Saab 2008 9-3 - Manual (Page 177)

177 Starting and driving
Electronic Stability
Program ESP
®
Anti-skid system
The ESP
®
system employs both the
antilock braking system (ABS) and the trac-
tion control system (TCS). It is a system that
helps the driver to stabilize the car in
unusual circumstances that can otherwise
be more difficult to handle.
How the ESP ® system works
The ESP
®
system can help to prevent the
car from skidding by braking one or several
wheels independently of the driver. The
engine output is then also reduced to pre-
vent the driving wheels from spinning. The
car has sensors that measure wheel speed,
yaw rate, lateral acceleration, steering
wheel position and braking pressure. The
values provided by these sensors are used
to calculate the actual direction of the car,
the intentions of the driver and whether the
ESP
®
system should be engaged.
If this direction does not agree with that
intended by the driver, calculated from the
steering wheel position, the ESP
®
system is
engaged.
The ESP
®
system improves the driver’s
chances of retaining control over the car in
a critical situation.
WARNING
When driving normally, the ESP
®
system
helps to improve the car’s stability and
maneuverability under slippery road and
extreme driving conditions. The ESP
®
system must not be regarded as a system
to enable the driver to maintain higher
speeds. The same precautions must be
adopted as normal for safe cornering and
driving on slippery roads must be
adopted.
Illustration of how the system applies the
brakes on one or several wheels in order
to reduce the likelihood of the car skidding
93_US_M08.book Page 177 Friday, May 11, 2007 11:37 AM