E.S.P!!!!!

[Andy9]

Hi guys, can anyone tell me what the e.s.p button actually does ?, Had my 2004 A4 1.9tdi quattro for around 10 months now and i am reasonably happy with it apart from an annoying turbo compressor surge/ stall noise when changing up through the gears which I have not managed to solve yet and bit disappointed with mpg (40ish to a gallon, but just wondering what this ESP button actually does, my car's back end has stepped out a couple of times where we live (muddy road/builders) but the ESP light doesn't come on at all , the ESP lights up normally when ignition is switched on and then goes out normally, am I missing something ???

 

[joinerman]

Can't help on the ESP but my 1.9 quattro only does around 36 mpg

 

[Andy9]

Not bad then really for a car with 172,000 on then, I disconnected and blanked off the egr and wondered if that might affect mpg but perhaps not, car runs alot better since just eml light on dash

 

[Jonni3]

ESP is Audi's form of traction control ...... That's what the button controls either on or off.

How it works http://www.car-engineer.com/esp-electronic-stability-program/

 

[Andy9]

Yes thanks for that, I just wondered if mine was working properly, there is a roundabout near where we live with housebuilding going on and there is wet mud on the road and twice now my rear end has stepped out forcing me to counter steer but there was no ESP light come on, I've had a look in vcds but there are no fault codes relating to ESP or braking system, is there a way of testing the system either actually on the road or with vcds ?

 

[Darran]

ESP works upto 40mph according to audi but ive seen it fail under load at much lower speeds.

 

[Andy9]

Just wondered if there was a way of testing it, basically activate it and see what happens, I've watched a couple of online a4 b6 video's and ESP seems to kick in with ESP light flashing on and off but this is on snow

 

[Pops848]

Just wondered if there was a way of testing it, basically activate it and see what happens, I've watched a couple of online a4 b6 video's and ESP seems to kick in with ESP light flashing on and off but this is on snow

I'm guessing it's when the front wheels spin, if your rear steps out due to crud on the road then it might not detect this unless it's Quattro ?

 

[mattmanwrx]

On my s4 if I boot it hard out a corner I get the light flashing and the car correcting itself.

Also, you can't fully turn it off. Pressing it and turning it "off", you turn off the stability program but not the traction control, or vice versa, can't remember which one, but the above sounds correct. On rs4 you can turn both off, but that is the only rs4 I think.

 

[Andy9]

Yeah, mine is a quattro but no ESP intervention, rear seemed to break away, wondering if there's somekind of problem ?, my a4 b5 fwd seemed better going into corners ? Might try booting it in a quiet corner and see if anything happens ESP wise ?, the ESP button lights up as normal from starting car and goes out normally, no fault codes, hmm?

 

[Pops848]

Yeah, mine is a quattro but no ESP intervention, rear seemed to break away, wondering if there's somekind of problem ?, my a4 b5 fwd seemed better going into corners ? Might try booting it in a quiet corner and see if anything happens ESP wise ?, the ESP button lights up as normal from starting car and goes out normally, no fault codes, hmm?

I've just booked mine in for a free health check in at a halfords auto centre, it includes a check on ABS warning light (yeah I know pointless to us but hey ho) and a check on all suspension components and brake servo, it might help answer any questions as to if ESP is functioning, plus... it's free!

 

[Andy9]

Hi pops848, thanks for that I think im gonna have a trip down to halfords!!, to be honest with you I think the ESP might be the least of my worries tonight, just seen about diesel car pollution tonight on TV and says could be the end of the diesel with new restrictions being announced in April, just read an article online and says road tax for older diesels could be between £2,000- 5,000 per year!!!, I've only had my 2004 A4 1.9tdi quattro 11 months and took me 15 months of searching to find a decent one, perhaps I'm looking at it wrong but I'm abit worried

 

[Andy9]

Edit, think I might of got it wrong, looks like new cars registered on or after 1st April 2017 but I'm not sure, can someone put me right on this please, sorry to go off topic.

 

[DieselJake]

Hi pops848, thanks for that I think im gonna have a trip down to halfords!!, to be honest with you I think the ESP might be the least of my worries tonight, just seen about diesel car pollution tonight on TV and says could be the end of the diesel with new restrictions being announced in April, just read an article online and says road tax for older diesels could be between £2,000- 5,000 per year!!!, I've only had my 2004 A4 1.9tdi quattro 11 months and took me 15 months of searching to find a decent one, perhaps I'm looking at it wrong but I'm abit worried

Typical; tax the poor reward the rich.

 

[Mike_B]

Edit, think I might of got it wrong, looks like new cars registered on or after 1st April 2017 but I'm not sure, can someone put me right on this please, sorry to go off topic.

2 secs on Google finds me this - http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-ne...everything-you-need-to-know-about-uk-road-tax

Hope that helps clarify for you.

 

[Andy9]

Hi mike_b, thanks for that but from what I've seen on TV and read online that this is the tip of the ice berg and there is alot more to come regarding older diesel vehicles and the amount of no/2 that there kicking out and I understand that the government will announce a scrappage scheme within months to try get some of the older diesels off the road with cash incentives against probably a solar panelled bubble car that only works when the sun's out !!!,or if you decide to keep your vehicle there is going to be large tax hikes for these cars,problem is once this scheme is announced secondhand diesel car value would drop like a stone, I hope I'm wrong with all this as I don't want to lose my A4 b6 1.9tdi quattro, I have spent alot of time and money on my car but I am feeling uneasy about all this.