182 Traction control/ESP.

[NickM5c]

I normally drive round with the ESP switched on but as an experiment I switched it off the other day to see if it made any noticeable difference. After a dirty great big wheelspin from a standing start the car seemed to pull a bit harder through the gears and felt sharper (if that is the right word). I could just be imagining it as but has anyone else noticed a difference with the ESP switched off?

 

[Tom]

Yup. i leave it off in the dry all the time now.

Half the time its off in the wet too.

 

[Jones]

Mine never bloody works (serv and esp lights come on) and it keeps taking my brakes off me at the moment which is getting abit scary!! Cant get it into ren because i need it for work over the next week and a bit.

 

[lot105]

i always used to switch it off on the 172 if i was planning on going fast specially at lights etc.. not sure if it was psychological but seemed to go better turned off..

the esp/tc can apply brakes and/or limit engine power, and even though the light is meant to come on when it does anything, i always reckon it was impeding something just a tad

the 182 isnt really loosened up yet so not sure id tell the difference on that so far...



does the light come on much for people when they are driving around? on the 172 i dont think it ever came on except in the snow.. and i didnt exactly drive sedately.. wheels still slipped a bit etc.. i guess for sports cars they give you a bit of room for fun

 

[Lee]

Quote: Originally posted by Tomclio182 on 20 July 2004


Yup. i leave it off in the dry all the time now.

Half the time its off in the wet too.

Same here. When I first got the 172 I left it on all the time, then once I started to give it some stick I switched it off. Now when I get in the 182 I usually switch it off no matter how Im driving, you never know when you might want to really give it some and to have that interrupt is always a pain.

 

[Tom]

i got the lights to come on last week, wet roundabout heavy right foot.

 

[NickM5c]

Its a shame you cannot disable permantley without having the little warning light on. Some sort of a master override switch as opposed to pulling fuses out.

 

[Pete]

Quote: Originally posted by Tomclio182 on 20 July 2004

i got the lights to come on last week, wet roundabout heavy right foot.

I managed to get the light to come on in the dry going around a roundabout then up a slip road!

 

[dk]

not sure if this is me or is real but i am sure that when i turn the esp off I find that there isnt as big a kick at 5k revs, it seems to be a much smoother delivery of power through to 7k revs? Anyone else noticed that or is it really just me!

I think I will feel more confident turning it off after my trackday on friday as I should know the cars limits better then, had quite a scare in it the other day with the back end going light!

 

[rwaterman]

Cant say i have even used it yet, you turn it on by that little switch right!?!

Is it always off until you turn it on!?!?!

 

[CocoPops]

No, it is ON unless you turn it OFF in which case the light on the dash illuminates.

 

[daz182]

i had it come on at 120mph there was a slight bend in the road and i felt the brakes come on on one side, i flippen shat myself!! i didnt feel in control of it all!! scary...

 

[wackojacko]

All the times (bar one) that the ESP has come on it has made things worse.

I.e Nail it into a rounderbout go to induce a nice bit of tail action, get a bit side ways. THEN ESP all over and you can get a nasty tail snap going on !!

 

[Liam]

ive tried and tried to get my light on and I just cant do it.,..

 

[MarkCup]

Turn it OFF all the time...they dont bite that much

 

[dk]

Quote: Originally posted by Liam182 on 20 July 2004

ive tried and tried to get my light on and I just cant do it.,..

you cant be trying hard enough, all you have to do is find a sharp cormer that you know and floor it, instead of understeering the ESP will take you around, I can do it whenever I want relatively easily, but maybe I am driving it like an idiot?

 

[Liam]

I think I am just too chicken to try it on a sharp corner, I am putting faith into some electrics to stop me writing the car off!

 

[bx16v]

Ill have a (first) trackday in my 172 next saturday. Theorically Ill have best times with the ESP switched off than on???? Its really more safe with the ESP on in a track?? Recommendations pls...

 

[dk]

i found it hindered me on the track and turned it off every time i went out.

 

[Jason C]

Quote: Originally posted by dave182 on 23 August 2004

i found it hindered me on the track and turned it off every time i went out.

TC & driver aids of pretty much any description are the last thing you want either on a track or when trying to get off the line quickly.

On the road they are great (certainly in the BMW). he only time Ive ever criticised it is when it sapped so much power pulling out of a junction uphill it almost brought the car to a halt due to gravel on the road & it got itself all confused. Otherwise its great on the road.

 

[cliotuRS]

nah it saps all the power and not just when you think it would. i said this a while back, when its off apart from the obvious out of corner limiting it imposes it also seems to slow ye down when your already shifting ?? weird but true in my experience. with it off the throttle response IS sharper. although i dont have that false safety comfort blanket going hard into corners which is a good thing if you know your limits.



certainly you can switch it off all the time.. just the little matter of a racelogic box, like you would fit to the megane-RS in order to have the choice of unhindered acceleration.