stability control on 2014 vrs

[wrightcnc2009]

Hi all, I've been a bit quiet on here for a while now because I've lost the love for Skoda and vrs badge. The reason for the loss of love is the nannying electronics and namely the stability control. It's very nearly had me off the road twice now by applying brakes suddenly and aggressively mid corner on a bumpy road that I've driven tousands of times before without problems in a mk1 vrs without issues and when trail braking into a corner it try's to straighten the car up giving the effect of reducing the steering lock input.

So I have a couple of questions, firstly to the track day boys, how the hell do you drive these mk2's on the track?! I'm struggling to find any threads with heavy criticism of the stability control spoiling your day and fun.

Secondly how can it be switched off or desensitized, is there anyone else out there that understands this and has the knowledge to resolve this issue for me!!!! It ruins what could be a really good little car.

[Ootohere]

Is it the XDS that is the issue?

You can turn it off on a 2014 vRS, but only down on earlier cars.

 

Sharkrider has it off for the Track & on for the Winter roads.

 

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/227295-who-needs-a-lsd

[sharkrider]

it cant be turned off (without major messing with systems) but I have found it unobtrusive.... the stability control on a BMW I drove on track was awful, and allowed nothing, but i have my car sideways all the time on track..... it wont let you spin, but it will allow you to drive, the SC on the citigo was over nannying, but again, on the vRS I have found it "soft" ... (on the track I have traction control and XDS OFF) ...

 

here a vid! you can hear the revs at max without changing up in the corner (it does this with the XDS disabled, gives more control) and you can see the sideways action... doesn't look much, but bloody felt it! AND you can see the power understeer (XDS off) without the ESP interfering either...

 

 

edit: my olny suggestion to help is turn off traction and XDS (or turn down on the older models) if yours is 2014, you can turn it off... if its set to "high" it will be a nannying nightmare on the public road, with bumps, water ect ect

[sharkrider]

oh, and trail braking on track works too back swings out nice to point you the right way (F&R H&R ARB's)

[wrightcnc2009]

I always turn off the traction because if left on it wont give any slip before it cut power down dead and it bogs down of of slow corners. I don't fully understand xds and what it does/doesn't do when and why but I know when something doesn't feel right and I will try explain the feeling best as possible.

With traction off, I entre a corner fast, the corner has a fast slight bend approach so heavyish braking trailing the pedal in with steering lock gradually being input as brake pedal pressure is increasingly reduced to nothing so as to keep the car as balanced as possible and on the way in I can feel the brake pedal go hard but if I press harder I don't don't get anymore braking just a rock solid pedal and the feeling that the car is pulling itself straight so in need more steering input to attempt to turn into the corner but it feels as though it is fighting my input back and the dash flashes. In a fast 's' bend using both sides of the road to go through it, it will cut power on a trail throttle and apply brakes as it goes light over the camber of the road. I felt these issues in standard guise, I've now go h&r springs with b8 Bilstein dampers all round and federal rsr-r's and it's just the same apart from feeling better in general if pushed a tad bit more the nannying systems kick in. I can't instigate lift off oversteer on a roundabout, if I do lift to try tuck the front end into the apex it begins to pitch the weight and then electronics cut in and it sits flat and understeers.

[wrightcnc2009]

If I took it to a track and ran it over a curb on an apex it would apply the brakes or cut the power or both. Its really annoying and spoils a potentially good car.

[Ootohere]

Be aware that if you touch the Brake Pedal that also cuts power to the engine.(drive)

There are some VW's that can have that Mapped out, but even the Golf R's (dsg) that the Rally Team used as Reccy cars still had it left that way.

[wrightcnc2009]

The rear end slide you have at the end of that vid where you run up on the rumble curb on the exit would have never happened in my car, at best if you had run it in hot enough it would have applied the brakes and understeered you wide.

[wrightcnc2009]

Despite growing up driving 100cc direct drive karts, I don't use left foot braking so it can't be that cutting power.

Edited 11 August, 2015 by wrightcnc2009

[Ootohere]

There can still be a delay from Brake pedal to throttle, so be aware, because some are different, try someone elses car.

I only have 1 foot, so i can not touch 2 pedals but then i tend not to brake except when in a straight line,

i have a gear stick to decelerate, and i have only ever crashed in corners when braking.  (actually almost true.)

[wrightcnc2009]

Sharkrider, how do I turn off this xds??

[wrightcnc2009]

I don't personally know anyone who owns another fabia vrs....

[Ootohere]

With VCDS.

 

If you dont know anyone with a vRS try a forum like Briskoda, you might find someone near with one.

Or fo to a track day members are going to.

 

Or like me, just go road test Dealership cars that are for sale.

[wrightcnc2009]

A trip to jabbasport then?

[wrightcnc2009]

The sales guys wont let me drive it properly from past experience...

[Ootohere]

Surely you can get your settings done by a helpful Briskoda Member.

 

Test drives are not much cope right enough if they do not let you take the car away for a while.

[wrightcnc2009]

Possibly, which part of the forum is the best place to ask?

I would like to get the necessary kit so I could play with it myself in my own time to understand it and drive the changes to understand the feeling differences but I'm more mechanical minded than electronic.

[Ootohere]

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/262215-list-of-vcds-owners-previously-known-as-vag-com

[sharkrider]

I always turn off the traction because if left on it wont give any slip before it cut power down dead and it bogs down of of slow corners. I don't fully understand xds and what it does/doesn't do when and why but I know when something doesn't feel right and I will try explain the feeling best as possible.

With traction off, I entre a corner fast, the corner has a fast slight bend approach so heavyish braking trailing the pedal in with steering lock gradually being input as brake pedal pressure is increasingly reduced to nothing so as to keep the car as balanced as possible and on the way in I can feel the brake pedal go hard but if I press harder I don't don't get anymore braking just a rock solid pedal and the feeling that the car is pulling itself straight so in need more steering input to attempt to turn into the corner but it feels as though it is fighting my input back and the dash flashes. In a fast 's' bend using both sides of the road to go through it, it will cut power on a trail throttle and apply brakes as it goes light over the camber of the road. I felt these issues in standard guise, I've now go h&r springs with b8 Bilstein dampers all round and federal rsr-r's and it's just the same apart from feeling better in general if pushed a tad bit more the nannying systems kick in. I can't instigate lift off oversteer on a roundabout, if I do lift to try tuck the front end into the apex it begins to pitch the weight and then electronics cut in and it sits flat and understeers.

 

some good mods... (I will be getting the bilstiens this winter hopefully) but may I suggest a RARB ? H&R are the stiffest... cheap, and an amazing addition to the handling... it massively reduces understeer, and gives neutral handling..... if you are pushing hard in a corner in my car, and you back off (not trying hard) the rear will flow out (easy, not unpredictable) (RSR's eibachs, standard shocks, front and rear H&R anti roll bars, rear is most difference) ... first suggestion RARB... honestly, you will be shocked at the difference.

The rear end slide you have at the end of that vid where you run up on the rumble curb on the exit would have never happened in my car, at best if you had run it in hot enough it would have applied the brakes and understeered you wide.

I was trying (badly) to balance the car on the throttle in that last corner.....I was having NO interference from the XDS, I went in too fast, and gave too much throttle on exit.... the power understeer would NOT have happened with XDS (you would feel juddering, and a "reigning in" of the power) but the ESP still didn't interfere, which is why I ended up on the kerb... then the uneven surface threw the back out..... I corrected that quickly... again BEFORE the ESP interfered....... (no application of brakes)

 

Sharkrider, how do I turn off this xds??

 

VCDS go into braking I think, then into electronic diff (doesn't say XDS but its obvious which option, cant remember exactly) then you have about 5 settings..... OFF is one of them! in earlier cars you just have soft medium and hard, so it wont go off, after the "updated CTHE" you can turn it off,,,, it also has the added bonus, that if you are on power, and a wheel is spinning, it WONT change up, it will hold max revs until the car grips again...)

A trip to jabbasport then?

for a RARB :P

[sharkrider]

to explain XDS... in that last corner on the vid.... I went in too quick, and followed that with more power... with XDS on , it would have braked the wheel that was spinning, sending power to the wheel that had grip..... the power understeer to the kerb would NOT have happened (I have driven that track with XDS on) I could simply plant the throttle , and it would judder, and simply drive in a controlled way out of the corner... no drama, no running wide, no kerb. this robs you of control (great on a wet roundabout in winter... I turn it back on to a medium setting in the winter when the track season is done) but for a real drive its useless (and overheats the brakes) ....

 

I think you would be amazed if you fitted a RARB and turned the XDS off

 

the ESP I find only reacts about a second after the car starts to slide, I I have usually controlled it by then..... it rarely spoils the fun on track.... I dont have a vid, but I have had the car at 45 degrees before! lol it didn't let me spin, but was proper out of shape!

 

abit like jason here! (same track)

 

[Ootohere]

wrightcnc2009, did you ever get around to removing the rear ballast weights.?

 

It could be worth taking them off if not, remove the spare wheel and relocate the battery to the boot.

[Ant FR]

i'm at a loss,  Never had any issue with the aids on track.  even on a wet cold wintery ring on winter tyres.  And i do usually leave them on in the Skoda however my own driving style is quite smooth, has to be really as i can;t afford to be jerky in the Civic

[Ootohere]

Have you had a look to see what they are at from buying the car or adjusted the setting of the XDS / Steering Assist,?

they can be changed from Factory Setting when you buy a Used Car.

[TeebsVRS]

I've only ever felt the stability control once, that was round a long, snowy motorway sliproad corner. Was on winter tyres, so went in a tad over confident, the back just started to lose grip and I felt the car pull itself back into line.

Auto Express commented that the ESP was quite intrusive and cooked the brakes on track in one of their performance car test videos.

I have ocassionally felt an odd dead spot in the power delivery when hoing round a tighter corner which I guess is some mild ESP or XDs activating but I don't drive that enthusiastically so it's rare.

[sharkrider]

its the XDS that cooks the brakes on track, thats why i turn it off in the summer