Invoked Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) today

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Jul 20 2007, 02:58 PM) [snapback]482475[/snapback]</div>

That was the Traction Control, which all Prius models and packages have, not the VSC. Take a look at this thread.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rae Vynn @ Jul 20 2007, 02:58 PM) [snapback]482475[/snapback]</div>

That's not good advice... Activating the VSC is never something you should TRY to do on purpose! Especially if you don't actually have it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Zorg @ Jul 20 2007, 08:35 PM) [snapback]482632[/snapback]</div>

I recommend trying to set off VSC on purpose to gain a better. first-hand understanding of what actually happens. Of course, you'll want to try this in a wet, empty parking lot, at safe speeds, and not on the public roads.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Jul 20 2007, 11:44 PM) [snapback]482635[/snapback]</div>

thats how I found out... only it was on a public wet road late at night on one of my "road rage hours"... they dont happen often.. but it handled better than any other car I've had before...

good thing no one saw me

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Jul 20 2007, 08:44 PM) [snapback]482635[/snapback]</div>

I can sort of understand that, but on the other hand, VSC is meant to keep you from losing control when you otherwise might have. So you're deliberately putting the car into a dangerous situation, just to see? Seems a bit like crashing the car on purpose just so you can see how the airbags work... Sure, it's not quite the same, but the VSC can only do so much and you might wind up crashing it anyway...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Zorg @ Jul 22 2007, 08:00 PM) [snapback]483190[/snapback]</div>

VSC is the new thing, now that ABS is standard on all new cars. But when ABS brakes first came, there were a lot of unnecessary accidents simply because people didn't "read" the brake response right. When the pedal started pulsating people got scared and took their foot of the brake. So driving schools quickly started to teach their student to test the ASB brakes to learn how the work and feel.

Now, with VSC, the cars again may start doing "weird" things in an already stressing situation. Then it is good to know why lights are flashing and there are sounds from the around the car. Also, knowing what the VSC system tries to do, makes you more able to help it, instead of risking to "sabotage" it.

Just my thoughts and experiences from Norway.


Stein

 

I tested mine on purpose just to see what it would do. The city was replacing some water lines in my neighborhood and had dug a trench in the road. They covered the trench in gravel before they repaved the entire road.

Anyway, the street I was driving on intersected with the one with the gravel. So, at the stop sign, I was making a right turn and gunned the engine to intentionally spin the tires on the gravel. This engaged the VSC.

I have to say that I was surprised. The VSC is much more aggressive than what I have encountered in other vehicles. It almost stopped my Prius from moving forward, as there was an immediate loss of power. I'm glad that I wasn't trying to zip out in front of oncoming traffic, as I would have been a sitting duck. So, I can definitely see what all the fuss is about.

By comparison, the VSC in my Mercedes is almost imperceptible. You see a light flashing on the instrument panel telling you that it is engaged, but you really don't feel any loss of power.

Overall, I think the VSC does its job, but you have to be aware of how it works and what to expect when it engages.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Presto @ Jul 20 2007, 08:44 PM) [snapback]482635[/snapback]</div>

+1. I am one of those that believe in knowing as much as possible about how the car operates and what safety systems are or are not on the car. The idea of using a large empty parking lot is a good one. If you want to see for sure whether you have VSC, take the car to a large empty parking lot during a rainstorm. Make a run through a puddle (the larger, the better - note larger, not deeper) at around 20 - 30 mph-ish. When you feel the car starting to hydroplane, turn the steering wheel hard right or left and watch what happens. With VSC, the spin will be stopped and the car will follow the steering direction. Without VSC, you might get to experience a couple of 360 degree rotations of the car until it regains traction - which is why you need a large empty parking lot....


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Zorg @ Jul 22 2007, 11:00 AM) [snapback]483190[/snapback]</div>

This is the reason to use a large empty parking lot to see how VSC operates. There are differences in how VSC on the Prius performs vs. how similar technology performs on other manufacturers cars. Being informed beforehand will help you to better respond in an emergency. Why do you think they offer classes on CPR?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swanny1172 @ Jul 23 2007, 11:39 AM) [snapback]483645[/snapback]</div>

Sounds like traction control was operating and not VSC

 

If you are going to do the "VSC Calibration" test (and I am not for or against), then make sure that you do not have any local law enforcement around. You will start out testing the VSC and end up being testing on the breathalyzer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FL_Prius_Driver @ Jul 23 2007, 03:50 PM) [snapback]483798[/snapback]</div>

You might be compelled to do the test, but if you are negative (and I am not recommending doing the VSC check in anything but a totally sober context), your test was conducted off of public roads so the vehicle code doesn't apply (you could get cited for things like reckless driving if the VSC check were conducted on public roads).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priussoris @ Jul 23 2007, 02:47 PM) [snapback]483703[/snapback]</div>

Well, Traction Control is one of the tricks VCS employs to get the job done.

 

No, "traction control" is a separate system.

VSC/ESP/whatever-a-manufacturer-calls it is a system that detects slippage by a yaw sensor detecting that the car isn't turning in the direction the steering wheel is asking for. It then corrects the skid by braking one of the wheels to pull the car into line.

You're only going to activate it when travelling at speed, and when it activates, you get the same dash light as traction control, but also a chime.

Traction control detects wheelspin on the drive wheels, and corrects by cutting power and/or applying brakes.

The systems certainly share components and technology, but their purposes are quite distinct.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KMO @ Jul 24 2007, 12:20 PM) [snapback]484046[/snapback]</div>

Indeed...
One of the differences is that ESP also works even if the engine doesn't provide any traction.
The easiest way to test the ESP system of a car is turning too fast on snow (e.g. in an empty parking lot). I did that several times with my XC70, and it works breathtakingly well. It does whatever it can to keep the vehicle from starting to spin around. It comes close to magic.

The only problem is that, once you have tested it and seen what it can do, one may become too confident in it...

 

It would seem like magic - by braking individual wheels one at a time it's able to control the car in a way an unaided human driver couldn't. It can hook the car round "impossible" corners.