What is Wrong When a Car Fishtails?
1 Answers
Car fishtailing is caused by a malfunction in the vehicle stability system. The vehicle stability system is essential. Essentially, it is a type of traction control system that, unlike other traction control systems, can manage not only the drive wheels but also the driven wheels. Rear-wheel-drive vehicles often experience oversteer, leading to loss of control of the rear wheels and fishtailing. The vehicle stability system stabilizes the car by gently braking the outer front wheel. In front-wheel-drive vehicles that understeer, the system corrects the direction by gently braking the inner rear wheel. The vehicle stability system significantly enhances the safety and convenience of vehicle handling. In situations like sharp turns, sudden acceleration, or emergency braking, the system quickly detects and takes appropriate braking actions, such as individually controlling each tire and reducing engine output to maintain vehicle stability. Generally, the vehicle stability system is enabled by default and does not need to be activated every time the car is started. To disable it, simply press the ESC OFF button. When the car is restarted, the system automatically reactivates. If the vehicle stability system is turned off, a corresponding indicator light will illuminate on the dashboard, indicating that the system is disabled. When the system is enabled again, the dashboard indicator light will reappear.
