Thank God for ESP! Not the Extra Sensory Kind !

[goonybird]

Drive to work this morning and about to cross set of traffic lights, on green, speed down to 20-25, when this egit in a black corsa, coming the other way, decides to turn right, straight across my path.

I was at the lights when he did it. Wet road, so one of those oh f**k moments when it is 100% deffo I was going to plough into the passenger side of his car.

Usual reaction, Stamped hard on brakes, Antilock kicked in, at the same time steered hard right and then left (to avoid oncoming traffic) as I went round the back of the now stationary corsa.

Apart from that warm wet feeling in yer pants, I survived. I still dont know how I missed. I can only put it down to ESP on my car.

I do know if I still had my Omega the other driver would be in intensive care or worse.

Wonders of technology :yes:

Edited 26 January, 2011 by goonybird

[GavrsIrl]

Good stuff!

Mercy indeed that no-one was injured, go ESP then!!!

[jpd]

That must be the only time it comes in handy. I usually have it turned off so the car doesn't do anything Im not expecting. Then again when its off the car is usually getting driven how it was meant to be by the designer, hard! lol.

[KenONeill]

Guys, that's not ESP, or even traction control. That's a proper 4-channel ABS doing exactly what it should, and applying as much brake force to each wheel as it can cope with.

[jpd]

Mine cuts the power like a parachute has just opened never have it on when having fun. Is it not ASR. ?

[octydan]

We have ASR on our cars but Goonybirds is a WRC model, which has ESP as standard iirc?

[jpd]

Posh git lol

[KenONeill]

We have ASR on our cars but Goonybirds is a WRC model, which has ESP as standard iirc?

Even if you're right, it's still not ESP. That only operates when you've got power on.

[jpd]

Goonybird what does it say on your car esp, asr, tc or oh cack please work or this is going to hurt.

[goonybird]

Goonybird what does it say on your car esp, asr, tc or oh cack please work or this is going to hurt.

Has an ESP button but might re-lable it

I thought ESP still worked to help steer round obstacles in a braking situation.?

Anyhow any advice welcome on how to remove the obligatory stain on the Drivers seat ?

Edited 27 January, 2011 by goonybird

[illegal_in_9_countries]

Think Ken is trying to say its ABS when your on the brakes and ASR/ESP when your on the power

IMO they are all as much trouble as they are worth although I think ESP is more like oh good the ESP stopped me from potentially crashing and the ASR is more ****ING ASR TRIED TO KILL ME!

ABS shouldnt really come on if you brake properly least thats what I was taught (should point out it was a guy who replaces windscreens who taught me that)

I thought ESP worked with the ABS to

Edited 27 January, 2011 by illegal_in_9_countries

[VRS Mike]

ABS shouldnt really come on if you brake properly least thats what I was taught (should point out it was a guy who replaces windscreens who taught me that)

The bloke who told you that is talking ****

ABS works when it's sensed that one of the front wheels have locked up. I've done a number of skid control courses and have seen what ABS is capable of, especially in an instance where you have to brake whilst trying to maneuver like the OP did.

[jpd]

Does abs not work on the rear? ASR = Added Skoda Retardisness

And yes that's a new word I just made it up. Wonder if I can get it in the dictionary.............??....? NA!

Edited 27 January, 2011 by jpd

[VRS Mike]

Does abs not work on the rear? ASR = Added Skoda Readiness

And yes that's a new word I just made it up. Wonder if I can get it in the dictionary.............??....? NA!

Good question. The rear's do a lot less in comparison the fronts so I think you would have to be doing some to get them locking up??

[KenONeill]

Think Ken is trying to say its ABS when your on the brakes and ASR/ESP when your on the power

Not quite; I'm saying that any 4-channel (each wheel is controlled independantly) ABS will work like ESP when you're on the brakes. ESP (and I'm struggling to see how it was worthwhile to fit it to 100 cars, because you need power brakes, not just servo-assist to make it work) works by applying single brakes (and sometimes reduing power) to correct understeer or oversteer when you're on lock.

ABS shouldnt really come on if you brake properly least thats what I was taught (should point out it was a guy who replaces windscreens who taught me that)

I think I can see why he's a windscreen fitter and not an advanced driving instructor or professional competition driver! It's true that you get the best straight line stop out of an ABS car if you can bring the brakes to the point just before where the ABS triggers, but unless you can learn to do this first time every time by feel, the easiest way to do it is to trigger the ABS, then back your pedal pressure down by a couple of PSI so tha the pedal stops pulsing. When you're cornering, the load in each wheel is different, and the lighter-loaded inside wheels can be locking, causing ABS pulsing, while the heavier loaded outside wheels still have grip, which is why a 4 channel ABS system is an advantage.

[jpd]

The reason why the car may or may not have ESP fitted is that its a wrc version & is awesome & they where making a point of this is a special limited eddition. Just my view may it be wrong or right.

[expostmanpat]

.. beaten to it

Edited 27 January, 2011 by postmanpat

[jpd]

great minds think alike lol

[Oet]

That must be the only time it comes in handy. I usually have it turned off so the car doesn't do anything Im not expecting. Then again when its off the car is usually getting driven how it was meant to be by the designer, hard! lol.

You cant turn esp off, although you can push the button on the dash, its only turning off the traction control side of the esp system off, esp is a safety feature you cannot disable