ESP and car control techniques

[wemorgan]

With all this bad weather it has got me thinking:

As I understand it ESP monitors the position of the steering wheel and the direction that the car is actually going. If the two differ beyond a set amount, due to over-steer for example, then it will brake the appropriate wheel to try to rectify the situation.

But in the old days before ESP, if you car started to over-steer you would steer into the skid to regain control. ie. the opposite direction you want the front of the car to point.

My question:

With ESP is the above car control still valid? Or with ESP should you continue to steer in the direction you want to go and purely allow the software to regain control?

Thanks.

 

[timskemp]

Point wheels where you want to go and be gentle on the throttle, if the esp is kicking in slow down (or risk annihilating your rear brakes)

 

[Stratman]

By the time you've realised something is wrong ESP has already sorted it.

 

[lynall]

By the time you've realised something is wrong ESP has already sorted it.

Agreed its amazingly fast to respond.

If mine starts to skid i do as i have always done and try to steer out of it i am sure the ecu parameters must take this into account as its what almost everyone will try and do.



Lynall

 

[whitenemesis]

A bit of background reading

 

[wemorgan]

A bit of background reading

Thanks for that, interesting reading.

There's no mention of the driver also trying to correct the skid. So I assume it's therefore best not to try to and leave all the decisions to the ESP.

But I presume the software does not know the available and changeable grip of the road surface. It can only try to change the vehicle direction then monitor the response. So are there ever times when applying opposite lock is better than ESP applying a single brake?

Just a theoretical debate, I don't drive in a style likely to ever test this

 

[whitenemesis]

The car recognises the changeable grip through monitoring wheel slip and reacts accordingly. What it can't do is predict, that's the sole providence of the driver!

 

[Stratman]

CGI video of ESP

And in practice