DSR Disable
 

Hello All,

Was looking thru the forum and came upon this thread about disabling DSR which helps with the soft steering.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q5-...-soft-2891788/

Wanted to know how many of you have done this mod and if it really made that much of a difference? I have noticed that the steering does feel a little disconnected (for a lack of a better word). I don't remember my old Q7 steering feeling this way. Almost as if there is too much assist.

Thanks.

I made this change within the last couple of months and it does make a noticeable difference. I feel like the steering wheel is more connected to the wheels now and less input to change direction. I would compare it to changing from Comfort to Dynamic only the steering does not get heavier, if that makes sense? Less float, wander and input required to steer.

Another link to review In love with car again after best mod ever - DSR Disable

Try the change. If you don't like it or notice a difference turn it back on.

Thanks for the input. I would love to make this change but unfortunately I do not have a VAG-COM. If anyone in NJ would be willing to help a fellow enthusiast out? I'll bring the beer and wings.

I'm really kinda wondering how turning off DSR improves steering feel. DSR stands for Driver Steering Recommendation and what it does is if the ESP detects that the car is starting to skid, it prompts the driver to correct the problem by making the steering wheel move slightly. Actually what it does is applying a steering torque in the correct counter-steer direction, but the driver can always override it. DSR is only supposed to activate if the car is starting to skid and to help the driver correct the skid. I'm not sure how turning off DSR would do anything in normal driving, unless the programming is poor and it triggers when it shouldn't.

Has anyone else performed this mod and have positive/negative feedback?

In my experience DSR is the devil.

I had all kinds of steering issues with my 2014 until I disabled DSR. Mine would feel like it was constantly wandering on the freeway, requiring tiny inputs continuously. When I would brake hard in the rain it would pull noticeably to the left requiring enough countersteer to be quite concerning. This all went away when I disabled DSR and in general I notice a small degree of increased connectivity from steering to road surface now.

While the steering is not amazing, it's pretty good now and I no longer lament it as a glaring detractor from the driving experience.

Thanks for the feedback. That is exactly how I feel about the steering with this feature enabled. Now I just need to get my hands on a VAG-COM or find someone who can help me make the adjustment.

I just did this mod today..............
 

and I should have done it when I first got my 2014 Q5 with all the other mods. My 2014 initially wandered all over the place and had the Audi steering TSB upgrade done at 5K miles service at the dealer. There was a noticeable change in steering and said that was a nice improvement. I still noticed that I was making extremely small steering corrections even on a interstate. I liven in PA and with all the current freeze/thaw cycles the roads heave in spots to where the Q5 gets constantly pushed around with a lot of steering corrections. One local road in particular irritates me constantly for all the steering corrections that I need to make. So today I unchecked the DSR box and went on that same road and the Q5 tracked straight as if on rails!!! No corrections are required anymore!!! The steering now feels like the older Audi hydraulic assist systems. I'm extremely happy with the results. Now my Q5 doesn't have ADS modes so for me this fix was a big jump.

Now for any of you doing this mod, it will definitely trigger an ABS error in the ECU that will stay there until you recheck the DSR box again and clear the ABS error code. Thus if you go to the dealer and they scan your Q5 they will see the code and not really know why you have it and attempt to repair the problem. So if you do not have your own VCDS cable/software to change back the DSR before dealer visits you need to think twice about doing this mod with other VCDS owners help. The ABS error is just indicating that the DSR doesn't communicate with the ABS system. Does this DSR/ABS communication mean anything, maybe in a skid it may help by jerking the steering wheel to force you to move it in the appropriate direction, but that is probably all it does. I'm sure that any driver making the mod most likely knows how to steer correctly when in a skid.

Doesn't make sense, Bob. My Q5 doesn't "wander" at all. Yours did. But in theory, one car needed DSR to be disabled while the other had no problem?

It sounds more like there are some steering problems or malfunctions with the DSR in some cars, and disabling the DSR is just kludging a solution, disabling a potentially useful feature while not really fixing the real cause of the problem.

Maybe something in the electronics or one of the computers, that was engaging the DSR incorrectly, indicating there's still a fault in one of the control systems.

This is a very common problem on many Audi models. It's just a DSR thing. The wander that I experienced before the mod would probably not be noticed by 99% of drivers. It was extremely slight. I don't drive with two hands on the steering wheel, if I do so the extremely slight wandering goes away. I normally steer with my left elbow on the driver door arm rest and two fingers on the steering wheel thus not helping reduce the steering feedback nudges. Most people who have driven my Q5 state that the steering stability was superb. You know me, I'm sort of a perfectionist and this mod gave me a more perfect locked on directional steering that I like.

There are positively no mechanical or electrical problems with my Q5.

All the DSR does is nudge the steering wheel in the opposite direction that you should move it in a skid. Tricking the brain to steer in the correct direction automatically. Cross winds and bad road surface conditions can activate the DSR.

The only way to feel the steering improvement is to deactivate DSR and see for yourself. Otherwise reading all the success posts is sort of meaningless.