Disable ESP

[BlackVr6ix]

I know in dads old A4 when you turned the ESP off it wasnt off totally, you could feel it cutting in a little later but it was still definately there.

[Funkdancer]

Lol - So every car out there without ESP is suddenly a deathtrap?

Statistically, yes.

There's a reason why the US are mandating it on all new cars from next year on. Our own government of course lacks the balls and the direction to do anything similar.

[FL00DY]

I left it on at Eastern Creek and I could feel it cutting in everytime through turn 1. I know it slows you down but it's there to help, I prefer to be safe then sorry.

Wakefield would be a different story. Speaking of roll on winter!!

Lol don't you dare leave ESP on with the new GTI Your times will be awesome with it off.

[Funkdancer]

Sorry my info was wrong, they're saying 2012 for mandatory date in the US. Not sure why Wheels wrote 2008 a couple of issues ago.

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/04/stability_contr.html

http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4024270

Also the EU says 2012 too:

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070528/ANE/70525003

The laws of physics still cannot be ignored, especially in a powerful car. I reckon it's more to be thought of as a safety system if something goes wrong. E.g. a you cannot plant your foot when entering a roundabout with a chipped Polo and not expect understeer to some degree as you turn in.

[PoloGTi]

Food for throught in a hill climb in Hobart a few months back i was running all day with ESP off.

Then for the last run was feeling stuffed, so i did the last run with it on and did my best time.
The road is very bumpy and the wheels bounce over every bump and just spin the ESP stoped this and put more power to the ground the course was only 800 meters.
May have been more relaxed or it could have been ESP hard to say.

Times:
15 Rob Millar VW 3240T 45.53, 45.51, 45.1, 45.22, 44.83, 45.26, 44.51(ESP OFF)

[FL00DY]

Food for throught in a hill climb in Hobart a few months back i was running all day with ESP off.

Then for the last run was feeling stuffed, so i did the last run with it on and did my best time.
The road is very bumpy and the wheels bounce over every bump and just spin the ESP stoped this and put more power to the ground the course was only 800 meters.
May have been more relaxed or it could have been ESP hard to say.

Times:
15 Rob Millar VW 3240T 45.53, 45.51, 45.1, 45.22, 44.83, 45.26, 44.51(ESP OFF)

Could have also been the petrol decreasing the weight I've found on the track when I try to use more of the track it bogs me down powering out of the corner.

[pomme]

All ESP should be on / off arguments aside...

I know what ABS is... and i know its not ABS thats kicking in... mainly cause i'm not on the brakes! Its the ESP which isn't fully disabled.

FYI, disabling the ABS makes the car act very strangly (speedo not working, fuel gague tempermental, very jerky when you lift off throttle), and while it does disable the ABS, it still doesn't stop the car butting in.

However, due to the fact that you all think its fully off, i'm guessing no-one know how to fully turn it off.

Question answered.

[PoloGTi]

Pull the Fuse??????????????

[FL00DY]

All ESP should be on / off arguments aside...

I know what ABS is... and i know its not ABS thats kicking in... mainly cause i'm not on the brakes! Its the ESP which isn't fully disabled.

FYI, disabling the ABS makes the car act very strangly (speedo not working, fuel gague tempermental, very jerky when you lift off throttle), and while it does disable the ABS, it still doesn't stop the car butting in.

However, due to the fact that you all think its fully off, i'm guessing no-one know how to fully turn it off.

Question answered.

OK new question, why do you want to turn it fully off? I can tell you that there is a hell of a difference at Wakefield between a lap of ESP on and one with it off. I've never turned it off and thought 'hey that felt the same with it on'.

[junior]

Sorry my info was wrong, they're saying 2012 for mandatory date in the US. Not sure why Wheels wrote 2008 a couple of issues ago.

http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2007/04/stability_contr.html

http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4024270

Also the EU says 2012 too:

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070528/ANE/70525003

The laws of physics still cannot be ignored, especially in a powerful car. I reckon it's more to be thought of as a safety system if something goes wrong. E.g. a you cannot plant your foot when entering a roundabout with a chipped Polo and not expect understeer to some degree as you turn in.

I was under the impression that any car that wanted to meet the 5 Star ANCAP safety standard must have ESP.

[pomme]

Fuse pulling doesn't work. There are 2 fuses listed in the manual... one disabled the ESP like the button, the other also takes out the ABS, which has really weird effects, but still doesn't disable the ESP totally.

Floody: I would agree 100% that there is a vast difference (IMO for the better) with it switched off. But i would like to feel the dynamics of the car for once without it being interrupted by electronics. I want to be able to go out for a drive and feel as connected to the road and car as i used to in my last car... sure the pog is great to drive... but sometimes it is a little held back.

[FL00DY]

I was under the impression that any car that wanted to meet the 5 Star ANCAP safety standard must have ESP.

Pretty sure Polo GTI is only 4 star ANCAP.

Fuse pulling doesn't work. There are 2 fuses listed in the manual... one disabled the ESP like the button, the other also takes out the ABS, which has really weird effects, but still doesn't disable the ESP totally.

Floody: I would agree 100% that there is a vast difference (IMO for the better) with it switched off. But i would like to feel the dynamics of the car for once without it being interrupted by electronics. I want to be able to go out for a drive and feel as connected to the road and car as i used to in my last car... sure the pog is great to drive... but sometimes it is a little held back.

Well I'll see how I got at the next track day cause I don't feel the electronics hold me back, maybe different driving styles.

[MACCAA]

The ESP is 100% off with the icon on the dash.I've raced enough cars/karts to know the difference.There is absolutely no electronic interference with it switched off-understeer and oversteer available at will.Timbo, Floody and I have run our cars enough on the track to know this beyond all shadow of doubt.
If you have something interfering with it switched off,there's something amiss somewhere.
Cheers
Len

[Guy_H]

From what I have experienced, turning it off works pretty well, EXCEPT - it can turn itself back on in an extreme case.

it looks at the yaw sensor on the rear axle & the steering wheel sensor, and when these are at a certain position it will kick it back on.

An example of this is the bottom loop at Mount Cotton Hillclimb when you overcook it.

At Eastern Creek, Wakefield, Oran Park, Sandown, it never interfered with a lap.

At Sutton Road hillclimb it did kick in (and probably saved my arse at the same time )

I have seen the similar system in the R32's / S3 / TTQ (gen 1 esp) kick in when doing a big motorkhana when you lift alternate inside rear wheels repeatedly. This does weird things to the ESP & ABS and can result in a temporary ABS pump lockup which is obviously very unhealthy for anyone involved (RE - NO Brakes!). Unfortunately there is very little data & diagnostics available on whats being fed in by the different sensors to try to sort it out.

You can try to unplug the ABS computer, but from my experience (because the Polo is a full CAN BUS car) - the car won't start

[pomme]

Alright, easy test. Next time its wet, find a nice open space... don't have to be going fast... give it abit of a scandinavian flick... the back end will start coming round, then sort itself out, every time. Whenever the back steps out you hear the back brakes going... the car straightens up, and all is right with the world.

Something is sorting it out... and it isn't the driver. Cause i can't control brakes individually.