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148
Intelligent
technology
Intelligent
technology
Notice
about
data
recorded
by vehicle
control
modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da-
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu-
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes called "crash re-
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or down-
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in-
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Alt hough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron-
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis-
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts .
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during normal vehicle op-
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con-
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re-
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac-
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as well as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip-
ment.
Electronic
Stabilization
Program
(ESP)
General
The Electronic Stability Program increases
driving stability.
With ESP, control over the vehicle is increased
in situations when the vehicle is close to the
limits of grip, such as during acceleration and
in curves . ESP reduces the risk of skidding and
improves vehicle stability under all road con-
ditions.
It
operates at all speeds.
The Anti -Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic
Differential Lock (EDS) and Anti-Slip Regula-
tion System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec-
tronic Stability Program .
How ESP works
The ESP control unit processes the following
data from high-sensitive sensors: the rota-
tional speed of the vehicle about its vertical
axis, fore-and-aft and lateral acceleration
forces, brake pressure and steering angle.
Using steering angle and vehicle speed, the
direction the driver wishes to travel is deter-
mined and continuously compared with actual
vehicle behavior. If the two do not match, for
example when the vehicle begins to skid, ESP
brakes the appropriate wheel automatically.
The vehicle is stabilized again by the forces
acting on the wheel during braking. With an
oversteering vehicle (tendency for the rear
end to skid out of the curve), the brake appli-
cation is mainly at the front wheel on the out-
side of the curve, with an understeering vehi-
cle (tendency to run wide in the curve) at the
rear wheel on the inside of the curve or addi-
tionally at the other wheels as needed. This
brake application is accompanied by noises.
ESP works in conjunction w ith ABS
~ page 153.
If there is malfunction in the
ABS, ESP is also inoperative.
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