ChrisB

This question is likely a good one for you more agressive drivers.

I'm a relatively new MB owner. Never had a sporty or sports car before (a new 1986 Trans Am for a couple of years ... but never drove it hard).

I am curious to hear under what conditions you others have felt the ESP systems really saved your bacon.

Also are there circumstances where you feel as if you were let down by the systems?

Interested I guess in stories of loosing control on dry pavement durring fast, high speed cornering.

I really need to log some track time somewhere I guess to experiment with the limits of my 1999 SL 500.

Comments or stories to relate any one?

Xpeed

I think the only way you will learn is if you try it yourself. Slowly push the car harder every time. But do it at a place you are familiar with and try doing it at the same place over and over so you will notice the deference and you will learn what the limits of your car are. And esp will not always save you.

E55AMG99

Good advice. The track is the best place to do this.

Where does ESP work best? First light rain. Where does it not work? Slow or moderate sharp corners (computer is too agresive).

DMXtremeZ

doesnt help stop understeer, found myself sliding on a hard turn... just make sure to be careful

AMGDood

saved my *** a few times through long sweeping turns when i tried pushing a little more than my car could go. It really helps teach you the limits of the car.

apricotscrub

ASR, the old ESP sure didnt save my ***...
check for a post in the SLK forum for some pictures of my flipped over 1-week old benz.

ChrisB

To: apricotscrub

Black ice? I guess the systems can only do so much.

Must have been quite a shock to roll your new SLK.

How do you like the S class? Probably not too much compairison to th SLK.

E55AMG99

I remember that post. From the the photos (snow) and from your own admission (driving on bald tires), no amount of electronic counter measures can counteract poor judgement. All manufacturers have this disclaimer.

jpb5151

(should this be in the testemonials forum or something?)

Wow, flipping over an SLK.

The computer seems to help most when I'm trying to make a really fast turn from a stop. I wait for oncoming traffic to go by, see a gap, floor it, and the throttle cuts out almost completely. Strangely, the oncoming cars don't seem to care about this super-advanced system that's keeping me from sliding all over the road...

With the "ESP Off" button pressed, I can do a nice fishtail (thanks to the wacky nonlinear nature of the accelerator). With wet roads fishtailing is very easy to do, but I found out yesterday that it's very possible on dry roads too (back to the wacky accelerator thing).

Right after doing a fishtail, the earbags need to deploy if my wife's in the car.

ChrisB

Thats good! I wish I had the "earbag" option on my 1999 SL 500.

Stiggs

he-he...I get scolded every time I try that by my girlfiend!!

She says..."do you always have to do that??"

I love it!!

vraa

Yes. Yes I have to always do that because I'm a guy. A guy that likes power (that's given!)

taylor192

I wanted to see how a RWD car would handle in the snow, so I drove out to a 2-lane road with wide shoulders, no street lights and flat ditches to give'r a go and see what the ESP could handle. At 80 kmph I turned the whell sharply right to full lock. On snow in a RWD car, this would cause a horrible spin - my C230 applied the adequate brake and actually ended up pointing the car only moderately to the right ( I didn't expect it to keep me straight, just keep me out of the ditch, yet it almost seemed to want to straighten the car out).

I'm impressed with how well ESP works, I've never been so comfortable driving a RWD in the snow. BAS has saved me on the highway already as it brakes faster than I could've.

pigman

A lot of people think they can drive better than ESP, but until someone installs a brake pedel for each wheel, ESP has us all beat when we occasionally go beyond the envelope. I took a turn to fast and would have totaled my car if ESP didn't isolate and squeeze my back left caliper which, before my very eyes, pivoted my car back on course.

I remember about a year ago when someone let their girlfriend drive their CLK 430 when ESP was turned off and she fishtailed around a turn and creamed two parked SUVs. I don't remember if it totaled the CLK or not. Another lesson there was that MB airbags don't deploy unless you're wearing your seatbelt. Otherwise they could snap your neck.

KOMPRESSORnSC

First thing I do when I get in the car is turn the EPS off. I wish I could turn it all the way off. It's way too intrusive and inconsistent. I was in a couple of situations when I was still leaving it on that scared me because I couldn't get the car to react the way I wanted it to, or thought it should. I've had two situations since turning it off where I've had to loop the car to keep from getting hit-one time would have been close and the other I would have been plowed in the driver's door had I not been able to kick the back end around.

As far as ESP being better than the driver, uh...huh? If you want to be be very conservative and let the car take over for you way before you're in trouble, ESP is fine. If you want to get the most out of a car (assuming it's well balanced and handling correctly), leave it off. We have an interchange ramp which is uphill, nice camber, but decreasing radius. If I leave ESP on, I come out of it at 62 becasue it keeps reigning me in. With it off, I am barking all four tires (but not sliding), and come out of it at 84. Gives you an idea of how conservative the ESP is.

ChrisB

I believe there are times where the ESP will certainly help keep the car under control if poor road conditions are not obvious (ie cold, damp, or black ice conditions) or if the driver is inexperienced or not paying attention.

But, when I am driving agressively ... I am in a hightened awareness. Happy to deal with the under steer, over steer, wheel spin, etc.

It is anoying then that the computer intrervenes at the same time as my own counter measures. Making for a jerky combination at lower speeds.

I guess I should shut the ESP off more often to have just a little more fun.

I feel like I am being naughty when the ESP off warning light is on. It would be good to shut it off as well.

AMG4life

i heard the ESP cant be turned off completely. so it doesnt really matter

E55AMG99

ESP can but ASR cannot. It is confusing how each system controls the vehicle but they are independent.