What's the difference between TCS and ESP?

mikeholroyd

Guest
A colleague's Leon has a button behind the fuel release switch which is marked TCS. The switch in the same place on my TDI is marked ESP.

Is this just a differently marked switch, or are they 2 totally different concepts?

Reason I ask is that on both, the same amber warning light shows on the dash when the switches are pressed, and it seems that the result of switching the systems off is the same for both.

Can anyone throw any light on this please?

In the next few days, I will be retrofitting cruise to my TDI, does the ESP button/system cause any problem or additional work when fitting?

Thanks

Mike
 
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mikeholroyd

Guest
No, my mates with TCS is a 53 plate Cupra petrol. Mine with ESP is an 02 plate TDI 110 diesel.

Mike
 

Darren7887

Darren7887
Aug 9, 2011
47
0
Bishops Stortford
Traction control system governs wheel spin an loss of grip only, electronic stability control also help protect against side to side movement eg. understeer and oversteer. so if u stack it mid corner ESP saves ya life TCS does not! thats how it was explained to me anyhows. can only thing there diff because ones diesel an ones petrol?
 

mikeholroyd

Guest
Traction control system governs wheel spin an loss of grip only, electronic stability control also help protect against side to side movement eg. understeer and oversteer. so if u stack it mid corner ESP saves ya life TCS does not! thats how it was explained to me anyhows. can only thing there diff because ones diesel an ones petrol?

Hmm. I would have thought that a petrol Cupra, as more a sports car than a bog standard diesel, would have had the system to protect from under/oversteer, and that the diesel would have had the "lesser" system

So, does anyone know if ESP causes issues on the cruise retrofit, and how to solve these problems if they occur?
Mike
 

Muttley

Catch that diesel!
Mar 17, 2006
4,987
31
North Kent
TCS is plain traction control. Only works when you're under way, so not a launch control. Limits power transfer to the unloaded wheel on corners or slippery surfaces, by applying braking force ( using the ABS system) to that wheel.

ESP incorporate an additional set of sensors, for steering angle (where do you want to go) lateral and lontitudinal acceleration (where are you actually going) and does its best to correct your errors by a combination of wheel braking and cutting the power. If you modify your car outside of standard spec (by remap or even just by changing wheel diameters) ESP can be confused and cut in more harshly.
 

Allan_84

Active Member
Apr 11, 2010
851
3
Denmark
TCS is plain traction control. Only works when you're under way, so not a launch control. Limits power transfer to the unloaded wheel on corners or slippery surfaces, by applying braking force ( using the ABS system) to that wheel....

No that is not correct, the system that you are talking about that use the brakes is EDL/EDS (Electronic Differential Lock / Elektronische DifferenzialSperre).

TCS (ASR) Traction Control System (AntriebsSchlupfRegelung/Anti-Slip Regulation), use the ABS wheels sensors to detect if one or both front wheels is spinning and then limits the power out put of the engine.
 
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traumapat

Leon Cupra IHI
Jul 24, 2005
5,925
4
sunny sussex
Hmm. I would have thought that a petrol Cupra, as more a sports car than a bog standard diesel, would have had the system to protect from under/oversteer, and that the diesel would have had the "lesser" system

So, does anyone know if ESP causes issues on the cruise retrofit, and how to solve these problems if they occur?
Mike

ESP was standard until sometime in 02 then they fitted the cheaper TCS. Dont get carried away on the sports car bit, our passat also has ESP and its a 110tdi estate :lol:
 

tehguy

Active Member
Sep 9, 2010
209
0
Plain and simply TCS (traction control system) is designed to prevent wheelspin. Electronic Stability Program (ESP) is designed to assist the driver in stabilising the car in situations where understeer and oversteer occur.

TCS uses the ABS wheel speed sensors to judge when one or more wheels are spinning significantly faster than the other wheels and will normally control this by either retarding the spark, closing the throttle, stopping fuel from being injected etc. In some systems such as VW's Electronic Differential Lock (EDL, also called XDS on Seat cars) if the car sees only one of the front wheels spinning it will apply the brake to just that wheel, which forces the differential to apply the torque to the wheel with best grip.

ESP adds more sensors to determine steering angle, lateral acceleration, yaw rate in order to determine if the car is going in the direction that you want it to. If it detects understeer it will brake the inside rear wheel and if it detects oversteer it will brake the outside front wheel.

ESP is the best thing to have, although since TCS is a part of it, you can't have ESP and not have TCS.
 
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