ESP on car?

NowRetired

Not being psychic I don't know the answer to this but my SIL has a 2012 Juke Note and just asked me if she should have the ESP switched on or off in this frosty weather up here in Scotland?

Buzby

On, and keep it on even in Summer! (It's always handy).

TadleyBaggie

I sometimes used to turn mine off in snow, made for more fun!

rpc

In full snow, you may need it switched off. In frosty or patchy conditions leave it on.

It should be documented in the owner's manual, but basically it will apply the brake to any wheel that slips until it regains grip. In very slippery conditions, this can leave you in the position where all wheels are braked and you can't move.

I had that problem with my wife's golf severa years ago - to get out of our road I had to switch off the ESP and then switch it back on when I got to the main (ploughed and gritted) road. Had to look in the manual to work out why the car wouldn't move off the drive first!

Prothet_of_Doom

If you have ESP, it's just a sophisticated form of traction control with Antilock braking system, and doesn't actually give you more grip, as that's bases on the law's of physics and the coefficient of friction between the icy road and the summer tyres.

It might help, but if it's ICY slow the !!!! down.

Lum

Oversimilification here but random braking is a bad thing in snow+ice so there's a good chance you'll need to turn it off.

as others have said, read the manual, on a 2012 car I'd hope you still have it!

DUTR

NowRetired wrote: »

Not being psychic I don't know the answer to this but my SIL has a 2012 Juke Note and just asked me if she should have the ESP switched on or off in this frosty weather up here in Scotland?

There are times when you do require wheel spin , eg stuck in snow, that is the time you need to turn ESP off to assist.

mrmot

ESP is a lot more than traction control. It monitors what direction the car is travelling in (using acceleration sensors), the speed of the car and the position and rate of turn of the steering wheel. If it detects a deviation from the steered course it will brake individual wheels to keep the vehicle on its intended course.

So to answer your question, yes, it's best to leave it on when driving in icy conditions.

By default it should always be on when the engine is started until the driver turns it off by operating the switch, when it's off a warning light should be displayed. When it has to intervene the warning light may flash on and off.

DTDfanBoy

Leave it on, it only needs to be turned off if you find yourself totally stuck.

It pretty sure that the button will only shut down the traction control side of things, the stability controls aren't able to be switched off for very good reasons

Richard53

DUTR wrote: »

There are times when you do require wheel spin , eg stuck in snow

How does a spinning wheel help you get traction in snow? Once a wheel is spinning, it has lost almost all the little grip it had. And then the heat of the friction melts the snow, which re-freezes, and then where you once had snow with a small amount of grip, you have ice which has none.

To get going in snow I use a high gear, low revs and a gentle clutch foot, and try to stop the driven wheels from spinning as I move away. Frequently I have been half a mile away and could still hear the noise of the people I left behind revving the nuts off their cars and spinning wheels madly.

I can't think of a single instance where a spinning wheel has more grip than a wheel which is just starting to slip.

Ebe_Scrooge

I experienced this a couple of years ago, in really bad ice & snow. Car is stationary, you attempt to move off - using, as you say, high gear, very gentle right foot, all the "correct things" to do. But the moment any power goes to the wheel it starts to spin, so the TC cuts power to that wheel. Result - you go nowhere. Switch off the TC, try again ( being very gentle ) - OK, the wheels spin, but you do begin to inch forward, and once you've got a bit of momentum, you're sorted. I assume this is precisely why there is a switch to turn it off.