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Author Topic: ESP - On or Off?....  (Read 13995 times)

Offline RedRobin

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ESP - On or Off?....
« on: October 10, 2009, 03:32:24 pm »


How do you guys 'n gals use ESP? Do you....

A) - Always leave it On as default, and so never switch it Off.

B) - Sometimes switch it Off.

C) - Only switch it Off for trackdays or the Nordschleife.

D) - Always switch it Off whether road or track.

What are your thoughts and reasons, please?
« Last Edit: October 11, 2009, 11:59:35 am by RedRobin »
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Offline Poverty

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2009, 03:44:26 pm »
B.

Why switch it off on public roads, where it is an uncontrolled environment and you can suddenly come upon unsuspected hazard?
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Offline MAT ED30

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2009, 03:53:26 pm »
Quote from: Poverty on October 10, 2009, 03:44:26 pm
B.

Why switch it off on public roads, where it is an uncontrolled environment and you can suddenly come upon unsuspected hazard?

the same
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Offline RedRobin

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2009, 04:02:57 pm »
Quote from: MAT ED30 on October 10, 2009, 03:53:26 pm
Quote from: Poverty on October 10, 2009, 03:44:26 pm

B.

Why switch it off on public roads, where it is an uncontrolled environment and you can suddenly come upon unsuspected hazard?


the same


....Agreed.

However, a friend of mine always switches off his ESP because he says he finds the ESP intrusive on his Mk4 R32. He is a keen snowboarder though and this perhaps explains his preference.

So, Mat, do you have ESP On or Off for The Ring?
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Offline MAT ED30

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #4 on: October 10, 2009, 04:04:59 pm »
on for a a lap to get back into it and then off after a warm up
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Offline stealthwolf

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #5 on: October 10, 2009, 04:07:48 pm »
Usually have it on. Occasionally switch it off. Like when I'm at the lights, there's no one around and the road ahead is clear.
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Offline VC

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2009, 04:18:59 pm »
When the weathers warm and the blacktop is dry I never have ESP on ( maybe it's an .:R32 thing?)

when the weathers the opposite the ESP is on

that's why it's switchable, it doesn't always need to be on and can hinder a good driving sesh
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Offline SteveyD

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #7 on: October 10, 2009, 06:52:12 pm »
It used to get switched off on every single car I ever owned and then once I got my ED, for some reason I never turned it off, no idea why, only on my last trip to the ring, after much talking other people I decided to turn it off.  The difference around the ring was night and day, I could point the car better, slide it into tight corners hitting the apex easier, didnt get "bogged down" in low gear corners and then when it all got horribly out of shape in the damp the ESP came in even with it turned off.

In a nutshell since then if im going for it on the road it gets switched off because the car handles so much better and I know in the back of my mind once this human idiot has got it wrong it might still save my ass.

Of course in the wet its always on  :happy2:
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Offline chungster

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #8 on: October 10, 2009, 06:59:29 pm »
C for me.

Mainly i don't notice it during normal road driving, but having it off makes a diff on a track day when u nail the throttle out of corners.

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Offline WhiteGTI

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #9 on: October 10, 2009, 07:05:06 pm »
Always off on the road, wet or dry.

I've said this before...in the dry it actually comes on without the light illuminating. It really does restrict the car so much!

Plus, I've found that when it is on, and you induce a loss of traction it corrects the car, however if you are a competent driver and you know how to correct the car, you are kind of counterbalancing the correctiveness that the ESP does - which, in my experience leads to the car becoming more out of control than in the first place!

Furthermore, I've found that since the fitment of the TD's, the feel is soooooo much better, and I can really feel the grip mid-corner and on exit - which further reduces the need for the ESP, in my opinion.
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Offline RedRobin

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #10 on: October 10, 2009, 07:44:28 pm »
....

So far I've always had it on but I was lucky enough to get a long session at Spa with an instructor in my passenger seat (he also drove my car, loved it and I had to remind him to let me drive it again!). To my initial horror he suggested I switch ESP off. It was very wet and even a constant stream of running water at La Source hairpin. He also encouraged me to brake regardless of standing water.

As a result I no longer got that twitchiness from the ESP kicking in but could feel the car's inclinations much more directly - Much easier to correct. If the car slides slightly I tend to instinctively stay on the power (and give prayers of thanks to the great god Quaife), but if it snatches in the way ESP works, it feels unnatural and it's very difficult not to instinctively get off the power.

As a first step, I'll be going for C and perhaps graduate towards D like Chris (I'm a very late starter in everything I do!).

:happy2:  
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Offline GTIjames

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #11 on: October 10, 2009, 07:57:22 pm »
not quite as brave as chris, on a decent day its always off  :driver:

but as autumn and winter set in and the roads get muddy and icey then i leave it on

had a hairy moment earlier this year jan time when Im sure it saved my bacon, whether on not it would have kicked in anyway if esp was off is something I wouldn't want to risk my no claim bonuses for

but I can concur it really does free up the car when turned off  :happy2:
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Offline xxx_mojo_xxx

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #12 on: October 10, 2009, 08:24:11 pm »
You know what, I've never switched off my ESP.  I think I'm going to go out after watching the X-Factor...  :jumping:
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Offline Poverty

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #13 on: October 10, 2009, 09:02:38 pm »
Quote from: xxx_mojo_xxx on October 10, 2009, 08:24:11 pm
You know what, I've never switched off my ESP.  I think I'm going to go out after watching the X-Factor...  :jumping:

be aware of the lift off oversteer
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Offline RedRobin

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Re: ESP - On or Off?....
« Reply #14 on: October 10, 2009, 09:07:24 pm »
Quote from: xxx_mojo_xxx on October 10, 2009, 08:24:11 pm

You know what, I've never switched off my ESP.  I think I'm going to go out after watching the X-Factor...  :jumping:


....I think it would be wiser to try it out first time in daylight and on roads you know with plenty of room.
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