In looking thru the owners manual of my new '09 1500 Quad, they spend some time on when to push the ESP button. My wife says the button should be pushed if you are driving in the rain on wet pavements. It is not real clear to me how to use it.
Could someone please fill us in??
Thanks,
Jack and Loretta

 

ESP is on by default, when you push the button you are sorta turning it off since what I read here somewhere says it only partially shuts off. So when you push you are for all intents and purposes it is off. So if you wanna see if you can spin the *** end of your truck around in the rain go ahead and take your wifes advice. but then again is my advice any good? This if JMHO but I am sure at least one person will agree.

 

The ESP is to shut off the traction control. I wouldn't recommend doing that in the rain on wet pavement.

Might be that your wife is just tired of having you around

 

ESP is the system the slows your transmission an cuts your power in case any of your wheels slip(throwing the breaks on wheels it thinks need to be slowed).

Not starting anything here but in all in my opinion esp is more dangerous on then it is off in wet weather or other slippery conditions or at least for me,

for example we got about 4 inches in a couple hours last time a cold front moved through and I was lucky enough to be going to work in it. I was traveling 10 miles less then the speed limit and everytime i needed to make a lane change the damn traction control would pop the breaks on one wheel and actually cause the vehicle to hydroplane it made no sense on which wheel it would do it and seemed to be throwing them at random times throwing off my ability to compensate.

They had to reprogram the abs sensors last time I went in to have the RRA's taken care of, which secretly is probably what causing the major problem with its ability to function as intended.

but breaking and losing power when you need isnt something you want going on especially at random in the rain or in the snow which is why 4X4's have the ability to completly shut it off.

long story short listen to your wife.

 

I've had similar experience in the rain, hydroplaning big time. Another time, the roads were wet but no water accumulation and I wanted to see if it would slip again, I gave it a little gas and it felt as if I was on ice. Scary.
I've been driving about 10 km below the posted limit in the rain since. I'll turn the esp off next time see what happens.

 

ESP for me does well in the rain and snow, just wish there was a way to turn it off all the way to break the tires loose. to answere your question pushing the button turns it off..partially Next time it rains floor the gas with the button on default (make sure your in a safe place to try this) and the light will flash and appear out of no-where on your dash when esp is doing its job. Chevy has this feature also they call it stabilitrac btw.

 

On my 08 Charger RT once you were doing 20mph or better you could turn and hold the key again like you were going to start the car and it would turn off ESP. I have not tried it on this truck.

 

That works

 

If the ESP is so dangerous then why is it standard equipment? There must be some situation where having it is an advantage, isn't there?

 

YOu can do it right out of the hole hold the key on and nothing works like radio whatever but you will break the tires free if you step on it. Only way to full disengage ESP BAS