XDL - Effective or Not?

[K1W1]

There has to be some way of confirming whether or not the XDL is fitted otherwise how would anybody order the correct parts if any were needed?
If it's not on the codes in the car then I guess the next stop is the service centre and a chat with the Manager about how to tell the difference between one vehicle and another.

[redline3345]

Spellbound
There are limits to XDL with so much power being applied . We weren't limited at Calder with the GTI MKVI's and the XDL seemed to cope with not only us competition winner tyre kickers, but also v8 supercar drivers giving their all on the corner prior to taking us on hot laps......maybe it was tweaked for demo/product launch purposes?!?

I did the hot laps at the TRACK DAY , but none of those cars had APR upgrades , my car was very controlled until i got the stage 1 .

As you well know there is a lot of power and torque 400nm+ to cope with , sometimes i feel like the xdl has gone missing , but only in confined quarters , pretty sure it was std on the RS from 2011 .[/QUOTE]

Spellbound
Thanks for the info - my car has been the same since new however, that is, doesn't seem to have effective XDL even in standard form. I did the day at the Lakeside circuit in standard configuration (got the stage 1 upgrade following the track day only just prior to Xmas) and that's where it seemed to really spin the inside front wheel and scrub the tyres bald.

There has to be some way of confirming whether or not the XDL is fitted otherwise how would anybody order the correct parts if any were needed?
If it's not on the codes in the car then I guess the next stop is the service centre and a chat with the Manager about how to tell the difference between one vehicle and another.

Kiwi
Thanks again for the suggestions, I'm thinking I might try Darkshadow's idea - checking via VCDS to see if there's any options available in my car for it - that should establish if it is there or not. I don't have a lot of confidence in service depts - in my many years experience they tend to treat the customer with contempt, have a chinese whispers train of communication from "advisor" to floor mechanic and have never really convinced me, unless we're discussing something straight forward, that they know what they're talking about. I can give it a go, but won't hold my breath.

[dodgey]

VCDS has an option for XDL, and was checked on mine, MY10. FAIK, XDL was not available on the MY10 and was announced after I got my car. Unchecking or checking it didn't throw a code, so I don't know if VCDS can help there or not.

[K1W1]

Well there is always the spare parts dept. A XDL fitted car must have different parts from a non XDL fitted car so there MUST be a parts listing for them. In the old days there would have been a microfiche covering that part of the drive train now its all computer based but if the parts person can find the appropriate section there WILL be listings of the parts and listings of the vehicle serial numbers that apply to each parts group where running changes have been made.
One thing car manufacturers are good at is spare parts and in my experience the spare parts guys in dealerships are fonts on knowledge and are usually extremely obliging and willing to help unlike many service advisors and managers.

[Antiplastix]

The inside cover of your service schedule will have all the codes of your drive train , suspension and options fitted, just punch the code no.s into the code reader in the sticky section of this forum and it will tell you whether you have XDL.

[dArK5HaD0w]

The inside cover of your service schedule will have all the codes of your drive train , suspension and options fitted, just punch the code no.s into the code reader in the sticky section of this forum and it will tell you whether you have XDL.

it doesn't! i already mentioned that a few posts earlier.
all it shows is "1AT - Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP)".

inside cover of service manual, or build sticker in the boot.

[buzuki]

XDL just predicts understeer or wheel spin. Doesnt mean it can stop it everytime. Same as ESP is NOT going to be able to correct your car if you lose control EVERYTIME

[redline3345]

XDL just predicts understeer or wheel spin. Doesnt mean it can stop it everytime. Same as ESP is NOT going to be able to correct your car if you lose control EVERYTIME

Buzuki

My XDL doesn't stop wheelspin ANYTIME, lol!

---------- Post added at 09:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 PM ----------

I purchased a VCDS kit today, but to show me how it worked, the helpful guys at Harding Performance hooked up theirs and low and behold, there is settings for XDS (XDL) on my car - currently it is set to normal - maybe I'm just lucky?! and my car is one of the ones where it doesn't work as well as others. I'll try the strong setting though to see if that makes any difference.

Thanks to everyone who offered input!

[bluefrog]

not that it helps you much, but I almost always have to try pretty hard to NOT have wheelspin when accelerating from stop. But when it comes to accelerating out of a give-way only corner, the wheels usually don't spin - all I get is revs and power going nowhere

[buzuki]

well i guess it more detects when a wheel is going to be unloaded, it will then brake that wheel and act as a pivot point which gives a better turn in/turning radius.

There is no way to physically demonstrate it unless, you find a big open space and start doin speed circles with it on and off and with a car that just has EDL, on paper there is a big improvement.

And for the others who thought there must be parts added. Its just software inside the ABS control unit.