Just thought I'd turn the question around.
I don't have my mini yet so i can't answer.

 

the only time i have turned it off was on a rally when it was hampering my starts because of small stones at a lot of intersections.

Otherwise, I bought it.. and I intend to keep it on and use it. I've never had it come on when i didnt want it other than on that rally.

I dont drive *that* aggressively off the line, but i take corners hard and accelerate hard once im in 2nd...

 

I keep it in on all the time for safety reasons. I can understand why people turn it off though. The DSC portion of it works wonderfully and I keep it on for that reason. The ASC portion of it sucks. Whenever I take off and one wheel spins the ASC not only applys the brake to the slipping wheel it also shuts off the gas, rather abruptly I might add.

Our SAAB has DSC and ASC and both function perfectly. The ASC portion only applys brake to the slipping wheel. It does not remove gas. When the DSC portion kicks in i.e. when I turn too quick in the rain etc. it will remove gas gradually and smoothly. The MINI's DSC pretty much just removes the gas completely.

Quick starts in the MINI are useless because it shuts off the throttle. This completely ruins any chance of a quick take off with it on. My Honda Accord and Saab 9/5 will not remove gas under high rpm starts. It will just keep stopping the slipping wheel making for some really cool starts.

Did anyone understand a word of what I just typed? I think I confused my self.

 

I'm the opposite. I keep it OFF all the time. Not only does it hinder the acceleration, it lulls the driver into complacency at the limits. If the DSC is the only thing keeping you on rails then just think who's gonna be surprised when the DSC's limits are exceeded. No ones gonna be able to save your butt at that point. I prefer to be in full control and be prepared every second, thank you

 

>>I'm the opposite. I keep it OFF all the time. Not only does it hinder the acceleration, it lulls the driver into complacency at the limits. If the DSC is the only thing keeping you on rails then just think who's gonna be surprised when the DSC's limits are exceeded. No ones gonna be able to save your butt at that point. I prefer to be in full control and be prepared every second, thank you It's nice that they allow the anti lock to remain active, however.

I don't get this response. Do you constantly drive your MCS at its limits on city streets. That doesn't sound too smart or too easy to do. I mean at all but the sharpest of corners I can fly around them at greater than the posted speed limit. So I am nowhere near the limits of the car from a handling point of view. I can't imagine driving around everyday hitting corners at 100 mph. I can easily imagine a deer or dog running in front of me and trying to miss it and in that case I am thinking the car trying to keep me from spinning out might be a good thing. In any case I can't imagine that it wouldn't be a good thing.

jc

 

I drive with my DSC all the time. I do not fly around exit ramps and such becuase I have learned what can happen the hard way. Plus with a 17% pulley and this cold weather I have a hard time getting any traction in 1st gear and around 2nd gear corners.

 

Don't get me wrong. I think that DSC is great system for most people. I just use my Mini a little differently than most...not that I'm driving like a nut every second. But that said, my Mini has a lot of suspension mods meaning that I understand what my car is doing every second. Additionally, when I'm driving at the limits, it's always dry and out in the boonies. For really serious fun, I run 125cc shifter karts. Now we're talking extremely basic racing physics here...the joy of dancing, balancing the front vs. arss end is the point. As well, I fell in love with my Mini for the very same reasons and just don't find the DSC necessary for my needs.



>>I don't get this response. Do you constantly drive your MCS at its limits on city streets. That doesn't sound too smart or too easy to do. I mean at all but the sharpest of corners I can fly around them at greater than the posted speed limit. So I am nowhere near the limits of the car from a handling point of view. I can't imagine driving around everyday hitting corners at 100 mph. I can easily imagine a deer or dog running in front of me and trying to miss it and in that case I am thinking the car trying to keep me from spinning out might be a good thing. In any case I can't imagine that it wouldn't be a good thing.
>>
>>jc
>>

 

>>Not only does it hinder the acceleration, it lulls the driver into complacency at the limits. If the DSC is the only thing keeping you on rails then just think who's gonna be surprised when the DSC's limits are exceeded.

That is a great point and I'm surprised more people haven't made it.

There was a thread awhile back titled, "Who Thinks the MINI Makes Them a Better Driver?" I didn't post, but I thought: no, actually, the MINI makes me a less sensitive driver -- and the DSC is the reason why.

With DSC on I can accelerate into a wet curve, zoom by traffic in adjoining lanes as the other drivers heel/toe the brake, and the MINI hugs the road. But then I switch into the family car, an AWD Volvo wagon, and if I drove into the same curve at the same speed the Volvo would slide out of control and into the boards, guaranteed.

Compared to the MINI with DSC other cars feel like they're balanced atop big Hefty bags full of pudding, and if you become complacent about DSC keeping you out of trouble, jumping into another vehicle without dramatically changing your driving style could get you into big trouble.

Having said that I do keep DSC on most of the time. Certainly in the rain or in fast-moving traffic where evasive action might be needed. But after six months of MINI ownership I have to be much more focused and aware when driving other cars.

 

I drive with my DSC on all the time.

I bought it for its proposed saftey feature and since I'm not a trained race driver I thought it might help me. I don't intentionaly drive at the limit and expect the DSC to take care of my mistakes while I'm out there. I think it has "kicked in" very briefly on two occassions; once on some ice and a second time on a wet curve.

I guess the other reason that I leave it on all the time is that I have forgotten that I even have it and don't give it a thought. I'm not sure that I would want to have to think about it. To get in the car and make the DSC ON/OFF decision each time is not something I would want to do.

 

I always drive with DSC on in my MCS. It does just fine. No complaints.

I do turn it off once or twice a year when on the track for the purposes of driving with it off so I can practice my skills.

I try not to do dangerous things and I have never lost control of my MINI with DSC on or off.

 

What minihune says goes for me also, except the part about the track.

 

I just passed break in so I'm babying mine...Need to learn to drive well first before I go ripping about without DSC.

 

>>What minihune says goes for me also, except the part about the track.
______________________
Ditto here. It's a feature your MINI has, so use it to your advantage. If you also drive a second car,make adjustments.

 

Mine is usually on by default unless I plan on some spirited driving, and it's a finger's reach away to knock it off. My main complaint is the huge bog that greets a slight slipping of the wheels. In bad weather I tend to leave it on.

 

I keep my DSC on the vast majority of the time. With MM2 and full H-Sport suspension, the car is much more balanced and neutral than from the factory, I can drive quicker and still keep the chassis within the strict limits of the DSC. Obviously, on an auto-cross or show-off burn-out, the DSC comes off, but how often do I do that? Auto-X 6 times a year, burn-out twice a year. Just because I know where the limits are, doesn't mean I need to push them all the time. If nothing else, I enjoy how the DSC keeps the tires lasting longer from not slipping.

---> Greatbear: I agree about the DSC cutting off power too much with wheel-spin. Power should be appropriately reduced, not hacked off. Furthermore, I do not feel the DSC is tuned to kick in after 15% tire slip (which is optimal traction, btw). I think the early kick in is the reason anyone would want to turn it off. But then again, if it kicks in early, it can help control the chassis better too. I suppose it's all a compromise. Perhaps BMW/MINI should introduce a "Sport" DSC mode

 

I keep it on all the time...

 

My DSC is turned off first thing after start-up. I drove with it shortly when I first got the car, but didn't like the unexpected restrictions it placed on my driving. My car doesn't know the meaning on bad weather as it never is out in it. I do drive the car pretty aggressively most of the time. Sorry, but the drivability of the MINI is the primary reason I bought the car. If I wanted to putt around corners I would have stuck with my minivan.

 

On all the time. Once in a while I will turn it off to make a hard right angle start across an intersection.

DSC can be obtrusive, but if you are fast and smooth (which is the same thing) it should not go on that often. If you autocross, obviously it needs to be turned off!


Regards,
Red

 

Red, you are on the mark exactly - smooth drivers will not activate the DSC as often as twitchy drivers.

On crappy north-of-the-snowbelt roads, undulations and potholes and speedbumps hugely disrupt the chassis more than any driver can compensate for, and it's in these rough road situations that the DSC is too intrusive.

Driving on The Tail of the Dragon in Deals Gap, you can leave the DSC on 100% of the time and never know the difference because the pavement is clean and smooth and all the corners are banked; the chassis doesn't get disrupted.