I have been unable to activate Launch Control in my 2015 MCS Auto. I've followed the instructions, but I get nothing. So I even tried it in my 2015 BMW M235i, and still I get nothing!!! What am I doing wrong? In the MINI, I am putting it in Sport Mode (I'm usually already in sport mode), pushing the traction control button once (I am not holding it down or anything), pushing my gear lever into M/S position, applying the brake and giving it has. My MINI did nothing!! Please help. Thanks in advance!

 

A few tips:

When you step on the throttle, make sure it goes past the kick-down threshold. Also, try to drive a few miles before attempting launch control, engine needs to be at operating temperature......sometimes you need to be fully stopped before placing into sport, pushing traction control, etc

On some older DCT BMW's, you needed to go into M1 for launch control to work.

 

Maybe a stupid question, but...what is your need to use traction control? Unless you are drag racing on the strip or maybe autocrossing, launch conrol is only going to get you in trouble.

 

He probably wants to play with it. I'd try it too if I had it.

 

This may be an even sillier question, but do you have the SPORT Automatic transmission or the regular Automatic?


I looked back through a lot of your posts, and couldn't find anything that describes your MINI's options nor a picture of the vehicle's interior.


Launch Control is only available on models with the SPORT Automatic transmission. I am also not sure if you ordered your MINI or bought off the lot. In my area, no dealer had an S with the Sport Automatic. Where I got my MINI, mine was the first one they had seen with the Sport Transmission (before the JCW models). So they are a bit rare other than those folks who special ordered them.


Dealers are almost always about bottom-line dollars and cents and lease payments. They are reluctant to add anything that bumps the price unless it is realized by the potential customer. Therefore, things like LED headlamps, rear fog lamps, 17"/18" wheels, Dynamic Damper Control, Anthracite headliner, dash trim and Sport Automatic Transmission tend to get left off dealer-spec MINIs.


If you are not sure which automatic transmission you have, the tell tale sign are the steering wheel paddles. If you have an F56/F55 and you have paddles behind the steering wheel, you have Sport Automatic AND Launch Control. No paddles, no deal.

 

Okay, so apparently I don't have the Launch Control. I custom ordered mine, but my MA told me the only difference between the two were the paddle shifters. I've had paddle shifters on my other three MINIs and never used them. So I didn't get them. What's the difference then between the two transmissions? Furthermore, my BMW M235i is fully loaded. I have paddle shifters and everything, but it still doesn't do Launch Control.

 

So there are a few differences between the two MINI automatics. Basically, the Sport Automatic has the shift paddles, different programming with quicker shifts at different shift points and when equipped with NAV - predictive shift (where the transmission is reading the NAV data and shifts accordingly - so it knows you're approaching that off ramp 20mph over the posted speed). If you drive a Cooper S with each transmission back to back, you can see/feel the difference. It's subtle, but there. Switching off back and forth between the two, the regular automatic Cooper S was never as quick as the Sport Automatic - by just a hair.


I cannot speak to the BMW M235i. Launch control on BMWs was ONLY reserved to the M cars. My Z4 M Sport did not have it. I am not sure if BMW classifies the M235i as a true M-car.

 

Seems to me there's a limit to the number of times you can use LC. 99? That key fob keeps a record of how the car is driven. Could be a factor when traded in maybe.

 

The handful of times I've used it in my Evo, I smell clutch for about 5 min after.

 

I have posted this in another thread as well.

- Who has 2016(year may not matter) MINI Cooper S F55(or at least F56) and have installed new steering wheel and coded Sport AT? Could you please do the following:

1) Place your vehicle in Sport Mode
2) Slide gear lever to the left(S) but don't do manual shifts.
3) Press once on the traction control button to activate dynamic traction control(may not be important, but I did it)
4) Let the car roll at ~5 MPH and then depress gas pedal fully - easier to take a video of the speedo instead of taking notes, then provide the stats.
5) Record/write shift RPMs and speed at which the transmission is changing gears. (see my example below)

- Now people with same car(s) as above but don't have paddle shifters and had no Sport AT coding. Please do the above setup and as I have shown below for my car.

My car wasn't coded at least by me(bought it used) and doesn't have paddle shifters or launch control. On Step 4 above, I kept gas pedal up to 90 MPH and then slowed down. Below are my observations:

1) Car shifted from S1 to S2 at 4000 RPM and at 20 MPH
2) Car shifted from S2 to S3 at over 6100 RPM at 50 MPH
3) Car shifted from S3 to S4 at over 6100 RPM at 85 MPH

That should be enough for comparison. At least this way we can see any difference + I would be able to see if my car was coded before or I need to code it.