08 January 2025
What is ESP on a car?
6 minutes
Today's cars are equipped with various sensors and systems to help keep you safe and comfortable on the road. One such technology is the Electronic Stability Programme or ESP. But what is ESP on a car, and why is it needed?
ESP is a safety feature designed to help you keep control of your vehicle whenever you lose traction during wet or icy conditions. It can also help reduce the risk of accidents or roll-overs by automatically braking and reducing engine power whenever you make sharp turns or sudden manoeuvres. ESP is a mandatory safety feature for modern cars.
Here, we’ll explore how it works, what to do if your ESP warning light comes on, and the steps to take if you suspect your car’s ESP is malfunctioning. Let’s start by taking a quick look at its history.
When was ESP first implemented in cars?
ESP has been a standard safety feature fitted in all vehicles since 2014, but its history goes back further.
Attempts to correct and maintain traction while accelerating have existed since the 1980s. However, most of these implementations, such as the anti-skid control introduced in the Toyota Crown in 1983, were not designed to help with steering. They were simply traction control systems.
In 1990, Mitsubishi implemented a trace control system, called TCL, in their Diamante vehicles. TCL worked similarly to modern-day ESP, monitoring steering angle, throttle position, and individual wheel speeds. It worked alongside an onboard computer that regulated braking and engine output when approaching and going through a curve.
Meanwhile, from 1987 to 1992, Mercedes-Benz and Bosch worked together to develop a system that reduced engine output to help maintain the stability of vehicles. They named this system “Elektronisches Stabilitätsprogramm” (Electronic Stability Programme), trademarked as ESP.
By 1995, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and General Motors had introduced ESP systems to their cars. On Mercedes-Benz vehicles, the system retained the ESP name because of their partnership with Bosch. For Toyota, it was called Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). General Motors called it “StabiliTrak.” More car manufacturers followed suit as the years progressed.
The European Union announced in 2009 that ESP must be a mandatory safety feature in all vehicles. ESP was required for all new vehicle types in November 2011 and became compulsory for every new car from November 2014 onwards.
How does ESP work in a car?
ESP starts working as soon as you start your car. From there, it constantly monitors your steering angle to determine your intended direction of travel. At the same time, it receives information from individual wheel speed sensors, the steering angle sensor, and the yaw rate sensor to calculate individual wheel speeds and ensure the vehicle is still upright.
All of this sensor data is calculated 25 times per second and compared against the figures from the actual direction of travel. If any numbers don’t match, ESP reacts to correct the error and keep the vehicle on the same line.
From a practical standpoint, ESP prevents your car from sliding sideways. Depending on the situation, the system could temporarily reduce your engine’s power output, apply individual brakes on any specific wheel, or both.
What else can ESP do?
Bosch, the manufacturer of today’s stability control systems, has described other things ESP can do aside from skid prevention. They’re called ESP value-added functions, and here’s how they can help provide additional driving safety (depending on the vehicle):
- Hill hold control: ESP holds the brakes for two seconds longer after you release the brake pedal when accelerating uphill from a complete stop. Its goal is to prevent your car from rolling backwards.
- Load adaptive control: Mostly fitted on commercial vehicles, ESP uses load adaptive control to adjust braking effectiveness and ensure the vehicle’s stability based on the current weight and centre of gravity.
- Roll over mitigation: Because most commercial vehicles are taller than passenger cars, they have a higher risk of rolling over when cornering at high speeds. Roll over mitigation helps the ESP intervene by reducing engine output and applying individual brakes.
- Trailer sway mitigation: This function detects if your trailer starts swaying and reacts by slowing down the towing vehicle. ESP will apply the brakes to individual wheels until it detects that the vehicle’s speed is slow enough to stabilise the trailer.
Keep in mind that these additional ESP features are optional. Whether you have them depends on the type of car you have.
Is ESP the same as ESC?
Despite the slight difference in name, ESP is exactly the same as ESC (or Electronic Stability Control). ESP systems may have different names depending on the car manufacturer, but they all serve the same purpose. Here are some other names for ESP:
- DSC for Dynamic Stability Control
- MSP for Maserati Stability Program
- PSM for Porsche Stability Management
- CST for Controllo Stabilità e Trazione, which translates to Stability and Traction Control
- VSA for Vehicle Stability Assist
- DSTC for Dynamic Stability and Traction Control
The best way to find your car’s ESP name is to consult your manual. It should list the names of your car’s safety features, including stability control.
What causes the ESP light to come on?
Your car’s ESP light can activate in two ways: flashing and permanent. The two effects have different meanings.
- ESP light flashing: This means the ESP is currently helping you. You may notice your car slowing down despite not applying any brake pressure yourself, or that your engine isn’t accelerating even though you’re stepping on the pedal. You may notice your vehicle fidgeting slightly as the system tries to correct your course.
- ESP light permanently lit: This usually means ESP is off or there’s a fault in the system. Switch off the car and let it sit for about 10 seconds to rule out a fault. The light should be gone when you restart your car; if not, bring it to your dealer so they can check what’s going on.
Is it safe to drive with an ESP light on?
You can still drive your car even when the ESP light is on, as long as the road conditions are normal and you plan to drive carefully. However, if you’ll be driving in challenging road conditions, it’s unwise to drive without ESP assistance. It’s best to bring your car to a dealer so they can diagnose the problem.
One exception is if you plan to do some track day driving. To help preserve your brake pads, it’s advisable to switch your car’s mode to race mode, sport mode, or other similar settings. These modes minimise ESP intervention, allowing you to take corners in a way you wouldn’t normally do on public roads.
What if the ESP light won’t turn off?
If your car’s ESP light won’t turn off, you can try a few troubleshooting steps:
- Start your engine: If your key is in the ignition and is turned on without starting the engine, your dashboard will usually illuminate your car’s warning lights, including the ESP. Start your engine and the lights should turn off after a few seconds.
- Restart your car: If the ESP light stays on while driving, you may have turned it off manually. It could also have developed a temporary fault. In this case, turn off your car and wait a few seconds before restarting the engine. The ESP light should now stay off.
- Bring your car to a dealer: If the ESP light is still on despite restarting your car, it’s time to bring it to a dealer. There’s likely something wrong with the ESP system, and a qualified professional must diagnose it for repair.
Quickfire summary
Your car’s Electronic Stability Programme, or ESP for short, is there to help stabilise your vehicle whenever it starts to skid. It works by monitoring your travel direction and measuring each wheel's speed 25 times per second, reacting whenever there’s an error. When the ESP activates, it reduces your engine’s power output and applies the appropriate brake pressure so you can keep control of your vehicle.
Although iterations of ESP have been around since the ’80s, it didn’t start becoming a permanent addition to cars until 1995. In the UK (and Europe, in general), ESP didn’t become a mandatory safety feature in all vehicles until 2014. Depending on the manufacturer, your car’s ESP system may have a different name.
Your car’s ESP light should remain off while driving and flash whenever it’s actively correcting your direction. If the ESP light remains on, you may have inadvertently turned it off, or there’s a fault in the system. A quick engine restart should turn off the ESP light; if not, it’s time to bring it to a dealer for diagnostics.
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ESP: Frequently asked questions
What does ESP mean in a car?
ESP stands for Electronic Stability Programme. It’s a system designed to help you control your vehicle and mitigate loss of traction during challenging road conditions. It helps by reducing engine output and automatically applying the brakes until the car is stable again. Other names for ESP include ESC, DSC, and DSTC.
Why do cars need ESP?
ESP helps keep you and other road users safe by preventing skids and stabilising the vehicle. The system helps you control your vehicle under all driving conditions as long as it’s within the laws of physics. In other words, ESP helps prevent a fatal crash or vehicle roll-over when you lose control of your vehicle.
Should I have ESP on or off?
By default, you should leave your car’s ESP on. It’s there to help you drive safely on the road. You won’t even notice it’s there most of the time.
You can consider turning ESP off if you plan to have a track day. You’re likely to drive more aggressively as you do laps around the track, and you don’t want ESP to intervene heavily with your manoeuvres. In this case, it’s best to turn on your car’s race or sport mode so you can drive on the track with minimal ESP intervention.
How do you fix faulty ESP on a car?
If you want to know how to fix ESP on a car, the best way is to bring it to a dealer. They’ll have the equipment necessary to see whether the problem is with a faulty sensor or the car’s onboard diagnostics.
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