ESP button: What does it do?

BrentRN

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Mar 17, 2006
Location
New London, PA USA
TDI
Used to have many. Now a Golf TSI.
I found in my owners manual a description of the Electronic Stability Program but there is nothing in the control section on the ESP button. If I push it will the car use its ESP to predict that I will be in an accident tomorrow?;)

The manual describes the ASR button where my wagon has a button marked ESP. Are they the same thing? Should the button be pushed or left alone when it's slippery?
 

owr084

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Oct 20, 2004
Location
Northern Virginia (NoVA)
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Passat GLS, 2005, Stonehenge Gray
Leave it alone. It is always on. Pressing the button will disable it and a light will appear on the dash to indicate it is off. It will turn itself back on the next time you restart the car. Here's a video of what it does: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/vw/32207/
Skip the marketing drone and fast forward to the 1:18 mark to watch the demonstration.

<-- just for you Aja8888. Someday maybe you'll get a widescreen monitor or just put up with the fact that sometimes, the information conveyed is more important than resizing the photo. :p
 
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abctdi

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Mar 31, 2004
Location
ABQ, NM, USA
TDI
2005 Passat GLS
Pushing it removes the function IIRC. If you find ESP preventing your progress due to ice, pressing the button will allow the tires to spin without all the automatic anti-spin control engaging.
I have never had to press it, but we only get snow a few times a year here.
 

aja8888

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When you press the button 3 times and wink, it resizes the grapics you put on this thread that are way too large making it difficult for everyone to read.:(
 

aja8888

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owr084 said:
Leave it alone. It is always on. Pressing the button will disable it and a light will appear on the dash to indicate it is off. It will turn itself back on the next time you restart the car. Here's a video of what it does: http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/vw/32207/
Skip the marketing drone and fast forward to the 1:18 mark to watch the demonstration.

<-- just for you Aja8888. Someday maybe you'll get a widescreen monitor or just put up with the fact that sometimes, the information conveyed is more important than resizing the photo. :p
I have an IBM Thinkpad. It is a big as I could get (15.5"). Sorry. Most folks here don't have 24" widescreen monitors. Maybe the BMW forum guys all do?

Thanks for the info. I Have ESP (edit).
 
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BrentRN

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Mar 17, 2006
Location
New London, PA USA
TDI
Used to have many. Now a Golf TSI.
It looks like ESP is for stability while going through curves or in lane changes. Is there a disadvantage to having it on or off when driving straight in slippery conditions such as snow covered or icy roads?
 

abctdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
ABQ, NM, USA
TDI
2005 Passat GLS
I once pulled into a freshly snowed upon parking lot and tried to spin the car to no avail...no fun at all, but very safe indeed.
 

owr084

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Joined
Oct 20, 2004
Location
Northern Virginia (NoVA)
TDI
Passat GLS, 2005, Stonehenge Gray
It is very helpful when dealing with puddles in your lane. The ESP helps to keep your car going straight right through without allowing the front tires to be "grabbed" by the puddle.

aja8888 - Your Passat must be an oddball because according to my 2005 Passat brochure, ESP, ASR, and EDL were all standard for the GLS. But, the brochure is wrong in some cases, like not mentioning the availability of cloth seats. I suspect yours was one of the first batches off the line after the end of the 2004 MY.
 

ymz

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Between Toronto & Montreal
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2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
BrentRN said:
It looks like ESP is for stability while going through curves or in lane changes. Is there a disadvantage to having it on or off when driving straight in slippery conditions such as snow covered or icy roads?
It's very helpful when changing lanes and having to cut through the little globs of built-up snow between the lanes... Keep it on all the time except when you're trying to creep up a snowy hill... the ESP will eventually put the brakes on both sides of the car if it gets confused enough...

Yuri
 

aja8888

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owr084 said:
aja8888 - Your Passat must be an oddball because according to my 2005 Passat brochure, ESP, ASR, and EDL were all standard for the GLS. But, the brochure is wrong in some cases, like not mentioning the availability of cloth seats. I suspect yours was one of the first batches off the line after the end of the 2004 MY.
EDIT: I have ESP, I am wrong...

Just researched specs on the 2005 Passat TDI and ESP was an option, not a standard feature. So not all of them may have them, unless Edmunds is wrong..
 
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WeLikeBlue

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Apr 21, 2009
Location
Elk Grove, CA
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2004.5 Passat
owr084 said:
It is very helpful when dealing with puddles in your lane. The ESP helps to keep your car going straight right through without allowing the front tires to be "grabbed" by the puddle.

aja8888 - Your Passat must be an oddball because according to my 2005 Passat brochure, ESP, ASR, and EDL were all standard for the GLS. But, the brochure is wrong in some cases, like not mentioning the availability of cloth seats. I suspect yours was one of the first batches off the line after the end of the 2004 MY.
My 2004 GLS has cloth seats also. Sure, the leather would have looked better, but here, parked outside at work during the day, I've come to appreciate the cloth after my shift.:cool:

And back on topic... It might be just me, but I could swear that turning the ESP off in normal, dry pavement conditions causes my transmission to shift more smoothly. I don't make a habit of turning the ESP off, but you know what happens when you tell some people, "Here's a button, but DON'T push it!" :D
 

ScottW

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Jul 9, 2009
Location
Virginia USA
TDI
2005 Passat Wagon TDI
On ice it seems you would not want your tires to spin...so why not just keep it on all the time?

At what point is it preferable to turn it off? Racing from a stop?

Just don't see my wagon...racing! LOL
 

abctdi

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Mar 31, 2004
Location
ABQ, NM, USA
TDI
2005 Passat GLS
On ice, some have been ESP'd to the point where nothing happens and no forward progress can be made at all. At that point, no ESP is the best thing, for a few seconds...
 

engineerorange

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North Carolina
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2015 Jetta
aja8888 said:
EDIT: I have ESP, I am wrong...

Just researched specs on the 2005 Passat TDI and ESP was an option, not a standard feature. So not all of them may have them, unless Edmunds is wrong..
Our 2005 B5 does not have ESP, it only has ASR. It has a negative option on the window sticker that says something like "without ESP".

Of course it's also painted a color that wasn't available in 2005, go figure. I am thinking it was pushed back in a corner rework area or something over the summer holiday in Germany and got lost until production started back up on the 2005's.
 

daedalus

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Pittstown NJ
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05 Variant TDI Black w/Gray
Black ice -- long uphill grade - last week. ESP on - I thought the parking brake was engaged. Turned it off and we were able to climb the hill. First time it has ever been turned off!
 

BrentRN

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Location
New London, PA USA
TDI
Used to have many. Now a Golf TSI.
daedalus said:
Black ice -- long uphill grade - last week. ESP on - I thought the parking brake was engaged. Turned it off and we were able to climb the hill. First time it has ever been turned off!
That's good to know. I never would have thought to hit the button. To turn off ESP is it just a single quick push, or do you have to hold it in for a few seconds?
 

daedalus

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05 Variant TDI Black w/Gray
BrentRN said:
That's good to know. I never would have thought to hit the button. To turn off ESP is it just a single quick push, or do you have to hold it in for a few seconds?
Just tap the button and go. To be honest I never would have thought of it either but I remembered reading something about it here on the forum.

TDIClub.com for the win!
 

2004PassatTDI

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2004 Passat Sedan, 2016 E250 Sport
So if a person replaces the suspension with something a bit tighter, and also adds a rear sway-bar, does that mess up the ESP programming?
 

Btravelen

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midwest USA
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2005 TDI Passat Variant
Hmm.. I thought ASR was what ESP was called in '04. Option in '04 and standard in '05. The same, only different. ;)

I also don't think it functions at all (transmission operation?) if it's not needed, level ground, dry pavement, good traction, etc.
 

abctdi

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Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
ABQ, NM, USA
TDI
2005 Passat GLS
My 2005 has ESP, ASR and ELD (or EDL?) as well as ABS.
I think it functions all the time, as in sensor aquisition, but only applies the magic when required.
 

Smokerr

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Alaska
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Passat Wagon GL,2005,Silver
owr084 said:
Leave it alone. It is always on. Pressing the button will disable it and a light will appear on the dash to indicate it is off. It will turn itself back on the next time you restart the car.
It should be on most of the time, but it does have its limitiations.

After a stop with ice and or snow condtions, it will not allow you to accelerate. In that case, turn it off, get up to 20 mph and then re-activate it.

I have a case of one steep hill where it has to stay off for the entire climb as it just leaves you boggled down.

For me, its also hard to get used to as there is 40 years of drivinging counter steer into a skid. With this active you just point the wheels where you want to go and it does it.

I have to latch into my mind I am not driving the pickup, and not counter steer with it (and shift back when I drive the pickup).
 

Smokerr

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aja8888 said:
EDIT: I have ESP, I am wrong...

Just researched specs on the 2005 Passat TDI and ESP was an option, not a standard feature. So not all of them may have them, unless Edmunds is wrong..
I don't have my book with me, but on the GL it was an option. Ours came with it, only thing I was interested in that was not stock.
 

Smokerr

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WeLikeBlue said:
My 2004 GLS has cloth seats also. Sure, the leather would have looked better, but here, parked outside at work during the day, I've come to appreciate the cloth after my shift.:cool:

And back on topic... It might be just me, but I could swear that turning the ESP off in normal, dry pavement conditions causes my transmission to shift more smoothly. I don't make a habit of turning the ESP off, but you know what happens when you tell some people, "Here's a button, but DON'T push it!" :D
I prefere the letherete and been fine with it down to -25F. My wife is fine with it to.

I have to get the book, I am at another computer, but I beliee as the ASL etc etc came with all cars, the ESP adds to that to get the car to go where the wheels are pointed using the anti lock portion, not the ASL, and all those other acronmyms
 

Smokerr

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Alaska
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Passat Wagon GL,2005,Silver
BrentRN said:
That's good to know. I never would have thought to hit the button. To turn off ESP is it just a single quick push, or do you have to hold it in for a few seconds?
Push it and you will see a yellow symbot show up on the dash to let you know its disabled.
 

Smokerr

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Alaska
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Passat Wagon GL,2005,Silver
ESP, ASR and ELD (or EDL?) as well as ABS.

I will look in the book, but I think that all was stock on all versions. Only the ESP was an option, as it uses the ABS and a steering sensor I believe..
 

jimmybling31

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chattanooga
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01white jetta
aja8888 said:
I have an IBM Thinkpad. It is a big as I could get (15.5"). Sorry. Most folks here don't have 24" widescreen monitors. Maybe the BMW forum guys all do?

Thanks for the info. I Have ESP (edit).
I have a 27 inch workstation monitor. lol. i just do web editing and gaming with it. lol.
 
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