Modern vehicles have convenient technologies that greatly assist in difficult road situations. Features like cruise control can take the burden off the driver for a while.
Amongst all of those, ESC systems play a significant role when it comes to driving. They can help you avoid road accidents while ensuring stability on the road. However, they come with special warning lights on the dashboard. Don’t worry if you see these illuminate suddenly. In this piece, we’ll walk you through how to turn off the ESC light in a Honda CRV.
VSA is Honda’s version of ESC (Electronic Stability Control). ESC works fast, so quickly that you may not even feel the need to correct your steering when driving. The system consists of several components, including the hydraulic unit, the engine unit, and a range of sensors.
Let’s take a look at what goes into the ESC. First off, there are speed sensors under each wheel of your car. These ensure that your ride can slow its forward momentum properly. Then comes the control unit. It collects steering and rotation information so that it knows the direction you are heading in. If it notices that your driving trajectory does not match the steering wheel’s position, it starts to apply the brakes automatically.
The system’s primary function is to keep your vehicle stable. It reduces the risk of losing control when you make sharp turns or perform emergency steering maneuvers. In essence, ESC helps prevent spinning and plowing out. However, it does not stop your car from rolling over and will not apply hard braking or do the steering for you.
The warning light may turn off if you shut down the system. For that, press the VSA button on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. Hold it until you hear a beep sound, and another “VSA is off” light will turn on if you’ve done everything correctly.
However, and this is important, you may just need to service your vehicle. Warning lights come on for a reason, and while there are instances of false alarms, it’s best to double-check and make sure everything is ok. To give you an indication, let’s look at a couple of general reasons for the ESC or VSA light to illuminate.
When you are in a situation where intervention from the ESC system is needed, the lights will illuminate on the dashboard. It indicates that your vehicle is slipping. There is nothing to worry about, and once you regain control, the light will turn off.
You can disable ESC with a press of a button, and you should from time to time. For instance, when you drive up an incline with an icy patch. Because the system is essential for safety, the light will remain until you re-enable it.
Without any data from the steering angle sensor, your car’s ESC can’t function correctly. It can’t compare input from the brakes and wheels to the direction you are taking the car. So, unsurprisingly, the light will illuminate whenever the process does not go as intended.
The Anti-lock Braking System or ABS helps prevent your wheels from locking up, so you can steer your vehicle to safety in case of an emergency. Both ABS and the Wheel Speed Sensor feed into the overall control of ESC. Whenever there is something wrong with them, multiple lights may turn on your dashboard.
Your car could have an electrical issue that prevents one or more ESC components from functioning. Just like in other situations, it prompts the light to illuminate and requires some investigation on your part.
If you recently changed the battery, the tires, or had brake maintenance performed, you should ensure that everything was put back correctly. Sometimes, the entire ESC system should be re-initialized as even minor changes disrupt its functioning.
VSA helps Honda owners regain control of their vehicles on a slippery road and helps keep peace of mind in challenging road conditions. As it has warning lights connected to it, they may come on from time to time to remind the driver to turn the system on or indicate any possible issues with the auto.
Even though it may get frustrating when it happens too often, it’s best not to ignore it and make sure you do due diligence as a driver.
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