Dear All

I recently purchased a Fiesta 2018 - ST Line. In the center console it has 3 buttons -> ECO / TCS OFF / A.  (Pic attached)

I have found something strange and if anyone else could test theirs to confirm then that would be great.

When i start the engine and press the TCS OFF button the red ''Traction off'' icon appears as aspected, when i press it again the red ''Traction'' icon disappears as expected. I can do this many times and it works no problem.

However when I press and hold the TCS OFF button for 15-16 seconds it says ''ESC On'', from my understanding this means the Electronic Stability Control has turn on. Then when i press the TCS OFF button to turn the Traction control off the red icon does not appear, and pressing and holding the TCS OFF button for 15-16 seconds does nothing either. The only way to then turn the Traction control off is to stop and start the engine.

I then did another test, i started the engine again, i pressed the TCS OFF button and the red ''Traction off'' icon appears as aspected. I then pressed and held the TCS OFF button for 15-16 seconds it says ''ESC On'', at which point the red ''Traction off'' icon disappeared, after which pressing the TCS OFF button does not turn the red icon on again (basically doesn't seem to do anything). Of course once i turn the engine off and back on it goes back to normal.

Does this mean that by default the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) is off when i start the car and I have to turn it on?  Does anyone else's Fiesta do the same thing?

Many thanks

Hi Tim,

My 2018 Titanium has the same console switches  - unless you have front parking sensors I think those are the standard ones. 

I haven't yet tried holding down the TCS off button on mine but I have a hunch that it would do same as yours. 

My guess  - this is all it is - is that in the full-fat ST, holding down the TCS off *would* turn off the electronic stability control... can any ST drivers out there confirm that? But in all other models i strongly suspect you can't turn off ESC, so when your Fiesta says "ESC on" it's simply confirming that it's on and staying on. I'm certain the ESC is on by default on start-up, and 90% sure it's not switchable except in the ST. 

Hoping that makes sense...🤓

Thanks, yes that makes sense, as i cant seem to turn it off. But if you have time then give it a test in yours and let me know what it says.. as I still have just over 2 months left of the warranty on the used car so can quickly go book it in for a check if need be 😄   however the only thing that makes me curios like i say it that once ''ESC On'' is displayed i cant press the TCS OFF button again to turn traction control off (unless of course i turn the engine off and back on again)

If anyone else on the board doesn't mind testing as well then that would be great. 😊

 

Hi again Tim,

So I've just tried it in mine and it does exactly the same as yours (68-plate Titanium diesel).

I'm wondering if, after holding down the TCS button for some time it needs a kind of reset so you can use it again, & maybe that's why you have to turn car off and on again? That's another guess tho...

Thanks for testing!  yes its something that is not documented in the handbook, it is but only for the ST. But its good to know that im not the only one experiencing it 😄   Im sure there is an explanation for it somewhere..