Can you turn ESC/Traction control off?

[titusrider]

Hi all

Ordered my first VW last week so settling in for the long wait.....

Just wondering, I have seen different things about if you can turn the electronics off completely or not.

How would you do it, either to just turn it down or turn it off?

(Daydreaming content, obviously the likelihood of me actually needing or wanting to do this is miniscule!)

Cheers

[GTI_Redpath]

Hi all

Ordered my first VW last week so settling in for the long wait.....

Just wondering, I have seen different things about if you can turn the electronics off completely or not.

How would you do it, either to just turn it down or turn it off?

(Daydreaming content, obviously the likelihood of me actually needing or wanting to do this is miniscule!)

Cheers

cant remember where i heard this but i think pressing the traction control one takes it down a notch and pressing it again turns it off totally. might be wrong

[peterdoherty]

if its like the MK6 just hold down the TC button for a couple of seconds and it turns off the TCS

Resets upon ignition recycle or repeating process

[Bill_the_Bear]

I was under the impression that it cannot be 100% disabled.  I seem to recall Steve Sutcliffe saying so in his Autocar review.

[Gryzor]

I was under the impression that it cannot be 100% disabled.  I seem to recall Steve Sutcliffe saying so in his Autocar review.

I seem to remember the same mate, so even when it's "off", it's not really, just dumbed down enough for those who want to wear their tyres out a bit faster!

[titusrider]

I feel as informed as I was when I asked

I have heard both 'can be turned fully off by holding button down'
and
Cant be turned fully off

[mcmaddy]

You definitely cant totally turn it off. Even though it shows as being off the ecu still monitors and will cut in if you get too lary.

[Bill_the_Bear]

The 'can turn off' I think was based on what happens with the mk6.  Pete did make that clear though.

[Sootchucker]

It should also be worth noting, it's only the GTI and GTD's that have the TC button in the centre console. As said above it's a two stage process, one press makes the intervention much less aggressive and the 2nd stage even more so. Direct from VW's self study manual:

ESP 2-stage button
Stage 1: TCS/ETC is shut down.
Stage 2: ESC is switched to delayed intervention. This allows more “oversteer”.

But the system is never fully off, and will still try and pull you out of the sh1t if you get it really wrong.

[titusrider]

It should also be worth noting, it's only the GTI and GTD's that have the TC button in the centre console. As said above it's a two stage process, one press makes the intervention much less aggressive and the 2nd stage even more so. Direct from VW's self study manual:

ESP 2-stage button
Stage 1: TCS/ETC is shut down.
Stage 2: ESC is switched to delayed intervention. This allows more “oversteer”.

But the system is never fully off, and will still try and pull you out of the sh1t if you get it really wrong.

Thanks Norbreck - sounds like that's the right answer!