View Full Version : Turning off VW ESP
DarrenSV650S
07-05-10, 04:18 PM
Does anyone know how to permanently disable the ESP on a 52 plate golf? At the moment I've got to keep switching it off every time I start the engine if I want it off.
a moped could out run your car
Biker Biggles
07-05-10, 04:25 PM
ESP?
Extra sensory perception?
I know technology is good these days but that takes the biscuit.
It may be possible that some one with VAGcom could permanently disable it but i am unsure of this
maviczap
07-05-10, 04:28 PM
ESP?
Extra sensory perception?
I know technology is good these days but that takes the biscuit.
No, new German technology, they're been ahead of the game for ages ;) Get it :)
Biker Biggles
07-05-10, 04:29 PM
I knew all of that long before you or the Germans.
maviczap
07-05-10, 04:30 PM
I knew all of that long before you or the Germans.
PMSL :smt082
metalangel
07-05-10, 04:32 PM
Isn't it just a button on the dash? My 51-plate Octavia (cousin of the Golf) had a big ASR button to push.
Specialone
07-05-10, 04:33 PM
Why do you wanna turn it off, mine hardly ever gets used and i have a very heavy right foot.
DarrenSV650S
07-05-10, 05:02 PM
a moped could out run your car
Lies
ESP?
Extra sensory perception?
I know technology is good these days but that takes the biscuit.
Dunno what it stands for but it's like traction control
It may be possible that some one with VAGcom could permanently disable it but i am unsure of this
Oh yeh that thing.... :neutral:
Isn't it just a button on the dash? My 51-plate Octavia (cousin of the Golf) had a big ASR button to push.
Yeh it's on the dash but it switches itself back on every time I start the engine
Why do you wanna turn it off, mine hardly ever gets used and i have a very heavy right foot.
It totally kills the fun. The slightest slip and it kills the power so the car lurches about. I want to control it myself
Lies
Oh yeh that thing.... :neutral:
True
and its what the main dealers use to diagnose faults etc, some people have copies of it and run it from their pc's or laptops and can tell the car all sorts of things such as it does or doesnt have a rear wiper etc
Lies
Dunno what it stands for but it's like traction control
Electronic Stability Programme
DarrenSV650S
07-05-10, 05:13 PM
Electronic Stability Programme
That's a joke! There's nothing stable about loosing power in the middle of a corner
maviczap
07-05-10, 05:18 PM
Have you asked on this site. Its the bloke from the Saturday Telegraph and I tend to find his advice pretty good. The 'Backroom' tab is usually the place to ask.
Sites been updated since I last used it
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/
Airwolf
07-05-10, 05:32 PM
the only way would be with a vagcom lead otherwise known as vcds.
i will have a look later, but i think you may not be able to as its a "safety thing" thats vw for you
Yeh it's on the dash but it switches itself back on every time I start the engine
Stop stalling then :smt082
Seriously, is it such a hardship to press a button?
DarrenSV650S
07-05-10, 05:54 PM
Have you asked on this site. Its the bloke from the Saturday Telegraph and I tend to find his advice pretty good. The 'Backroom' tab is usually the place to ask.
Sites been updated since I last used it
http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/
Cheers I'll have a look
the only way would be with a vagcom lead otherwise known as vcds.
i will have a look later, but i think you may not be able to as its a "safety thing" thats vw for you
:(
Stop stalling then :smt082
Seriously, is it such a hardship to press a button?
No obviously it's not a hardship. It's just a nuisance. If it is possible to disable it all the time then I would rather that than pressing it every time
Airwolf
07-05-10, 06:15 PM
i've had a look at the vagcom funcation no joy i'm afraid
heres a link to show you what you can change with a vagcom lead
http://en.openobd.org/vw/golf_1k.htm
Specialone
07-05-10, 06:32 PM
It totally kills the fun. The slightest slip and it kills the power so the car lurches about. I want to control it myself
What golf is it when its doing that, i think mine is the 115bhp diesel and the only time it will say 'hold on you loon im taking the power' is in the wet mainly.
If its not massively powerful then change your tyres cos it shouldnt be that intrusive.
What golf is it when its doing that, i think mine is the 115bhp diesel and the only time it will say 'hold on you loon im taking the power' is in the wet mainly.
If its not massively powerful then change your tyres cos it shouldnt be that intrusive.
he has a 1.4 :smt082
Specialone
07-05-10, 06:36 PM
he has a 1.4 :smt082
Ha ha, 60 hp ???
-Ralph-
07-05-10, 06:44 PM
he has a 1.4 :smt082
:smt046, surprised it's even fitted with ESP.
Does the ESP on the Golf not brake individual wheels to help correct a skid too? That's what it does on all the cars I've had, traction control was a separate system entirely.
If it is stability control and traction control in one then on a 1.4 crashing is all it's there for. If so leave it switched on, one icy day you might might be glad you did.
A BMW 130d is the only car I have ever switched the traction control off.
metalangel
07-05-10, 06:44 PM
Meh. It's not really a hardship any more than having to change the radio station whenever Cheryl Cole's 'I met a guy at the cluuuuuuub' dirge comes on.
fizzwheel
07-05-10, 06:46 PM
Does the ESP on the Golf not brake individual wheels to help correct a skid too? That's what it does on all the cars I've had, traction control was a separate system entirely.
I think it might work that way. The 1.8 Turbo GTI I drove, the ESP was very instrusive, slightest slip or slide and in it chimed, which is why I spent the entire trip with it turned off.
-Ralph-
07-05-10, 06:49 PM
I think it might work that way. The 1.8 Turbo GTI I drove, the ESP was very instrusive, slightest slip or slide and in it chimed, which is why I spent the entire trip with it turned off.
The BMW system I had on my 3 series is not intrusive at all, in fact when you fling it hard down a country lane, you feel the car slip underneath you and the only reason you know it's doing anything is 'cos the light on the dash flashes away continuously. I think the VW system must be set to allow no slip at all before it intervenes.
Specialone
07-05-10, 06:52 PM
I think it might work that way. The 1.8 Turbo GTI I drove, the ESP was very instrusive, slightest slip or slide and in it chimed, which is why I spent the entire trip with it turned off.
Im on my 2nd golf with esp and never had a problem, i did have a go in a 150bhp diesel passat and it come on a bit in that but a short shift sorted that and with the torque it had no real hardship.
Specialone
07-05-10, 06:53 PM
Pyanng yang kipper bang
Ha ha, 60 hp ???
hence my first post :p
DarrenSV650S
07-05-10, 07:33 PM
i've had a look at the vagcom funcation no joy i'm afraid
heres a link to show you what you can change with a vagcom lead
http://en.openobd.org/vw/golf_1k.htm
Damn :(
What golf is it when its doing that, i think mine is the 115bhp diesel and the only time it will say 'hold on you loon im taking the power' is in the wet mainly.
If its not massively powerful then change your tyres cos it shouldnt be that intrusive.
Yes it's only a 1.4 :rolleyes: but sometimes I like to have a bit of fun going round corners and this system wont let me. Or like even if I pull away from a standstill too quickly it interfeers and I don't get full power. And when it's a 1.4 I need all the power I can get! :p
I like turtles...
Yeh they're ok I guess
Specialone
07-05-10, 07:40 PM
Yes it's only a 1.4 :rolleyes: but sometimes I like to have a bit of fun going round corners and this system wont let me. Or like even if I pull away from a standstill too quickly it interfeers and I don't get full power. And when it's a 1.4 I need all the power I can get
Get wider wheels with better tyres, probably wont interfere as much then, but can you go that fast in a 1.4 ??? or are you getting done at the lights by mobility scooters and wanna do something about it ?
gettin2dizzy
07-05-10, 07:47 PM
I wouldn't want to be your clutch!
The cables and VW software is available on ebay for a little sum AFAIK.
cb1000rsteve
07-05-10, 07:51 PM
ESP = Electronic Stability Program, not only does it stop you spinning the wheels it also helps with braking and cornering as it moves the power from wheel to wheel to find the grip (in some models) plus it helps ya manoever round things (like abs) in an emergency.
It wouldn't surprise me if an insurance company could wriggle out of a claim if the accident happened with ESP turned off . Just a thought
fizzwheel
07-05-10, 08:25 PM
I think the VW system must be set to allow no slip at all before it intervenes.
I dont think the VW system is very refined. Its either interfering or its not, the car gives you warning that your pushing it to far at precisely the same time the ESP kicks in and sort it out for you.
I drove an A3 140bhp Tdi and that felt different the way the ESP kicked in was much softer you got some warning and could back away from it and if you didnt then it kicked in.
DarrenSV650S
07-05-10, 08:49 PM
Get wider wheels with better tyres, probably wont interfere as much then, but can you go that fast in a 1.4 ??? or are you getting done at the lights by mobility scooters and wanna do something about it ?
Screw that, I'm not getting new wheels. I can get past the mobility scooters ok. I just like driving fast sometimes
I wouldn't want to be your clutch!
The cables and VW software is available on ebay for a little sum AFAIK.
What does that do?
-Ralph-
07-05-10, 09:02 PM
I can get past the mobility scooters ok when their battery packs are running low, but a freshly charged granny whips my ar$e regularly
;)
DarrenSV650S
07-05-10, 09:05 PM
ewww bad choice of wording there Ralph
-Ralph-
07-05-10, 09:10 PM
ewww bad choice of wording there Ralph
There's some people like a bit of GILF :smt103
The way i last remembered to turn of ESP completley was to use VagCom to recode the ECU of the car to think that the ABS controler did not have ESP capability, this was done by changing the part number to that of a ABS only unit, or somthing like that.
www.uk-mkivs.net
yeah I agree that watch out what your doing with regards to being insured! ok the insurance company would need to check quite closely to see u had ur ESP switched off or disabled, but u wouldn't want to stack it and be left un-insured!
have u looked to see if there's maybe 1 fuse that deals with the traction control? that could maybe be removed!
but I really can't see how much the traction control would be doing in a 1.4 golf unless you are really on the edge with it! in which case it might be better hving it on!
DarrenSV650S
08-05-10, 03:30 PM
The way i last remembered to turn of ESP completley was to use VagCom to recode the ECU of the car to think that the ABS controler did not have ESP capability, this was done by changing the part number to that of a ABS only unit, or somthing like that.
www.uk-mkivs.net (http://www.uk-mkivs.net)
hmm sounds complicated
yeah I agree that watch out what your doing with regards to being insured! ok the insurance company would need to check quite closely to see u had ur ESP switched off or disabled, but u wouldn't want to stack it and be left un-insured!
have u looked to see if there's maybe 1 fuse that deals with the traction control? that could maybe be removed!
but I really can't see how much the traction control would be doing in a 1.4 golf unless you are really on the edge with it! in which case it might be better hving it on!
Doubt the insurance would notice. Besides there's nothing in my policy saying that I can only drive it with the ESP turned on. Might have a look for a fuse but I doubt it
Davadvice
09-05-10, 07:32 AM
i can honestly say that i have never found it too much of a problem i've had a 1.4 golf with ESP and My Bora 1.9 has it just now. The only time i turn it off is to get off the lights. it has save my @rse on a few occations as well.
Having fun going round a corner in a FWD 1.4 can only mean you enjoy a bit of understeer, you would have to use the handbreak to get the back out and fun like that only ends up with one outcome eventualy. personaly i prefer not to have any understeer
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