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I have a VW Golf Mk7 TSI Comfortline 1.4.

My ESC error light is on, though I've had no recent work done on the car. I have taken the battery out and sent the car to a super service technician who found no errors and advised problem might be electrical.

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  • Welcome to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair! What is and esc light? I'm from the US, so we might have different vocabularies. Are you talking about the Check Engine Light in the dash? Also, is the car driving strangely, or does it still work well?
    – Cullub
    Commented Jun 10, 2019 at 15:46
  • Apparently ESC stands for Error Stabilization Control
    – Zaid
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 10:13
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    @Zaid well VW says it is Electronic Stabilisation Control, see volkswagen.co.uk/technology/braking-and-stability-systems/esc
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 10:32
  • Could be. What threw me off was their use of ESP: volkswagen.co.uk/owners/warning-light/…
    – Zaid
    Commented Jun 11, 2019 at 10:36
  • @Zaid From Wikipedia: "Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction (skidding)." Also keep in mind that Germans love to invent things, and it is always invented in Germany first. Even if they have to change the name slightly; to avoid confusion with that thing that already exists but actually doesn't because it hasn't yet been invented in Germany first . . .
    – SteveRacer
    Commented Jun 12, 2019 at 0:56

1 Answer 1

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Believe it or not, the first thing to do is to check all the tire pressures to make certain they are within spec and equal. A low pressure tire will make more revolutions/mile than the other properly inflated tires, and can confuse the ESC/ABS module into thinking there is a problem with one of the wheel speeds.

The most common hardware failure that causes this error is a wheel speed sensor (ABS). They are exposed to some pretty harsh conditions, and can have broken wires, a rusty tone wheel, or a failing sensor winding. However, this should have been detected by the Service Technician. - although if the sensor winding is failing, the error may be intermittent. It is possible the ESC/ABS module itself has a problem, but I would address the easier more common causes first.

With the proper OEM "VAG" type scanner, there should be codes that can be scanned to reveal the details of the ESC fault. If the light comes back on, leave the battery connected to preserve the code. It is not particularly hazardous to drive the vehicle in this condition, and no damage will be done. However, note that your ABS system may or may not be functioning while the fault is active.

Have you tried holding the traction control button in for several seconds with the car idling? This might reset the condition.

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