer and oversteer. Although it sounds typical, keep calm You can tip the balance between fright and accident, so despite being the phrase that is usually said in these cases, try to maintain your composure.
Can we turn this aid off?
Most models that mount this system give us the option of completely disconnecting this aid or limiting its action. This system works actively with traction control, a system that prevents the wheels from losing grip when starting from a standstill, reducing the vehicle's power. When disconnecting it, the instrument panel will reflect this disconnection, coming to reconnect automatically if we pass a set speed in some models.
The reason manufacturers allow disconnection is because, for example, driving on certain surfaces, it is more beneficial that all the power is directed to the wheels despite skidding. Thus, on certain terrains, the action of the ESP could cause the wheels to dig deeper. Also, stability control limits sports driving, not allowing skidding or oversteering. In these cases, it is recommended to avoid disconnecting the ESP except on track.
It may also be the case that you have to drive without this aid because your car has some fault in the ESP.
ESP is just a trade name
Although we all know the stability system as ESPThese acronym They respond to a commercial name coined by Bosch and Mercedes. Most manufacturers have adopted this name although there are some firms that use other. In this way BMW calls it with the initials DSC, Ferrari with those of CST, Maserati instead chooses those of MSP or Nissan those of VDC among others. They all respond to the same system, being the generic name of ESC, Electronic Stability Control.
Dear, very good explanation.
I tell you that I have a mechanical subaru xv 2016, 2.0 lts. Is it convenient to deactivate the ESP (vdc in subaru) when I drive on level ground, gravel or on very muddy roads? I ask because when climbing a slope or unevenness against the steering wheel, the transmission makes a tac tac tac tac and I don't know if it's the traction control or the stability control.
Thank you very much for everything.