New S4 Owner

[BlackShadow]

After having a debate on this forum about whether I should go for a New V8 S4 or Second Hand RS4, I have bought a V Reg, 71,000 mile S4. This was due to the tight-arse in me and the possibility of a house purchase next year bringing me down to earth. I bought S4Gav's Silver S4 which was on sale on this site.

My intention for the car is to keep it as standard for a few months to identify any problems/fixes. Its big service is due at about 78,000 miles. I shall probably have a it chipped then and maybe upgrade the suspension (AMD are not too far away and seem to have a good reputation on this site).

I'll keep it for a year as a pure road car. Then indulge in some further mods and use the car more for track days (upgraded brakes, more bhp). This was one of the attractions of spending less money on a car - i.e. I'd rather smash a circa £14k car than a circa £34k car. However, time will tell whether this is a false economy.

One question on my new baby. It doesn't have an ESP button on the dash. Nor does that little warning triangle light up when you first switch on the ignition. Does this mean it doesn't have ESP? The car is a V-reg, late 99, face-lift S4 to the best of my knowledge.

[DavidT]

Correct, no ESP, it would have the button and light if it had.

[BlackShadow]

From when where S4's fitted with ESP then?

[Brooner]

Can't remember when ESP was fitted to the S4 but i had a v reg 99 plate S4 with no esp.I think they installed esp just after that.

[jeffw]

Mine is Nov 99 (ie facelift model) and has ESP.

[Brooner]

Don't think mine was the facelift model but i'm sure it was a late 99 model though. Was this an optional extra before that?

[BlackShadow]

Yes, I've had a look at the manual; does seem to be an optional extra.

Reading this forum, I'm not sure whether ESP is a good or bad thing. Some people seem to dislike its interference, and it seems to have been partly blamed for at least one crash. However, on the icy road I was driving down this morning, I'm sure it could be pretty useful.

Does it help or hinder? Your votes please:

[wazza]

Help. Everytime. [img]images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
I have always said if it comes on you know you are not driving smooth enough for the prevailing conditions [img]images/graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

[BlackShadow]

Is it easy to fit ESP, Biturbo? Or is it a massively, complicated and expensive pain in-the-butt of installing sensors, circuitry etc?

[wazza]

I really wouldn't even bother thinking about it.
Too many components/sensors, probably expensive (especially for the ECU) and would more than likely take hours to fit [img]images/graemlins/033102bad_1_prv.gif[/img]

[Nige_RS4]

Paul's right - better to invest the money in track / airfield days where you can get the car on the limit and experience how the quattro system reacts. In my experience, it is quite difficult to get the car out of shape, even if you lift off mid-corner, and that's without ESP.

Nige.

[BlackShadow]

Yes. Looks like I'll have to learn to drive it properly.

I've just been out in some torrential rain on my first lesson. Couldn't get the wheels to spin, even flooring it in first. I found some nice big roundabouts. The front just starts to understeer at first. Backing off seems to cure this. If you keep pushing all four wheels seem to slide and it gets a bit squiggly [img]images/graemlins/spineyes.gif[/img], but it is sort of controlable.

The understeer is a bit annoying, if rather safe. I guess this becomes more pronounced on chipped/tuned cars. I'm sure some suspension packages can cure this viz neutralise it a bit.

Yes, airfield/track days are definitely on the agenda. I just want to keep it as a road car for a while. I am scared of smashing it. This is due to may experience with motorbikes. My claim to fame is that I've come off on three consecutive corners at Snetterton [img]images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]. It costs money and one hurt a bit. I don't think this crashing lark happens quite as much with cars, having 4 wheels and all that. In fact that is one of the attractions of a powerful 4 wheel drive car - almost the opposite of an inherently unstable bike.

[Brooner]

The esp is a nice comfort factor i had an S2 avant and a S4 avant, both without esp and never realy had any major moments. but as was said if it come on your pushing a bit hard for the conditions but with fwd you realy have to push to get bent out of shape. i had a one to one with an istructor at Nockhill track, and that were you realy see the limits of the car, and yourself. I would recomend a day like that pritty safe, and if your pushing too hard the instructor [img]images/graemlins/director.gif[/img]just yells in you ear[img]images/graemlins/bowdown.gif[/img] [img]images/graemlins/s4anogaro.gif[/img]