Why is the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) light on?
“Your dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree.” If someone has ever said that to you, you’ve probably been neglecting the necessary maintenance on your car. There’s a good chance that one of these lights is part of your electronic stability control system.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at everything related to ESC, DSC, ESP, and many other acronyms you didn’t know you needed to know.
What is Electronic Stability Control?
Essentially, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is an automatic system that keeps your car moving even if you lose control. Whether it’s snow, rain, mud, or sand, ESC will do its best to keep your wheels straight and protect the vehicle’s occupants. But what is it? ESC is a system that starts up as soon as you start your car and runs in the background while you’re driving.
It works by tracking your steering inputs and the position of each individual wheel. If you lose control, it will adjust your gas and brake inputs to keep the vehicle in a straight line. This system is designed to keep you out of an accident. Some manufacturers give their stability control systems special names, such as VSA on Honda/Acura and AdvanceTrac on Ford.
Examples of how ESC works
Here are some examples: When ESC detects that the car is losing control to either side, it will apply brake pressure to the side you want the car to steer. This is not robotic control, it’s really just a way to keep the car on a straight line while staying on the road with the most traction possible.
So how does the ESC know which direction you want to go? This is actually quite simple.
Remember how we said the ESC pays attention to your steering inputs? It interprets these inputs as a “commanded direction” and tries to maintain your final heading even if you lose traction. There’s a lot going on here, so if you want to do burnouts or drifts, make sure to disable ESC and all other traction aids.
Another example where ESC is deployed is that instead of applying pressure to the brakes when you lose traction, the ESC system cuts off power to the transmission by limiting accelerator pedal input to the engine.
Slowing down reduces the chances of colliding with another vehicle or object at a dangerous speed. It’s also useful if you don’t want to run off the road and roll your car over.
Stability Control vs. Traction Control
The difference between stability controls is like the difference between a glider you built in your basement and a modern fighter jet. They both fly, but they’re different.
Traction control was developed first, so it’s a bit simpler, but not as simple as ABS (anti-lock braking system). It coordinates your car’s accelerator pedal input and ABS to help you keep driving safely without losing control of the car beyond recovery.
Alternatively, a stability control system uses all the tools that a traction control system and ABS use, with a few extra sensors.
In addition to a yaw sensor and a 3-axis acceleration sensor, it adds a steering wheel sensor and an accelerator pedal sensor. These sensors work together to inform an even more powerful computer of the vehicle’s intended direction of travel.
Why is my ESC light flashing?
The ESC light flashes when it detects that you have lost control of your car. You’re more likely to see this light flashing when you start doing doughnuts in the snow, but if you see it flashing while you’re driving, first check to see if your car is on the right track.
Why does my ESC light stay on? If your ESC light stays on, it’s likely that your car’s ECU is sending a code. The solution to this problem is to check your engine codes by hooking up a code reader (here are some good options) to your OBD-2 port (or take your car to your local auto parts store and have them inspect it).
Next, go on Google Machine and search for this code. There may be a very easy fix you can do yourself. If the solution seems too complicated, be sure to take your car to your local mechanic.
What does “Service ESC” mean?
This can mean many things. Have the code read or go to your local auto parts store and have the codes read. Then Google the cause, and if you can’t fix the problem yourself, take your car to a mechanic.