Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Winter 2008/2009

TECH TALK SLIPS, SLIDES & DID YOU KNOW SAFETY WHAT IS VDC? The Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) system (otherwise know as Electronic Stability Control) receives information about the car from various sensors. These sensors monitor steering angle (the amount the steering wheel is turned), yaw (how much the nose of the car moves from side to side), individual wheel speed and lateral G load (the amount of force being generated during cornering). These sensors feed your car’s onboard computer with information constantly, measuring how the car is reacting to your touch on the steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator pedal at all times. The VDC system then uses this information to decide whether corrective action is needed to keep the car stable and in control; this action takes various forms, including reducing engine output, applying the brakes to an individual wheel or locking the AWD system. VDC IN ACTION Now that we know all these facts about the complex inner workings of your Subaru’s VDC system, how the system works in real-life situations becomes very simple to explain. 36 | Imagine you are driving down the highway and you hit a patch of ice – your car starts going sideways to the right. The onboard computer knows that the car is sliding based on information from the yaw and lateral G sensors. The steering angle sensor and wheel speed sensors tell the computer that you are not going in the direction you want to go. So... what happens? The VDC system automatically applies the left rear brake to pull the car back in line and momentarily locks the car’s front and rear wheels together (through the AWD system) to stabilize the vehicle even further and help it go straight. The computer may also reduce engine torque if it believes you are pressing too hard on the accelerator pedal to maintain control. All of this corrective AWD doubles your traction and improves control in all weather conditions. ABS and VDC will help you maintain or regain control. However, all these cannot work at their best if you don’t have the right tires. DID YOU KNOW action slows down the car, thereby making it is easier for you to control. You can imagine this scenario playing out with pretty much any slide. Applying brakes individually, reducing engine torque and locking the AWD system can pull you out of most minor loss of control situations. However, the laws of physics still apply and if you’re driving far too quickly to negotiate a corner – especially in slippery winter conditions – even VDC may not be able to come to the rescue. The lesson here: Always drive according to road and weather conditions! Winter tires should not be considered optional in Canada, they should be mandatory. And in the long run, they don’t really cost much more than if you used your all-season tires all year. If you keep your vehicle for more than ﬁve years, you will likely go through two sets of tires. Why not make one of the sets winter tires and reap the beneﬁts of added safety in snowy and icy conditions? If you don’t keep your car for ﬁve years, you can sell the tires and regain part of your investment. But ultimately you can’t put a price on safety and winter tires can help stop you from using another safety feature – the airbags! DID YOU KNOW Your Subaru Dealer has state-of-the-art testing equipment that can let you know if your car battery is able to survive the winter and not leave you out in the cold. Every Subaru comes with a free three year CAA Membership, however, no one likes the feeling of being stranded no matter how efﬁcient CAA’s battery boosting service proves to be. Your Subaru Dealer now has equipment that will quickly test your battery and charging system to make sure it won’t leave you in the cold this winter. (In this day and age, your time is your most valuable asset and no one has time for a dead battery!) The tester will also give you a printout so you can keep an eye on your battery’s condition from year to year and know when it is time to replace it. Subaru offers service specials to help you get your car ready for winter and summer. We’ve been offering service specials for quite a few years now and many customers wait for these with great anticipation. If you have not received this latest service special brochure, please give us a call at 1-800-894-4212 or go to our website where you can download the information. As a matter of fact, if you have not been receiving our service special announcements, we would like to hear from you to make sure we have you on our mailing list. DID YOU KNOW Subaru.ca hosts a wealth of information to help you keep your Subaru in top-notch condition. Visit the “Owning a Subaru” section today to ﬁnd out more on the following: | 37

Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Winter 2008/2009 | Page 37