M-Class / 4-Matic: How to correct oversteer on ice / snow?

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no@spamgourmet.com - 20 Dec 2004 06:25 GMT

Apart from counter steering (or relying on ESP), should you ease off
the throttle or step on the throttle gradually and let the front
wheels pull you out of trouble?

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Martin Joseph - 20 Dec 2004 09:08 GMT

> Apart from counter steering (or relying on ESP), should you ease off
> the throttle or step on the throttle gradually and let the front
> wheels pull you out of trouble?

Gun it and aim for the median.

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Huw - 20 Dec 2004 09:48 GMT

> Apart from counter steering (or relying on ESP), should you ease off
> the throttle or step on the throttle gradually and let the front
> wheels pull you out of trouble?

The M certainly has a very effective automatic system which, more or less,
does it for you.

Huw

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Rodney T. Grill - 27 Dec 2004 22:00 GMT

> Apart from counter steering (or relying on ESP), should you ease off
> the throttle or step on the throttle gradually and let the front
> wheels pull you out of trouble?

You should rely on ESP and not worry about it. However, keep in mind that
it cannot overcome the laws of physics, which means that on wet pavement, at
speeds over about 50mph, ESP will take some time to correct which means you
will slide several feet off course and even fishtail somewhat before you are
back on track. On ice and snow, the threshold is even slower, like 30mph or
even 20mph. The best thing you can do to help ESP react more quickly in an
oversteer situation is ease off the accelerator. While it will do this for
you, this also lets it "know" that you "know" that you are sliding and it
will react more quickly.

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- RODNEY

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