ESC Off Hyundai Santa Fe – What Does This Button Actually Do?

In Hyundai cars, you will find a lot of modern technologies. The majority of them are created for the safety and comfort of the driver and passengers. A lot of systems are pretty good in terms of the quality of work. Also, some systems are borrowed from other car producers. Like the ESC system, for example.

ESC in Hyundai Santa Fe stands for Electronic Stability Control, as in many different vehicles all over the world. In short, this system is applied during cornering and it controls where your vehicle is going in comparison to where you are steering. If something goes wrong, it reacts by applying different measures and stabilizes the way your car turns.

Here's what we are going to tell you today:

1. ESC system in Hyundai Santa Fe - some features you should know.
2. ESC OFF button - how does it work and why can it light up?
3. When should you turn off the ESC system?
4. ESC malfunctions in Hyundai - how can you understand this?

Let's get started!

Hyundai ESC system - main features you may want to know

The Electronic Stability Control works all the time when you drive your vehicle. It's applied whenever you steer your car to any side. So, this system is sleepless and it controls the car all the way when you drive. When it's applied, you may see a light on the ESC OFF button blinking. At least, in some older Hyundais, it did so. We've heard that newer cars don't do that - you will not see that the system helps you control the stability of the vehicle in corners.

When you drive on a straight line, the ESC system isn't applied. It only works during cornering. But even the slightest turn will activate the system and make its sensors register whatever happens with the car. Once something goes wrong, the system applies all the measures it can apply to deal with the situation.

Here's how it happens:

• once the system registers that the car is going in the wrong direction, it starts working hard to get the vehicle back under control;
• the ESC system works together with ABS to apply brakes to certain wheels in order to stop the vehicle from skidding and slipping;
• also, the ESC system may communicate with the engine control module and make it reduce the RPM if needed;
• the steering will not be touched, you are still in full control of steering and can make the situation better or worse;
• right after the vehicle is stabilized, the ESC system stops working and it doesn't apply brakes anymore.

So, basically, this system uses brakes for helping you out on the road. It automatically applies brakes on one of the wheels to help you gain back full control over the car steering. And it actually works effectively to prevent any problems with the loss of control over your vehicle.

The ESC system may also have other names in other cars, but it doesn't change the way it works. This is one of the essential safety systems you will find in your modern Hyundai Santa Fe. And we'll also answer the most popular question: You don't have to turn it on - it always works. But you may turn it off, and now we'll be speaking about that.

ESC OFF button and its main functions in Hyundai

Whatever model of Hyundai you have, you will still have this ESC function in all modern cars. It comes standard now even in the cheapest trims because safety shouldn't be the way to earn money for car manufacturers (hello, Audi). You can turn this function off and that's why you have the ESC OFF button in your Hyundai Santa Fe.

This button comes with an LED light that is on once the ESC is off. So if you see that your ESC OFF button is lighted up, your ESC system doesn't work. In older cars, the light will not be presented on a button, but you will see a pictogram flashing on the dashboard instead.

Here are the reasons why it can happen:

• the ESC was deactivated because you have just pressed the button;
• the system is malfunctioning, something went wrong with the sensors;
• the system is in action right now, so the LED light is on;
• the system needs servicing, that's why the light is on or blinking.

In most cases, when the light is on, your ESC system was deactivated manually. This means you should press the button again to activate the ESC and to make your journey safer. Otherwise, the system will not work when you are turning, and the vehicle may get into a skid, you will lose control over the car.

If the button LED light is on but you haven't deactivated the system, it means that you should go to your dealer or to a service center and order diagnostics. Most likely, you have some problem with the ESC system sensors or wiring.

When should you turn the ESC system off manually?

The Electronic Stability Control system will not allow you to lose control over the vehicle. But sometimes you will want to send your car to the skid. A controlled skid, of course. For example, when you are on a racing track, you will not want this ESC system to help you. Also, when you want to have some fun in an empty supermarket parking lot full of snow, you should deactivate the ESC system.

If you try to get your car into the skid when the system is activated, your vehicle will just stop or slow down once the car goes into the skid.

These are the only two reasons you should deactivate the ESC system in your Hyundai Santa Fe. In all other cases, it should be activated and function like it has to function. Otherwise, you can get into an accident when driving fast and actively. Cornering issues are the most dangerous and they should be avoided at all costs.

To deactivate the ESC, you should do the next:

1. Turn on the engine. Before your ignition is on, you can't control the ESC system because it's still deactivated. The engine should be on.
2. Then, press the ESC OFF button and hold for at least one second. You will see that the LED light on the button turns on.
3. Now you can drive and enjoy freedom. The vehicle will not brake and disturb your driving plan.
4. After you are done with your active and fun driving, press the button again until you see that the light is off.
5. You may also turn off the engine. Once you turn on the engine the next time, the ESC system will be activated automatically.

It's not that hard to learn how to control the ESC system in your Hyundai vehicle. Make sure you know how to do it before you actually need this. This knowledge may help you much on the road.

What to do if the ESC system is broken?

Any problems with the ESC system will be easy to locate thanks to the onboard diagnostic system. To understand all the problems, you will need to go to a Hyundai dealer or to a company that is specialized in servicing Hyundai cars. They have special equipment that will be connected to your car through the OBD port and it will read all the error codes. After that, you will know which sensor or which wiring part is broken.

To repair the system, a mechanic will stick to these steps:

1. Use the diagnostics tools to understand which element is malfunctioning.
2. Use the special database of Hyundai error codes to understand precisely what should be replaced.
3. Control visually the module that is supposed to malfunction.
4. Use original Hyundai parts to replace the module that doesn't work correctly.
5. Use the diagnostics tools again to make sure that everything is OK.
6. Check if the system works as it should.

The Hyundai Santa Fe electronics may seem to be a very hard thing to repair. But thanks to up-to-date diagnostics tools, you can easily locate the problem and spend just 15 minutes on this. After that, you will just need to pay for parts and labor and wait for a while to have the car repaired.

The price of the repair depends much on the chosen service station. Hyundai dealers are the most expensive, but this problem is not that hard to deal with. So if your vehicle is not in a warranty period anymore, you can go to some other service station and save your money.

Final words

The ESC system is extremely important in your Hyundai Santa Fe. You should make sure that it works and it's OK all the time. If you see that the LED light on the ESC OFF button is on all the time, you should consult with the specialist and repair the vehicle.

Safety systems in modern Hyundai cars are pretty good and reliable. Also, you may deactivate some of them, like the ESC system, and use your vehicle for fun driving. But we recommend you keep the system on all the time because it affects your safety. This system saves lives and you shouldn't forget about it.