Haldex and ESP- Pointless?
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Shane-Ireland
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in my experience the ESP system is farrrr too safe. comes in too agressively.
but to be honest, i noticed it and had it come in the most on our totally ****e roads. For example you're in a corner, or accelerating out a corner, and the surface changes/bump/hole and thats when the esp would take control and literally haul the car as slow as possible mid acceleration, which really does take you by surprise, its not nice, and you just think 'was there any need for that', if anything, it feels more dangerous.
i wish it was as prawn says his a3 was and progressive and just holds back enough for you to still maintain speed or still accelerate a little. but it really isnt.
but to be honest, i noticed it and had it come in the most on our totally ****e roads. For example you're in a corner, or accelerating out a corner, and the surface changes/bump/hole and thats when the esp would take control and literally haul the car as slow as possible mid acceleration, which really does take you by surprise, its not nice, and you just think 'was there any need for that', if anything, it feels more dangerous.
i wish it was as prawn says his a3 was and progressive and just holds back enough for you to still maintain speed or still accelerate a little. but it really isnt.
I've always wondered this, if esp is cutting the power before the rear wheels are propperly working what's the point in it?
My car doesnt have it and have never seen the need for it on an s3, but I dont **** about on wet roundabouts... Learnt that lesson a few years back, thankfully in a company car. That said in my brothers old 335d I wouldnt even turn it off in the dry.
My car doesnt have it and have never seen the need for it on an s3, but I dont **** about on wet roundabouts... Learnt that lesson a few years back, thankfully in a company car. That said in my brothers old 335d I wouldnt even turn it off in the dry.
Some of us prefacelift S3 owners are of course fortunate not to have ESP, and to be honest it's not something I have ever thought the car needed, and even in very sprited use have had no traction problems that have ever made me think otherwise.
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and with mine switched off, i've never thought, **** traction control wouldve been handy then.
everyone keeps saying whats the point in haldex if esp interveens. Haldex is working farrrrr sooner than and more often than the esp!
maybe i just think it's going to be what it was in the previous cars ive owned (generally french hatches/company cars)... dont really know.
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I can tell you that the ESP and Haldex works independently, the ESP can't control any part of the Haldex apart from cutting the power for a split second, which would uncouple the Haldex at a guess??
I figure this would be similar to driving my old hilux surf around in 4WD all the time. They don't have a centre diff and this causes axle wind when in 4WD so Toyota recommend only switching to 4WD on surfaces when the wheels can slip a bit.
Don't know if it would be different with the haldex unit, I'm guessing it has some kind of viscous coupling in it?? I won't be trying it though!
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Ah the old debate of ESP on or off 
From my experiences it's a sodding menace! As soon as you get a remap and bypass the N249 (which controls the DV via the ESP) you might as well forget about ESP. It comes in without any effort and I cant remember it being that bad before a remap. I've had a few occasions where I've forgotten to disable it then pulled out onto a busy roundabout only to be stranded there with a car fast approaching from my right and a silly flashing ESP sign on the dash.
For those of you with VCDS have a little read of the following thread. It's interesting stuff but I've not got round to testing it yet:
Permanently and completely disable ESP/ASR on MkIV R32 for track use?
From my experiences it's a sodding menace! As soon as you get a remap and bypass the N249 (which controls the DV via the ESP) you might as well forget about ESP. It comes in without any effort and I cant remember it being that bad before a remap. I've had a few occasions where I've forgotten to disable it then pulled out onto a busy roundabout only to be stranded there with a car fast approaching from my right and a silly flashing ESP sign on the dash.
For those of you with VCDS have a little read of the following thread. It's interesting stuff but I've not got round to testing it yet:
Permanently and completely disable ESP/ASR on MkIV R32 for track use?
Having read all the comments I can't help thinking that the ESP on all these cars is different. I leave mine on all the time and haven't noticed it intervene, whereas some of you seem to find it really intrusive and others not so. I have the N295 bypass and remap!
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perhaps its related to tyres?
IE if you've got a large disrepancy front to back or left to right in terms of tyre wear/tread depth, then it pushes the ESP system into spaz mode when you nail it.
The cars that dont seem affected perhaps have very even tyre tread all round?
IE if you've got a large disrepancy front to back or left to right in terms of tyre wear/tread depth, then it pushes the ESP system into spaz mode when you nail it.
The cars that dont seem affected perhaps have very even tyre tread all round?
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Having read all the comments I can't help thinking that the ESP on all these cars is different. I leave mine on all the time and haven't noticed it intervene/QUOTE]
Perhaps you're just one of the few people left who seemingly don't drive like a complete C**t!
Artimus
Shortback
from the above link ...
Can this be taken to mean that if the front inside wheel is unloaded\spinning in a corner, the opposite rear wheel may be alloted more drive\power to maintain momentum? can this be what's catching folk unawares?
Can this be taken to mean that if the front inside wheel is unloaded\spinning in a corner, the opposite rear wheel may be alloted more drive\power to maintain momentum? can this be what's catching folk unawares?
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ESP is completely different on a TTRS compared to the Leon Cupra.
When driving hard in sport, its there, but you dont notice it. Well not untill you drive the car with it completely turned off and things start getting a bit more hairy more easily.
When driving hard in sport, its there, but you dont notice it. Well not untill you drive the car with it completely turned off and things start getting a bit more hairy more easily.
