007 S4

you totally lose control of your vehicle, and ESP is active? Does it, after a certain point, 'give up' on trying to re-stabilise the vehicle, or does it keep fighting?

We just had a really bad icing here in rochester, I'll try to find a big empty parking lot to test my theories.

007 S4

follow up: has anybody managed to give ESP vertigo?

NickS

This one time at band camp...okay seriously...I've only had ESP step in to the point where I had no control twice. In both instances, the car never got out of shape and just came back in line.

One was with 2 wheels off and the other was on a wet surface. This was in my early days of S4 ownership!

P. Bauer

I was bolting for this yellow left turn light with ESP engaged. I took the turn WAY to hot, and the back end came around. The ESP light was flashing, no power from the engine, ABS chattering, but it still didn't keep me from sliding another 40 feet. So, if the momentum of the car is carrying you into a corner, and you start to slide, ESP can only TRY to keep you in control. In my case, I was able to straighten it out, and continue on my way. I'm sure the four cars lined up on Lawrence Expressway caught a good show....

Bungle

ESP cannot prevent the car from sliding (if you go too fast), but I have noticed that it will always try to steer the car in the direction you want to go. If you take a turn too fast, the ESP will prevent understeer by applying the brake at the right wheel. This will make the car oversteer a bit to point it in the right direction.