Help please, new rims and esp playing up.

[jt1]

Now I see your problem.

The rolling circumference of the wheels needs to be the same front to rear, but yours aren't.

The fronts are 215/35 and the rears 225/40 which means the fronts will rotate faster than the rears. If the difference is out of normal operating parameters, then the ESP will cut in as it will think that either your front wheels are spinning up or that your rears are skidding.

The rears are the correct section tyres for the car.

Cheers mate, the strange thing is they have come straight off another mkv onto mine, i have spoken to him since and he say's he never had a problem, i'll sort out some new rubber for them this week and hope this does solve the problem.

Thanks for your help.

John

[Hurdy]

By my calculations (I could be wrong) the overall wheel and tyre diameter means the rears are 1.475 cm bigger than the fronts. I would have thought that this would also cause the tyre pressure warning light to come on as well.

This would depend on how and if you have set the tyre pressure warning. You can set the warning at any time and it then uses this setting as a reference. If it changes from the setting, this is when the warning comes on. If John (JT1) reset his TPW when he changed the rims, he wouldn't get the TPW coming on.

[jt1]

By my calculations (I could be wrong) the overall wheel and tyre diameter means the rears are 1.475 cm bigger than the fronts. I would have thought that this would also cause the tyre pressure warning light to come on as well.

This would depend on how and if you have set the tyre pressure warning. You can set the warning at any time and it then uses this setting as a reference. If it changes from the setting, this is when the warning comes on. If John (JT1) reset his TPW when he changed the rims, he wouldn't get the TPW coming on.

TPW did'nt even come on.

[Hurdy]

By my calculations (I could be wrong) the overall wheel and tyre diameter means the rears are 1.475 cm bigger than the fronts. I would have thought that this would also cause the tyre pressure warning light to come on as well.

This would depend on how and if you have set the tyre pressure warning. You can set the warning at any time and it then uses this setting as a reference. If it changes from the setting, this is when the warning comes on. If John (JT1) reset his TPW when he changed the rims, he wouldn't get the TPW coming on.

TPW did'nt even come on.

Have you EVER reset the TPW?

[jt1]

No didn't think i would need to.

[RedRobin]

....When you consider that even the differences in tyre flexibility/construction between Directional and Assymetrics can set off the ESP, it's no wonder.

Hurdy - Are the ABS sensors located in a vulnerable postion under the car?

[Hurdy]

Not particularly, but I've seen a few posts in the past where they have been damaged

[Teutonic_Tamer]

different size wheels front and rear??? surely isnt that the cause??

Highly likely, especially if the tyre sizes are different, and/or the offsets are different.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Different size rims shouldn't matter as the rolling circumference would be the same with the same profile tyres.

But if the offsets are different, then when cornering, the yaw sensor will detect the differing slip angles from the wheel/tyre combo, and will be different to the required steering angle as determined by the ESP map - so it can make a difference

Even if you did put different tyres on and the rolling circumference was slightly different I doubt if it would be enough to bring in the esp.

If it was just differences in rolling curcumference, then the traction control part of the ESP would kick in during acceleration.  Also, the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System would ping up and alert (thats how it works on the Golf).

It could be possible that the fitters may have inadvertantly caught one of the ABS sensors.

But if they did that, then the ABS and ESP lights would be permanently lit on the dash!

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Cheers for the quick replys guys, i dont think it can be down to the staggered width as most manufacturers do this as standard on some of their performance cars.

Erm . . . but then the manufacturer would specifically programme the ESP to cope with the differing widths.  The ESP is a complicated, and very sensative piece of automotive technology, and unfortuately, unlike engine ECUs, an ESP map can not be changed!

The tyres are 215/35/18 fronts 225/40/18 rears so did'nt think that would be a problem.

Erm . . . different size tyres will definately cause the ESP to kick in.

Unless you have a car which is/was factory designed to run offsets - and the Golf categorically was not, you shouldn't be using offsets or differing tyre sizes.