Feeling of Stalling / Dying
 

I have a quick question for all of you guys (and girls?) before I take my car into my clueless dealership.

Recently, when I slow to a stop, or sometimes when I slow way down to take a sharp corner, once my S6 shifts all the way down, it feels like it wants to stall or die but will then jerk "back to life," if you know what I mean. This is not in M or S.

I think the power may even be momentarily shutting off, because I notice when this happens, sometimes my radar detector will shut off and immediately power back on. I just wondered if anyone has had any similar experiences. I'll definitely be taking the car in, but honestly I typically have to tell my dealership about known issues because they are clueless. They are still fighting me on the steering update which I know is out there. Sigh. Thanks in advance. :)

Yes! I have this happen a lot. Have never sat down to try and explain it on here, thank you for doing so. I've only had this happen while decelerating into a sharp turn then pressing on the pedal and expecting to accelerate only to have my body lurch forward in anticipation of acceleration that doesn't happen. It's weird and disconcerting, but I cannot reproduce it on command.

That's different than what the OP is explaining. You're experiencing the ESC/ASR activating by cutting power when it senses the car is going to lose traction.

Correct me if mistaken, but when ESC/ASR activates the dummy light comes on (flashes IIRC). Is that accurate? Because in my case, it is not, and I don't believe it's ever happened when I have come anywhere close to losing traction. To me, it feels like power completely cuts out for a second.

Super weird that your radar detector loses power. Does it happen everytime your car does this?

Dido for me

This is the infamous lag that's been discussed here in the past. I don't think it has anything to do with ESC or loss of traction.

Two reasons - 1) Like others have said, power cuts out but then comes on full force after a couple of seconds - enough to snap your head back. If ESC were active, it wouldn't dump all that power on you like that.

2) The lag is essentially non-existent in manual shifting mode.

The ESC system can be programmed to react differently in this instance. Both my B8 A4 and C7 A6 cut power completely only when the car is accelerated excessively into a hard turn, usually from a stop. I wouldn't describe this as "lag" - it's a total power cut out for 2 or 3 seconds and only when the car is pushed almost to the max. This would indicate a relationship to the car reacting to a significant potential loss of traction or control as result of G-force from an extreme angle of departure. Hence, it can only be explained as ESC or ASR related. (FWIW, neither of my cars was/is equipped w/turbos).

I believe what causes this temp loss of power in this instance, is in reaction, to the ESC/ASR registering extreme angle, speed and G-force parameters which would explain why it doesn't completely cut all power in a straight line or gentle curve slippery road traction loss. The aforementioned ESC parameters could also be programmed to be less restrictive in manual shift mode.

In my case, it is when I am slowing into a turn, then press on the accelerator as I start to exit the turn and the car just doesn't react then it kicks back in. I know what you are describing but that isn't the behavior that is causing the response from the car, it's the opposite. This is every day driving when it happens, not spirited driving in any way.

Perhaps it is the programmed response, but the parameters are off in some way.

This was my experience also. And when my car's power came back on, it just came back on...not with a surge or any significant force. And I would say that a 2 second engine shutdown was about right. Very disconcerting. Could have been very problematic if I needed the power at that instant to avoid another vehicle.