There are still times when the electronics must be switched off and especially when driving off-road or in deep snow. Even high-speed driving on dirt roads should be done with ESC activated. But regardless of your car's electronics, it is not worth the risk to deactivate the ESC. Of course, if the ESC light comes on, you can still drive your car.
However, be aware that the ESC light may be an indicator that you are driving on a slippery road, and you may need to slow down to improve your control. And if it is an ESC defect, you should take your car to a workshop to correct the problem as soon as possible. While electronic stability control can help you avoid loss of vehicle control, it can't do everything for you. Try to keep it off as much as possible.
If you are driving in slippery conditions and the light continues to illuminate, reduce speed to make the car easier to control. Any problems that prevent the stability control from working should also be resolved as soon as possible. There are times when it is necessary to turn off the stability control, but you can leave it on in most cases. ESC will flash if you are going through a corner too fast.
The light goes out under normal driving conditions. ESC helps prevent the car from "spinning" or "jackknifing" due to loss of traction on the road. Individual brake calipers can be activated to correct oversteer or understeer, engine power can be modulated and other measures can be taken to help the driver maintain control. You can find the recommended tyre pressure for your vehicle printed on a sticker on the driver's side door frame of your vehicle or in the owner's manual.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) came about as a result of the advancement of Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) in new cars over the years. If the ESC light flashes when driving than it normally does, it means that the system is activated, and is trying to keep the vehicle under control. And if the ESC light stays on for an extended period of time, your ESC may be malfunctioning or the system may have been manually deactivated. ESC automatically applies the brakes to each of your car's wheels, preventing your vehicle from spinning or rolling away.
Ultimately, ESC is a useful technology, but safe driving should always be a priority, regardless of road or weather conditions. Systems such as traction control and anti-lock brakes help you maintain control during acceleration and braking, but ESC is designed to prevent you from losing control in other circumstances. In any of these scenarios, the driver needs to correct understeer, or an accident or collision may occur. In some cases, the ESC light comes on if your car is actively trying to maintain traction control.
If the ESC system determines that a vehicle is not responding correctly to steering input, it is able to take corrective action. In addition, ESC has a control unit that tracks the angle of your car's steering wheel, along with the rotation around the vertical axis of your vehicle. Under normal operating conditions, the ESC light should only be on when the car is started for a couple of seconds and then goes out.
