ESP, EDL & ASR what is really going on?

[gtimonkey]

Hi everyone

New to posting threads but have been lurking about for a while now. Lots of good experience to soak up. I run a more or less stock blue polo around the inner west of Brisbane. I think I have seen a few of you about.

I am interested in learning more about the ESP system on the Polo GTi.

I have to say that I have not found a good explanation of how it works. The best I have is the back of the spec:

https://www.denlo.com.au/_literature_14675/Polo_GTI_Specifications_MY08

I have mixed feelings about it. Has anyone attempted any mods on it? I do enjoy turning it off. The ESP makes you feel isolated from what is going on sometimes (the car says no, to throttle lift oversteer - silly car). It would be neat if it had a few extra settings.

With ESP on, it seems counterproductive that it is applying braking when you are trying to make it run away and hide. The ideal for me would be for it to lock the diff and let me decide what happens with my right foot.

Not sure what would this feel like, would it just be torque steering all over the shop?

I have just obtained a rear swaybar (in an attempt to rid the thing of its horrid understeer), going to fit it today. This started me thing about the little light on the dash a lot more. My next mod is going to be one of those dogbone things, at the moment I can feel the engine bouncing on that undersized elastic band when I take off hard.

[shaneth]

welcome gtimonkey to the forum. Good to see another polo in brisbane. WHat year is yours. To be honest when i was stock i rarely ever saw the esp light come on not even on mountian runs. Not sure bout others though. So i havent had any complaints personally. Rear sway bars a good upgrade, i have that, but some find on the hardest stting snap over steer (not me personally).

[gtimonkey]

ESP light

mine is stock, not even chipped as yet

The little yellow esp light says hello whenever i chuck it at a corner - you know the type: fast entry, rapid change of direction deals.

I suspect if you are driving hard enough to make the light come on you are probably focused more on the road than the little light in the dash

[mikepologti]

somebody has come out with something that allows you to fiddle with the esp settings. though there is another thread pertaining to this subject. though before taking on this venture you might want to think about, a/ weather a insurance company is going to touch you, when you can fiddle with safty devices and b/ all it really takes if you to put the wrong settings in and "fanging" it around corners instantly becomes an inability and you end up in a lamp post. just my thaughts any way.

[shaneth]

No i can say with certainty that it hasnt come on unless im doing something silly. I have been in my car when someone else did a run and you can feel it cut the power/pull you back in line. I dont see the benefit of fiddling. just turn it off if you are affraid its going to interfere. (not that this is my recommendation.) And i cant say ive ever heard of someone fiddling with the settings.

[Ben_GTI]

I feel mine kick in without the light coming on. If it is only a slight little touch of the rear inside wheel, it won't flash.

If you upgrade suspension, it won't stop it kicking in, because you will just go faster around corners.... well that's my experience anyway.

[mozzzy_2000]

I personally think its an amazing invention. Works pretty well with my driving. I do feel it kicking in when you reach your limits around a corner say, but I rarely have seen the light flick on. That happens mostly when in the wet and you accelerate off the line too briskly leaving you just sitting there spinning the wheels going no where.
Have found also that since I have had mine chipped, the ESP seems sort of more leanient and you'll still get squealing tyres coming out of a fast corner but fang it around really fast and really recklessly around a very sharp corner and this is when you'll feel the rear brakes come on and the engine cuts momentarily straighting you up.
I actually think it makes driving almost fool proof. You really have to do something completely stupid and ridiculous to crash it around a corner I would think. The one thing I do find somewhat annoying is that sometimes it really won't let you power out of a corner but I suppose I can always drive it with the ESP off. But I never really bother in the end. It feels very safe with it on and it really allows you to fling it around 95% of the time.

[gregozedobe]

I know I'm an old fuddy duddy, but IMHO I think you are asking for trouble switching off the ESP when driving on public roads, let alone fiddling with the settings.

There is a good chance that if you frequently drive so that your ESP is interfering with your "fun", then one day your ambition and enthusiasm will exceed your reflexes, skill and ability, and at that point ESP may be the only thing that could save your bacon (and other road users), but it can only do that if it is switched on and functioning.

It might be nothing to do with your skill and ability; there may be a sudden wet patch or gravel on what has been a perfect dry road so far, it might be an extra tight corner missing a speed sign, it might be a huge truck coming around the corner on your side of the road.

If you want to drive that hard, please save it for the track.

/lecture

[Blitzen]

This is the first car I have had ESP on, but I tend to turn it off a fair bit. I think it takes away from peoples driving skills. I look at it like this. All of the work vehicles I drive(bar the white fleet vehicles) have no driving aids. If you come to rely on something in one vehicle, then jump in another vehicle which dosn't have them and you get into a pickle, you may have come to expect the vehicle to do the job for you.
This is only how I look at it. Sure, it may save you sometime, but what are you going to do if you are in a car that dosn't have it?? Electrical components don't always cover human stupidity.

[Preen59]

This is the first car I have had ESP on, but I tend to turn it off a fair bit. I think it takes away from peoples driving skills. I look at it like this. All of the work vehicles I drive(bar the white fleet vehicles) have no driving aids. If you come to rely on something in one vehicle, then jump in another vehicle which dosn't have them and you get into a pickle, you may have come to expect the vehicle to do the job for you.
This is only how I look at it. Sure, it may save you sometime, but what are you going to do if you are in a car that dosn't have it?? Electrical components don't always cover human stupidity.

Good post man and i totally agree.

[mikepologti]

never thaught about it that way,......i tend to very much agree. x2 on the good post.

[Greg Roles]

I'd have to agree that too many electronic nannies is bad Blitzy, but to be honest I don't feel it interfere, nor do I see it flash much EXCEPT when I'm fair up it in a straight line on a slippery / inclined road. It saves me frying my tyres even more, and as they have already virtually had it at 20k's rotated, I'm happy to keep it on to delay that big bill as long as possible. I can still roast the 6 packs.

Perhaps the polo is a bit different, but I have taken the golf to some pretty decent extremes with ESP involved, and it just hasn't interfered.

I find if I drive smooth, regardless of anything else, I don't incur it's wrath, and see it as a stuff up safety net for the times WHEN I do.

Do as you wish, but I've managed road bike times in this car, and ESP was on.

[gtimonkey]

gregozedobe thanks for that lecture

Seems a bit out of place on a forum where people are doing all sorts of crazy to their rides. I am not convinced that modding the ESP is any more dangerous than messing with the brakes or suspension and there is plenty of that going on here. If it is so important why can I turn it off?

What we are trying to understand is how and when the ESP is triggered and what is going on when it decides to intervene. I think that we can all agree that it is amazing technology but what does it do?

[NickZ]

gregozedobe thanks for that lecture

Seems a bit out of place on a forum where people are doing all sorts of crazy to their rides. I am not convinced that modding the ESP is any more dangerous than messing with the brakes or suspension and there is plenty of that going on here. If it is so important why can I turn it off?

What we are trying to understand is how and when the ESP is triggered and what is going on when it decides to intervene. I think that we can all agree that it is amazing technology but what does it do?

How is upgrading the brakes or suspension in anyway dangerous? Generally an upgrade means you are improving it - I don't think people on this forum are putting weaker brake pads or doing silly things to their suspension to render a car unsafe.

Also, I think a lot of people on here have made valid points with regards to ESP. Personally I leave it on - it has only come on mid corner once as I was going round a little fast and the tarmac at that point had changed. Whether it saved me from sliding off, or trigerred unnecessarily doesn't bother me - perhaps its a case of better safe than sorry? Perhaps I don't drive as hard as some of you guys (not according to my tyre wear!!!!)

IMO, rather than tinkering with the ESP I would save the money and spend it on some track days with the ESP off.

[Blitzen]

What we are trying to understand is how and when the ESP is triggered and what is going on when it decides to intervene. I think that we can all agree that it is amazing technology but what does it do?

Very basically, the ESP works off the wheels sensors located on the hubs. They detect the wheel speed at any given time, and other sensors detect the yaw rate of the car at certain points in relation of steering wheel position sensors. These then work in conjunction to apply separate brakes to keep the car controlled and prevent it from spinning or becoming out of control.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/3171/benefits-of-esp/