Thread: Can ESP be switched off?

Yes I did wonder about this claim (& I could quote the reviewer, he thinks) But I had, some time ago, picked up on the EU's figures for accident reduction due to ESP fitment. So desired it for both myself & the weans, iffen/when we were next purchasing As it seems to be very good technology However remembering the days when ABS antilock brakes were first fitted and attempting to stop in slush????? The reviewer said that...

Huh? Does'nt make sense to me.

I'm with m0bov - eh?

Quote: Originally Posted by dieseldogg Since with two young inexperienced drivers I was in a notion of specifying same But saw somewhere that a car reviewer thought it did more harm than good in certain circumstances? Can you clarify which circumstances? What I've read suggests that it's a most valuble feature and is generally felt to both improve safety and even save lives. Clearly if you change from driving a car equipped with ESP...

ESP gives troubles driving through snow (especially when using chains) and through loose earth. Therefore you can switch it off. And it will give troubles if a driver becomes overconfident thinking that ESP will solve more problems than it actually does (eventhough it is amazing technology ).

Quote: Originally Posted by Constant ESP gives troubles driving through snow (especially when using chains) and through loose earth. Therefore you can switch it off. And it will give troubles if a driver becomes overconfident thinking that ESP will solve more problems than it actually does (eventhough it is amazing technology ). Yes,switch it off to help traction in snow and if you go on a racetrack,otherwise leave it on.

Watch this video,Tiff Needell shows it is life saver in the snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR1SSxpKitE It actually allows him to pull off in the snow, which he cannot do with the ESP/TCS turned off.

Maybe if you can drive like late great Colin McRae then there would be times when you would want ESP off, but for the rest of us it should prolly be on. In fact the Aussie dealer who sold me my FL Octavia told me that ESP was now so good that for MY 2010 Skoda was going to remove the option to switch it off. The Skoda Australia youtube channel has a vid which shows how good it works.

ESP as has been said can be a life saver. That's why from 2011 all new cars will have to have it fitted.