ASR on or not? What does it do?

[vRSWitter]

OK, what does ASR actually do and is it better to drive with it on or off. When I say better I mean from a driving fun point of view, not a safety first point of view. Am I right thinking that its on by default and you turn it off by pressing the switch and this makes the warning light in the dash come on? Would the car be more fun to drive with it off I guess is what I'm asking?

[ric04vrs]

it cuts the engine power to stop the wheels from spinning, its traction control basically

[oliverp]

It's traction control so it helps to prevent wheel spinning. That's all I know!

[JulieD]

OK, what does ASR actually do and is it better to drive with it on or off. When I say better I mean from a driving fun point of view, not a safety first point of view. Am I right thinking that its on by default and you turn it off by pressing the switch and this makes the warning light in the dash come on? Would the car be more fun to drive with it off I guess is what I'm asking?

ASR is Anti Slip Regulation - a basic form of traction control. It is on by default - press the button to deactivate it and the warning light on the dash comes on. It will switch back on if you press the switch again, or the next time you start the car. Is it more fun? Depends on whether or not spinning all your power away floats your boat - try it and see for yourself if it's more fun or not.

[vRSWitter]

So if the wheels start to spin, engine power is reduced to regain grip? Nothing more to it than that? Part of the reason I ask is that couple of times when i've put my foot down and I was coming out of a turn or overtaking the ASR warning light has come on for a short period and the car has seemed to "skitter" a bit if that makes sense. First time it happened took me by surprise I have to admit .

[MoggyTech]

I hit a patch of diesel coming off a roundabout today, and the ASR light came on for the first time in ages, but it didn't seem to do much, as the power slide was quite impressive

My natural reaction to oversteer in a FWD drive is to add power while turning into the oversteer, and given the VRS tends to have lift off oversteer the ASR is pretty useless unless you do something really mental on a track, but then it would be off in any case.

[WW_VRS]

It would be amazing to get oversteer when you have your foot planted on the floor in the Fabia as it understeers like hell until, as you say, you lift off.

If you wanna have fun, turn off the ASR, that's for sure

[vRSWitter]

I'll give it a go with it off next time I'm out, see what a difference that makes.

[XLBaconDoubleCheese]

as already said, just traction control. Nothing a bit of decent clutch control cant sort out, if im just driving to work, i leave it, but if im driving for enjoyment, it get turned off for sure

[RSIMPS]

Most fwd's will understeer when on the power and oversteer or understeer less when off the power, unless you have alot of engine weight infront of the front wheels ie old quattro, old saabs.

[Jabbasport]

Turn it off and be done with it

I actually make sure i turn it off before doing anything other than cruising in the fabia..

If im honest, i'd sometimes prefer the wheelspin than the sudden on/off that ASR gives which often leaves you with no power just as you've pulled quickly out of a junction...

Kev

[Orta]

I hate the ASR, it is the devil

Anyone do a mod where it's off permenantly UNLESS you press the button? Kind of reversing it's use?

[55VRS]

It's really really bad in my opinion, twice now (and I've only had the car a month!) its nearly got me squashed by a lorry. I realise that my driving was partly to blame there, but having the power removed eXACTLy when you need it most is a stupid idea. Wheel spin is much more predictable and controllable.

The 'proper' (i think) traction control in my old Bora was much better, so I'd vote for turning ASR off permanently if it was possible.

[Taylorrr]

I hate the ASR, it is the devil

Anyone do a mod where it's off permenantly UNLESS you press the button? Kind of reversing it's use?

I think if you can get your hands on the VAGcom diagnostic kit this can be done and turned off permenantly buddy.

[Orta]

Sweet, wouldn't want to attempt anything like that myself but I see if they'll do it wen I finally get sum $$ 2getha for my cruise control.

[Conshine]

It's really really bad in my opinion, twice now (and I've only had the car a month!) its nearly got me squashed by a lorry. I realise that my driving was partly to blame there, but having the power removed eXACTLy when you need it most is a stupid idea. Wheel spin is much more predictable and controllable.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the car is wheel spinning, you have already overcome the grip available and the car is not under full control which is dangerous, hence the ASR tries to regain the maximum possibel grip...if it starts dying, ease off the throttle?

I very rarely have the light on unless I hit a manhole in the wet and overtaking is easy without the light on even on WOT....?

(mines not mapped at all though, so maybe why it doesn't spin so much)

[phil_monk]

i think the ASR comes on after the wheel has rotated 3 times in a spin?

I must say thou mine hasn't worked right for sometime, I am not sure if removing my EGR or my DE-CAT has caused it not to cut in as dramaticly.

ESP is so much better, I drove mine in the snow and when I thought I would try and see what th ASR does in the snow i was very dissapointed, it did nothing and just went mental making me feel like i was juddering all over the place, where as when i drove my mums friends fabia in the snow (she got it stuck) the ESP was brillient and would of helped me if i didn't already know how to drive in the snow

[jasc1988]

ASR off for me everytime i step in the car

[vRSWitter]

Well it looks like you're all saying the same here, so I'll definitely have it off next time I'm out in the car

[devonutopia]

I'll definitely have it off next time I'm out in the car

I don't even need the misquote engine for that.

[MoggyTech]

I don't even need the misquote engine for that.

:rofl::rofl::rofl: Steamy windows, and not due to leaking door carriers.

[wja96]

It's really really bad in my opinion, twice now (and I've only had the car a month!) its nearly got me squashed by a lorry. I realise that my driving was partly to blame there, but having the power removed eXACTLy when you need it most is a stupid idea. Wheel spin is much more predictable and controllable.

I hate to be judgemental here, but I suspect the ASR probably saved you. You exited a junction with enough power on to spin the wheels ie. you had no traction and the fact that the ASR cut in means you were too slow to realise you had no traction and modulate the throttle or clutch yourself. The ASR cut in to restore drive to the front wheels and kept you moving. I suspect you also had some degree of steering applied as well as power so without the ASR you might also not have made the turn, but ploughed into the kerb instead.

You were the only person driving the car, so you made a concious decision to pull out in front of an oncoming vehicle under road conditions where there was insufficient grip to use the amount of power you applied. That sounds like 100% driver error to me.

I don't especially like the extremely harsh way the ASR cuts in, but I do appreciate that it's trying to help keep me safe. I also know there are drivers who regularly race and rally cars for whom driver aids, even ABS, can actually be dangerous, because they are able to 'feel' the car and the lack of traction control or brake modulation allows them to perform feats beyond normal drivers. I'm not one of those drivers, so my ASR stays firmly switched on.

I'd love to know what proportion of crashed vRS's had the ASR turned off at the time because the driver thought he was faster wthout the driver aids.

[andypandypoos]

just because you have one or both wheels spinning doesn't mean there was no traction, by all accounts the ASR system is very clumsy and seems to cut power almost completely at the slightest whiff of wheelspin - it could well be that if the car had ESP rather than ASR (or even neither) it would have pulled away just dandy? I've not felt the need to switch ESP off yet as it tends to give me a long enough leash to play yet still keep the car headed in the right direction without feeling intrusive

Edited 7 April, 2009 by andypandypoos

[RSIMPS]

bmw's are worse, we couldnt get my friends 320 to spin in gravel. I leave mine on, but I dont thrash it that much and I never usually get it comming on. The gear changes slow you down that much when setting off, I just short shift to 3rd or 4th then give it some.

[giandougl]

Hello,

2005 Fabia VRS

Have tried ASR "On" and "Off" and have difficulty on telling the difference.

Both ways, wheel spin observed particularly on steep roads under hard acceleration.

Personally I think its there for looks, as if important the control of it would be removed as an option?

A car manufacturer would not leave poor car instability as an option? in the hands of an idiot.

Whats more annoying ? no warning lights on dash, or having a light staring at you ??

Best regards.

Ian. 07/04/2009