Customers already behind the wheel of the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner, one of Ford's first products to sport EPS, also are enjoying other clever -- yet subtle -- steering characteristics that enhance drive quality.
One such EPS-enabled feature, pull-drift compensation, is a software-based technology that helps drivers offset vehicle pulling or drifting that can occur in steady crosswinds or on uneven roads.


"Pull and drift are major customer annoyances that have been difficult to completely eliminate because of multiple factors that contribute to this phenomenon," said Ali Jammoul, Ford's chief engineer for Chassis Engineering and Steering Systems. "Ford's innovative pull-drift technology compensates to provide driving comfort straight down the road, even in steady crosswinds and on banked and uneven roads."
http://www.controleng.com/articleXml/LN942979828.html

Sometimes you just don't know how good the FEH is!

GaryG

 

I just love it when I see something I want and already had it and didn't know it.

 

Hadn't picked that up reading the books. What a neat idea. Glad you pointed that out.

Many thanks!

 

Interesting. Haven't noticed it, but I drive short distances, and while quite windy here in OKC, it rarely a steady wind, more like 25-35mph 'waves'.

But the rest of the article saysWonder if that is ALL 08's and newer, or just the v2 08's that got the steering wheel radio controls too.

 

I would think radio controls wouldn't make a difference, it's a bigger upgrade than a couple buttons on the wheel.

 

Are we to assume that the FFH and MMH will have this safety feature as well? Is this standard with the electric steering?

p.s. I have my VIN and am about 1 month away (FFH)!

 

My '09 FEH steers like my '05 FEH with EPS so I think all Ford hybrids have pull/drift technology. The point Ford is making is in '08 gas Escapes got EPS because of fuel efficiency and 50% less complaints regarding pull and drift in hydraulic systems. In addition, Ford has moved to replace other hydraulic systems in more models with EPS. I'm sure also that Ford has improved programming in the PCM and Power Steering Control modules from the '05 FEH to date.

GaryG

 

In all the other Fords I've driven for appreciable amounts of time, even after being aligned to factory specs, have always had a tendency to pull slightly to the right (not bad just slightly). After thinking about this and talking to several alignment guys, it was decided that this was a case of safety by design. The theory being if the driver become incapacitated/distracted in some way (like falls asleep), its better to have the car creep to the shoulder than toward oncoming traffic. I haven't noticed other manufacturer's cars that I've owned having this slight pull to the right (but there haven't been many of those so I can't really compare company wide like I feel I can with Ford).

All that said, I don't get that slight pull in my FEH. It seems to adjust to the road's "crown" really well and drives with lees effort when on the Interstate especially.

 

Drifting to the right or left due to the road angle is a pain in the neck and I don't think it has anything to do with falling to sleep.

A few years ago my steering system in my Boston Whaler broke and I had to replace it. The old system had me drifting/pulling and fighting the steering wheel just to go straight. You could turn the engine by hand and the steering wheel would turn also. After changing to the new system the engine would lock where you placed the steering wheel and stay in that direction till you turn the wheel again. This was so much better because I did not have to constantly fight the waves. Our FEH's do this with the EPS system and makes driving so much better.

GaryG

 

Gary, do you know if the '07s have this feature with the EPS? I find it very stable and seldom pulls in any direction. In fact, I have found that in many Southern California freeways where we have grooved pavement it almost seems to self-correct when a groove wants to take the car into another lane.

Thanks,

-Tony