What Is Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) And How It Works?

    Vehicle dynamic control or also called VDC combines the basic functions of ABS and traction control. It also has the unique ability to brake any of the vehicle’s four wheels individually as needed to provide steering corrections or to improve steering control and vehicles stability. The VDC system uses the brakes to help straighten out vehicle that is going out of control.

    For example, if you enter a turn too fast and rear end starts to slide to the outside of the road you are loosing control. If you hit the brakes, the rear wheels may lock even if the car has ABS and it might start to spin out of control. Counter steering probably will not help you either if the rear wheels are already starting to lose traction. In a situation like this the VDC system would sense the problem in its very beginning. It would immediately apply braking to the opposite side front wheel (if you are making right turn it would brake the left front wheel and the other way around) to help straighten out the car so the driver can regain control over the car. If additional braking were necessary to other wheels that would be done too until the car was back under driver’s control. All the breaking is done automatically without the drivers input. ABS activates only when braking, traction control only when accelerating but VDC is ready to operate in any driving mode. VDC senses when the vehicle is becoming unstable and reacts before the driver can. It is ready to assist at any time if assistance is needed.

    VDC does not prevent careless driving. If you are entering a corner to fast it is not going to magically make your Honda Acura car stay on the road, but it will help you regain control if there is any hope for doing so. The VDC system designed primary for safety, not for handling performance. Even so, VDC ads something which no one can do regardless of how skilled they are and that is breaking individually wheel to help stabilize and steer the car.

   The main component of the VDC system is a piezoelectric sensor that monitors the rotational motions of vehicle. The sensor also monitors the vertical axis to detect under steer, over steer and fishtailing. The VDC control module monitors the driver’s steering input using steering angle sensor on the steering column. The sensor tells the system which way the driver is turning the wheel so it can determine if the vehicle is responding normal. Inputs from the four wheel sensors are telling the control module the wheel speed. It also tells the system if there is speed difference between the inside and outside wheels when turning. If the data from any of all the sensors is different from what it should be the VDC system knows the car is losing its grip and help is needed to regain control. Almost all of the VDC systems are manufactured by Bosch. Please do not disable the Vehicle Dynamic Control System on your performance Honda Acura because it is part of the safety features of your car.

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