disabling ESP

[kaanage]

The manual!! I always forget about that. Fuse 23, I assume.
Then again, more rear brake bias is NOT what I want as the car is unstable enough when braking downhill

[sambb]

I hope you give it a go though. If the rear bias thing is true maybe you could have more fuel board or the interior in so that you've got a little more weight in the rear - a bit more security for when you test it.

[kaanage]

Since the PoD is so underpowered compared with just about everything else I run against, I pull everything out of the back and try to run half tank or less. I think I'll leave the abs alone since the rear starts coming around just before the abs kicks in so it's a good measure of how I'm braking, anyway.

[sambb]

Yeah the ABS fuse is fuse 23 - atleast on the Gti. So its stepping out under brakes in a straight line, or as you trail brake into the corner?

[sakisvag]

So are there any news on this topic?
And also what happens if you pull the handbrake on a turn with the esp deactivated via the button?Will it slide?

[hardy_bm]

So are there any news on this topic?
And also what happens if you pull the handbrake on a turn with the esp deactivated via the button?Will it slide?

Yes it will and you will buy new tyres when you get bored of the flat spots.

[sakisvag]

Not the case if you have extra used tires just for fun...

[sambb]

bit of an update to this thread. Pulling the ABS fuse whilst killing ESP, TC and ABS somehow still does not allow you to left foot brake. Down sides of running this way are that the variable powersteering assistance goes - it feels meaty all the time which is great when you're moving - it reminded me of my non power steering pug 205 gti, but at parking speeds becomes stupid. And if you are running spacers or offsets that produce positive scrub, if you lock one front the car will pull in that direction.
So then I thought I'd do the simplest thing of all - I think maybe Sean said a mechanic had suggested it, and that was to pull the plug on the brake pedal throw switch. Your brake lights won't come on afterwards so not a thing for track or street but you could run a hillclimb or time attack this way. The ESP will appear permanently off - I didn't go nuts enough on it to see if it was still there but I doubt it. The ABS stays operational though.
So there you go. Pull the plug and you can left foot brake without putting your face through the steering wheel when it throttle cuts you.

[seangti]

So then I thought I'd do the simplest thing of all - I think maybe Sean said a mechanic had suggested it, and that was to pull the plug on the brake pedal throw switch. Your brake lights won't come on afterwards so not a thing for track or street but you could run a hillclimb or time attack this way. The ESP will appear permanently off - I didn't go nuts enough on it to see if it was still there but I doubt it. The ABS stays operational though.
So there you go. Pull the plug and you can left foot brake without putting your face through the steering wheel when it throttle cuts you.

Wow, I got something right.

Or get your tuner to deprogram it which is what I've done since installing the LSD. It would be interesting to know how it goes with left foot with the open diff, I'd have thought it'd be pretty darn good on an open diff to control that inside wheel.

[sambb]

I'm not good enough to brake left foot only, go kart style. There's no way I could go deep into a corner left foot only. I can brake right and then as I get back on the throttle switch my left foot over to the brake and feather it as the power goes down but the brakes are so over boosted that its going to be hard to get right. I'm going to keep at it though cos like you say I think its the only way I'm going to get traction out of tight corners without a limi.

I like this vid. he looks pretty adept at it. goto 3mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7y7WO0HbGI

[seangti]

Sam, I brake hard with right, as I come back across on the throttle the left foot comes across to pick-up brake pressure. It's come relatively easily from PS3.

[sambb]

my home track is basically all second gear with no clutch action other than off the start line. Speaking to some of the good guys they say they left foot brake the entire course - left foot only. I guess on a track with no gearchanges that would be ideal to really get on top of it without the extra complication to worry about. In that vid he's using it to tuck the nose in (which is all I ever did in the past with my escort) but you can really see him using it to help the power down on exit which is what will be new to me. I remember the guys at Bathurst talking about it for the entry up griffins bend where you need to wash off a touch of speed before tipping it in saying you'd loose too much time if you broke especially in a turbo where you drop all your boost, too risky to lift as it'll unsettle the rear of the car but that left foot braking was the way to go. For me I think i'll try and nail it on my second gear track before I try the high stakes stuff that's for sure.
Thanks for the tip. Down the track a LFB tune would be ideal. Practicing on the street even out at night or something is a bit dodgy without brake lights but it'll get me started, so thanks for the tip. I'll just have to try to suss if its killed ESP fully or if its only TC that's out of commission.

[sambb]

talking with a friend of mine we had a bit of an idea. I think the brake pedal plug is a dual contact 4 wire. You'd only need to isolate which pair is the input for the ESP/brake circuit and break into that with a remote dash mounted switch, leaving the plug complete with its brake lights contact alone. That way you could have a switch operated ESP/TC cut that allows left foot braking but retain your brake lights so you could drive it on the circuit or street. I'll have a squiz tomorrow.

[sakisvag]

delete

[sambb]

No I haven't followed up on having a cabin switch to activate/de activate the brake switch. I have a foggy memory of looking at the plug and it only has 2 wires connected I think. From memory it doesn't have open or closed circuit resistances on the switch either so a normal on/off switch would work. Its simple enough to get to the plug anyway - you can get at while seated once you work out what to feel for. It doesn't deactivate the ESP but does with the TC and allows you to left foot brake.
If you want ESP totally dead you need to take out the ABS fuse. You'll loose your speedo and any display fuel economy/km's data. I couldn't feel any scary rear brake bias issues in a few swerving crash stops but you'd really have to be on a track to test that out at the limit really. It really makes you see how intrusive the ESP can be. Near me there's a sweeping left downhill on camber corner that you trail brake through because at the end of it there's a hairpin and there's a similar corner on my home track. In both instances every single time I go through there (with the TC off) you can feel the ESP pulsing away gently underfoot - the car is in no way out of shape or about to be but the ESP system is crying "save him!". Even after the ESP has initiated it takes forever to get over itself and is still intruding after you've straightened up and are transitioning into the next right hand corner. With the ABS fuse out and in the same situation you can't feel the ESP intrude and you are still far from crashing like the computer thought you were going to earlier. Its just that in the grander scheme of things on the track for me I have a lot more confidence at the limit knowing the ABS is in play when there are no run off areas and lots to hit - I mean if I had an off i'll still hit something, just not as hard hopefully! So in the balance of things I still run with the ABS fuse in and the ESP rattling away, but with the TC/ ESP button off because the throttle cut is terrible otherwise.