The roads have been pretty icy for the past few days, but this morning as I was pulling away from some traffic lights, the ASR kicked in with such force that the entire car shook, with an accompanying soundtrack of several loud bangs. :oops:

Anyway, does this sound normal, and has anyone else experienced it?

Not ASR Rob, but yes the whole traction control systems are having a good time of it.

Had a focus next to me today, he was in a rush and didn't get very far :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: as he finished his unexpected burnout I stopped laughing and set off full kilter and not a jot of spin.

If that had been an vRS I would of expected it's ASR to have done some judderng, but at least it would of got you of the line

Certainly as I recal from the vRS test drive that's roughly what I got from her under slip. Disconcerting perhaps, but it did allow for progression over floundering.

My slxi turbo has no traction control, only EDL (Elctronic Diff Lock) and judders like anything if i give it the full monty in 1st/2ns on a loose/icy surface..

See previous 'judder' post

same happened to me once rob when i gave it too much in first gear on slidy roads after the car had just been chipped!

not recurred and no ill after - effects. i just know now to take it a little easier.

I just boot it :twisted: , then realise how obvious it is :oops: , and back off as everyone goes past me on dual carriageway etc

Still can't help myself booting it into power oversteer on wet corners, I'll grow up one day! :lol:

Not sure what traction control, etc. the Ambiente has, but even mine

judders horrendously if I use too much revs pulling away. Or if I rev

it too high in a low gear on slippery roads.

Always gets heads turning, but not, I suspect, in a good way :roll:

Rob.

Guess it must be the EDL then?

Interesting, wonder why it's so heavy handed?

Interesting, wonder why it's so heavy handed?[/quote:2fb9f01747]

'cos we're all too heavy footed?

Rob.

Not at all, just last night I got 37mpg coming back from Leeds!

(ok ok, I'd moved the seat back so I couldn't get full throttle :oops: )

The roads have been pretty icy for the past few days, but this morning as I was pulling away from some traffic lights, the ASR kicked in with such force that the entire car shook, with an accompanying soundtrack of several loud bangs. :oops:

Anyway, does this sound normal, and has anyone else experienced it?[/quote:2bfea8aa68]

Yup - for the first time this morning.

Not had a peep from the traction control all week and the roads where I live have been pretty slippy. But today it made up for it.

On first setting off under slow acceleration there was a loud beep beep beep, but no warning light or traction reduction. Stopping moving stopped the beeping, but subsequent setting off resulted in bangs and judders as indeed did braking. Quite unnerving when you've never experienced it before.

Anyway, as I drive close to the dealer on the way to work I popped in to ask if this was normal - my main concern was such a violent reaction today but nothing earlier in the week. Felt a prize tit when I was told it was normal :oops:

Still, the diagnostics showed a pressure loss on the turbo so something "good" came out of it (to be fixed next week)

Meant to ask in my previous post...

Could someone please explain in words of one syllable or less the differences between ASR and EDL and when each one comes into play?

Ta,

Zooty

ASR\ Anti Slip Regulator, is traction control, senses slip and decreases throttle till it thinks traction has been regained.

EDL\ Electronic Differential Lock, is the diff that locks when it senses power is being lost through one wheel.

ASR is electronic trickery, EDL is mechanical trickery, not sure how it decides how \ when to use each, or if they operate independantly, as the EDL on the 4x4 is different and we have ESP not ASR.

Ian beat me to it, but here is what the Octavia Brochure has to say about EDL, ASR and ESP.

EDL

The electronic differential lock continually compares the rpm of the drive wheels, and if it identifies a difference between them which could lead to an individual wheel spinning, for example if the two wheels are on different types of surface or accelerating on wet leaves, the system brakes the wheel affected until uniform rpm of all drive wheels is restored.

ASR

ASR traction control ensures the Octavia's stability when pulling away or accelerating. If the engine power or torque being transmitted to the drive wheels is too great, eg on a slippery road surface, engine torque is automatically reduced until optimum road-holding returns, thus preventing wheelspin. A light indicates whether the ASR system is on. It can be manually switched off.

ESP

The electronic stability programme is an effective tool in preventing your Octavia from skidding. Sensors identify a risk of skidding and provide individual braking to the wheels involved, thus keeping the vehicle in a straight line. ESP includes the ABS/ASR systems and can be manually switched off.

The Owner's Manual also includes mention of the traction control system TCS, and EBC.

Ooops! Just found EBC in the Owner's Manual. Why it wasn't in the index beats me.

EBC

The EBC (engine braking control) operates in conjunction with the ABS. It is intended to prevent the driven wheel of the car being excessively sharply braked when "braking with the engine" as a result of releasing the accelerator or shifting down on a smooth road. The EBC automatically increases the engine speed in order to maintain optimal steerability of the car even when "braking with the engine".

All that electronickery makes you wonder who exactly is driving the car!

ESP includes the ABS/ASR systems[/quote:dddec740a2]

..basically if breaking a wheel does not fix the problem \ you are still foot to the floor and full lock it will rein back the power as per ASR.

The way it describes EDL is as if it uses the brakes to fool the differential, rather than the diff itself locking???? Anyone know any more about that?

BE carefull, all this electronic trickery does not make up for bad driving!

earlier today (about 4am to be exact) i saw the light come on thought nothing of it as i was driving VERY sensibly on the M1 going south doing about 40 mph, i dont think the car understood this as i normally do 70 (yeh right)

anyways about 30 seconds down the road the car decided to show me who was boss and go into a 4 wheel slide down the motorway just before junction 9 as i was changing lane to overtake a gritting lorry. i didnt accelerte i just pulled out gently and waheeeeyyyyyyyyyyyy slide i did big time. it was quite a spectacular slide and took me a good 10 seconds to get the beast back under my control and boy am i glad of all those days spent on the skid pan track.

the asr esp etc is good but if that light so much as murmours be even more carefull!!!

Luckily i hit nothing and no one hit me as the road was pretty clear. (no i didnt cause the accident there, that happened about 2 hours later)

I did have a chuckle to myself a bit later on as a bmw went past me at about 60-70 and missed junction 7 as he couldnt slow down quick enough, the arse end was wagging rather a lot (i define a twitch as less than a foot a wag is over a foot)

so you were overtaking at hit ice I assume?

I assume the TDi has ASR not ESP? Short of cutting power (which you would not be heavy on with anyhow) I can't see what benefit ASR is in that situation anyway?

ESP is great as a "hand of god" keeping you pointing in the right direction, and using steering it at least knows where you are *trying* to head. No, it won't overcome the laws of physics but can twist them. Coupled with 4wd it makes for a very safe and competent setup, I can't reccomend it enough!

My earlier post has been amended to include EBC - yet another electronic gizmo between our right feet and car.

eeek Denis, right feet :?:

Sorry, back on topic....I'm all for gizmo's (even the ones in films) so long as they an be turned off easily (unlike the ones in the films). And turned back on even quicker...

...[b:a27fc08d6f]our[/b:a27fc08d6f] right feet!!!

Just been reading the Driving Tips section of the Owner's Manual - something most of us probably do just the once when the car is new, and which Jeremy Clarkson never does according to his wife.

At the bottom of the section describing how the EDL operates is the following (also in bold):

[b:908ab1d2c2]This control process makes itself noticeable by characteristic noises.[/b:908ab1d2c2]

Thanks to Rob, we now know that 'characteristic noises' is Skoda-speak for 'loud bangs' - not to mention the juddering!

I think you missed the point of my last post,

If that amber light comes on BE CAREFULL it may not clunk bang or feel any different whatsoever (it didnt in my case)but don't let it fool you. the last thing i want is not to hear from one of you again!

And another thing for all you 4X4 owners my other car is 4wd (albeit not pernament) and i have previously owned a pernament 4wd car and taken one on a skid pan, 4wd is great it works and works well if skoda done a 4wd diesel i would have bought it.

BUT lose a 4wd car and you have really lost it its gone nothing, i wrote one off coz i was smug thinking im okay ive got 4wd.

and also get a 4wd stuck in snow and boy will you have fun getting it out!

yes your less likely too lose one

but please people be carefull out there!!!

If Skoda ever do a 4x4 vRS, I might seriously consider trading mine in.

They need to do a 4x4 RS, give it a few more toys, and a bit more power (say 220), make it available as an estate, and do it with a decent ride height to protect the important bits in fast road cross country driving.

...make it available as an estate...[/quote:7f5ac504d0]

An estate is simply a large wheeled box designed to accommodate the detritus of cloying middle-age boredom

How many drivers in your 4x4?

Anyway I'll be down your way soon so you can box my ears then.