Advice re ASR on 575M

FWIW, I never turn off ASR....drive ASR and Sport mode....From what I've read, turning off ASR is a good way to end up with a wrecked 575.

 

ASR gives less intervention in Sport than in Normal. The 575M ASR is a couple of generations newer than the 456's and with the digital throttle, should not really give you any trouble on gravel. I never select Sport until I have 160° oil temperature, but you should be fine in Normal or Sport. 575M ASR is much smoother than the old analog throttle ASR systems, which tended to be very abrupt on cutting the throttle.

 

Terrys advice is spot on. In sport mode ABS/ASR both go to an intervention level that allows much more tire slip before intervening. It also stiffens the shocks which is really not a help either when its slippery out. I suggest to most to avoid sport mode any time the roads are slippery or even just cold. I had a 575 step out nearly sideways on a straight damp road with morning traffic on a 1-2 shift in front of God and everybody once so I know it can happen.

ASR did not work all that well at lower speeds with cable throttles. It was pretty abrupt and all it could do was cut off power. Years ago I had a 550 on Laguna Seca Raceway for a few hours. At higher speeds it worked pretty well. In big fast sweeping corners at 3 digit speeds you could feel the rear ties give way slightly then catch over and over. It was then that I discovered at what driving situations the engineers spent all their programming time.
In 575 and later cars with electronic throttle its really seamless and often not even detectable that it is keeping you on the road. In those cars it progressively reduces power to a level the tires can handle. Then as traction increases it progressively reapplies power. That level of control is just not possible with cable throttles.

 

The fact that - as mentioned above - the ASR is far clever, and also "intelligently" relaxed in Sport mode, allows to avoid switching it off on the 575.
On the 550 the ASR can really become irritative given how intrusive and abrupt it is, no matter Sport mode or not - so there is a big temptation to switch it off...

 

Well, on the 550 it seems to me that the quality of the tyres may affect how well the ASR will perform. I found it intrusive and unprogressive to the point of being dangerous with poor/old tyres but have found it surprisingly progressive as soon as I had new/good tyres fitted. The last time I lost rear traction the rear end regained traction in the same smooth and progressive way as another one of my car which is fitted with a progressive 0-100% LSD. I was surprised, really.

 

Same with cold vs hot tires.

 

Seen it happen. A dealer sales manager I know badly wrecked their 1st 550 on his first drive. He was too good a driver to need ASR so he turned it off. In about 3 blocks he wrecked the car.

 

I think there is no reason to turn asr off on streets. Rarely, should the asr kick in on streets even the crappy early 550gen. On track many hpde guys and some licensed racers have no idea why they left the track or spun. But anyone with in car video nearly all the time we can see the inputs that caused the incident after analysis. Asr widens the scope of errant driver input but still cannot stop big mistakes. It is rarely the car.

I have never experienced a diff that could cause loss of control. I guess it is possible but I'm more inclined to say 25mph was too fast for the conditions and you did not realize it. There are times roads cannot be safely driven and innocent looking road conditions can fool any of us.

ASR does have a off button. The 550/575 is a street car but I can't think of a reason to turn it off (except to get moving in low traction situation). On track, turning off is the 1st thing I do. That's a different environment with different driver goals. Some track drivers will still leave it on for a wider margin of safety. That's fine for a less experienced driver. Being able to drive home in the same condition you came to the track is the goal of most.

 

Right, FBB. I've always driven my 550 with ASR active on roads. When I tracked my 550, once I ran a few sessions, I would switch the ASR off.

My SPORT Mode switch, like yours, also controls my MSW Switchable FHP Steering ECU.

 

Yes!…. MSW products…… the way the maranello should have come from maranello.

 

I own my 550 since 2010 and everytime i switch off the ASR, never had any problem.
The 550 is such a good-natured car, for me there is no reason to drive with ASR on.

599 GTB (and perhaps 575) is a completely other theme, .....

Daniel

 

High powered cars with positraction will always be more tail happy than their open differential counterparts. Its the price paid. In great conditions with great tires you can use less slippage in the differential and in slippery conditions more slippage is better but with a conventional positraction differential you have to work around whatever way it is set. Thats the brilliance of the new E Diff in the newer cars. It adjusts as you drive.