Elfer

I ran similar tests (not on snow) and have come to the same conclusions

Captain Sheetmetal

1) It limits wheel speed variation by <i>slowing (braking)</i> the wheel that's spinning faster. I know that in theory the power should be transferred through the diff to the non-spinning wheel and all should be well, but in reality a lot of power gets soaked up.

2) It takes its sweet time <i>releasing</i> the brake. After you straighten the car out and EDL has been active, it doesn't release the brake until you're basically all the way through first gear.

I must say that all my claims are based solely on seat-of-the-pants feel, but the differences are large enough for anybody to feel.

I first noticed this whole phenomenon shortly after I picked up my car, but attributed it to new engine/my imagination/whatever. Over time, however, I became pretty convinced that <i>something</i> was slowing the car during said maneuvers, and guessed that it was the EDL.

I pulled the fuse and tried nailing the throttle in first gear while turning and was pretty surprised by the amount of wheel spin I got (in the rain). I had never experienced this before, and it was clear that most of the power was going exclusively to the inside wheels, as you'd expect with open diffs. Regardless of the fact the I was wasting power through wheel spin, the car leapt around the corner much more ferociously than ever before. In other words, I feel that the car gets from A to B much more quickly without EDL, even though there is wheel spin. Also, when the car is straightened out and I keep my foot to the floor, I am greeted with normal, non-EDL acceleration as opposed to the timid acceleration I get with a rear brake still clamped.

I just pulled the fuse again today for sh*ts and giggles (in the dry) and was able, at will, to basically light up the inside tires while turning in first gear. Pretty fun stuff, actually.

MachtigAvant (v3.0)

....it's cool. But some serious cajones my friend. ;-)

Jet Jockey/A4 Pilot

Until spring time before I try to modify the car to test it out.

Jet Jockey/A4 Pilot

Not really Sir. I don't know which fuse he pulled but any one fuse related to the ABS will do it.

AlanL

I visited often. The Seattle area track called Pacific Raceway has an infamous hairpin turn at the bottom of a hill that would trigger the braking ESP mode every time in a 2001+ B5 S4 at a level that can only be described as far beyond infuriating.

Any vehicle on the planet would gain almost 2 seconds of lap time on you if you didn't take some form of action to counteract the incredible misery that the Audi ESP/EDL/ABS system would inflict on you.

I am incredibly grateful that Audi was able to offer us a version of this system that is vastly less intrusive to our driving in the B6 version of the S4 or I would be a fanatical proponent of circumventing the system via fuse removal all over again....

Captain Sheetmetal

...what's the difference between me pulling the fuse and it blowing by itself?

Captain Sheetmetal

...I will say that our system is pretty unobtrusive under 99% of all circumstances. I just happen to make a living in that last 1%. ;-)

Sia Bani

ESP off, and you lag because of this.

MachtigAvant (v3.0)

and you keep it shiny side up, I'm cool with it! ;-)