mikeg1962 Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Hiya Peeps, A couple of questions for you GTi experts! I just bought a 1999 1.8T GTi (I live in the UK). The dealer's ad said the car had traction control and the online Parker's Guide said Traction Control is standard. But... The car does NOT have traction control: 1) No indicator light comes on when the car is started 2) The front wheels spin like crazy in first gear acceleration Now the dealer (non VW) says the car doesn't have Traction Control and points to the fact that there is no button on the dashboard to turn it off. (There is a blank filler where the ESP button should be, although somebody has bored a hole in the middle of the blank... I dunno why.) At this point I would normally be suspicious of the dealer but... I have checked the complete list of VAG option codes online and, although they do not mention Traction Control System or TCS they do mention something called "anti-spin regulation (ASR)". The option codes inside the manual for my car indicate that it does not have ASR So two questions! (1) Does ASR in VW-production code speak = Traction Control? (2) Should my 1999 Golf 1.8T GTi have traction control? Help please! Ta DR1VER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz60932 Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 ASR is a lower version of ESP, i would of imagined the car would of had ASR or ESP its a weird one that theres no button for either... so youve just got hazard switch and heated window on your dash and 3 blanks? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rustynuts Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Oh, just seen you're in Northern Ireland. I think Irish spec cars are lower spec than UK ones, so this could have something to do with it. I know some independent dealers over here make a tidy profit by importing new cars from Ireland, and selling them for the same price as UK spec, but they dow't have the little things we get as standard. I nearly bought one once, til I asked specifically "Has it got ESP?" and he had to admit (finally) that it didn't. If there's no button, then it hasn't got ASR / ESP. The hole may be down to some after market alarm system (for the led) which may have been removed now. That's the standard place for fitting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg1962 Posted January 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 [ QUOTE ] ASR is a lower version of ESP, i would of imagined the car would of had ASR or ESP its a weird one that theres no button for either... so youve just got hazard switch and heated window on your dash and 3 blanks? [/ QUOTE ] Well actually I have two heated seats So I only have one blank... where the ESP switch would be, if there was one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg1962 Posted January 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 Thanks for the two replies "Rusty"! Northern Ireland is part of the UK so I should have a UK spec. car. The Republic of Ireland (aka Southern Ireland) is a different country so, yeah, I guess cars sold there could have a different specification... In fact I just checked the VAG codes... if it was Ireland fit then it would have code B1T component parts set, but the car definitely has code B0N and that means GB component set. BTW the car was sold new in NI, then sold to GB (Wales) then came back to NI and I bought it - and was therefore able to reregister it with brand new NI plate - result I am pleased enough with the GTi, just it's a pain in the proverbial having to keep only a light pressure on the throttle in first gear just because the wheels will lose grip. I even get wheelspin at 20mph if I accelerate too hard! My last car was a BMW 323 (RWD) and the TCS took care of any over-enthusiastic use of the right foot! I really miss it! I wondered about the aftermarket alarm thing myself, it's just the kind of small, round hole in the blank that would suit an LED. However that puzzles me, because the car comes with a manufacturer's alarm so I don't see the point of fitting an aftermarket alarm... Anyway, it struck me as strange that a car pushing out 150 bhp through the front wheels didn't come with a TCS, especially when the Parker's guide says it should have one as standard. But from the manufacturer's codes I guess my car really doesn't have TCS Hey, maybe I have a unique spec GB car and it has rarity value! Thanks for the posts... DR1VER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg1962 Posted January 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 [ QUOTE ] How we face death is at least as important as how we face life! [/ QUOTE ] Reminds me of a saying I read... I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my Grandad, and not yelling and screaming in panic like his 30 passengers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benjie Posted January 14, 2006 Report Share Posted January 14, 2006 My car's got ESP without a button, I'm sure it has. My local specialist plugged the car into vag-com and said he had to reset the ESP because I'd taken the steering wheel off and not put it back on straight (whoops!) But mine's an import, so not a standard UK spec I suppose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg1962 Posted January 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2006 [ QUOTE ] My car's got ESP without a button, I'm sure it has. My local specialist plugged the car into vag-com and said he had to reset the ESP because I'd taken the steering wheel off and not put it back on straight (whoops!) But mine's an import, so not a standard UK spec I suppose [/ QUOTE ] You can easily check to see if your car really does have ESP without the button. Look at the option codes at the front of your handbook. If the handbook contains any of the following codes, then your car does have ESP. 1AK electronic stabilization program (ESP) with brake assistant 1AS electronic stabilization program (ESP) 1AT electronic stabilization program (ESP) 1AZ electronic stabilization program (ESP) for 8NN S6J control of vehicles with PP.01P299B (new ESP generation) Amazing what anoraks can find on the 'net nowadays! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted January 16, 2006 Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 ASR and ESP are both forms of traction control - you can see ESP as the big brother of ASR. ASR (Acceleration Skid Control): "An urgent delivery, a quick start and an abrupt take off on a wet or loose surface. Acceleration Skid Control (ASR) prevents the tyres skidding or spinning, ruling out any sideways drift. The brakes are automatically applied to individual wheels and the engine output is reduced, markedly improving both the driving stability and traction." ESP (Electronic Stability Program): If you’re faced with slippery road surfaces or you need to brake in a hurry, the Electronic Stability Program ESP helps you maintain your grip in all weathers. If, for example, a wheel starts to spin or is about to skid, the sensors recognise the first signs of a potentially dangerous situation and spring into action. Electronic brake force distribution (EBV) and active motor management support the driver by applying specific braking forces to individual wheels in order to stabilise the vehicle. ESP prevents the vehicle under- or over-steering in critical situations, noticeably improving both traction and driving stability." There are a couple of good pages on the Mercedes web site which explain with Flash animations the difference between the two: ASR explained ESP explained HTH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg1962 Posted January 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2006 Thanks Mook - sadly it looks like my GTI has neither! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harminder Posted January 25, 2006 Report Share Posted January 25, 2006 I was going to post the same question but just never got round to it.. My 2000 golf gti 1.8T also has no traction control and no ESP button and its not an import! Can that be right then?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeg1962 Posted January 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2006 [ QUOTE ] I was going to post the same question but just never got round to it.. My 2000 golf gti 1.8T also has no traction control and no ESP button and its not an import! Can that be right then?? [/ QUOTE ] Probably you have the same type of car as me...! Check the codes on the front of your handbook, if you have any of the following codes you do have traction control. 1AJ anti-spin regulation (ABS/ASR/EDL) with electronic differential lock (EDL) 1AP anti-spin regulation (ASR) with electronic differential lock (EDL), lightweight design 1AR anti-spin regulation (ABS/ASR) Otherwise you are out of luck! DR1VER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now