Skidding ST220

[Flatsix]

My wife was driving to work today in the ST220 (54 model ~30k miles). She was on a straight road when suddenly the car seemed to swerve badly for no obvious reason. She got it to the side of the road and parked up. The AA were called and duly arrived, checked it over and took it for a test drive and found nothing mechanically wrong.

The tyres are all good (in fact the front two are only a few weeks old).

It's going to a dealership tomorrow (Marlow) to be checked out.

I guess there could have been some diesel on the road, but is there anything in the electronics or elsewhere that can cause such behaviour? This would be just as a place to start looking.

She's fairly shaken up and she is a good driver so clearly something is amiss.

Thanks for any input!

Edit: She says it behaved like a skid but felt like the car was doing something - ESP perhaps, although the light didn't come on.

Edited by Flatsix on Wednesday 13th May 12:26

[anonymous-user]

ESP would cause the light to come on i think, i seem to remember a yaw sensor recall/fault??

[rastamanblues]

When its greasy on the roads, I have found that my ST has felt a little unsettled at times, it almost feels like the ESP should/is kicking in, but its not.

[Flatsix]

Thanks for the info guys very much appreciated!

As expected the dealership found nothing amiss, no mechanical foibles, nothing in the logs, no outstanding recalls etc. And charged near £90 for the pleasure of telling me! - I'm definitely in the wrong game!

So I guess we can put it down as a GE (Girly Error) fault.

[anonymous-user]

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/...

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/...

[Flatsix]

Dave_ST220 said:

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/...

http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/searches/...

Thanks very much for that, it does sound similar to how the wife described it.

So just called them (God I reeeaally dislike these pompous/humourless types!), anyways the following summarises the exchange I've just enjoyed/endured,

'oooohh they're old notices' - 'yes but they are in scope for the build date of the vehicle'

then

'but there are no outstanding recalls on your chassis' repeated ad-nausium

So

I suggested that it could still be the sensor and could he test it -'no can do and besides if there are no outstanding notices on the vehicle then you won't get it for free'

I indicated I wasn't asking for it for free, but merely trying to help solve an intermittent problem and prevent my wife and children unexpectedly leaving the Queen's highway at some indeterminate date.

OK, so I ask how much a replacement would be.
'No idea you've sprung this on me' Very well, so I suggest why don't you price it up and get back to me then.

I really despair of these people!

[rastamanblues]

Oh mines a 54 plate, should see if mines affected.

[GaryST220]

Nice find Dave.

rastamanblues said:

When its greasy on the roads, I have found that my ST has felt a little unsettled at times, it almost feels like the ESP should/is kicking in, but its not.

I find my ESP & TC to be very lax to be honest.

[anonymous-user]

The only time i have activated it was on a test drive

[rastamanblues]

I very rarely have the TC come on when trying to pull out of a junction, when its one of those times where you see a gap and have to GO to get it.

ESP, I've seen once and that was when the Country ground to a halt with the snow.

[supersport]

I have had the misfortune or pleasure to experience greasy roads with I assume diesal spills. Can take you completely by surprise and provoke quite large side ways moment.

Having said that, on one occaison in the 911 going straight across a round about at 15 mph, I thought the back end came right round and had to go around the roundabout. They chap behind didn't see it as being anywhere as a big event as I did. Obviously it can feel more extreme to the driver than it really is.

In the Mondeo (97 V6) I had the back end come right round once but again on a roundabout, and a massive twitch in town on an almost straight bit of road. In both cases the speed was quite low.