Driving on snow - ESP

[Phil]

I'm going to be driving in the French Alps in January and have had previous experience of how difficult this can be if you can't swith the traction control off. My 3.0CDTi doesn't seem to have any way of temporarily turning the TC off.

I've read on this forum that you can fit a button to turn it off. Is this what I need to do or am I missing something?

[Robbie69]

it depends on a few things, best advice is buy a button, plug it in and see what happens, think they are about £12 from the dealers.

[Duncan]

Your car should have had the TC/ESP button fitted as standard. I'm sure all V6s did - some early ones didn't as it was a mistake at the factory, but you could take them back to the dealer and get it retro-fitted as some needed the wiring, not just the switch.

Being a 2005 yours should have the switch. Have you got the blur plug behind the blanking cover? If so then you can buy the switch (about £12) and fit it - it's 50/50 as to whether it will then work or not.

[marly]

mine doesnt have the switch and it doesnt have the connector either, only realised that after I bought the switch though! Its a 54 3.0 Siggy

[mark_w]

sell the switch to Phil.

[Phil]

Your car should have had the TC/ESP button fitted as standard. I'm sure all V6s did - some early ones didn't as it was a mistake at the factory, but you could take them back to the dealer and get it retro-fitted as some needed the wiring, not just the switch.

Being a 2005 yours should have the switch. Have you got the blue plug behind the blanking cover? If so then you can buy the switch (about £12) and fit it - it's 50/50 as to whether it will then work or not.

I'll check if it has the blue plug first. If not then getting it wired up sounds expensive

marly, If you want to sell the switch then I'll take it off you once I've checked to se if I have the blue connector plug. Let me know.

[m8internet]

I was driving on snow on the A9 this week, between Slochd Summit and Inverness
OK, so it was only 3 inches but it was fresh with ice underneath it
There was no other traffic in front of me
The snow started falling at about 05:00 as I passed Perth

My front tyres have about 6mm of tread and the rears have 8mm of tread
My speed varied between 20mph on the deepest snow to 60mph on light sprinklings
The traction control kicked in a few times, especially where there was ice, and at one point it was flashing for about 6 seconds!

Personally I drive with Traction Control ON at all times
I would only recommend switching it OFF if you need to move off or come to a standtill

This is also the first time I have really seen the Traction Control come on, on this car

[Duncan]

Personally I drive with Traction Control ON at all times
I would only recommend switching it OFF if you need to move off or come to a standtill

Why would you need to switch it off if coming to a standstill? TC won't make any difference there.

If TC is turned off for moving off, which can help, it will turn back on automatically above around 30mph - just stating for the benefit of anyone that may have not been aware.

[marly]

Ive got it filling the gap at the moment!

[cameraman]

If TC is turned off for moving off, which can help, it will turn back on automatically above around 30mph - just stating for the benefit of anyone that may have not been aware.

My 1.9cdti 150 is fitted with ESP with an on/off switch, it can be turned off at any time when the car is travelling below 40mph & does not turn itself back on unless I press the button again ( I can confirm as i once lost it on a wet roundabout with the ESP off). When it's off the TC warning light on the dash is lit constantly (yellow car out of control)