Traction and Stability Control Systems
Discussion
What do we think about modern electronic traction and stability systems? I ask because, given that my front tyres are now down to about 3mm of tread and the roads are wet, greasy and occasionally icy, I’m staggered at the way my humble 6 months old Astra copes.
In the summer I just thought that the 45 section tyres had bags of grip but as the conditions deteriorated it became clear that the traction control was doing its thing (albeit generally without the dashboard light illuminating). Through a process of careful experimentation, I’ve established that I can apply full throttle in 2nd out of a wet roundabout and all that happens is that the car steers true, the tyres grip and the drama factor is zero. It’s as if there is a really effective limited slip diff between the front wheels. Switch out the traction control, however, and the merest hint of throttle at similar speeds results in massive wheelspin.
On a road covered in thick frost, with the TC out, really gentle throttle was essential to climb a shallow hill. The instance it was switched back on, however, full throttle provided slow but steady acceleration. Remarkable!
The downside to all this is that one has virtually no idea of how near the limits the car is and as we all know, however clever the electronics, the laws of physics relating to momentum are not to be denied! Trouble is, the electronic safety nets are so good, there is no reason to think about modulating the throttle to avoid breaking traction, a fact that I find rather worrying.
It’s a bit like ABS: when the first systems came out it was reckoned that a good driver could do better with cadence braking but modern ABS is unbeatable. I suspect the same is now true of traction control; on my car it’s so subtle that you are generally unaware it’s working and I very much doubt that you could drive as quickly without it.
On the other hand, I’m completely underwhelmed by the “sport” button on the dashboard. The only effect pushing this has is to give you full throttle when the pedal is halfway to the metal. It certainly makes the car feel superficially lively but it’s deceptive. Thinking that you’re only using half throttle you pull out to overtake, only to discover that the second half of the pedal travel makes no sodding difference! I prefer the more progressive action of the standard non sport setup.
Overall, though, it’s hard to argue that for most of us for most of the time, electronic TC and stability systems must make accidents much less likely. I just wish it didn’t mean more dumbing down of drivers who are already plenty dumb enough!
In the summer I just thought that the 45 section tyres had bags of grip but as the conditions deteriorated it became clear that the traction control was doing its thing (albeit generally without the dashboard light illuminating). Through a process of careful experimentation, I’ve established that I can apply full throttle in 2nd out of a wet roundabout and all that happens is that the car steers true, the tyres grip and the drama factor is zero. It’s as if there is a really effective limited slip diff between the front wheels. Switch out the traction control, however, and the merest hint of throttle at similar speeds results in massive wheelspin.
On a road covered in thick frost, with the TC out, really gentle throttle was essential to climb a shallow hill. The instance it was switched back on, however, full throttle provided slow but steady acceleration. Remarkable!
The downside to all this is that one has virtually no idea of how near the limits the car is and as we all know, however clever the electronics, the laws of physics relating to momentum are not to be denied! Trouble is, the electronic safety nets are so good, there is no reason to think about modulating the throttle to avoid breaking traction, a fact that I find rather worrying.
It’s a bit like ABS: when the first systems came out it was reckoned that a good driver could do better with cadence braking but modern ABS is unbeatable. I suspect the same is now true of traction control; on my car it’s so subtle that you are generally unaware it’s working and I very much doubt that you could drive as quickly without it.
On the other hand, I’m completely underwhelmed by the “sport” button on the dashboard. The only effect pushing this has is to give you full throttle when the pedal is halfway to the metal. It certainly makes the car feel superficially lively but it’s deceptive. Thinking that you’re only using half throttle you pull out to overtake, only to discover that the second half of the pedal travel makes no sodding difference! I prefer the more progressive action of the standard non sport setup.
Overall, though, it’s hard to argue that for most of us for most of the time, electronic TC and stability systems must make accidents much less likely. I just wish it didn’t mean more dumbing down of drivers who are already plenty dumb enough!
GravelBen said:
waremark said:
Anyone know whether rally cars are allowed to use ESP? If so, do they?
Not exactly the same as ESP, but active diffs in WRC can have similar effects transferring power between front/rear and left/right as needed, which seems to be preferred over using a system which brakes individual wheels to try and take control.Not sure about testing in loose stuff, but I recall Walter Rohrl saying he was quicker on track in a 911 (either GT3 or Turbo, I forget) with PSM (Porsches ESP) switched off as it cut power whenever a wheel was off the ground...
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