a ESP/traction control question

[stuartturrell]

If i had esp on my car, and i was accelerating on a wet, muddy field from a stand still, what would i expect to see from the ESP/Traction control?

Would the tyres spin or would the car gradually move away without any spin, or would it not move at all?

does the same go for ice?

Stuart

 

[Lee]

If the wheels lose traction in a straight line you can expect a decreas in engine power (bogs down) and a flashing light on the dash to alert you to it being activated.

Cornering you can expect the same only with some brake assistance to the inside read wheel I think. If I expect to be driving in a way in which it will come on, I make sure its off.

 

[stuartturrell]

so with the situation of being on a wet muddy field, i would expect the car to move slowly away, with minimum of hassle?

 

[James 182]

nar it will spin a bit but it will move. i got mine to spin today out of the petrol station with the traction flashing but it still took off at a hell of a pace

 

[stuartturrell]

cool! thanks james!

 

[Lee]

If you are on ice or on very slippy mud it wont really help you get out of it, only decent clutch control and usually pulling away in a higher gear will help out there.

I tried to let the 172 sort itself out on snow once, and it didnt really help so I switched it off and did it myself.

 

[Chewy]

traction control is overrated, ive never liked it, especially on really slippy surfaces (ice, wet mud) your always better off using your driving "skillz" to get out of it.

I like ice anyways, good fun in winter. coming down a hill near my house, its always icey in winter, put the handbrake on full and keep it in first and crab the car all the way down, did it last year in my nova (yes i know) and when i got to the bottom, this old couple in a passat were giving me funny looks, it was ace! []

 

[stuartturrell]

haha sounds cool. dont really get icey rounds here as the sea keeps it warm here, so thats a bugger!

 

[Chad]

The manual kinda tells you to turn it off in snow or mud as the system may reduce the power too much if its very slippy. TBH I dont like the ESP, unless Im dawdling along I always turn it off. I find it takes away alot of the feedback when driving the car on the limit but without it the car is a lot more predictable.