Alfa Romeo STELVIO Owner's Handbook Manual page 107

ESC system intervenes to counter the
vehicle's understeer or oversteer.
Oversteer: occurs when the car is
turning more than it should according to
the angle of the steering wheel.
Understeer: occurs when the vehicle
is turning less than it should according to
the angle of the steering wheel.
System intervention
The intervention of the system is
indicated by the flashing of the ESC
warning light on the instrument panel, to
inform the driver that the car stability
and grip are critical.
46) 47) 48) 49) 50)
System deactivation
The ESC system deactivates
automatically when using RACE driving
mode (where provided).
TC (Traction Control) SYSTEM
The system automatically operates in
the event of slipping, loss of grip on wet
roads (aquaplaning) and acceleration on
slippery, snowy or icy roads, etc. on one
or both drive wheels. Depending on the
slipping conditions, two different control
systems are activated:
if the slipping involves both drive
wheels, the system intervenes, reducing
the power transmitted by the engine;
if the slipping only involves one of the
drive wheels, the BLD (Brake Limited
Differential) function is activated,
automatically braking the wheel which is
slipping (the behaviour of a self-locking
differential is simulated). This will
increase the engine torque transferred
to the wheel which isn't slipping.
System intervention
The intervention of the system is
indicated by the flashing of the ESC
warning light on the instrument panel, to
inform the driver that the car stability
and grip are critical.
51) 52) 53) 54) 55)
PBA (Panic Brake Assist) SYSTEM
The PBA system is designed to improve
the vehicle's braking capacity during
emergency braking.
The system detects emergency braking
by monitoring the speed and force with
which the brake pedal is pressed, and
consequently applies the optimal brake
pressure. This can reduce the braking
distance: the PBA system therefore
complements the ABS.
Maximum assistance from the PBA
system is obtained by pressing the brake
pedal very quickly. In addition, the brake
pedal should be pressed continuously
during braking, avoiding intermittent
presses, to get the most out of the
system. Do not reduce pressure on the
brake pedal until braking is no longer
necessary.
The PBA system is deactivated when the
brake pedal is released.
56) 57) 58)
HSA (Hill Start Assist) SYSTEM
This is an integral part of the ESC system
and facilitates starting on slopes,
activating automatically in the following
cases:
uphill: vehicle stationary on a road
with a gradient higher than 5%, engine
running, brake pressed and transmission
in neutral or gear other than reverse
engaged;
downhill: vehicle stationary on a road
with a gradient higher than 5%, engine
running, brake pressed and reverse gear
engaged.
When setting off, the ESC system
control unit maintains the braking
pressure on the wheels until the engine
torque necessary for starting is reached,
or in any case for a maximum of 2
seconds, allowing your right foot to be
moved easily from the brake pedal to the
accelerator.
When the 2 seconds have elapsed,
without starting, the system is
automatically deactivated, gradually
releasing the braking pressure.
During this release stage, the typical
mechanical brake release noise can be
105