# ESP traction control can it be turned off?



## liam (Feb 8, 2010)

CAn you turn off the ESP or traction contol i heard that you can do this by driving off with the hand brake on and then releasing it.. does this cause issues if this turns it off how do you turn it on again/?

as i had to move my car at 4 in the morning to let my fiance out to work it was early and tried to drive off the drive way with the hand brake on (duh) it made alot of noise i then relised it was on and took it off.

is this true or just urban legend about the esp and traction control?


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## Charlie (Dec 15, 2006)

Press the ESP button and you will get a warning light on the dash to indicate you have turned it off.

Driving with the handbrake 1 click engaged will stop the Haldex working.

Charlie


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## tony_rigby_uk (Nov 27, 2008)

just press the button... it's mostly off, (there are still some parts of the system working)

If you want it fully off plug into vagcom and monitor the wheel speed sensors... it'll flash up a million warnings and beeps as your driving it, but even in summer you can have it plooming smoke in 3rd gear (not great for tyre wear)...

if you want it off for some donut fun in the snow, the ESP button will be fine.. hold it in for a couple of seconds.. it's not just a press and go as it thinks you accidently hit it... once thats done you'll have the Traction control symbol lit up on dash in orange.

if you don't have a ESP button (next to Hazord button) then your one of the lucky people who hasn't got ESP fitted to their TT, very few as even the old ones had a optional recall (which most took) to have it fitted free of charge...

hope that helps


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## ttsteve (Nov 1, 2007)

tony_rigby_uk said:


> just press the button... it's mostly off, (there are still some parts of the system working)
> 
> If you want it fully off plug into vagcom and monitor the wheel speed sensors... it'll flash up a million warnings and beeps as your driving it, but even in summer you can have it plooming smoke in 3rd gear (not great for tyre wear)...
> 
> ...


Lucky people? right.


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## JNmercury00 (May 22, 2007)

tony_rigby_uk said:


> just press the button... it's mostly off, (there are still some parts of the system working)
> 
> If you want it fully off plug into vagcom and monitor the wheel speed sensors... it'll flash up a million warnings and beeps as your driving it, but even in summer you can have it plooming smoke in 3rd gear (not great for tyre wear)...
> 
> ...


Lucky?


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## tony_rigby_uk (Nov 27, 2008)

JNmercury00 said:


> Lucky?


Yes Lucky.. Back to the old school no driver aids, and managing traction with your right foot rather than relying on a computer to tone everything down... try the wheel sensor trick with vagcom... it makes you realise how powerful the tt is...


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## ttsteve (Nov 1, 2007)

tony_rigby_uk said:


> JNmercury00 said:
> 
> 
> > Lucky?
> ...


Ok Tony, hear what you say. Personally, I come at the TT from an entirely different angle. I EMBRACE it's sophistication and inherently safe roadholding characteristics. I am not Sterling Moss, I DO get my foot down on safe dry roads and get those tyres squealing, but that's about it. I've no desire to get into smoking tyres or drifting. To me, that's BR territory. Not what the TT's about - for me. Each to their own of course! :wink:


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## drjam (Apr 7, 2006)

tony_rigby_uk said:


> JNmercury00 said:
> 
> 
> > Lucky?
> ...


Luckier to have the choice of on or off IMO.


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## ttsteve (Nov 1, 2007)

drjam said:


> tony_rigby_uk said:
> 
> 
> > JNmercury00 said:
> ...


Of course, I agree, but I think Tony is alluding to the fact that it is NEVER completely off, even when switched off.


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## drjam (Apr 7, 2006)

ttsteve said:


> Of course, I agree, but I think Tony is alluding to the fact that it is NEVER completely off, even when switched off.


But then he does say "if you want it fully off plug into vagcom", which I read as meaning there is a workaround. 
If you don't have it at all, there's no workaround to have it on, either fully, partly or anything else. So I'm still glad we have it (yes, it was by choice at the original recall)


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## tony_rigby_uk (Nov 27, 2008)

drjam said:


> ttsteve said:
> 
> 
> > Of course, I agree, but I think Tony is alluding to the fact that it is NEVER completely off, even when switched off.
> ...


Yes Vagcom logging of the wheel sensors turns it fully off, but big loud stop bleeps every 3 seconds and the big flashing message, is abit of a pain if i'm honest... it's good to do for a experience but just too annoying to have a laptop plugged in everywhere you go...

The early ones like mattb's old one, are absolutly fantastic without esp.. so much more responsive, and so much more powerfull (or at least it feels it.. it infact isn't as powerfull as mine)

I do drive with ESP off... and which keeps ABS and other elements switched on still... it does drive much better with it off.. especially on the white stuff.. (assuming you like to catch the rear as it swings) only time esp is on is on the motorway... at those speeds if it did go it'd be hard to recover it... but around 30-40-50 roads... it's off..

Let the slating begin :?


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## crazyazz (Sep 26, 2012)

I know this thread is old. But I drove a 1999 TT with no ESP button and no rear wing and it seemed to go harder than any other TT I have driven. I just assumed that it had been chipped. So the perceived power may have been no ESP after all?


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