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Technical Esc...

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Technical Esc...

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gullyfoyle

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Help me out please, on starting the display lights up and the ESC light illuminates and then goes out as per normal, but.. does the car have ESC..

It’s a 2013 November build, and looking up the handbook it says that ESC also comes with a host of other things including hill hold, now it certainly doesn't
have that.. so question is, does it have ESC... my limited research indicated that ESC was an option not standard.
 
What model exactly? Hill Hold only works on hills and is obvious when it kicks in. I think it is one of the associated functions with ESC. ESC typically brings Traction Control with it too, which is another thing that's relatively easily identified (at lease on FWD anyway).
 
R1NGA said:
What model exactly? Hill Hold only works on hills and is obvious when it kicks in. I think it is one of the associated functions with ESC. ESC typically brings Traction Control with it too, which is another thing that's relatively easily identified (at lease on FWD anyway).
Click to expand...

It’s a 4x4 as above, November build 2013 the ESC light comes on on startup, but as stated there is definitely no Hill hold function ( I live on top of a hill )

From what I gather the new Panda missed the mandatory fitting of ESC by a couple of months as it had received type approval before the legislation came into force, it therefore was a £400 option, my wife’s Panda has as far as I can determine no options fitted, its the standard spec.

I’m just a little confused as the light coming on would indicate its fitted as on any other car I’ve owned, these lndicator lights dont light up if an option isn’t fitted, but maybe Fiat are different from the rest..

Thanks for the reply.
 
Hold that thought Ringa, just used a new combination of words in the search engine..

Yes it does have ESC fitted as standard, but it has no associated functions, the 2 wheel drive version initially did not have it fitted as standard but it was an option.

Cheers.
 
gullyfoyle said:
It’s a 4x4 as above, November build 2013 the ESC light comes on on startup, but as stated there is definitely no Hill hold function ( I live on top of a hill )

From what I gather the new Panda missed the mandatory fitting of ESC by a couple of months as it had received type approval before the legislation came into force, it therefore was a £400 option, my wife’s Panda has as far as I can determine no options fitted, its the standard spec.

I’m just a little confused as the light coming on would indicate its fitted as on any other car I’ve owned, these lndicator lights dont light up if an option isn’t fitted, but maybe Fiat are different from the rest..

Thanks for the reply.
Click to expand...

My 4x4 TA was built in second quarter of '13 - has all the gizmoes and I'm sure they were standard on the model.
 
I believe the 4x4 has HillHolder, Esc etc from when first introduced in 2013.

Hill Holder only works going up hill. Stop on a slope over 6 degrees, using only the footbrake. When you pull away release footbrake but the brakes stay on a moment, to allow you to juggle clutch and throttle pedals. (So lets you do a hill start without the handbrake).

It works equally well reversing up a slope.

Hill Holder is cancelled if you put the handbrake on - which seems 'odd'

It is not the same as 'Hill Descent Control' - the only extra but of tech the Cross gets over the 'basic' 4x4. This controls the speed you go down an off-road hill at, and only works at very slow speed (less than 10mph)
 
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Herts Hillhopper said:
It is not the same as 'Hill Descent Control' - the only extra but of tech the Cross gets over the 'basic' 4x4. This controls the speed you go down an off-road hill at, and only works at very slow speed (less than 10mph)
Click to expand...

Driver mode selectable, is that available on the 4x4 compared to the Cross? The Cross gets a heigher clearance as well as underbody protection and approach\departure angles are improved.
 
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The 4x4 has the same sump guard as the Cross, no other underbody protection really on either (the rear diff and driveshaft is still open to bumps and scrapes). The approach angle is a result of the different bumper on Cross, while the increase in departure and breakover angles are due to the higher ground clearance, which itself is a result of the larger tires rather than any suspension difference. The drive mode selection in the Cross is identical to the ELD button on the 4x4, with just the descent control added to the Cross.
 
oyumurtaci said:
The 4x4 has the same sump guard as the Cross, no other underbody protection really on either (the rear diff and driveshaft is still open to bumps and scrapes). The approach angle is a result of the different bumper on Cross, while the increase in departure and breakover angles are due to the higher ground clearance, which itself is a result of the larger tires rather than any suspension difference. The drive mode selection in the Cross is identical to the ELD button on the 4x4, with just the descent control added to the Cross.
Click to expand...
All correct. Basically the Cross and the 4x4 are the same car, with clever marketing and a £1500 price hike. The 4x4 has a button, not a rotary control to select modes: not pressed = the Cross's 'auto' mode; pressed = the Cross's 'off road' setting (forced 4x4 and ELD turned on). The increase in height is no more than 5mm, and all due to the tyres being 5mm taller (10mm increase in total diameter). The most expensive upgrade over the 'basic' 4x4 is that the Cross has full, auto climate control rather than just air con.
 
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Herts Hillhopper said:
The most expensive upgrade over the 'basic' 4x4 is that the Cross has full, auto climate control rather than just air con.
Click to expand...

In most markets. In some, since the 4x4 was priced well above Lounge spec cars (which had climate control as standard kit) they couldn't step it down to manual air con, so it was standard on the 4x4 as well in some cases.

All in all that's not to say I wouldn't take a Cross over a 4x4. I most definitely would. as Wrangler said, the approach angle is better, I like the looks of the Cross more, the interior trim too, not to mention the roof bars... if it weren't so damn expensive I'd probably get one today.
 
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OK, tried it out today, and yes it does have hill hold, I’ve been driving it of and on for two years now and never noticed it, I guess thats down to my perfect hill start abilities ;-)

Thanks for all your replies.
 
At least you found out intentionally. I was driving up a ramped road with only width for one car (but still a two way street) when a dump truck at the top started reversing down. I hit the brakes, then released them expecting to glide backwards. Instead, I was face to face with a reversing behemoth that couldn't see me and just sitting there like a knob, wondering if the car was paralyzed by fear.
 
Gullyfoyle said:
OK, tried it out today, and yes it does have hill hold, I’ve been driving it of and on for two years now and never noticed it, I guess thats down to my perfect hill start abilities ;-)

 You and me both, apparently!
Just done an off road driving course in a defender, and was introduced to left foot braking, although the intended use there was to stop wheel spin when one wheel loses contact with the ground.
 
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Fillipe said:
...
Just done an off road driving course in a defender, and was introduced to left foot braking, although the intended use there was to stop wheel spin when one wheel loses contact with the ground.
Click to expand...
Which is how the 'ELD" works on the Panda, but it is cleverer, applying the brake on just the spinning wheel to let the others keep working.
 
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