Who's been saved by their ESC/ESP/DSC
Discussion
Come on, own up. Who's run out of talent and had to be baled out by their car.
I ask as the other day I had my car take a "you f
k with me and I'll fk right back with you" attitude to my attempt to get it round a roundabout a bit quicker than it was happy with. As a result I can testify that viscous lift off oversteer didn't die with the demise of the Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9.
I can also testify that this electronic gubbins is bloody clever stuff. One moment I had a washed out front end along with a rear end determined to take the lead in the race off a narrow, greasy, adverse cambered roundabout and into a forestfull of somewhat unforgiving looking trees (you know what I'm talking about, the sort of trees that have bunches of flowers and football tops around them whenever they are situated at the exit of a challenging bend). That moment, fortunately, didn't last long as the next moment, although I was a bit slow with my Queefesque dab of opo all was somewhat undramatically sorted out when the DSC kicked in with a D-D-D-D-D-Dump (the noise of all four brakes being applied and released independently of one another and at superhigh speed).
I'm incredibly impressed the way this drivers' aid dealt with a situation I couldn't and will never complain about intrusive DSCs ever again.
I ask as the other day I had my car take a "you f
k with me and I'll fk right back with you" attitude to my attempt to get it round a roundabout a bit quicker than it was happy with. As a result I can testify that viscous lift off oversteer didn't die with the demise of the Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9. I can also testify that this electronic gubbins is bloody clever stuff. One moment I had a washed out front end along with a rear end determined to take the lead in the race off a narrow, greasy, adverse cambered roundabout and into a forestfull of somewhat unforgiving looking trees (you know what I'm talking about, the sort of trees that have bunches of flowers and football tops around them whenever they are situated at the exit of a challenging bend). That moment, fortunately, didn't last long as the next moment, although I was a bit slow with my Queefesque dab of opo all was somewhat undramatically sorted out when the DSC kicked in with a D-D-D-D-D-Dump (the noise of all four brakes being applied and released independently of one another and at superhigh speed).
I'm incredibly impressed the way this drivers' aid dealt with a situation I couldn't and will never complain about intrusive DSCs ever again.
ESP did a better job than Tiff here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-hHWSQhKuc
PH's resident driving gods are better than that, though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-hHWSQhKuc
PH's resident driving gods are better than that, though.
I leave the granny switch on in the Renault.
The difference between on and off is quite remarkable. I'm not afraid of sliding but, when making progress in tricky conditions I'm sure the car can sort it out better than I can.
Besides, If it cuts in I know I'm probably pressing on a bit too much for the road!
The difference between on and off is quite remarkable. I'm not afraid of sliding but, when making progress in tricky conditions I'm sure the car can sort it out better than I can.
Besides, If it cuts in I know I'm probably pressing on a bit too much for the road!
I'm yet to be saved by it. Always turned it off but a previous car decided to get fairly sideways on a large deserted motorway junction roundabout at 50 ish mph,I had forgotten to turn it off and what would have been an easy save with a bootful of power turned in to a massive tankslapper when the traction control said no to my request!
I suspect they are handy for those who panic but not much use for anybody used to the car moving around a bit.
I suspect they are handy for those who panic but not much use for anybody used to the car moving around a bit.
Saved my bacon when I went round a corner a few winters ago and a stream of water had flowed across the road right on a bend, frozen solid and effectively turned the middle of the corner into an ice rink.
The ESP did the clever independent four wheel braking thing and it was all fairly undramatic.
The ESP did the clever independent four wheel braking thing and it was all fairly undramatic.
Not sure if it saved me; but I remember being tired, in a rush, along a wet dark B-road a few years ago. I felt the back step out as I hit some mud on a bend, but before I did anything at all there was a flashing of a light on the dash and everything got straightened out 
Slowed down a bit after that...
Slowed down a bit after that...Had it recently. Switched from the Z4 to a 250cdi SLK and the SLK delivers some amount of torque at low revs.
Was wet came off roundabout and the gear box decided to drop a cog just as I was accelerating( car wasn't fully straight) the back end nearly came round to meet me as I fired in opposite lock as quickly as I could.
Lights going mental on dashboard as car came back into line.
Wee fluttery heart moment.
Just totally different characteristics than I was used to with the other car.
Was wet came off roundabout and the gear box decided to drop a cog just as I was accelerating( car wasn't fully straight) the back end nearly came round to meet me as I fired in opposite lock as quickly as I could.
Lights going mental on dashboard as car came back into line.
Wee fluttery heart moment.
Just totally different characteristics than I was used to with the other car.
Yep - saved once, and shown up to be a talentless idiot once too...
Only a day or two into Porsche 911 ownership (a 996 model).
Went tearing onto a slip road that leads down onto a motorway. The slip is one I am familiar with, and it bends round to the left for about 100 yards. Le me goes enthusiastically into it, and about halfway round, I realise I am understeering - to the extent that I might well drive straight into the barrier any minute
Even worse, I then lift off - and the car gives me that familiar feeling of 'now you're fked matey - the back is - a - coming round on ya ass!!'
However, no sooner had I had the feeling of impending doom, the stability control light on the dash flashes at me, the car gathers itself up with no more than a quick left/right shimmy, and I am left pointing perfectly down the straight bit of the slip road, coasting with no throttle, all nicely back in control. I am sure I heard the car laughing at me from somewhere too...
Then after a bit of ownership, I started turning it off, and getting the hang of, well, hanging the back out on some roundabouts.
Until...one evening, I hang the back out a little through a small roundabout near my house, power through the exit onto the next bit of road that bends left, and promptly and spectacularly lose the back, and end up sat 90 degrees in my lane, with the front of the car parked on the grass verge.
Embarrassing. But lucky it was at about 2 in the morning and there were no other cars or witnesses around!
Only a day or two into Porsche 911 ownership (a 996 model).
Went tearing onto a slip road that leads down onto a motorway. The slip is one I am familiar with, and it bends round to the left for about 100 yards. Le me goes enthusiastically into it, and about halfway round, I realise I am understeering - to the extent that I might well drive straight into the barrier any minute
Even worse, I then lift off - and the car gives me that familiar feeling of 'now you're f
ked matey - the back is - a - coming round on ya ass!!'However, no sooner had I had the feeling of impending doom, the stability control light on the dash flashes at me, the car gathers itself up with no more than a quick left/right shimmy, and I am left pointing perfectly down the straight bit of the slip road, coasting with no throttle, all nicely back in control. I am sure I heard the car laughing at me from somewhere too...
Then after a bit of ownership, I started turning it off, and getting the hang of, well, hanging the back out on some roundabouts.
Until...one evening, I hang the back out a little through a small roundabout near my house, power through the exit onto the next bit of road that bends left, and promptly and spectacularly lose the back, and end up sat 90 degrees in my lane, with the front of the car parked on the grass verge.
Embarrassing. But lucky it was at about 2 in the morning and there were no other cars or witnesses around!
Me I'm getting a bit long in the tooth, so please forgive me. I come from the days of drum brakes, cross ply tyres and RWD. No power assist on the brakes, or steering. My present chariot is the most advanced to date, it's got ABS and power steering, but the steering assist is not constant and I get feedback on front end grip. After 48 years of the worst weather UK can throw at us I drive by the seat of my pants. In town, I see no reason to rush to the shops. No need to race from red light to red light. But, if I'm going places- I've not got the car (it's a 75bhp oil burner), but I do have the experience to cover a lot of ground in a short space of time. At one time I had reason to do Coventry to Fort William every month in mine for a year. We stopped up north for a few days, so a case in the boot, a couple of Thermos and a gas stove were all we needed. Dad's house had all else we needed. Dad died a few years ago, and since then we've had a couple of trips up north in a larger hire car with all most all the gadgets, and a lot more BHP. TBH- the trips up north in the all singing all dancing 130 bhp cars were not as much fun (totally boring) as in my mini oil burner, where I drove by the seat of my pants. Again, in the late 70's (possibly spring 1979), I moved north. Snow set in and roads behind were closing, as we headed north. Somewhere just south of the Scottish border, we rescued a Transit driver from a ditch. It was his lucky night, as we never saw any other traffic on the road. It turned out he was heading to same village we were. The car- a well laden Austin Maxi 1750, with us two, three kids and one large dog, till we picked up the stranded van driver. ABS- NO, ESP- NO, DSC- NO. Ability to drive in snow- YES.
I wonder if reliance on all this technology creates drivers who cannot cope without any aids. At 67, I could throw a Morris 1000 around a track and not lose control. Could any of our younger drivers brought up on driver aids do likewise.
I wonder if reliance on all this technology creates drivers who cannot cope without any aids. At 67, I could throw a Morris 1000 around a track and not lose control. Could any of our younger drivers brought up on driver aids do likewise.
kambites said:
I don't even have ABS; fortunately I've never (yet) needed such things.
Maybe I just got used to having ABS for twenty years because when I had my TVR I used to lock the front wheels up left right and centre it was always catching me out...I always managed to catch the rear end when it stepped out but under braking it would always give me a little wake up call! ABS is the only thing I can say I have been thankful for... traction and so on is not really needed your right foot does a good enough job.
I think the TCS in my mk4 R32 saved my bacon; I was crashed into in the rear but also sideways (so sort if diagonally!) on a roundabout; saw the traction light flashing, I think I would have spun without it.
In both BMs I only really see the light come on when the tyres spin under hard acceleration. Which is hardly dangerous.
In both BMs I only really see the light come on when the tyres spin under hard acceleration. Which is hardly dangerous.
Max_Torque said:
Unless you fit four brake pedals and have four feet then DSC is always going to be able to leverage a higher yaw authority than any "conventional" driver making normal control inputs. DSC = lifesaver, and not just for the average driver........
None of that buzzword crap in here, please. Get enough of that at work
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