Oops,I guess im too late. haha

 

COOL! Good luck with the car!

 

Manual says shut if off
No silly NO DSC NO ASC AND summer tires, 3' deep on those unplowed Barrington Hills roads No issues whatsoever!

 

I suggest you read the manual again, and more closely.

It says to turn it off if you need to rock the car free from a standstill in deep snow - and once you are moving to immediately turn it back on again.

Please stop spreading bad information.

 

Regarding DSC and snow: I find the DSC to make snow driving just so much easier. Turning it off results in all kinds of wheelspin. With the DSC on, it's almost like driving in dry, or at least wet, and not snowy, conditions. I'm not Mr Boy Racer, and even less so in the snow.

The points about DSC making the car bog on dry roads is interesting. I will have to try the car with the DSC off (if it ever stops raining) and see if it pulls harder.

BTW, I got a tire to chirp in the wet while making a left turn last night, with the DSC on, as it usually is. I'll have to find an empty parking lot one night in the wet to test out the DSC on and off.

 

Ice in Iowa today, DSC,Even with great snow tires , absolutely necessary.

 

Ok, so you gotta tell us, what color is it that you looking to get? I am interested to know.

<saracasm>
then, maybe that way we can all start debating the safety aspects of different colors. Cuz ya know a cuzin of a buddy, who knew this guy at 31 flavors had a black car in a hot climate and one day went out to his car and right as he sat inside of the car ... WHAMO ... he spontaneously combusted. Really, I swear...

So maybe you don't want to get a black MINI
</sarcasm>

 

That's only because he was on his cell phone while filling the gas tank.

 

...with the DSC off...

(Detonation: Spontaneous Combustion)

 

if you look at the national highway safety website, they are trying to put in the next mandatory safety requirement of DSC in all cars. The bad thing is that I bet it will be unable to turn off once the law is in place.

the laws they passed were: seatbelts with a shoulder for front, airbag driver, airbag passenger, auto-seatbelts which was repealed for user incompliance/nuisance/not safe in real life, and now DSC. it makes very few requirements for safety devices. it normally goes over 10 years without a major addition. It believes that over 30% of accidents can be avoided with dsc being in place. that is enormous. airbags only assist in collisions about 10% of the time. DSC is 3x more of a safety device than an airbag according to govt studies. (front airbags tested, not the mini shroud ones that fit the whole cabin, those are much less studied)

 

I am a new mini owner and I have heard some owners talk about turning off the dynamic stabitity control for better performance, is this a good idea? why or why not? Your thoughts please.

 

It only bothers you when you are under real hard acceleration from a dead stop or pulling out and turning at the same time. It cuts the power to keep the tires from spinningm leaves you hanging. It is great when already on the road. It will actually cut the power in a hard 1st to 2nd shift. You can search on dsc and find out more about it.

 

If you live in a hilly area, you might want to turn if off if you have to stop on a hill. Taking off will almost feel like your going to stall, because it will not let you accelerate like you might want to.

 

Generally on dry pavement under full power I have found that the DSC over reacts and completely cuts off power rather than modulating slowly. This can actually cause a stalling sensation and can be dangerous if you are trying to turn left through traffic, for example. I have therefore installed Ian's (GBMini)auto DSC off circuit. I do turn the DSC back on religously when the road surface is slippery (rain, ice, now).

 

DSC helps keep the car under control, going in the direction you are steering. If you turn it off, you are saying that you don't want any help, and it's fine if the wheels lose traction and spin. If you like to slide around and wear out your tires, this is great.

With manual transmission, if you stop on a hill, DSC-ON will keep the brakes applied for 2 seconds while you step on the gas and release the clutch. This is very handy when people insist on tailgating at a stop on a hill. In this case the DSC saves your clutch because you don't have to ease it out to keep from backsliding.

If you don't mind backsliding, turn off the DSC, and you have a "normal" car with no help on the hill stop.

 

that hill assist thing is only on the new models.

 

Faux pas noted. "New Mini owner" doesn't necessarily mean "owner of a new Mini."

Thanks.

 

[quote=oldsbear;1712899]

With manual transmission, if you stop on a hill, DSC-ON will keep the brakes applied for 2 seconds while you step on the gas and release the clutch. This is very handy when people insist on tailgating at a stop on a hill. In this case the DSC saves your clutch because you don't have to ease it out to keep from backsliding.
quote]

What year did that start? My 04 sure doesn't have that...although I'd like it!

I've found that bumpy roads and cracked road surfaces will also trigger my DSC when accelerating. A lot of ramps here are pretty cracked up, so when you punch it up the ramp the tires bounce and you lose power. I've resorted to turning off the DSC unless it's raining. I suppose I should just buckle down and get Ian's auto-off switch.

 

[QUOTE=chpsk8;1712936]I'm afraid I don't know when it started It's on my 07 MCS. It has saved my nerves and my Mini's clutch numerous times.

 

Statement: "If you turn it off, you are saying that you don't want any help, and it's fine if the wheels lose traction and spin.
Comment: "Yes, I don't want help and wheels may lose traction & spin."

Statement: "If you like to slide around and wear out your tires, this is great."
Comment: "Yes, this is one of the joys of driving a spirited auto or motorcycle."

 

I was going to say, that certainly never happened on my R53

 

I wish a Vendor would come out with a "1st gear" override since I think it works well in other gears.

It's extremely annoying when you pull out in front of traffic & the car bogs!

 

On dry pavement, experienced drivers can modulate the throttle better than the computer. That's why most of them turn it off when they autoX or road race.

 

DSC can mess up you if you are tearing around or need to floor it from a standing position.

however, once you reach above 40mph, it can save your life if you keep on driving and trying to point in a direction that will exit the bad situation.

Also, my DSC helps a lot in ice and snow. A LOT. HUGE. i have a mcs, lsd, dsc. I am the snow bandit without snow tires

 

Statement:"On dry pavement, experienced drivers can modulate the throttle better than the computer."
Comment: "Agreed. That's why my DSC remains turned off 99.9% of the time."