absoluteis

Not on mine either.. Maybe S4iowa has a special edition?

S4iowa

I've only had it engage on dry conditions a couple times on me while on the track doing a little trail braking...

You need steering angle and yaw sensor with brakes applied to make this happen.

But in snow you can definitely feel it.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/rs4b7/msgs/42400.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/rs4b7/msgs/42400.phtml</a</li></ul>

ELEVENS

Hold the button down for 6 seconds and the icon stays lit (not blinking). In an empty, snowy parking lot, with braking, the stability and traction control STAYS OFF while I do all the donuts, j-turns, and drifting that I want. Di it several times per week, very familiar with this.

Your car is obviously different. Hope you're not going by what you read on an internet forum.

VerrÜckt

I turn my ESP off 99% of the time I drive my S4. During normal donuts and messing around, I never have any extra intervention.

I once had the back end step out of line at nearly 100 mph on the Nürburgring coming out of the Fuchsrohre. I was off the gas, the tail was out, and I HAD to brake otherwise I'd fly off the course. The ESP did come on (even though it was switched totally off) and I saved things without a problem.

I wish I had that on video.

When the ESP forces itself on you, there's no blinking lights and it stayed shut off.

absoluteis

And therefore never shut off? Cant it distribute power to the wheels regardless of the trac setting?

Still confused about the exact changes made when you press the traction control button and exactly what behaviour the car exhibits with the different settings. Yes I have messed around in the snow but its still not clear.

S4iowa

quattro® is the brand, basically for the name for the TorSen mechanical center differential that distributes the power.

On the newer cars, 1st level disabled is just ASR or traction control. 2nd level is ASR, plus the ESP stability.

But ESP Stability which engages the ABS the the wheels individually to keep the car in line <b><i>should</i></b> re-engage when the brakes are applied if the car is out of line (steering angle input and yaw sensor decide this).

Even if the system is off.<ul><li><a href="http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en2/tools/glossary/safety/electronic_stabilization_program.html">http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en2/tools/glossary/safety/electronic_stabilization_program.html</a</li></ul>

ELEVENS

ESP light off = ABS + traction control + stability Control


ESP light flashing = ABS + stability control


ESP lit continuously = ABS only


This is how my car is and I'm not buying any other explanation until I see it and feel it with my own eyes.

absoluteis

I understand off the line (wheel spin) but I still dont quite understand if I am on a skidpad and mash the gas, what stability ctrl does for me and what traction ctrl does for me (what roles each plays).

And then the quattro system on top of that also wigs me out because isn't it supposed to transfer power to the wheels with the most grip and therefore act like a form of stability control?

S4iowa

<ul><li><a href="http://web.videorelay.com/1180/bosch/ESP-eng.mpg">http://web.videorelay.com/1180/bosch/ESP-eng.mpg</a</li></ul>

ELEVENS

- quattro is a purely mechanical means of "limited slip" ("positraction") for all 4 wheels.

- stability control is electronic and can save your **** if it senses you f***** up (by applying one or more brakes to straighten you back out again)

-tracion control is electronic and when it senses wheel spin it cuts engine power (depending on the system it uses retarded timing and/or closes the throttle)