skaramanga Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 My 1.6 HDi VTR+ has the esp system, although it doesn't seem to have to get called into action very often. I have the car about two weeks and hadn't seen the esp light coming on at all yet, so I floored it this morning at a junction deliberately trying to make it skid, it was skidding and the esp light did flash. So it must be working correctly anyway ;) (Although it still spun the wheels)Maybe if I had the 2.0 HDi engine I would see it happening more often! Slippery roads in winter should bring it on more! Quote
Rich_Eason Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 I'm not sure how this system works as I have exerpierienced a number of times wheel spinning on mud without any idication of ESP comming into play. OK speeds were very low but thought it would be at least trying to apply traction where it is required. Hence to say, the wheels continued to skid and spin. I think I read in the hand book that the ESP system should be turned off ? ( ;) ) in icy/ snow conditions. Remeber though that ESP does not make a poor driver a good one. It is a driving aid and not a solution to poor driving...not saying you are a poor driver! ;) :P :P Quote
skaramanga Posted November 7, 2006 Author Posted November 7, 2006 Agreed, still have to drive with the sensible head on. Good to have such a feature though.Had a look at this website http://www.bosch-esperience.co.uk/uk/langu...age1/index.html Gives a bit of useful info Quote
cmcternan Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 My ESP light flashes quite a lot, but that could be due to the type of driver I am!! It prevented a serious skid the other day. It's weird when you actually feel one corner of the car braking and you've got nothing to do with it!! Quote
Stuey Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 the only way to appriciate how good the ESP is to be able to turn it all the way off and then weave through some cones at about 40...you will spin out, then do the same again with the ESP on....*disclaimer* dont try that on the public highway, you will be arrested or die. Oh yeah that was mainly aimed at Lee "I learned to drive on Gran Turismo" Marsh and Welsh "my windows are darker than the night sky"Guy *disclaimer ends* ;) Quote
Rich_Eason Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 the only way to appriciate how good the ESP is to be able to turn it all the way off and then weave through some cones at about 40...you will spin out, then do the same again with the ESP on....*disclaimer* dont try that on the public highway, you will be arrested or die. Oh yeah that was mainly aimed at Lee "I learned to drive on Gran Turismo" Marsh and Welsh "my windows are darker than the night sky"Guy *disclaimer ends* :P Ah shmickles :( And there I was thinking Gran Turismo was just like the real thing. God Stuey you really know how to really dissapoint someone! ;) ...And then there are the horror stories of people braking hard with ABS and because the pedal went ape judering,as they can do on cars with ABS, they ease off the pedal and thus still hit the object... ;) Besides which I was thinking the other day...has anyone been brave enough to see how hard you have to brake before your hazard warning lights come on? :P Quote
skaramanga Posted November 7, 2006 Author Posted November 7, 2006 the only way to appriciate how good the ESP is to be able to turn it all the way off and then weave through some cones at about 40...you will spin out, then do the same again with the ESP on....*disclaimer* dont try that on the public highway, you will be arrested or die. Oh yeah that was mainly aimed at Lee "I learned to drive on Gran Turismo" Marsh and Welsh "my windows are darker than the night sky"Guy *disclaimer ends* ;) Someone I work with has a 2.0 hdi 307 136bhp, he was going around a roundabout so hard that his esp wasn't just flashing but stayed on solid! :P Quote
wozza Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 I have tried braking hard to see when the hazards come on not been able to turn them on. Tried it with left foot and slammed it down locked the wheels no lights came on. Does it have to be above a certain speed as that was only form 30ish. just wondering if its above 50 - 60mph it will come on. Me and Lee were discussing this the week and he tried as well could not get his to come on either. Quote
Rich_Eason Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 I have tried braking hard to see when the hazards come on not been able to turn them on. Tried it with left foot and slammed it down locked the wheels no lights came on. Does it have to be above a certain speed as that was only form 30ish. just wondering if its above 50 - 60mph it will come on. Me and Lee were discussing this the week and he tried as well could not get his to come on either. I've thought about this but above 30mph, neither do I fancy trying it or fancy undertaking the clean up operation afterwards. There is a nice big airfield begging to be blasted up nearby however....although not in my car! Quote
Stuey Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 the hazzards thing is a load of crap I reckon. They didnt come on when I had to stand on to avoid running someone over. I braked so hard someone ran into the back of me and wrote her car off...braking doesnt get much more extreme than that. Where KFK when you need him?? Quote
Rich_Eason Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 They'll probably argue the system exsists but only operates under certain extreme conditions... Quote
Mike5483 Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 I have had my ESP flashing, I was going over the crest of a left handed uphill bend and it came in as the back end went light. I have turned it off before, but it comes back on over 30MPH I think. Also, I cant wheelspin with it on, the car just cuts all power and bogs down!!! Ive never been able to get the ABS working. Must be the wide tires. Ive tried from 30MPH, bit of a wimp to try from any higher speeds. Quote
Stuey Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 I have completly the opposite responce!! I cannot get my wheels to lock. The only time they did was on ice and that was for a few seconds before it sorted itself out. Quote
sammys hdi vts Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 Ive had the esp on a fair bit, normally when going round sharp corners, not really tried taking the car close to the limit as not many fast roads in london and I'm not sure I'm talented enough to get out of a sticky situation. I find it easy to spin the wheels though, easy on a wet road when you are trying to pull into fast moving traffic, just got to give it some welly, esp cant keep up. Quote
C4VTS Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 The ESP light is too low down for me to see if it ever comes on. :P I would have to be looking down instead of where I am going to actually see the switch. Quote
lee_marshuk Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 *coughs* Now look here Stuey I have my A international license now, so you have no right to make those sorts of remarks at me! *slopes off into background* On ESP, its a bit weird this because I have found that, on the couple of occasions I've needed it (overflowing drain round corner causing skid etc) its worked an absolute treat, but it does seem a little cautious about kicking in sometimes - in as much as I can easily spin my wheels off the line and it doesn't come on. The last car I drove with ESP it was pretty much impossible to spin the wheels on, since the slightest loss of traction and it corrected it immediately. Aaaah the flashy hazard lights things. Well since me and Wozza were talking about it, I was on the M54 when an accident happened right in front of my eyes....a tanker had a blowout and swerved across the carriageway into an Audi TT 3 cars ahead of me......that was a case of full braking power from 70 to 0 - and no hazard lights went on. So if that's not emergency stopping, I don't know what is! @C4VTS - the orange ESP light is to the left of the speedo.... *casts evil eyes at Stuey* Quote
GRUMPY Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 I have yet to get the esp light to flash, believe me I have really tried but the car just loves fast cornering. As for the hazards, simulated emergency stop at 90mph they came on. But I could not feel the abs through the brake pedal. Quote
C4VTS Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 @C4VTS - the orange ESP light is to the left of the speedo.... Thanks Lee, I never knew it was there even though I read the handbook once. :P I will keep my eyes on it now. Not that I hammer the car around corners too often. :D Quote
jonfish Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 I had the hazards come on once but can't remember the exact circumstances. Don't think speed was too high. Deceleration however was. I remember the engine stalled as I was engine braking as much as possible. ESP was one of the main reasons I forked out for the VTR+ although so far I haven't seen any ESP light flash. It would be nice to know it was working but otherwise I'm quite happy never to see it thanks ! My old focus had traction only and quite often it would kick in pulling out of junctions in the wet. Other than that I tend to be quite respectful of Newton's laws of motion and the tyres / road surface friction pair. I understand switching the ESP off is to allow you to spin the wheels to help get out of deep snow. I don't want to put that to the test either. Off topic but does anyone know the capacity of the 1.6 HDi 110 coolant system ? Quote
wozza Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 In most cases ESP is not needed the only time its really useful is during a swerving maneuver most cases left to us in a bad incident the car will spin. Let the computer deal with it and it should keep you in a somewhat straight line and recover control for you. However it can get in the way during spirited driving and slow you down. Its nice to have in an emergency but driving to the conditions should stop you needing it 99% of the time anyway. Quote
C4VTS Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 Its nice to have in an emergency but driving to the conditions should stop you needing it 99% of the time anyway. I hope that when I need it, that it will work, and save my arse :P Quote
Ciaran2903 Posted November 7, 2006 Posted November 7, 2006 The emergency lights do come on under hard breaking. Had to break very hard going down hill, and when i stopped the emercency lights came on. In the manual it says that there are there to warn drivers behind you that there is a hazard in front on a motorway, becuase they only come on from higher speeds. 30-40 is not fast enough! Quote
Rich_Eason Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 But if you are comming to a stationary traffic on the motorway and you brake hard enough to force the hazards to come on you are more than likely to casue an accident. Besides which as flashing your headlights, pinging your hazards on as you are in motion "in therory" according to the highway code is meaningless. We all know however they have other unwritten meanings on the road. The flashing of headlights is only deemed as an indication of "I am here"Hazards are only to be used in the case of emergency and again identifies your car as a hazard to all other road users. Quote
Mat Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 If i see an ESP light come on, I'll be booking the car in with Citroen !! Quote
Mike5483 Posted November 8, 2006 Posted November 8, 2006 Hazards are only to be used in the case of emergency and again identifies your car as a hazard to all other road users. On French roads, if there is a traffic jam, people always show hazards until they have stopped, then the next car hazards etc etc. Quote
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