2001 Audi ESP - other user experiences?
 

My wife's 2001 A6 Avant quattro with the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) really surprised me yesterday. We've had the car ~5 years and I've never had it "adjust" before while driving (that I've noticed).

The situation: It snowed yesterday. I'm making my way home from Wilsonville to Sherwood on the back roads. I enter a roundabout that has ~1" of compact snow. Am travelling ~15 MPH, just after entering the roundabout, stead (low) throttle, no brakes, turning gently - and the ABS pump goes off, binds the breaks on right side of the car (wheels on the outside of the turn) and the thing breaks traction and starts skidding to outer curb. I'm sure the ESP initiated the skid.

I corrected with throttle/steering, shut off the ESP, moved the trans to tiptronic mode, and drove the thing the rest of the way home without incident.

I get home and my wife tells me she has experienced something similar a few times recently during our icy weather.

This doesn't seem right to me. Anybody else have similar experiences?

I really miss the "old" quattro (all mechanical and no nanny devices).

I've heard that the ultra-low traction conditions experienced in snowy areas can really be a lot for traction control-type systems to deal with.

Did the ESP warning light illuminate when this happened?

I don't recall the ESP warning light flashing (was preoccupied with determining skid direction and correction).