Esp?

[TJ00S4]

What exactly is ESP... I don't have it on my 2000 as it was not yet available.... just curious? Thanks in advance

[S4midable]

traction control- if it detects wheel slip then it automatically cuts the power by 25% to that wheel.

[illusive45]

Electronic Stability Program. Bascailly Audi's traction control system. Its not a must-have option. Your Quattro system is plenty stable for most conditions, plus if you're a road racer, I've heard you're better off without it.

[hadokenny]

ESP can be a good thing to have if you drive in bad weather all the time but its not a neccesity...If you track your car, the ESP is your enemy because it kinda limits your car.

[TJ00S4]

Oh well, sounds like I am not missing anything special... thanks all

[buck]

correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't ESP only an option for 2WD's?

[indica]

well I have always thought that the s4's have always had the traction control(ESP), but in the newer 01-02 there was now just a button that enabled us turn it off. I have the ESP button and that is the first thing i do after starting the car.

[Imperial]

Originally posted by buck
correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't ESP only an option for 2WD's?

Nope, ESP is for both front-wheel and all-wheel drivetrains.

[cj-S4]

Also ESP is not just traction control. It is also a yaw control system. Too bad you can't turn off the traction control, but leave the yaw control on.

[buck]

Originally posted by Imperial
Nope, ESP is for both front-wheel and all-wheel drivetrains.

you learn something new everyday!

[EuroTall]

Originally posted by cj-S4
Also ESP is not just traction control. It is also a yaw control system. Too bad you can't turn off the traction control, but leave the yaw control on.

Please enlighten the unfortunate who never heard of Yaw control.
I thought ESP was what was mentioned above ...the 25% power decrease to the slipping wheel, but yaw?
TIA

[aussie_s4]

Originally posted by EuroTall
Please enlighten the unfortunate who never heard of Yaw control. I thought ESP was what was mentioned above ...the 25% power decrease to the slipping wheel, but yaw?
TIA When your car comes to a corner, physics wants it to keep heading in a straight line, unless there are forces to change its direction---like a driver pulling on the steering wheel. When you turn your car through a corner, it will usually go where you point it, but if you push it hard, you can experience oversteer, understeer or tire slip.

Yaw control helps the car follow the intended cornering line by dynamically adjusting the torque between the right and left wheels. For a right turn, apply more torque to the left (outer) side of the car, less torque to the right (inner) side. It's like when you're rowing a boat, you put more effort into the left oar to turn right. Or if you're standing on a bus or a train and it makes a turn and you have nothing to hold onto, you balance your weight to the "outside" leg to keep yourself steady.

With the yaw control enabled, the car feels like it's on rails, with less steering effort, less tire squeel and improved stability.

I hope that explains it without getting into complicated tech details (because that's about all I know [;)])

[dramaticstatic]

Originally posted by aussie_s4
When your car comes to a corner, physics wants it to keep heading in a straight line, unless there are forces to change its direction---like a driver pulling on the steering wheel. When you turn your car through a corner, it will usually go where you point it, but if you push it hard, you can experience oversteer, understeer or tire slip.

Yaw control helps the car follow the intended cornering line by dynamically adjusting the torque between the right and left wheels. For a right turn, apply more torque to the left (outer) side of the car, less torque to the right (inner) side. It's like when you're rowing a boat, you put more effort into the left oar to turn right. Or if you're standing on a bus or a train and it makes a turn and you have nothing to hold onto, you balance your weight to the "outside" leg to keep yourself steady.

With the yaw control enabled, the car feels like it's on rails, with less steering effort, less tire squeel and improved stability.

I hope that explains it without getting into complicated tech details (because that's about all I know [;)])

You've pretty much got it exaclty with that one.
The way I see it is ESP is basically a safety thing.
It prevents you from really overcooking it into a corner and screwing up real badly.
I leave it on because I've found that it (espcially yaw control) really controls understeer of the car and say if I'm coming around a corner quickly and there's a deer right in front of me, esp will make sure I don't understeer like crazy and plow right into it.

It does limit the car but I like the extra safety it provides.

I've also heard the Porsche on is worse and if you actually leave it on all the time it will limit how fast you can accelerate and brake because it assumes you don't know how to drive the car well.