Forum Discussion

Sharon_and_Larr's avatar
Sharon_and_Larr
Explorer
Nov 04, 2013

View

Good Morning All,
I would like to hear from some of you that know a little something about the Sprinter 3500 Mercedes Benz.
My wife and I went from a 23 ft. Chateau E350 Ford to a 25 ft. View Mercedes. It’s a 2014 and we got it new.
For our maiden trip we took my son and my dog and went to CA. then up to WA. To see my sister and brother.
We went while our GREAT leader and his club had the Parks closed so we didn’t do a lot on our way out. In going though the
Flat lands of the western states we drove into some very high winds. These winds bring me to my question.
I was driving about 68 to 70 MPH in cruse and two lights came on in the dash, the ESC and ESP, the cruse
Went off but nothing was wrong. I pulled over looked the View over and found nothing. Got back in started it up and the lights
Were off. Just a short time down the road they came back on. I continued down the road and stopping at
a fuel stop and looking it all over and getting the manual out and looking at that too. The only thing we could find was that
these lights have safety content and linked them to the winds. Can anyone tell me anymore?
Class C
  • mumkin's avatar
    mumkin
    Explorer
    Nov 04, 2013
    Not that one can't get good answers here (as shown above), but you might want to join the Yahoo View/Navion group.

    link

    I've read this group for years even though I own neither a View or a Sprinter. Knowledgeable, friendly people...
  • tatest's avatar
    tatest
    Explorer II
    Nov 04, 2013
    I think if I were driving in wind conditions triggering the stabilty system, I would get off the road and wait out the weather. I've done it for slick road condtions, without knowing just how slick. ESA (what it was called on the wife's Accord) started triggering as we moved slowly through some worsening icy road conditions, so I creeped to an exit and managed to get to a motel parking lot. Learned that a surface slick enough to activate ESA at low speed was to slick to stand on, we worked our way in hanging onto walls and leaning on the suitcase we were skiding across the ice.

    Those must have been some interesting winds.
  • Sharon_and_Larr's avatar
    Sharon_and_Larr
    Explorer
    Nov 04, 2013
    Thanks for the response. That was one of my first reactions, was to slow down. Even after the fuel stop and the lights were off the wife started to drive and I was reading the manual and she don’t drive with cruise control at all, these lights came on. Like I mention this was our first trip and I could not find anything in the manual on why both these lights would come on at the same time. I also had the check engine come on without any warning light that the DEF was low, but I filled it and kept it full and it didn’t come bake on until I let get real low while watching the level.
    I have another thing to ask about. I have two types of heat. One propane forced air and another is electric heat like a heat pump. The thing is when I use the electric heat I would get water on the floor that I could not find from where it was coming from. What does that sound like to anyone, could there be a problem with the heat pump (electric heat)
  • Dakzuki's avatar
    Dakzuki
    Explorer II
    Nov 04, 2013
    I agree with Tom. Looks like you triggered the stability control function with your yaw rate induced by the wind. Nothing to worry about as far as the Sprinter is concerned. I'd be more worried about the driving conditions. Not sure if you tried slowing down but that would be my first response. I've had mine in some pretty nasty wind and have yet to have that happen.
  • SteveL1948's avatar
    SteveL1948
    Explorer
    Nov 04, 2013
    tatest wrote:
    It would seem your efforts to fight the winds at high speed got into a handling situation that ESC found necessary to correct. On any car with a stabilty assist or stability control system, when the computer tries to use the throttle and/or single wheel braking, it will disengage cruise control.

    Usually what triggers a stability correction is an inconsistency between wheel travel direction and the yaw rate measured by the inertial G sensors, e.g. the system thinks you are either sliding or cornering beyond safe limits. The systems may programmed to correct sooner for high CG vehicles more prone to tip over.

    I've had two Hondas with stability control systems, haven't had the trigger in cross winds, but I never use cruise control in adverse weather, and I slow down for cross winds, even with low profile sedans.



    Tom,
    I would just like to say that is one of the best answers I have read on here in a long time! It was short, direct, and right on target to the question ask by the OP!! I commend you!!
  • tatest's avatar
    tatest
    Explorer II
    Nov 04, 2013
    It would seem your efforts to fight the winds at high speed got into a handling situation that ESC found necessary to correct. On any car with a stabilty assist or stability control system, when the computer tries to use the throttle and/or single wheel braking, it will disengage cruise control.

    Usually what triggers a stability correction is an inconsistency between wheel travel direction and the yaw rate measured by the inertial G sensors, e.g. the system thinks you are either sliding or cornering beyond safe limits. The systems may programmed to correct sooner for high CG vehicles more prone to tip over.

    I've had two Hondas with stability control systems, haven't had the trigger in cross winds, but I never use cruise control in adverse weather, and I slow down for cross winds, even with low profile sedans.

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