VSA VSA (ESP) why would you turn off?

surferjr1999 · 7th December 2006, 23:30

Why would you want to turn this safety feature off?

Seen the excellent video by whatcar mag promoting this as standard on all new cars. If not seen it. http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=221965

How do you know if its working ? well without going off on one!

Answers on a postcard!

TheBull · 8th December 2006, 00:03

If the VSA includes the traction control you would want to turn it off in some snowy/icy conditions.

For example, climbing a shallow gradient in snow. If the wheels might spin the power would be cut making progress up the hill difficult. If the TC was off you could have more control over the revs making it easier to get up the hill.

czechplastik · 8th December 2006, 01:59

Saved me not long after i got it, came off a roundabout and onto a different surface, the back of the car stepped out badly, not sure i would have caught it without the VSA.

IWANTACIVIC · 8th December 2006, 02:52

yer good for corners too if you get bad understeer or oversteer . bet you was going fast czech'

or was it icy ?

surferjr1999 · 8th December 2006, 11:49

Thanks Bul that sounds good explanation

smiffy · 8th December 2006, 12:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBull

If the VSA includes the traction control you would want to turn it off in some snowy/icy conditions.

For example, climbing a shallow gradient in snow. If the wheels might spin the power would be cut making progress up the hill difficult. If the TC was off you could have more control over the revs making it easier to get up the hill.

I don't think VSA includes traction control. I can certainly spin the wheels no problem at traffic lights. Quite a learning curve avoiding it after having TC on the previous 2 cars - just floor the throttle.

Bungle · 8th December 2006, 15:27

VSA does include TC of sorts. If it senses a wheel slipping (wheelspin) it will cut power/brake that wheel. It does not reacts as fast as dedicated TC systems, but works well enough. I was in mud (off road car park) and tested it out. With VSA off it just sat there spinning. With it on, the slip was much reduced and the car made progress.

Persoanlly, I would never turn VSA off. The one time you might need it, you might have turned it off!
Just keep it on I say, it's there to get you out of trouble should you over-cook a slippery corner of have to swerve around something (as the video demonstrates)

pcr · 8th December 2006, 16:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bungle

I was in mud (off road car park) and tested it out. With VSA off it just sat there spinning. With it on, the slip was much reduced and the car made progress.

Bungle,
That's interesting, I've been waiting for some snow to try it out. If as you say the wheel spin is reduced but not eliminated, maybe VSA makes a compromise between preventing spin altogether, or allowing some slip which will make for faster take-off on dry roads.

TheBull · 8th December 2006, 16:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bungle

Persoanlly, I would never turn VSA off. The one time you might need it, you might have turned it off!
Just keep it on I say, it's there to get you out of trouble should you over-cook a slippery corner of have to swerve around something (as the video demonstrates)

I agree. I would always leave it on but if there was a time that VSA was impeding progress and cutting power when I didn't want it to I would switch it off at that point.

Sound fair?

tomtank62 · 9th February 2007, 08:52

I finally got to see my VSA light come on this morning on the ice - I was testing it to see if/how well it worked..
The problem is the yellow light came on and didn't go off again until I stopped at traffic lights. Is this a fault or is it supposed to do that? Does the light on mean that the VSA has stayed on, or tripped out? Pushing the off/on button didn't make any deifference.

Juuzi01 · 9th February 2007, 08:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomtank62

I finally got to see my VSA light come on this morning on the ice - I was testing it to see if/how well it worked..
The problem is the yellow light came on and didn't go off again until I stopped at traffic lights. Is this a fault or is it supposed to do that? Does the light on mean that the VSA has stayed on, or tripped out? Pushing the off/on button didn't make any deifference.

VSA light (exclamation mark) should only blink when VSA does someting not to burn all the time until you stop your car, so there might be something wrong. But if there were so icy and VSA needed to keep you on the road then there's no problem

TTDegs · 9th February 2007, 15:59

did the VSA indicator (exlamation mark in a triangle) flash (pg 337 of the manual), or did both it and the VSA letters come on (and stay on) in the multi function section (trips / dist to go / mpg etc)

If the VSA letters came on, it indicates a fault

However, according to the manual, you only need to have it checked out if after turning the engine off and back on, it comes back

(again, pg 337)

Hope that helps!

czechplastik · 9th February 2007, 16:08

Has happened to me before, on a stretch of dual, the dash light came on and stayed on continuously for approximately 30seconds before turning off. It was very wet mind and I think it happened again if i've hit a pot hole or some other unexpected object on the road.

Ditmar · 10th February 2007, 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by czechplastik

Has happened to me before, on a stretch of dual, the dash light came on and stayed on continuously for approximately 30seconds before turning off. It was very wet mind and I think it happened again if i've hit a pot hole or some other unexpected object on the road.

I've noticed the same after going through a corner on wet road conditions and letting my heavy right foot fall on the gas pedal

.

It stayed on for like 30 seconds then went off.

czechplastik · 10th February 2007, 18:24

It did affect performance, car just wouldn't accelerate as quickly. I later found an arm trapped behind the wheel.

TTDegs · 11th February 2007, 00:21

@ CP -

Pottsy · 11th February 2007, 11:25

The VSA light only comes on when it's doing something. Normally relaxing the throttle, or continuing the slide all the way round until you are pointing forwards again, will extinguish it.

The snow was a great place to try it out, and I found it worked excellently. Twitch the car into a slide and you can hear the brakes applying (sounds like ABS but your foot is nowhere near the pedal) to get you going straight again. At low speed the ABS is disabled, just as you want it, so you can stop in snow.

Only annoying thing I found was "DING" Release Parking Brake kept coming on.

Brummer · 11th February 2007, 14:30

Drove an S2000 for 4 days couple of months ago. Rear wheel drive... 240BHP... needed to turn it of in order to get that donut right!!

lippy · 11th February 2007, 17:00

Interesting this thread..... you lot have 'experimented' unlike me. When I first started driving it was rear wheel drive cars and no ABS, ESP etc but I have got so used to having ABS etc I don't want a car without it now. (Especially as my last car was a 4x4)

Also my dealer kept saying (emphasised very strongly) that you shouldn't turn the VSA off unless you have a space saver wheel fitted ie uneven wheel sizes.

TTDegs · 11th February 2007, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by lippy

Also my dealer kept saying (emphasised very strongly) that you shouldn't turn the VSA off unless you have a space saver wheel fitted ie uneven wheel sizes.

lippy - should that be 'don't turn VSA off ifyou have the space saver wheel fitted' ?

7th December 2006, 23:30	#1 (permalink)
surferjr1999 Supporter Locking Wheelnut Join Date: 28th November 2006 Location: Poole Posts: 180 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	VSA (ESP) why would you turn off? Why would you want to turn this safety feature off? Seen the excellent video by whatcar mag promoting this as standard on all new cars. If not seen it. http://www.whatcar.com/news-article.aspx?NA=221965 How do you know if its working ? well without going off on one! Answers on a postcard!

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This thread is about: VSA (ESP) why would you turn off?, it's in Electronics at the Honda Civic forum Civinfo; Why would you want to turn this safety feature off? Seen the excellent video by whatcar mag promoting this as standard on all new cars. ...

8th December 2006, 00:03	#2 (permalink)
TheBull Locking Wheelnut Join Date: 13th October 2006 Location: Tayside Posts: 184 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	If the VSA includes the traction control you would want to turn it off in some snowy/icy conditions. For example, climbing a shallow gradient in snow. If the wheels might spin the power would be cut making progress up the hill difficult. If the TC was off you could have more control over the revs making it easier to get up the hill.

8th December 2006, 01:59	#3 (permalink)
czechplastik King of the rodeo Civinfo guru Join Date: 24th October 2006 Location: Belfast Posts: 4,671 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader: (0)	Saved me not long after i got it, came off a roundabout and onto a different surface, the back of the car stepped out badly, not sure i would have caught it without the VSA.

8th December 2006, 02:52	#4 (permalink)
IWANTACIVIC Supporter Magic Rear Seat Join Date: 16th September 2006 Location: LINCS UK Posts: 658 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	yer good for corners too if you get bad understeer or oversteer . bet you was going fast czech' or was it icy ?

8th December 2006, 11:49	#5 (permalink)
surferjr1999 Supporter Locking Wheelnut Join Date: 28th November 2006 Location: Poole Posts: 180 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	Thanks Bul that sounds good explanation

8th December 2006, 15:27	#7 (permalink)
Bungle Rocketship door handle Join Date: 3rd July 2006 Location: SE London/Kent Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	VSA does include TC of sorts. If it senses a wheel slipping (wheelspin) it will cut power/brake that wheel. It does not reacts as fast as dedicated TC systems, but works well enough. I was in mud (off road car park) and tested it out. With VSA off it just sat there spinning. With it on, the slip was much reduced and the car made progress. Persoanlly, I would never turn VSA off. The one time you might need it, you might have turned it off! Just keep it on I say, it's there to get you out of trouble should you over-cook a slippery corner of have to swerve around something (as the video demonstrates)

9th February 2007, 08:52	#10 (permalink)
tomtank62 Supporter Wheelnut Join Date: 21st December 2006 Location: Harrogate. North Yorks Posts: 66 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	I finally got to see my VSA light come on this morning on the ice - I was testing it to see if/how well it worked.. The problem is the yellow light came on and didn't go off again until I stopped at traffic lights. Is this a fault or is it supposed to do that? Does the light on mean that the VSA has stayed on, or tripped out? Pushing the off/on button didn't make any deifference.

9th February 2007, 15:59	#12 (permalink)
TTDegs Super Moderator Civinfo master Join Date: 4th August 2006 Location: Cardiff Posts: 5,638 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader: (0)	did the VSA indicator (exlamation mark in a triangle) flash (pg 337 of the manual), or did both it and the VSA letters come on (and stay on) in the multi function section (trips / dist to go / mpg etc) If the VSA letters came on, it indicates a fault However, according to the manual, you only need to have it checked out if after turning the engine off and back on, it comes back (again, pg 337) Hope that helps!

9th February 2007, 16:08	#13 (permalink)
czechplastik King of the rodeo Civinfo guru Join Date: 24th October 2006 Location: Belfast Posts: 4,671 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader: (0)	Has happened to me before, on a stretch of dual, the dash light came on and stayed on continuously for approximately 30seconds before turning off. It was very wet mind and I think it happened again if i've hit a pot hole or some other unexpected object on the road.

10th February 2007, 18:24	#15 (permalink)
czechplastik King of the rodeo Civinfo guru Join Date: 24th October 2006 Location: Belfast Posts: 4,671 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader: (0)	It did affect performance, car just wouldn't accelerate as quickly. I later found an arm trapped behind the wheel.

11th February 2007, 00:21	#16 (permalink)
TTDegs Super Moderator Civinfo master Join Date: 4th August 2006 Location: Cardiff Posts: 5,638 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post iTrader: (0)	@ CP -

11th February 2007, 11:25	#17 (permalink)
Pottsy Administrator Civinfo master Join Date: 10th April 2006 Location: Leics Posts: 5,467 Thanks: 22 Thanked 164 Times in 97 Posts iTrader: (0)	The VSA light only comes on when it's doing something. Normally relaxing the throttle, or continuing the slide all the way round until you are pointing forwards again, will extinguish it. The snow was a great place to try it out, and I found it worked excellently. Twitch the car into a slide and you can hear the brakes applying (sounds like ABS but your foot is nowhere near the pedal) to get you going straight again. At low speed the ABS is disabled, just as you want it, so you can stop in snow. Only annoying thing I found was "DING" Release Parking Brake kept coming on.

11th February 2007, 14:30	#18 (permalink)
Brummer Wheelnut Join Date: 5th February 2007 Location: Zaandam, near amsterdam Posts: 73 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader: (0)	Drove an S2000 for 4 days couple of months ago. Rear wheel drive... 240BHP... needed to turn it of in order to get that donut right!!

11th February 2007, 17:00	#19 (permalink)
lippy Bournemouth Belle Triangular Exhaust Join Date: 10th January 2007 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 454 Thanks: 1 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts iTrader: (0)	Interesting this thread..... you lot have 'experimented' unlike me. When I first started driving it was rear wheel drive cars and no ABS, ESP etc but I have got so used to having ABS etc I don't want a car without it now. (Especially as my last car was a 4x4) Also my dealer kept saying (emphasised very strongly) that you shouldn't turn the VSA off unless you have a space saver wheel fitted ie uneven wheel sizes.