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ASR: How Good Is It?

hawk20

MB Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 15, 2006
Messages
4,344
Location
Lymington, Hampshire
Car
ML250 BlueTEC Sport Jan 2013
How Good is ASR?

This morning I ran up against a flooded road and had to back onto the soft muddy verge to turn round. Got one rear drive wheel sunk in the mud till the tyre was buried. Thought I might well be stuck without 4wd but she came out easy as pie.

Handbook says fitted with ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and ASR Acceleration Skid Control. I assume this works by braking the wheel that tries to spin and sending the power to the other rear wheel?

Anyone know more? And why it is called ASR rather than ASC?

Anyway, it works well!
 

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And this one showing the flood ahead
 

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Bet you car is now in need of a clean...:D
Yes, afraid so! But oddly enough, it was impressive how it came out with almost no wheelspin. Without ASR it would have sprayed everywhere. I really thought I would need a tow when I saw the muddy hole I'd dropped into. Quite a relief.
 
TBH that is a very small puddle with plenty of gravelly bits, so I would be upset if I couldnt get out of that!
 
ASR- Accelaration Skid Reduction. When one or both rear wheels start to slip it will automatically brake the wheels until traction has been regained. My W124 has it and I found it very usefull when it snowed on the 2nd of feb, has to be a good thing especially during autumn when you have leaves and water on the roads.
 
Is ASR an option ?
No, it is standard on the 211 E class

Anyone know when ESP and ASR first appeared on MBs? Presumably before that it was the option of a limited slip differential to achieve similar aims?
 
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I have a W211 and havent noticed it, what should I look for a button or a light on the dash ??
 
Thanks

Its rubbish in snow then as my car was like a huge muffin in the cold stuff and I had to rely on my wifes car.
 
I have a W211 and havent noticed it, what should I look for a button or a light on the dash ??
There's a light when ESP kicks in. ASR is listed in the price list as one of the standard items on all 211's. It says something like 'ESP together with Acceleration Skid Control (ASR).'

In fact it is under standard equipment SECURITY and SAFETY and says "Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with Acceleration Skid Control (ASR)."
 
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Thanks

Its rubbish in snow then as my car was like a huge muffin in the cold stuff and I had to rely on my wifes car.
Perhaps you have too much grunt with a 320cdi!:) We found the 220cdi very good in the snow and we had plenty of it this year. We used C or W so as to start in 2nd which helps, I think.
 
I have C or S and no W setting for the gear box.

C is comfort and S is standard modes, both we rubbish in the snow
 
I have C or S and no W setting for the gear box.

C is comfort and S is standard modes, both we rubbish in the snow
The name changes from model to model but the C or W setting usually starts off in second with the 5 speed box. (Don't know about the seven speed box though.). Trouble in England is we don't get much practice in snow. When I lived in the Peak District in the days when it snowed every year you soon got the knack of building up speed really gently. Rally drivers in Scandinavia do amazing things on snow and ice even with two wheel drive cars. Volvo were rear drive for many years.
 
Great link. Thanks.

Got a link showing when first became standard on MBs?


Not at the moment. Some duff gen out there which can be a bit contradictory so not posting them with differing dates models etc.
 
Late 1999/ early 2000 kinda time.

didn't the elk debarcle get ESP on the A Class around the 97 era?

I would guess the S would have been kitted with ASR early 90's. A number of boggo standard Fords had TC 1999.
 

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