Description of ESC: Notes

Optimum driving safety now has a name: ESC, the Electronic Stability Control.

ESC recognizes critical driving conditions, such as panic reactions in dangerous situations, and stabilizes the vehicle by wheel-individual braking and engine control intervention.

ESC adds a further function known as Active Yaw Control (AYC) to the ABS, TCS, EBD and EDC functions. Whereas the ABS/TCS function controls wheel slip during braking and acceleration and, thus, mainly intervenes in the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle, active yaw control stabilizes the vehicle about its vertical axis.

This is achieved by wheel individual brake intervention and adaptation of the momentary engine torque with no need for any action to be taken by the driver.

ESC essentially consists of three assemblies: the sensors, the electronic control unit and the actuators.

The stability control feature works under all driving and operating conditions. Under certain driving conditions, the ABS/TCS function can be activated simultaneously with the ESC function in response to a command by the driver.

In the event of a failure of the stability control function, the basic safety function, ABS, is still maintained.