Stability Control Sensors: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Mercury Mariner and 2010 Ford Escape. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The stability control sensors for the AdvanceTrac® with RSC® system consist of the yaw rate sensor, lateral accelerometer and longitudinal accelerometer. The sensors are housed in the RCM which sends sensor information to the ABS module over a dedicated Controller Area Network (CAN) bus. If any of the sensors are defective, a new RCM must be installed. Refer to RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE (RCM) for additional information on the RCM .

The yaw rate sensor measures the relative vehicle motion about the vertical axis through the vehicle center of gravity.
The longitudinal accelerometer measures the acceleration corresponding to the force involved when the vehicle moves forward and rearward in the horizontal plane, along the centerline of the vehicle's front and rear wheels.
The lateral accelerometer measures the acceleration that corresponds to the force involved when the vehicle moves sideways.

Lateral acceleration has 2 forms. The first is the centrifugal acceleration that is generated when the vehicle travels around in a circle. The second is the acceleration due to gravity. On level ground there is no contribution from this acceleration. However, if the vehicle is parked sideways on a bank or incline, the sensor measures some lateral acceleration due to gravity, even though the vehicle is not moving.