Does anybody else find the traction control annoying, first time driving in snow and ice and I found that I could barely get moving because the traction control was cutting the power so much. I ended up turning it off just to be able to make it across intersections.

 

I agree. The DSC is great 99% of the time. However in snow I have found it easier to drive with it off and manage tire spin with my right foot. The ABS still works with DSC off so we are still safe.

 

At first I thought my MINI sucked in the snow ...until I turned off the DSC. Now, no problems.

 

Agreed. DSC is dangerous in the snow, plus it doesn't let you powerslide through snowy corners.

 

Actually, i think its the FWD that is preventing you from doing powerslides

 

Try snow tires it may change your thought about the DSC.

 

I was in a situation where if I didnt have DSC I would have been sol. I was on a very steep icy hill and couldent make any forward progress and even slid backwards a couple of times. Eventually I turned the DSC back on and slowly made it up. Its about the only time I have used DSC.

 

What I have found is that if I am moving along well, DSC can screw things up (even with my Blizzaks). But, if I can't get moving, DSC can help out.

 

DSC off will let you take full control of your Mini's traction. DSC is really designed to prevent you from slipping during wet pavement acceleration or loose gravel. It is not designed to work on snow and ice so it is best to turn it off for these circumstances unless you need to use it to get up a hill you are otherwise slipping on. It is useful, just depends when you need it.

 

I own a justacooper and I will say this DSC is great but traction control is worse than useless . It is a shame they cannot work independently of each other.

 

I experience the same thing w/ my studded Pirelli Winter Carvings.

I think the DSC is a bit too aggressive in how it cuts power. It almost feels like you shut the engine off on accident! In many cases, it seems to cut off power AND pulse the brakes. I feel that a quick pulse of the brake on the wheel that is spinning (usually right front) would be enough to keep things going.

I also wish we had the option to turn off traction control, but keep the stability control on. In my perfect world, there would be a separate switch for ABS, traction control, and stability control.

I keep my DSC off if I know I'll be doing a lot of stop and go driving.

 

Well, with my 22mm rear bar on stiffest - and some handbrake, throttle, and steering action; I can sustain a slide quite well.

 

Oh heck man you can too powerslide a fwd car. Go into a corner, get on the power & then powerslide into the curb on the opposite side of the road. On second thought don't try that boys & girls.

 

Yes, but only with a lift of the throttle & a tug of the e-brake. No power used.

 

I have one of Ian Cull's auto up circuits with track mode. My traction nanny has been silenced, I'm happy to report.

 

whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...whoa, you still have ABS with DSC off?? whoa.

 

Yup. Turning off the DSC kills the stability control and traction control. ABS remains active.

 

I do use some power to sustain it...

What should I call it then? Drifting is only with 4WD or FR, MR, or RR cars, so I thought power sliding was with FF cars.

 

If you're driving the car in snow with DSC on and expecting the car to behave like a car without DSC, then you're going to be surprised. Let's differentiate ASC (traction-control) and DSC. ASC is probably what surprises people the most when they expect a certain reaction/acceleration to a particular throttle input (often from a stand-still) that doesn't occur. If you know to expect this the behavior it isn't dangerous, just something that needs to be learned. Some may say you have little control with ASC engaged, but the point is that the car does, although sometimes it is slow to respond. DSC is designed to prevent instability (oversteer or understeer)

Last winter prior to me having snow tires, I was driving my 2003 MCS which only had ASC not DSC and an Hotckins rear-sway bar. With my right foot keeping a steady throttle speed going up a very slight hill with a gradual right-turn at the top I lifted off to coast over the crest and the rear-end whipped around greater than 180º, faster than it was possible to counter-steer . I'm not sure if DSC would have helped much as there was 10" of partial-plowed snow on the ground and I didn't have snows yet, but it may have lessened the speed or degree or the spin.

That being said, with snow tires, ASC and gentle throttle input, the ASC doesn't intervene nearly as much as without snows and I didn't find it to be much of a hinderance. I just wish I could retrofit the Dynamic Stability Control/Dynamic Traction Control/Electronic Differential Lock of the 2009s! With that option, there are three basic modes [in my understanding]:

 

+ +
without real snow tires your DSC will try hard to save you from spinning the tires and going sideways and will cut in alot because you have no traction. I can pass all suvs/pu's etc in the slop , they are top heavy and weigh too much ,if they start to go sideways there is too much momentum.

 

Someone told me on this forum to do this last year, and it's what I've been doing since. When I'm start moving from a stand still, I have DSC Off. When I start moving, I flip DSC On. Someone told me on this forum to do this last year. Reason being, when moving from a stand still, if your wheels start to spin, your DSC automatically kicks in and kills the gas for you.

 

I'd call it an e-brake slide or lift off oversteer. I consider a powerslide just that... using power to the rear wheels to induce and sustain the slide.

 

Hey jolson we're neighbours! This pic was taken Wednesday look familiar?

 

In my car turning DSC is the first thing i do after the car is started. In the winter also the ABS fuse goes out so now with the snow on the ground both ABS and DSC are off right away. No problem doing hand-brake slides

Also, you can pull the 2nd (small) ABS fuse and then the ASC is off as well, but your speedo and tach don't work anymore, you get ABS, DSC and Brake lights on the dash and seatbelt "ding" is gone

 

There is nothing like a fresh experience to perk up a thread ...

On the way home from work tonight, in terrible conditions, I was second in a line of cars trying to clear a fairly steep, snow covered hill, that has a slow turn to the right. Half way up the car in front of me (Honda CRV, all-wheel drive) started to slip a bit, put the brakes on and stopped. See rant below.

There was no one coming down the hill and I did not want to stop, so I went around the CRV. As I did this my tires began to spin, the 'ABS' light came on and the 'Brake' light came on. My DSC was already off. I was in second gear and no matter what I did with the gas pedal 2,000 RPM was the max I could obtain ...which was probably a good thing as it kept the wheels from really churning and me from getting impatient and doing something stupid.

It was very slow and sorta' scary, but I got over the hill. At times I was literally standing still (or moving sideways) with the wheels spinning. I'd say it may have taken me 3 or 4 minutes to go 500 yards.

I only have one question: What the heck was that all about?

Once over the hill and well down the road the 'ABS' and the 'Brake" lights were still on. So, I pulled into a side street and shut the car down. I sat for a minute or two and then started it back up. All the lights went off and I went on my somewhat less than merry way.

By the way, I have four Blizzaks on the car and have never experienced anything remotely like this before. Until tonight I would have thought my car could climb trees.

Dean.

Rant: What the hell is it with folks who think slowing down in the middle of a hill is going to help get them over the hill. Wake up people! The name of the game is MOMENTUM and if you haven't got any, you lose !