Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is a technology that keeps vehicles in the right direction. It reduces accidents and collisions because of over or understeering. Let’s explain why your car says error stabilization control and how to fix it.
When the ESC light turns on the dashboard, it means an error resulting from turning off the system or faulty sensors. You can fix this by turning the activation button or fixing malfunctioning sensors.
The ESC prevents a vehicle from spinning out or over-steering when it loses traction on the road. This may happen when you enter an extreme curve compared to the vehicle’s speed. You may lose control of the vehicle, and it spins out of control.
Understeering or plowing out happens when you enter a curve while braking or accelerating, making the front wheels lose control because of reduced traction on the road. You must understand how to correct the understeering to avoid an accident or collision.
The ESC automatically applies brakes to each car wheel to prevent spinning out or plowing out. However, the system can’t boost road traction. It just helps to keep your car under control in extreme situations.
What Is the ESC?
Electronic Stability Control prevents loss of control while handling curves or maneuvering emergency steering to prevent veering off your intended path. The system works automatically to help you maintain your vehicle’s control during tricky steering maneuvers.
The ESC doesn’t prevent rollovers, hard braking, or steering automatically. Taking turns sharply and quickly or sudden maneuvers on slippery roads encourages spins or plow outs. Taking turns slowly and carefully requires slowing and adjusting the following distance to brake safely.
How Does The ESC Work?
The system has multiple sensors for reading the direction of your vehicle, steering wheel position, and brakes on the tires. On detecting that the car isn’t taking your intended direction, it puts it back on the route by adjusting speed and braking any wheels while avoiding crashing.
Why Does Your Car Say Error Stabilization Control?
Your vehicle has an indicator light for ESC on the dashboard. When it turns on while you’re driving, it indicates various errors. The ESC light can turn on when trying to maintain traction and the light stays on to indicate loss of control.
The system may malfunction or be manually deactivated when the light stays on for an extended period. A malfunctioning ESC requires fixing, and you can reactivate it using a button whose location you can check in the user manual.
You can keep driving with the ESC light on, although it indicates driving on slippery roads. So, you must slow down to regain control. When the ESC malfunctions, get your car to a mechanic to correct any issues immediately.
What Causes ESC Light To Turn On?
Various factors can make the ESC light turn on, including:
Deactivating It Manually
You can turn off the stability control in most vehicles. It’s not recommended unless you’re going to drift. However, you can turn the system off by mistakenly turning the ESC light on. Before taking your car to the mechanic, check that you didn’t manually turn the system off.
There’s a possibility of having turned it off by mistake. Turning it on yourself will save you time and money at the mechanic.
Faulty Wheel Speed Sensors
The ESC monitors all wheel speed sensors to adjust the brakes accordingly after noticing discrepancies. When any of the sensors is faulty, it encourages the ESC light to turn on. A scan tool is necessary to detect any faulty sensor to allow fixing it appropriately.
Malfunctioning Steering Angle Sensor
This sensor works with the wheel speed sensors for each wheel to spin at an appropriate angle according to your intended direction. The outside wheels spin faster than the inside wheels when turning.
Steering wheel sensors tell the ECM what’s happening to it doesn’t seem that your wheel is slipping while the other side is perfect. A faulty steering wheel sensor will read this wrong and make the ESC light turn on.
Faulty Wiring Or Electrical Issues
Faulty wiring between the ESC and the ECM may turn the light on. It may happen near the wheel speed sensors where the wiring is exposed. When checking the sensors, check the battery, too, since a dead cell may cause the ESC not to work properly.
How To Fix Stabilization Control Error?
If the stability control is always on, disabled, or malfunctioning, here are a few things you can do to fix it.
Check the Stability Control Button
The ESC button is on the dashboard, and you may have deactivated it accidentally, making the light turn on. When you locate the button, turn it on, and the light will go off. Afterward, start the car and look for the switch that says ESC, ESP, StabiliTrak, or DSC on the dashboard depending on the car model and press it.
ESC – Hyundai, Chevrolet, Kia, Chrysler, Audi, Dodge, Saturn
DSC – Mazda, Jaguar, BMW
ESP – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, VW, Suzuki, Sprinter, Renault, Jeep
StabiliTrak- General Motors, Holden, Chevrolet, GMC, gm, Cadillac, Opel, Buick, Vauxhall
Do this for three seconds and look at the instrument cluster to see if the ESC light is turned off.
Check the Stability System
The easiest way to check why the ESC light is on is to use a diagnostic scanner to read codes from the ABS and stability modules. An ABS scanner is necessary to diagnose the ABS and ESC for problems.
A basic OBD-II code reader can’t communicate with the ABS module. A diagnostic scanner will scan multiple systems in your car through the OBD-II port. You can take your car to a local dealership to have the ESC problem diagnosed if it still has a warranty.
If an existing warranty covers fixing stability problems, you won’t pay any charges. Here’s how the process goes.
- Plug in the OBD-II port below the dashboard
- Turn on the ignition but don’t start the car
- Access the ABS and ESC menus to read the faulty codes.
Can I drive With The ESC Off?
Some vehicles allow driving with the ESC off when driving slowly uphill in snowy weather. When the ESC is off, you must be extremely careful.
Your car won’t have extra protection against skidding when the system is off. Other cars allow reducing how your ESC reacts, especially for high-performance cars.
Conclusion
Error stabilization control may result from the ESC detecting loss of traction. It reacts automatically to protect you from collision or veering off track.
The ESC light may turn on because you turned off the button or the sensors are faulty. Fixing the sensors or turning the activation button turns off the ESC light.
