ASR??? What is it :S

[Pimpmyskodia]

Hi everyone, simple question, ive got a ASR switch on my dash which when pressed brings up a light on the dash which is a arrow going around in a circle and a wheel in the middle :S, i was told it was something to do with steering, making it very light or something, but when on i dont notice any differance in steering, any idea what it is, i would look in the handbook but i havnt got one :-(.

cheers

[mbames]

some form of traction control... When the light is illuminated on the dash it means it is disabled....

[Babs]

Anti Slip Regulation, aka Traction Control

[ethos]

Get used to it coming on now the rain is here....

I must of had it come on about 6-7 times the other day! Not brave enough to turn it off yet!!!

[Babs]

I turn it off if I need to get off a roundabout sharpish

[Liverpool-Lad]

Its a crap system, just cuts power and leaves you with nothing for a brief period.

[Basil]

[cynic mode on] Its the system put in to make 100% sure that if you have to get onto a roundabout sharpish, 90% engine power is cut unexpectedly and you are virtually guaranteed to be hit amidships.....

I turn mine off every trip after I put on my seatbelt tbh....

[richm]

ironically there is more benefit in turning it off when it's wet

Personally I agree it's a crap system too, your foot works much better.

[devonutopia]

I tried booting it off a roundabout in the wet with it on. Sure, got some slippage but the car still did corner. Then, tried it on the next one with it off. Mega wheelspin and a drift which seemed to continue after I'd eased off the gas. I prefer mine on in most situations. But in the wet conditions we've had in Devon today, there was no reason at all to be trying to hoof it anywhere. Too dangerous and against any kind of safe driving philosophy.

[DGW]

Quote from Octavia brochure:

ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation 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, for example on a slippery road surface, engine torque is automatically reduced until optimum road-holding returns, thus preventing wheelspin. A light indicates whether the ASR is on. It can be manually switched off.

You can order a copy of the Octavia Owner's Manual from a Skoda dealer. The part number for the English manual is S6356102120 and the price circa £5.

[Pimpmyskodia]

thanks people, i shall have to try it with it off sometime, thanks again.

[richm]

There's no huge science to it - if you turn it off then the wheels will just spin when the engine torque exceeds available grip.

With ASR active, when engine torque exceeds available grip and wheels start to spin, the system shuts the throttle back until grip is regained.

Unfortunately it overdoes it and effectively shuts the engine down until grip is returned and then opens the throttle again (assuming the throttle pedal is still pressed to demand throttle opening). This often has more of a destabilising effect than the wheelspin would in the first place.

Personal preferences I guess, it doesn't represent much of a "safety" feature, more of a backstop in the event of the operator of the accelerator pedal not appreciating what is going on I prefer to have it switched off in the main.

[dstev2000]

I have to agree, I never got on with ASR at all. It was all - nothing - all - nothing when trying to pull off briskly.

The Octavia II ESP is a huge improvement.

[richm]

I gather that it is potentially possible to recode the ABS module with Vagcom, to disable the ASR totally and not bring the light on the dash.

[dstev2000]

I would suspect the ASR could be tinkered with VAG-COM.

I havent personally looked at it but there must be a software based method of killing it.

[richm]

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=636764

[Liverpool-Lad]

That sounds handy, at least then you wont have a blaring light on the dash.

[Basil]

VWvortex Forums: Disabling EDL and ASR

thanks! been looking for this for a while - will tinker away.....

Bas

[sms]

they have them on the vans at work, bloody dangerous in my opinion, especially when pulling out of junctions.

[lordrobs]

I wouldn't mind it if there was a bit more consistency with it.

The other day I was showing a mate (who doesn't drive yet) what traction control does and after showing him the wonders of understeer and a couple of junctions with the front tyres scrabbling for grip I said "and this is what happens with it switched on, it just cuts all power"

So I give it a brisk pull away and get the briefest of flashes before shooting off, it was like bloody launch control :P In the past I've had squeely launches with it right to the other extreme of being sat almost dead with the light flashing away like a strobe

I know its all in my head but the throttle response seems a touch sharper with it switched off

[gmaster]

Well in the 5 months ive had my vrs i've never once seen it come on! either i drive like a granny or it dont work!

[Liverpool-Lad]

Really? perhaps the bulb has gone or you really do drive like a granny Try full bore in the wet and youll soon see.

[GriffoDP]

I wouldn't mind it if there was a bit more consistency with it.

The other day I was showing a mate (who doesn't drive yet) what traction control does and after showing him the wonders of understeer and a couple of junctions with the front tyres scrabbling for grip I said "and this is what happens with it switched on, it just cuts all power"

So I give it a brisk pull away and get the briefest of flashes before shooting off, it was like bloody launch control :P In the past I've had squeely launches with it right to the other extreme of being sat almost dead with the light flashing away like a strobe

I know its all in my head but the throttle response seems a touch sharper with it switched off

yes! I've taken to turning it off when I want assured fun, but sometimes when it does cut in, it's not too obtrusive and i don't lose more than enough power!

Having said that, it's pretty easy (so far!) to use the pedal and regulate the old power so i don't go sliding everywhere when it's off.

It amazes me that it does mess up though, i remember reading the Supra traction control virtually killed it, leaving you sitting there, you'd have thought they'd got it fixed by now... but I don't much know how it all calculates crap so never mind!

[richm]

everything is exagerated when you have a turbocharger and utilise the throttle to control engine output. As the throttle closes the exhaust energy reduces and slows the turbine down, which has then got to spool up again when it comes back on - this process has such a timelag under those conditions that it's much more noticeable.

In turbo terms, it's much more responsive to reduce engine torque via ignition timing retard to keep gas flowing through the turbine, but that adds stress to the turbo/exhaust and extra noise.

[gmaster]

Really? perhaps the bulb has gone or you really do drive like a granny Try full bore in the wet and youll soon see.

Don't think it's the bulb, if you turn it off it lights up on the dash.