If the car was not equipped with ESP can you add it later?
04-11-2008, 08:07 AM
#14
AudiWorld Super User
No way basically.
I have owned a very early 2000 4.2 since new. Early 2000's didn't have it. In Nov. 1999 when I bought mine off the showroom floor, it was identified as a "late" change, but you couldn't even order it for a scheduled build (I tried that too).
When the gen 1 TT's spontaneously started crashing on the Autobahns due in fair measure to high speed lift (typically involving corners too--they had some bad early accidents that left Audi with serious design questions) and got recalled, they did a bunch of retro stuff--the obvious one was the rear spoiler and some know the suspension was dialed back to a lot more understeer. The not so well known one was adding ESP on a retrofit basis for the ones that didn't have it. To do that, Audi had the car picked up and shipped to a remote install facility. If Audi had to/wanted to do it that way and didn't just let the local dealers handle it, that's a big clue it's not easy even slightly easy. And I'm sure it isn't cheap.
I also disagree with the posts that say the stuff is there. I really don't think so. I know right off the bat the ABS controllers are different from ESP to non-ESP, and mine clearly has the non-ESP type. Nor do I think it has the spin/yaw type sensors that I think go under the back seat. Nor of course does it have the switch, and I've never seen obvious wiring behind the dash for it either.
Net, put it in the same pipe dream department as stuffing an RS6 motor under the hood on some plug and play theory.
When the gen 1 TT's spontaneously started crashing on the Autobahns due in fair measure to high speed lift (typically involving corners too--they had some bad early accidents that left Audi with serious design questions) and got recalled, they did a bunch of retro stuff--the obvious one was the rear spoiler and some know the suspension was dialed back to a lot more understeer. The not so well known one was adding ESP on a retrofit basis for the ones that didn't have it. To do that, Audi had the car picked up and shipped to a remote install facility. If Audi had to/wanted to do it that way and didn't just let the local dealers handle it, that's a big clue it's not easy even slightly easy. And I'm sure it isn't cheap.
I also disagree with the posts that say the stuff is there. I really don't think so. I know right off the bat the ABS controllers are different from ESP to non-ESP, and mine clearly has the non-ESP type. Nor do I think it has the spin/yaw type sensors that I think go under the back seat. Nor of course does it have the switch, and I've never seen obvious wiring behind the dash for it either.
Net, put it in the same pipe dream department as stuffing an RS6 motor under the hood on some plug and play theory.
04-11-2008, 09:12 AM
#19
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driving w/ ESP in the snow season was sometimes more dangerous than without
even when making a slow turn into a street, ESP kicks in and tries to hold my car in a straight path which was very dangerous. I felt that slow driving in the snow where I need to make turns is much better without the ESP
04-11-2008, 09:19 AM
#20
AudiWorld Member
Thread Starter
My TT doesn't have it either.. Did you say there was a recal on this thing?
I bought the car used and it has the spoiler installed, but I am know that it doesn't have ESP...