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hi guys, seeing as i've only had the gti since august, and before that drove a 1.4 8v 106 with no abs or anything i'm wondering whats it like to drive in the winter? i've got goodyear F1s all round, just wondered for when it starts to get icy, do the electronic thingys help? i forget what its got, abs, has it got traction control or something? and does it cope with putting the power down?


thanks guys

ABS is meant to be standard on ALL mk5's. If you have an ESP switch in the centre console then you have electronic stability, but this was an expensive option for the 1.4 75 upwards only, and doesn't as far as I know come as standard on even the GTi. I guess I'm lucky, mine even came with VW De-icer

The bad point is that you cannot lower or otherwise modify the suspension and all tyres must be the same with ESP otherwise it can cause big problems like throwing you off the road altogether, its very specific basically, the ECU knows exactly how the car is ballanced and will behave in yaw etc..

And yes its a big help, basically independantly firing brakes to keep the car under control even when you put stupid panic wheel movements in. Toyota reckon it cuts accidents by 50% while Jaguar reckon more like 30% but even so I wouldn't have a car without it - as once you get used to it then rely on it things get interesting when you forget and drive a car that doesn't have it. Simple things like a normal car will not apply the brakes automatically on a hill start for you so you end up sliding backward into a Merc etc.... You can always turn it off though.

I think it ought to be standard in all cars since to implement on a car with ABS is very little cost, basically all you really need is slightly different hydraulics, a yaw sensor and a bunch of software in an ECU that you already have.

i've just had a look at the specs and it has ABS, and something called 'EDL' electronic differental lock, dunno what that is. EDL and ABS are standard on the GTi, on all others the EDL was a £415 option, no mentions of ESP, so maybe the EDL is what you have?

Yes the diff is different in the GTi, is it something to do with stopping torque steering?

Mine isn't a GTi. But I will post a picture of what I was on about.

I had some very scary drifting moments last year with heavy snow, didn't feel any sort of EDL or TC intervening at all. Just be careful !

EDL basically brakes which ever wheel is spinning, so if your drivers side front wheel loses traction, it will brake that to try and correct you.

It's a bit tricky putting your foot down in the wet in first gear, it will spin for most of it if you give it some and for a little bit in 2nd as well, just gotta take it steady really.

Yeah, have to remember whatever you have, you can still crash it very easy and its always painful regretting for months the aftermath of 2 seconds of stupidity!

People in England just don't know how to drive, they drive in winter blizard conditions right up the arse end of the car in front at 85 miles per hour, just because its there.

Year before last Birmingham had an Iced over road system and it caused total chaos, 9 hours to go two miles. All because they don't know how to drive in it. Basically avoid - but it is possible to drive on if you pick your way and understand how to drive on it. If you have ever ridden a bicycle on a frozen lake you soon get the idea. Its fun, until someone else hits you.

If you don't have this switch then you don't have ESP. Sorry its a bit fuzzy, my mobile can't focus too close.

Either way drive carefully.