Every new car sold in Europe since 2014 must be equipped with an electronic stabilization system, but not all car owners know how ESP and ESC differ, and also what the chosen option affects.

ESC (or ESP) is regarded by many as one of the greatest advances in automotive safety and motorsport in particular. The fundamental difference between the stabilization system and such traditional passive safety elements as belts and pillows is that they are designed to save lives, as well as preserve the health of the driver and passenger in an accident, but ESC (or ESP) are used.

For reference, ESC stands for Electronic Stability Control and ESP stands for Electronic Stability Program. In fact, the goals of both are the same, and research and empirical testing clearly prove their effectiveness. According to British experts, who were based on statistical data, equipping a car with ESP helps to reduce the risk of a serious traffic accident by 25%. At the same time, Swedish researchers tend to believe that this active safety system helps to reduce the likelihood of a fatal accident by 35% in bad weather conditions.

This is a gloomy prospect, which, nevertheless, should be subjected to careful analysis, which is why in Europe the mandatory equipment of all new cars with ESP was fixed at the legislative level. Such an initiative was implemented in 2014, until that moment such an important system was included only in the list of additional equipment available to fairly expensive models. At the same time, the prototype of this electronic system was patented back in 1959, and it was only possible to implement it on a mass production model by 1994.

How ESP and ESC work

With so many electronic systems installed in the car, each of which has its own abbreviation, many car owners do not understand at all what is the fundamental difference between them. Further complicating the situation is the fact that different names are used to designate active safety devices that are similar in purpose, which in most cases are determined by the manufacturer himself.

So, ESP (Electronic Stability Program) may be known as ESC (Electronic Stability Control), VSC (Vehicle Stability Control or Vehicle Stability Control), VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) or DSC (Dynamic Stability Control). sustainability). Some automakers use their own "brands" to promote ESP, so you may come across, for example, DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) from or PMS (Porsche Stability Management) from.

So, now we have decided on possible naming options, let's see how ESP works.

Adding a Third Safety Element to ABS and Traction Control

In order to be able to equip your car with an ESP system, it must be equipped with ABS (anti-lock braking system) and TCS (Traction Control System - traction control). In the simplest case, these two elements of active safety are designed to improve handling and predictability, and also to maintain control over the car during braking and acceleration, respectively, so their intervention in the control process is reduced only to the control of linear acceleration.

ESP complements them and introduces a third controlled dimension, since it is responsible for moving the car in a direction perpendicular to the trajectory of movement, in which such phenomena as understeer or oversteer - skidding occur. In more advanced versions, it is in constant interaction with the electronic engine control unit in order to maximize its efficiency.

According to statistics, ESP can prevent up to 80% of skids, which is an excellent indicator, especially since about 40% of accidents occur precisely because of this phenomenon. However, it is worth recalling the words of Scotty from the movie Star Trek: "You can change the laws of physics!". Of course, the possibilities of active safety systems are not unlimited, and this should not be forgotten. If the driver crosses the line when loss of control over the car is inevitable, none of the systems currently in existence will prevent serious consequences.

Additional cornering stability with ESC

Since ESP provides additional safety along with ABS and TCS, it will hardly surprise you that it uses most of the equipment from these systems to work. Using sensors to measure the speed of individual wheels, as well as information from the lateral acceleration sensors and lateral speed sensors, the ESP control unit constantly monitors the vehicle's lateral movements and correlates them with the position of the steering wheel. If the car does not respond to the steering movement as programmed, or the set angle of rotation, as well as the speed, are too high, ESP will begin to brake the wheels, trying to maintain a straight line of motion. In this case, braking is carried out with active interaction with, which eliminates the blocking of one of the wheels. The very essence of the system in question is to begin to actively contribute to the process of driving a car even before the driver realizes that he is starting to lose control.

The system works constantly, regardless of the driving mode, and even when coasting. And the mechanism of its influence completely depends on the situation and the design features of the car. For example, if the beginning of the rear axle slippage is detected in a sharp turn, then the electronics begin to smoothly reduce the amount of fuel supplied to the engine, ensuring a decrease in its speed. If this is not enough, then the gradual braking of the front wheels begins. If the car is equipped with an automatic transmission, then ESP allows you to force the activation of winter mode, providing the ability to shift to a lower gear.

Additional benefits of ESC

Since the ESC is able to brake the wheels of the car regardless of pedal pressure, it opens up a huge potential for the implementation and implementation of various other safety technologies. These include the now fairly well-known Brake Assist, designed to shorten the braking distance, which recognizes the situation of emergency braking and provides the necessary assistance to the driver. As well as Hill Hold Control, the essence of which is to help when starting uphill by braking the wheels for a couple of seconds after releasing the pedal to prevent rolling back. All this is a few steps closer to the moment when electronics will completely replace the driver.

Active safety systems in the car today have become the most important section of the car configuration. When buying a vehicle, the potential owner immediately examines the comfort and safety zone in the equipment in order to make a choice in favor of a more reliable car. One of the active safety systems - ESP - is the most important addition to a modern car, which helps to improve directional stability.

The system of exchange rate stability can fully work only with the presence of ABS, and preferably also EBD. Virtually all functions of the car are in the control of course stability, so that in the event of a critical situation with skidding, this module allows you to avoid an uncontrolled trip of the car.

The nature of the ESP - what functions are under the control of the system?

Most modern cars in their advanced trim levels have this active safety feature. If earlier buyers were embarrassed by the presence of many abbreviations of three Latin letters, today each name arouses genuine interest in the driver. After all, this is such an important safety issue.

But in the case of the stability control system, not every driver knows the nature of the operation of this module. When ESP is included in the car configuration, the question arises, what are they? So, the ESP module is responsible for controlling the control of the car during skidding, controlling the following functions of the car:

• steering, or rather, the inadmissibility of sharp jerks by the steering wheel when skidding;
• distribution of braking forces on each wheel to the required degree;
• decrease or increase engine speed to obtain the desired control;
• monitoring of angular velocity and lateral acceleration to understand the beginning of a skid.

Sensors for this function are located on virtually all vehicle controls, resulting in a quick response to any skid. As soon as the car starts to get out of the driver's control, ESP assistance is activated and the distribution of the correct brake forces, steering adjustment and other functions begin. It is almost always possible to avoid uncontrolled skidding.

Do not think that you can recklessly drive on slippery roads on cars with the ESP system, because the module will save you in any situation. ESP is far from magic, it is a technology that will not help to reverse the laws of physics. So if you enter a skid at a speed of 90 kilometers per hour, you will not feel the operation of the function.

Statistics on the use of ESP on cars

When all modern motorists already know what ESP is, whether it is worth taking a package with this function and overpaying for a car upon purchase, it's time to talk about the real benefits of this system. The main task of any active or passive machine safety function is to prevent possible accidents, which often occur when control is lost.

It was this task that the creators of the ESP system for cars set for their developments. With incredibly sensitive sensors, the module responds in 20 milliseconds and activates all necessary anti-skid devices. This is confirmed by many statistics:

• the number of accidents in winter on cars with ESP has almost halved;
• insurance companies in the US and Europe have begun the practice of reducing the cost of insurance for cars with such a system;
• manufacturers are investing more and more money to improve this function;
• not so long ago, the ESP system successfully migrated to sports cars, although its features are contrary to sport.

Of course, the most visible benefits from using this technology will be for novice drivers who do not yet have enough experience and practice to get out of difficult traffic situations. Previously, the ABS function was considered exclusively the prerogative of novice drivers, but today in some countries, without the use of this braking assistant, the sale of new cars is prohibited.

Summing up

Among the many new developments with cryptic acronym names, the ESP system is of great importance and is one of the important additions to your car. With a variety of sensors and instant response to the start of a skid, this module will not allow the driver to lose control.

If you are wondering if it is worth paying extra for this active safety feature, be sure to decide in favor of having it in the car. Such additions do not require additional costs, maintenance and other processes. They will only always serve for the benefit of your safety.

Electronic stabilization system ESP has long been an integral part of most cars, including economy class. But few people know how this system works, what it is for and whether you can rely on it. In this article, we will try to deal with this.

A bit of history

Back in the 90s, when leading car manufacturers began to massively equip cars with the ESP system, a scandalous incident occurred with Mercedes. On one of the tests, a brand new Mercedes A-class turned over - this served as an even more massive introduction of new items to new cars.

How the system works

The main task of the electronic stabilization system ESP is to align the vehicle in the direction the front wheels are pointing. The car is equipped with sensors for the position of the car in space, sensors for the rotation of all 4 wheels, a steering angle sensor, a pump with a separate control system for the brake lines of the wheels and an electronic control unit for all this.

The control unit polls 4 wheel rotation sensors at a frequency of up to 30 times per second. The angle of rotation of the steering wheel and the axial rotation sensor, or as it is called, are also interrogated. Yaw Sensor

All data is processed by the ECU and if this data does not converge, then the ESP intervenes in the brake and fuel system, which leads to the alignment of the car in the direction of the wheels. It is important to understand that the electronics do not know where to align the car and the only direction is the direction of the wheels. So we just have to put the wheels in a safe direction.

It would seem that this function is performed by the driver in an emergency and this system is not needed by confident drivers, but this is a delusion! The car in an emergency will selectively apply the brakes to those wheels that are needed to align the car, and the correct fuel adjustment will help align the car by pulling the front drive axle of the car (or pulling the rear axle for rear-wheel drive cars).

Now false information that ESP interferes with driving. This is 100% false, since a person cannot use all the features of ESP. An elementary test on an ice range will prove it to you. At high speed, you are much more likely to stay on the road thanks to the stabilization system than without it.

If, nevertheless, you think that it bothers you, then you do not know the elementary laws of physics or do not know the principle of operation of the ESP. And to clarify the main principle: ESP aligns the vehicle in the direction the front wheels are pointing. You will still change your point of view through practice and experimentation.

As the developers say, there is no such road situation when ESP does harm, there are only hopeless situations.

Well, to consolidate information about the principle of operation of the electronic stabilization system ESP video:

The stability control system in your car can play a key role in saving your life in the event of an emergency. System of exchange rate stability or as it is also called dynamic stabilization system maintains the controllability and stability of the machine, calculating in advance the possibility of a critical situation and eliminating it.

History of ESP creation

1995 could be considered the year of creation of the ESP system, even if only two years later it declared itself more loudly, at the time of the debut of the first compact microvan from the company mercedes benz called A-class. During the design of this model, a number of very serious mistakes were made, which greatly affected the car's tendency to roll over when performing maneuvers, even at low speed.

In Europe, where the pedantic people have long been "turned" (in a good way) to security, a serious scandal broke out. The production of Mercedes-Benz A-class cars was temporarily suspended, and cars that had already been sold were recalled for troubleshooting. - withdrawn to correct deficiencies. Engineers Daimler-Benz seriously "grabbed their heads" and began to solve this difficult task.

How, in this car, beloved by the consumer, to solve the problem with its stability, and at the same time without redesigning it. And, voila! The beginning of 1998 was marked by the solution of this problem. A-class cars from the company -Benz equipped with a suitably tuned ESP system.

In addition to A-class models, Mercedes S-class, E-class and others are equipped with the ESP system as standard. These vehicles use ESP and exclusively from the undisputed leader and favorite in this area - Bosch. ESP systems from Bosch are also installed on such giants as Porsche, Volkswagen and many others.

Operating principle

The main task of the electronic stabilization system ESP lies in the alignment of the vehicle in the direction of the direction of the front wheels. A car equipped with ESP contains:

Sensors that determine its position in space;

Wheel rotation sensors;

The sensor that determines the angle of rotation of the steering wheel;

The pump that controls the brake lines of the wheels;

ECU - electronic control unit. It polls each of the wheel sensors at an astounding rate of up to 30 times per second. The ECU also accesses the steering wheel and axle turn sensors - Yaw Sensor.

The ECU processes data from all control sensors. If they do not converge, ESP forcibly takes control of the fuel supply and the braking system, aligning the car in the direction of the front wheels. What matters is that electronics are not that smart to know where the safest part of the road is next, so you have to steer the wheels yourself, thereby helping the ESP do the rest of the work.

At first glance, it may seem that experienced drivers do not need to use the help of this system, because in an emergency they can rely on their skills, confidence and experience. But this is a big misconception! In an emergency, ESP correctly regulates the fuel supply and selects the right wheels to brake, which are needed to stabilize the car.

If there is a situation that the front wheels are drifting because corner entry has determined the vehicle to be oversteered, the ESP system will apply the rear brakes by braking the wheel that lies on the inside radius of the turn. This action will align the "front" of the car, leaving for demolition.

The opposite case may also occur, when the car is poorly controlled and slip occurs in a turn with the rear of the car skidding. In this situation, the ESP system applies the front brakes, braking the wheel on the outside of the turn.

Some drivers find that ESP interferes with driving. We want to refute this and prove that it is 100% wrong. Firstly, in any case, a person with all his controlled physical abilities (now we are talking about ordinary people without any phenomenal abilities: radiation, radioactive spider bite, etc.) cannot act the way ESP electronics do. Secondly, an elementary test of one's strength on an ice training ground You will immediately be convinced otherwise.

At high speeds, the chances of not flying off the track are much greater for cars equipped with ESP than without it. Thirdly, people who believe that the stabilization system is superfluous in a car simply violate elementary physical laws, not knowing the principle of ESP operation. Just enough to understand the main principle of ESP, in practice to change your mind to the opposite.

The developers claim that there can be no such situations on the road where ESP can harm, only hopeless ones can happen.

ESP device

Structurally, ESP consists of a system of sensors located on the axles and steering gear that control the position of the car on the road. In addition to sensors, ESP consists of:

Accelerometer, which determines the position of the car in motion;

The main controller, consisting of a pair of microprocessors with 56 KB of memory each.

The effectiveness of ESP lies in its use together with ABS, EBR and ASR systems that provide active vehicle safety.

Bosch- the world market leader in the production of ESP, added new useful properties to it, which are designed to increase the safety and comfort of the car. So ESP, at her request, can be equipped with the following subsequent functions:

1. Electric filling of the hydraulic system. In the event of a sharp removal of the foot from the accelerator, the system will conclude that an emergency situation is possible. In this case, in order to reduce the brake response time, the electro-hydraulic system itself decides to bring the pads to the discs.

2. "Self-cleaning" brake discs. In rainy weather, the working surface of the discs may be covered with a thin layer of water. So that this does not become a hindrance at the moment of emergency braking, pads will lean against the disc, removing a layer of water, in a certain period of time.

3. "Soft" stop. This feature is designed to make stopping smoother. This is achieved by systematically reducing the fluid pressure in the hydraulic circuits as the car stops.

4. Traffic control on uneven road surfaces. Prevents the vehicle from rolling on slopes when reversing.

5. "Stop-forward." This feature enhances cruise control by adjusting the distance to the vehicle in front. Guided by the information received from the sensors, the system can stop the car in traffic jams and analyze its further movement without the participation of the driver.

6. Braking automatically while parking. This is an electronic analogue of the "handbrake", which does not use separate wheel brakes. To activate it, it is enough to squeeze the brake to the floor by pressing the corresponding button of the electro-hydraulic module. This will give an action, give some command to keep the desired pressure in the circuits until a new order is received from the driver.

It is difficult to imagine what else craftsmen-engineers who create automotive systems can offer in the future, one can only guess and dutifully expect new "improvers" of safety and comfort.

Manufacturers

Electronic stability control systems are produced by such large manufacturers:

Robert Bosch GmbH is the largest manufacturer of ESP systems. Their release is established under the ESP brand of the same name.

Bendix Corporation

Continental Automotive Systems

Mando Corporation

Other names

The ESP electronic stability control system has a different name for different car manufacturers. Here are some examples:

ASC (Active Stability Control) and ASTC (Active Skid and Traction Control MULTIMODE) - Mitsubishi.

ESC (Electronic Stability Control) - Chevrolet, Kia, Hyundai.

ESP (Elektronisches Stability Program) - Chery, Chrysler, Fiat, Dodge, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Daimler, Peugeot, Renault, Citroën, Volkswagen, Audi.

VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) - Acura, Honda.

DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) - BMW, Jaguar, MINI, Mazda, Land Rover.

DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control) - Volvo.

Despite the fact that the electronic stability control system has been installed on cars for more than 15 years, most drivers still do not understand how it works. At the same time, there are two extremes: some rely completely on electronics without taking into account the laws of physics, while others are firmly convinced that electronics only interfere with them.

Let's try to figure this out together.

The mass introduction of stability control systems began in the late 90s of the last century. At the same time, one of the most scandalous cases in the history of Mercedes took place, when the new A-class (without a stabilization system) introduced in the fall of 1997 shamefully turned over during the “elk test”. It was this case that to some extent became the impetus for the mass equipping of cars with electronic stabilization systems.

At first, the system was offered as an option on executive and business class cars. Then it became more affordable for more compact budget cars. Electronic Stability Control is now mandatory (in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia) for all new passenger cars from autumn 2011. And since 2014, absolutely all cars sold must be equipped with an ESP system.

How ESP works

The task of the stabilization system is to help the car move in the direction in which the front wheels are turned. In its simplest form, the system consists of several sensors that control the position of the car in space, an electronic control unit and a pump with separate control of the brake lines for each wheel (it is also used to operate the anti-lock braking system ABS).

Four sensors on each wheel with a frequency of 25 times per second monitor the speed of rotation of the wheels, the sensor on the steering column determines the angle of rotation of the steering wheel, and another sensor is located as close as possible to the axial center of the car - Yaw sensor, which detects rotation around the vertical axis (usually a gyroscope , but modern systems use accelerometers).

The electronic unit compares the data on the speed of rotation of the wheels and lateral accelerations with the angle of rotation of the steering wheel, and if these data do not match, then there is an intervention in the fuel supply system and brake lines. It is important to understand that the stabilization system does not and cannot know the correct trajectory of movement, all she does is try to steer the car in the direction the driver turned the steering wheel. At the same time, the stabilization system is able to do what no driver is physically able to do - selective braking of individual wheels of the car. And the restriction of fuel supply is used in order to stop the acceleration of the car and stabilize it as quickly as possible.

There are two main cases of vehicle deviation from the intended trajectory: drift (loss of traction and side slip of the front wheels of the car) and skidding (loss of traction and side slip of the rear wheels of the car). Demolition occurs when the driver tries to maneuver at high speed and the front wheels lose traction, the vehicle stops responding to the steering wheel and continues straight ahead. In this case, the stabilization system brakes the rear inner wheel to turn, thereby keeping the car from drifting. Skid usually occurs already at the exit of the turn and mainly on rear-wheel drive cars when you sharply press the gas pedal, when the rear axle slips and begins to move out of the turn. In this case, the stabilization system brakes the outer front wheel, thereby extinguishing the incipient skid.

In fact, for the dynamic stabilization of the car, selective braking with different intensity of not only one wheel is used. In some cases, braking of two wheels of one side at the same time or even three (except for the outer front one) is used.

Some drivers believe that the stabilization system prevents them from driving, but the simplest experiment on an ice track with an average driver behind the wheel shows that without a stabilization system, he is much more likely to fly off the track, not to mention that he is only able to show the best time with the help of the electronics.

If you do not have the title of master of sports in rallying and at the same time are sure that the stabilization system is preventing you from driving, then you simply do not know how to drive correctly and are completely unfamiliar with the laws of physics, car balance and car driving techniques. And on public roads, there are no situations where the lack of a stabilization system can help avoid an accident. Drivers who do not understand the simple truth have the most complaints about the stabilization system: The electronics tries to steer the car in the direction the front wheels are facing.

Different automakers have different settings for the sensitivity and response speed of the stabilization system. This is also due to the weight and dimensions of the car. Some systems have extremely high sensitivity, this is done because drifting and skidding is easiest to extinguish at the very beginning, without waiting for the critical angles of the car's deviation from the trajectory.

The stabilization system will be superfluous only in two cases - either you want to effectively spin around, or you are a master of sports and on the race track you have the task of driving as fast as possible. In this case, the stabilization system will prevent the use of a controlled skid to turn the car (especially when using the technique of changing the slide from one side to the other), and the fuel supply restriction will not allow accelerating in side slips.

At the same time, even the included stabilization system within reasonable limits allows you to slide sideways in a controlled skid. All that is needed for this is not to turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid, because. this will lead to instant electronic intervention (the car slides in one direction, and turning the steering wheel you direct it in the other direction). If at the exit of the turn you need to accelerate, and the stabilization system has limited the fuel supply, then just put the steering wheel straight, the actual direction of the car will match the required one and the stabilization system will stop interfering. That is, you just need to drive correctly so that the front wheels are always directed where the car is actually going.

But you need to learn how to drive a car correctly with the stabilization system turned off., otherwise you will not have the skills to determine the beginning of a drift or skid, and accordingly correctly calculate the speed when performing maneuvers. The only possibility, if the automaker has not provided for the possibility of turning off the electronics by standard means, is to turn off one of the speed sensors from any wheel or the ABS pump fuse. In this case, it should be borne in mind that you will also lose the anti-lock braking system and the brake force distribution system along the axles.

The stabilization system is not able to change the laws of physics and it is effective until the limit of tire grip is reached. In all other cases, it is the main element of the active safety of any modern car.