Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems ABS OPERATORS MANUAL ESP 4/11 - Manual (Page 7)

7
Understanding The Bendix ® ESP ® Stability System
What Is ESP ® Stability System?
The Bendix
® ESP ®
stability system is an optional feature for Bendix
® ABS-
equipped vehicles that reduces the risk of rollovers, jackknifing and other loss
of control situations. The ESP
®
system features include the Bendix
®
RSP
®
Roll Stability Program and Yaw Control.
Bendix ® RSP ® Roll Stability Program
What Is RSP ® Roll Stability Program?
The Bendix
®
RSP
®
Roll Stability Program is a feature of the Bendix
ESP stability
system-equipped vehicles that reduces the risk of rollovers.
How Does RSP ® System Improve Vehicle Roll Stability?
The RSP
®
system counteracts the tendency of a vehicle, or vehicle
combination, to tip over while changing direction (typically, while turning).
The lateral forces during a turn can push a truck or tractor-trailer horizontally
and, if the friction between the tires and the road is sufficient, the vehicle may
begin to tip and potentially could roll over.
To reduce the risk of rollover, the RSP
®
system detects potential rollover
conditions and slows the vehicle both by reducing engine throttle (and hence,
engine torque) and by applying the tractor and trailer service brakes as needed
at the appropriate wheels.
WARNING!
During an RSP system intervention, the vehicle automatically
decelerates
. The RSP system can slow the vehicle with or without you
applying the brake pedal
, and even when you are applying the throttle.
During an RSP system intervention, you can always use your service brake
pedal to increase the braking pressure that will be applied. However, if you
were to apply less braking pressure than needed — or even if you release the
brake pedal entirely during an intervention — the RSP system will continue
to apply the necessary amount of braking pressure automatically to the
appropriate wheels to mitigate a potential rollover.
A Real World Example Of How the Bendix ® RSP ®
System Operates:
Excessive speed for road conditions creates forces
that exceed the threshold at which a vehicle is likely to
rollover on a higher-friction surface.
The RSP
®
system automatically reduces
engine torque and applies the service
brakes (based on the projected rollover
risk) to reduce the vehicle speed, thereby
reducing the tendency to roll over.