ASR Button Audi A4

teednab-el

Hi can anybody explain this to me.

When Im going up a icy slippy hill, should I select the ASR button on the dashboard to ON or OFF? I have tried it with both ON and OFF at different times and I havent noticed any difference with traction. Is it better to have the ASR on in slippy conditions?

Also my car was stuck one day in a muddy passage with snow, I couldnt move and the front left wheel on my car was spinning mad. Then, I selected the ASR button on my car and tried again. I was aware this may not get me going but I was surprised to see the front left wheel spinning away, the right wheel didnt spin at all. I rolled down the window and watched it, the right wheel didnt spin at any time.

My understanding of the ASR button was that it would put the front two wheels rotating/going together similtaneously, Am I correct in saying that? I am open to correction.

Cheers in advance.

robtri

picked this up on another forum...

ASR (anti-slip regulation) is always on automatically. It is only turned-off by pressing the button, at which time the warning light (orange 'wheel' with gravel spitting from it) lights up on the dashboard, which is the opposite to what I think you understand it to be.

Warning light illuminated = ASR switched off.

Warning light not illuminated (apart from when starting the car for a few seconds) = ASR switched on.

ASR is most useful when pulling-out of junctions on wet leaves (as I discovered today).

However, a word of caution. Like all traction-based devices they tend to be of little use when pulling away on snow/ ice. Each wheel will search for non-existant traction and the car will go nowhere as the ABS sensors (which manage the ASR) will go mental and overheat themselves!! When pulling away in such conditions, it is best to turn the ASR off until momentum has been achieved, at which point ASR should be re-activated.

ASR can be turned on at any speed. It can only be turned off up to speeds of about 35mph (although I am not 100% sure exactly when). Pressing the button above this speed will simply illuminate the light for a second, then it will go out.

-Chris-

Nope, ASR should turn off the traction control. It won't make the wheels spin together.

The differential (the bit that allows the wheels to spin at different speeds) is the cause of one wheel spinning and the other one standing still. Only certain vehicles will have the ability to lock the diff or have a limited slip diff fitted.

colm_mcm

It's anti slip regulation rather than a locking diff!

-Corkie-

I was coming up a steep hill last night in a Passat and that ASR kept cutting in and the car was grinding to a halt!!. I turned it off and selected a higher gear and I got up the hill no bother after.

teednab-el

Why would one want to turn off that feature with a button if it was inbuilt into the car? Is there a reason for this? The reason I ask is that nearly all cars now have ABS and there isnt to my knowledge a button to switch off this feature. Not in Audis or Skodas anyway. Just wondering, cheers.

-Corkie-

teednab-el wrote: »

Why would one want to turn off that feature with a button if it was inbuilt into the car? Is there a reason for this? The reason I ask is that nearly all cars now have ABS and there isnt to my knowledge a button to switch off this feature. Not in Audis or Skodas anyway. Just wondering, cheers.

Its nothing really to do with ABS only the ASR. The ASR cuts the power going to the drive wheels when they spin. The wheel that has the grip gets the power.

In my situation I was climbing a very steep hill that a light dusting of snow but the ASR started to cut in and the car nearly conked as a result. I turned it off and limited the power to the wheels manually.

Matt Simis

robtri wrote: »

picked this up on another forum...

Each wheel will search for non-existant traction and the car will go nowhere as the ABS sensors (which manage the ASR) will go mental and overheat themselves!!

Lol, whoever posted that clearly has no idea how ABS Sensor work. They are simply magnets placed beside a notched disc, they cannot "overheat" themselves.

-Chris- wrote: »

Nope, ASR should turn off the traction control. It won't make the wheels spin together.
The differential (the bit that allows the wheels to spin at different speeds) is the cause of one wheel spinning and the other one standing still. Only certain vehicles will have the ability to lock the diff or have a limited slip diff fitted.

Yeah, proper actual fast vehicles. Audi like to fudge the matter with the so called Electronic Diff Lock on their standard spec FWD models, which is of course an ABS controlled sensor braking affair and not an LSD at all. They arent alone, BMW started removing mechanical LSDs in favour of Electronic Aids about 15years ago from all but their M-Cars, I assume all the manufacturers do it. Electronic Diff Locks are effectively "free" if the car already has ABS.
Very misleading name as their "Diff lock" doesnt lock the diff, it locks the wheel via braking.

teednab-el wrote: »

Why would one want to turn off that feature with a button if it was inbuilt into the car? Is there a reason for this?

They [usually] cover this in the Cars manual, there are a bunch of scenarios where you dont want TC systems. Im a supporter of TC in general though, but just have issue with how its sometimes marketed.

teednab-el wrote: »

Also my car was stuck one day in a muddy passage with snow, I couldnt move and the front left wheel on my car was spinning mad. Then, I selected the ASR button on my car and tried again. I was aware this may not get me going but I was surprised to see the front left wheel spinning away, the right wheel didnt spin at all. I rolled down the window and watched it, the right wheel didnt spin at any time.

Thats how an Open Diff behaves (ie rubbish). Some have suggested in these scenarios to try touching the brakes next time while accelerating to replicate a poor mans diff lock.

teednab-el

-Corkie- wrote: »

Its nothing really to do with ABS only the ASR. The ASR cuts the power going to the drive wheels when they spin. The wheel that has the grip gets the power.

In my situation I was climbing a very steep hill that a light dusting of snow but the ASR started to cut in and the car nearly conked as a result. I turned it off and limited the power to the wheels manually.

Cheers for that Corkie.

Even when I didnt press the ASR button, my left wheel spun mad. Should this system not try and cut power to the left wheel and instead concentrate more on to the right wheel? Does it work like that or does the car have to be moving before the system is effective?

Cheers.

-Corkie-

When you press the ASR button that turns the traction control off. It leaves the car without all the fancy crap and lets the wheels spin.

Some people get very confused about that button..:D:D A guy with a Caddy van got onto me saying that it didnt work. I said whats the problem and ge said he was pressing it on the motorway and the van wouldnt hold its speed. He thought it was Cruise control..:)

teednab-el

-Corkie- wrote: »

When you press the ASR button that turns the traction control off. It leaves the car without all the fancy crap and lets the wheels spin.

Some people get very confused about that button..:D:D A guy with a Caddy van got onto me saying that it didnt work. I said whats the problem and ge said he was pressing it on the motorway and the van wouldnt hold its speed. He thought it was Cruise control..:)

I wont be pressing that button in a rush again At least I wont ever make that mistake again