Poll: Do you drive with ESP on or off?

[B6JoeS4]

For me, I turn it off before I even set off driving. Whether it's snowing, raining, a 1 minute drive, it's always off.

Just a pointless poll inspired by the Sport button thread in the RS4 subforum.

[KEvina4]

for me, I turn it off only when driving in the snow! ( on long ride I run ESP! )

[breal]

Depends on road conditions and my style of driving for the day. If its snowing, or sometimes raining, I'll most likely have ESP off.

[Petes4]

I almost always run with it on, unless of course theres a fresh coat of snow on the ground and I wanna have some fun, or when driving aggressively

[noznab]

I'll leave it on in bad rain/snow otherwise I always turn it off

[jpo]

Off immediately unless the weather is bad and kids etc are in the car.

[risc427]

Mine has always been on since I bought the car with the exception of having fun in the snow.

[dmaxben]

I almost always run with it on, unless of course theres a fresh coat of snow on the ground and I wanna have some fun, or when driving aggressively

x2. Completely agree with this. I also almost always leave it on, unless I just want to have some fun in a parking lot in the snow, racing, or on an unplowed snowy empty back road.

Quite frankly, I dont understand why some people turn it off "by default" every time they drive the car. Why the hell do you need it off for the drive to the grocery store? Are you trying to set new records for how long it takes you to get milk and eggs back to your house??? I would love to hear legitimate explanations/excuses of why it "needs to be off 100% of the time". And the old "well this one time I tried to aggressively shoot the 3' wide gap between the two tractor trailers and ESP kicked in and I almost got crushed!!!" excuse doesnt fly. Just be more patient next time.

My own stupid opinion is that, IF you are driving to the point of getting the ESP to intervene on the street, you are kinda just being an asshole/wreckless driver. I know we like to all pretend/think we are Andretti here and "dont need no stinking computer trying to tell me what to do", but there is literally no reason to turn the ESP off unless you are at the track, or intentionally fucking around in the snow.

Above all, I just like it in general. Mostly just because I find it so incredibly cool how it works, from a technological/physics standpoint. It is a very good safety net for every day driving on the road. Ive done all of the skip barber high performance and advanced car control classes, and raced on the track (so I consider myself a 'better than the average bear' driver) and I STILL support/prefer the ESP to be on when daily driving. Im glad that the gov't is making it standard in all 2012+ vehicles under 10,000lbs, because 95% of the people out there dont know how to drive, and of that remaining 5%, only 1% knows how to drive in an unexpected emergency situation. Ive driven my buddy's new chevy duramax with stabilitrak (I know, sounds stupid/ridiculous, stability control on a 7,200lb HD diesel pickup truck) and it works incredibly well for such a large top-heavy vehicle.

The thing is, when we are "expecting it", its easy to regain control of the car during a loss of traction situation (ESP off) and spirited driving. IE, you have the ESP off, you're bombing around a back road, you are ready to react and have it all planned out in your head how to countersteer, use the throttle, etc...how to have fun with the car outside of the envelope that ESP would normally not allow. Thats easy, duh.

Now ill play devils advocate...its late at night, rainy dark winding road, you are tired, arent really paying attention eating a bag of skittles with one hand, etc...and a deer runs out. In this instance you arent in the "performance driving/car-control" mindset, and you dont have your 'skilled driver' maneuvers all pre-planned out and your sweet driving gloves and piloti's on...so you just suddenly do a knee-jerk reaction swerve without really thinking, all of a sudden the car is sideways, you've lost your bearings, car goes out of control and you're in a ditch. In this situation ESP would have saved you... Im sorry, I dont give a shit how good a driver you are (or how good a driver you THINK you are), but you cant even come close to controlling a car the way a well-designed ESP system can, unless you can do some magic trickery with your feet and brake each wheel individually dozens of times a second?

Rant off...im sure Ill catch flack for my opinion but oh well. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and im not trying to be someones mom wagging a finger...I could care less how you drive your own car...its just that Im just sick of seeing all these young punks out there get their first "performance oriented" car, hop in and think its cool to turn off the 'stupid esp' because it makes them a more badass driver, and then 20 minutes later they go take a corner too fast and understeer right into a tree. Ive seen many posts/threads on the forum here of "ESP-turned-off" accidents that could have been prevented with ESP left on. I guess I shouldnt say "young punk" (because im only 24), but whatever, you guys know what I mean.

Ben

[Whatset]

^TL:DR

On unless I'm having fun.

[Menlo S4]

I guess I shouldnt say "young punk"

Well, I can. How about a big bowl of sum yung punc?

It just doesn't make any sense to me, turning it off by default. If you're testing the limits of the car that much while you're driving to and from the 7-Eleven, you have other, deeper issues than just needing a beer run.

Plus, that damn yellow warning light on the display is truly annoying.

[B6JoeS4]

I turn it off because it does get in the way accelerating hard with my mods

[Brrman]

I never think about it - just stays on. I'll turn it off when I play around in the snow, thats about it.

[DevilS4]

Usually on, unless trying to drive hard. I have a decent amount of mods and it does make it nicer with it off but, this is my daily driver and I don't really get on it too often.

[justdubit]

I typically turn it off. Living where I do, most intersections(including my very awkward driveway) are riddled with small stones/gravel. The slightest bit of aggresive exceleration while turning makes the ESP kick on, which inturn, makes me look like I can't drive. So maybe it's just my ego turning it off...

[dparm]

I agree with dmaxben: if you are turning it off around town and driving like an asshole...well, you're an asshole. God help you if evasive maneuvers are necessary and you put the car in a ditch as a result.

The only times I turn it off are when I'm at the track, or in a few rare instances that the ESP is actually making the snow situation worse.

[bender7]

Fantastic post by dmaxben. Absolutely agree.

[iamproph]

Uh, who swerves to avoid a deer? Thats fresh dinner good sir, don't you have a brush guard on the S4?

[dparm]

If it's smaller than a deer, I don't swerve...the risk of a catastrophic accident is far greater than any damage I'd sustain hitting said animal. But hitting a deer will probably kill you or put you in the hospital, so I avoid them.

[ak-s4]

My winter driving habits:
In town and wide awake: ESP OFF
In town and tired from a long day's work: ESP ON (used to be OFF, until I went over the median, oops)
Highway speeds: ESP ON
Curvy 4 lane highway with wide shoulders and no cars around: ESP OFF
Curvy mountain road with no traffic: ESP OFF
Deep snow: ESP OFF

Summer:
In town, awake, wet roads: ESP OFF

[staticuxo]

I typically turn it off. Living where I do, most intersections(including my very awkward driveway) are riddled with small stones/gravel. The slightest bit of aggresive exceleration while turning makes the ESP kick on, which inturn, makes me look like I can't drive. So maybe it's just my ego turning it off...

x2... sans the ego/bad driver thing... i just don't like it bogging when i hit a pot hole/spin on gravel.

[iggy2867]

I drive most of the time with it on (just driving around) and then off to have fun, off always in the snow(just takes the fun out of the snow), however my wife's Mx-5 I have to shut it off right away, the car is so light that esp kicks in constanty, it feels like your dragging a piano

[RAudi Driver]

Always on. It doesn't even cross my mind to turn it off. I like Ben's reply.

[87supraman]

My button started bubbling/peeling so I don't touch it.

[Xyber]

Always on, Except when I need a quick get away from a junction or something.

Id rather have it on just incase, than switch it off and wish I hadn't. I drive for a living so I see a lot of accidents where several cars are smashed because of one moron

[Mr. Corey]

Mines usually on... I don't really think about turning it off.

[adub]

There is a callus on my right pointer finger from holding down that button.

[MTLA4]

My button started bubbling/peeling so I don't touch it.

My B6 button was erased off LOL...lol the 135 needed to be turned off all the time because when accelerating and hitting a bump pothole it would kick in. My DD GTI is always off but the button is so low that sometimes I forget to press it.

[whartung]

i used to drive with it off. didnt notice a difference except when launching. and i spent the winter in serious snow in vail and have been scared enough to leave it on almost always now. i only turn it off when the roads empty and i decide that its time to drop the clutch. and even then i turn it back on once i'm moving at a good clip.

[GinobeS4]

The only time I turn it off is when I'm at the track or driving aggressivley on empty roads. As far as the snow, it's always on. I don't understand why many people turn it off when in the snow? I find that it does way more good than harm.

[b6onboost]

Yep. Excellent post.

Fantastic post by dmaxben. Absolutely agree.

[slackin at work]

I must drive like a wuss because I've never encountered it adversely effecting my driving habits.

ESP did save me one night in my turbo R32. I went into a corner a little hot... a road I travel every day and am very familiar with it. Before I could say "oh, Fuch!" ESP had me straight and back on course. That one time alone made me a believer to keep it on.

[Jorgen]

or in a few rare instances that the ESP is actually making the snow situation worse.

That is about the only time mine is ever off. I have messed with it off a few other times but rarely do I even notice it is there.

[crabpot]

Fantastic post by dmaxben. Absolutely agree.

Yes!

[vdubjetta02]

Off, Always.... first thing I do after i turn the ignition on

I like to get my wheels to cut loose around corners.... not possible with ESP on

[mbgt72]

Always off if weather is good and just going around town (i.e. not interstate trips, rain, snow, etc) first thing I do usually when I get in the car.

Guess I'm just a irresponsible reckless punk kid who likes to toyko drift through rush-hour traffic to impress my JDM friends.


Wow, a lot of hostility in this thread for a simple question??? Yes, I always turn mine off, no I'm rarely "pushing the car" hard enough for it to kick in, but it's the situations where there is some loose gravel at an intersection, extreme gradient changes in/out of driveways or businesses (i.e. traction will kick on as one wheel begins to loose some traction), and most importantly to me is when crossing traffic.

Several times I've been turing across traffic from a stop in a turning lane etc and had it kick in hard as I tried to accelerate through a gap. I'm not saying I try to be a dumbass and cut people off, I feel like I could make the same gap in a toyota camry, but when you make it halfway into oncoming traffic and then the car bogs b/c of ESP as it catches some loose gravel, shit gets real very quick. IMO, quattro is a pretty damn good traction control system in itself. Coming from a underpowered RWD car that could loose traction without much effort, the S4 just doesn't loose it's footing without some extreme effort.



Also, the one or two times you try to do a launch with ESP on, it really doesn't make you clutch happy. I did several LA with ESP on accidentally, and I feel it sped up the positioning of my self adjusting clutch spring so my engagement point was very high, I really don't want to do the same to my Stg IV setup. ESP + Launch really makes the car angry b/c all that power is thrown back into the drivetrain rather then just breaking the tires loose for a split second.

I spoke with JHM some about making a ESP switch that worked in reverse, and they said it should be possibly and fairly easy, but they/I just haven't had time to work on it. But the idea was that when you start the car, ESP would be off, and you could press the button to turn it back on (i.e. exactly reverse of how it is now). They felt that it could be done by basically just reversing some of the wiring, and were going to try to look further into it. I also looked into replacing ESP with the FUNK switch, but I don't think that will work as it's a momentary switch from my understanding, not a on/off switch.


Finally, and this doesn't apply all the time, but I feel like if I'm doing something dumb enough that results in me ending up off the road, I'm somewhat doubtful of how much assistance ESP would really be able to provide (i.e. not paying attention to the road and swerve off, ESP isn't going to be able to do anything with grass/gravel under the tires at speed going sideways). Now making a turn and jerking over or trying to over correct, yes ESP will most likely help, but once your off the road its probably game over. ESP is a great system and certainly for the best and saved many lives, I'm just saying there are some instances where it works to our disadvantage, especially when you've picked up a lot more power then it was originally designed for (again, more power makes it easier to break the tires loose for a split second that will freak out ESP. Think about higher hp sports cars and think about how they mention the T/C is designed to let the wheels spin some before it grabs & is a multi stage system. I feel that often ESP grabs the second that any wheel starts to spin, and unless I'm mistaken, even with ESP "off" some level of it is still engaged and that the RS4 has a two stage ESP system that can be turned off in stages?).


*I'm speaking for good sunny weather as I'm in the South, not saying the same applies in adverse weather or at all times.

[crabpot]

Hostility in this thread? I see none ...

[beemercer]

I normally turn mine off in the A6 because it doesn't play well with the tranny swap. It'll activate at 1/3 throttle and then hold on when I go to shift, causing the engine to hit the limiter as the clutch is in.

[Pendl303]

Always on! My son always turns it off-- and I think we know why!

[V8Beast]

Always on unless i pull up to a faster car then me at the light and i jump like to cars on him lol the look on there faces!!! PRICELESS!!!

[B6JoeS4]

Hostility in this thread? I see none ...

he is referring to everyone implying that if you always have ESP off you are an immature driver and you always race around town.

I completely agree with mgbt and his reasons are the reasons why i keep mine off. Too many times, it get's in the way when you're sitting in the middle of an intersection waiting for traffic to clear to turn right. You get on the gas, and turn the wheel and it just takes one little pebble for a wheel to slip, bogging the car, possibly putting you in the way of traffic. Not to mention it makes you look like an idiot. It's also a matter of me forgetting to turn it off when i went to have fun. So I made it a habbit to turn it off when I start the car. I have never ever had an instance where the car lost control because i really don't drive aggressively at all. I drive to school and back twice a day (shitty schedule) 10 miles each way and I probably only go over 4000rpm maybe once in the whole day. When it's raining, that's even more reason to leave ESP off. my PS2's don't like rain causing ESP to kick on every single turn i make from a stop. I do, however have it on in the snow if I am traveling in a straight line and not stopping. In heavy snow, and in traffic, ESP is off because it get's in the way