ESP question

[nick-E55]

A dumb question from somone who is not the least technically minded....

If i'm a bit "over-enthusiastic" and especially when the roads a bit damp, the ESP light goes crazy, and i can feel it cutting-in. THat's a good thing as it stops me from ploughing into the nearest hedge

However, when the roads are really bad, you're advised to turn it off. This morning was a good example: part of my driveway has a steep slope, and after negotiating that at 6am this morning, i then slithered up the lane which is both steep and ungritted. In order to get MORE traction, i had to turn the ESP off.

I tried at first leaving it on, but it was a nightmare, and just psna the wheels on the driveway and couldnt get up the slope. When i turned it off, the traction improved considerably.

So, i was wondering why that was??


cheers

Nick

 

[daveenty]

Basically (and I'm not over technical either) the ESP recognises wheel spin and tries to compensate for it by shutting the power down to the offending wheel(s)

By turning it off, you're using the wheel spin to help you get grip on the mushy stuff and keeping both wheels moving. (Has the E55 got LSD? Got one and don't know myself)

I'm sure that someone will offer a far better explanation than this, but this is only my opinion.

 

[television]

ESP is only concerned with directional stability and would be confussed in this situation,and by turning it off it allows the traction control to work as it should.


Malcolm

 

[nick-E55]

ah, so ESP different from traction control. THat makes a bit more sense then. THe E55 doesnt has a LSD.

cheers

 

[daveenty]

Sounds logical to me as well Nick,
We live and learn

I just drive it (and wash it occasionally)

 

[nick-E55]

being able to wash the car is about as far as my technical expertise go

 

[ricky s]

excellent nick i,ll bring mine round for some of that expertise, love my car, loathe washing it

 

[nick-E55]

excellent nick i,ll bring mine round for some of that expertise, love my car, loathe washing it

I'll be round first thing in the morning Rick with my bucket and spoung

Howd u get on this morning?! ....rear wheel drive, auto, fat tyres.. and 500bhp... not exactly cut out for artic conditions !

 

[Dave's E55 AMG]

Television (Malcolm)is spot on.

 

[type49]

First there was ABS - we all know what that is. After ETS & ADS which were a bit crude but not bad, came ASR. This is a traction control which is like a "mod" on the ABS system. You cannot have ASR without ABS. ASR will apply rear brakes + reduce throttle to TRY & stop wheelspin. You cannot switch off ASR completely. The ASR button will only stop the reduction of throttle overide, the rear brakes will still be applied if needed. ESP is a stability programme. ESP requires ABS + ASR & uses both of these features as well as ESP. ESP will apply brakes to correct understeer/oversteer situations. The main system parts (compared to ABS/ASR) are a steering angle sensor (to measure the angle of the bend, or, where you want to go) & yaw sensors, which measure actual direction (are you going where you want or are you going straight on when you have the wheels turned(understeer)). With these sensors it will keep you on the road as best as poss by braking a rear wheel on one side if you are understeering & braking a front wheel for oversteer. They also measure up/down movement. This can be effective if you are speeding over the brow of a hill & slam you brakes on. There will be a chance of the rear braking away even in a straight line. With ESP, the rear brakes MAY be activated a fraction before the fronts to pull the rear of the car down to aid stability. There is a lot more to it than this but I hope this makes you understand a bit more rest assured that MB stability programme is the best system in a car at the moment. Switching off the ESP button again switches off throttle intervention but the brakes may well be applied by the control unit if it feels necessary. So doing burnouts in your SL55 etc will burn your rear brakes out!

 

[Dave's E55 AMG]

First there was ABS - we all know what that is. After ETS & ADS which were a bit crude but not bad, came ASR. This is a traction control which is like a "mod" on the ABS system. You cannot have ASR without ABS. ASR will apply rear brakes + reduce throttle to TRY & stop wheelspin. You cannot switch off ASR completely. The ASR button will only stop the reduction of throttle overide, the rear brakes will still be applied if needed. ESP is a stability programme. ESP requires ABS + ASR & uses both of these features as well as ESP. ESP will apply brakes to correct understeer/oversteer situations. The main system parts (compared to ABS/ASR) are a steering angle sensor (to measure the angle of the bend, or, where you want to go) & yaw sensors, which measure actual direction (are you going where you want or are you going straight on when you have the wheels turned(understeer)). With these sensors it will keep you on the road as best as poss by braking a rear wheel on one side if you are understeering & braking a front wheel for oversteer. They also measure up/down movement. This can be effective if you are speeding over the brow of a hill & slam you brakes on. There will be a chance of the rear braking away even in a straight line. With ESP, the rear brakes MAY be activated a fraction before the fronts to pull the rear of the car down to aid stability. There is a lot more to it than this but I hope this makes you understand a bit more rest assured that MB stability programme is the best system in a car at the moment. Switching off the ESP button again switches off throttle intervention but the brakes may well be applied by the control unit if it feels necessary. So doing burnouts in your SL55 etc will burn your rear brakes out!

So what you saying?

 

[type49]

So what you saying?

Did I miss a bit?

 

[television]

So what you saying?

Type 49 has put up the whole safety system that we have on our cars and shown how it hs grown since the days of ABS only.

Malcolm

 

[Dave's E55 AMG]

It's confused the hell out of me, maybe it's a bit late I'll read again tomorrow.

 

[type49]

With an E55, I'm sure you've put it to some degree of testing even if you didnt know it. You just need to be thankfull you've got it , even if you only ever really need it once.

 

[Hibbo]

There was a thing in the paper a year or two ago where they got a group of people to drive a new car around a course with all the electronic helpers, then put them in a late 80s bm 325 - the result? Cones everywhere!

Do we become too reliant on these gismos? Especially ones we don't even realise!

 

[type49]

There was a thing in the paper a year or two ago where they got a group of people to drive a new car around a course with all the electronic helpers, then put them in a late 80s bm 325 - the result? Cones everywhere!

Do we become too reliant on these gismos? Especially ones we don't even realise!

You cant beat an early BMW for sticking to the road like a wet bar of soap.

 

[BarryG]

So Esp isnt the car reading your thoughts and preempting your actions?


Barry:lol:

 

[television]

So Esp isnt the car reading your thoughts and preempting your actions?


Barry:lol:

ESP= Extra Special Power

Plenty of rude versions.

malcolm

 

[nick-E55]

With an E55, I'm sure you've put it to some degree of testing even if you didnt know it. You just need to be thankfull you've got it , even if you only ever really need it once.

I had no idea it did all that. With just the press of a little button. Also nice to know you're actually getting something for your money, as opposed to a gimmick. One thing i do know is that it's cut-in many times on wet roads, and having done track days in the past, i'm not stupid enough to ever turn it off... except once, just to see what happened... and a lot of sideways action is what happened

Thanks for the comprehensive reply.