2010 Ford Focus Owner Guide 3rd Printing - Page 182

Driving momentarily reducing engine power. Brake traction control works to limit wheel spin by momentarily applying the brakes to the wheel that is slipping. Traction control is most active at low speeds. in the instrument cluster During TCS events the "sliding car" icon will flash. If the TCS is activated excessively in a short period of time, the braking portion of the system may become temporarily disabled to allow the brakes to cool down. In this situation, TCS will use only engine power reduction or transfer to help control the wheels from over-spinning. When the brakes have cooled down, the system will regain all features. Anti-lock braking, and ESC are not affected by this condition and will continue to function during the cool-down period. The engine traction control and brake traction control system may be deactivated in certain situations. See the Switching Off Traction Control section below. Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Electronic stability control (ESC) may enhance your vehicle's directional stability during adverse maneuvers, for example when cornering severely or avoiding objects in the roadway. ESC operates by applying brakes to one or more of the wheels individually and, if necessary, reducing engine power if the system detects that the vehicle is about to skid or slide laterally. in the instrument cluster During ESC events the "sliding car" icon will flash. Certain adverse driving maneuvers may activate the ESC system, which include but are not limited to: • Taking a turn too fast • Maneuvering quickly to avoid an accident, pedestrian or obstacle • Driving over a patch of ice or other slippery surfaces • Changing lanes on a snow-rutted road • Entering a snow-free road from a snow-covered side street, or vice versa • Entering a paved road from a gravel road, or vice versa • Cornering while towing a heavily loaded trailer (refer to Trailer towing in the Tires, Wheels and Loading chapter). 182