1st MINI no DSC-2nd MINI DSC. I'll never be without it again. It's kicked on a couple of times during the heavy rains we've had recently & I was sure glad I have it

Lois

 

yay for dsc

 

just say YES to DSC. It is the option that will save your butt someday...

 

Usually, I run with the DSC off, especially just around town but, if its raining, I always leave the DCS on.

 

Any opinions?

 

I hope you mean DSC, as ASC is not available on the Cooper, and standard on the MCS.

DSC is great for snow and keeping insane or unsafe drivers safe, but pointless for an on-track MINI.

 

sorry, you're right...now that you mentioned it, what's the difference between the MCS's standard traction control and the DSC?

 

ASC = All-season traction control

DSC = Dynamic stability control with all-season traction control. Measures vehicle path vs. your steering and throttle inputs and keeps you straight and true (and keeps from spinning/oversteering too)

 

KRGMini05,

For street driving, drivers of various skill levels, and for inclement weather-
DSC is recommended and useful to have on all the time.

For track or autocross most drivers turn DSC off so that it doesn't interfere with driving at the limit.

I would recommend having DSC. It's a good safety feature.

 

I have ASC on my Cooper. Is this something just not offered in the States? My car came in from Canada.

 

After reading into it, I figured out that ASC comes included when you get the DSC on the Cooper, but it's not a stand alone option. (I think)

 

On my 05 MC the ASC is included when you get the DSC. I'm not sure what the case was on earlier MCs. My 03 did not have DSC. But you are right, the MCs get ASC when you have DSC!

Lois

 

ACS and DSC are two different traction control systems that BMW has developed over the years. ACS being the older more outdated version before DSC (with more advanced features) was developed. Both are offered in the Mini line.

If you want to see what each one of them specifically does, you can read about them here:

ASC

DSC

Is DSC worth it? IMHO, it's a great safety feature for the price and the unexpected realities of the real world. When you're on the track, it's a simple step to deactivate it and drive the car to its limits.

 

DSC is a great option to get. If you read an article in the Feb issue of C & D it shows two studies which suggest that if every car in the US had DSC, deaths in car accidents would decrease by 7,000! Similar studies in Europe also validate these claims. I, myself, won't buy a car without this feature. As others have said, if you're on the track, a flick of the switch will turn it off.

 

Cool, thanks...

That's another option to check off.

 

A few more random tidbits of ASC/DSC info:

As mentioned in other posts, DSC is kind of like ASC-plus. ASC senses if a wheel is spinning and (cuts power and/or applies brakes? I'm not sure) in an attempt to maintain traction. DSC adds to this input from the power steering and the throttle to sense where the car is supposed to be going and try to maintain the line, or at least prevent a spinout. Someone posted a message a few weeks ago about passing a line of stopped cars, having one suddenly pull out in front of him, and going off into the boonies to avoid a collision. Credits the DSC with keeping it all controllable.

In light of the above, I like the DSC and keep it turned out 99.9% of the time. Some people complain about it, though. The 0.1% I turn it off is when I anticipate I might get a little wheelspin - like when pulling out of a driveway onto a busy street. With the bump from the driveway to the street, wet debris in the gutter, and maybe a paint stripe to cross at near full-throttle, if the wheels spin, the car does a rather disconcerting stumble-jerk-reduce power-restore power sequence that I really don't enjoy. It's not enough to be dangerous, mind you, but distracting at a time when I want to be focused on what the other cars around me are doing. (I've heard the pre-05s have this problem to an even worse degree than my 05.) So if I think of it, I'll switch the DSC off while I'm waiting for a hole in the traffic and switch it back on as soon as I'm up to speed. I also read one thread where some guy was complaining that he had gotten into a bit of a slide on a wet road and tried to apply power to straighten the car out and the DSC prevented that. And a few others (on mini2.com, as I recall) where people had gotten into off-camber turns a bit too hot, and the car spun suddenly, which they attributed to the DSC being confused by the off-camber nature of the turn. But for me (I like to think I'm a very good driver, but I also know how easy it is to overrate oneself) I leave the DSC on, anticipating that one day a crisis may happen at a particular moment when the car is paying more attention to what's going on that I am!

I have read that the MTH-Powerchip (or whatever it's called) will enable DSC on cars that don't have it! I keep wondering about this. If I look under the passenger side (right side) cowl vent, I see what I assume is the DSC unit. It has several tubes going into it, which I think are the four brake lines, another one labeled "PS" (power steering), and a sixth line I haven't figured out and whose label I can't recall at the moment. (Tillie's sitting out in the rain right now - sorry, baby! - and I don't feel like going out there to and popping the hood^H^H^H^Hbonnet.) I know BMW/MINI put a lot of optional equipment-type stuff on all the cars (such as the wiring for the alarm system) - do the ASC cars have a DSC unit in the cowl vent?

Since Tillie was purchased out of state, I had to bring her in for a smog check to register her in California. The smog check guy had only done one MCS before and couldn't figure out how to turn off the ASC/DSC. Apparently, the rolling road dyno they use for smog testing confuses the system. He said it would burn up the brakes if he couldn't switch it off! (Although I think there's some way the smog test equipment can be switched into a special mode for cars with traction control that can't be switched off.) If you take your car in for a smog check (or any kind of dyno run), you might want to make sure the guy knows how to turn off the ASC/DSC. (It's also a good idea to know where the CARB certification sticker is, on the side of the driver's side shock tower. My guy couldn't find it.)

Okay, I'm getting really off-topic here, but... I went to the smog test place the week before Christmas and they were really slow. My other car needed a smog test, so I took it in first, drove it home, got the MINI and brought it back. I was the only customer they had the whole time I was there. Anyway, the smog check guy was totally excited by my MINI. (It hadn't occured to me that the people working in smog check stations would be "car folk," but of course, that makes sense to me now.) He was asking me all sorts of questions about it, let me stand next to the car while he did the test, explained what was going on. Cool guy, but then I think anyone whole likes my car is, de facto, a cool person.

 

My 03 MC has ASC and I leave it on 99.9 percent of the time.Hardly ever cuts in,in the dry months,and now with snow tires only kicks in on ice,from launch.
Except the odd time on the highway when passing and hitting a windrow/drift at the same time.Glad it's there then.
I only turn it off when I have to plow through deep snow.
Wish I had DSC though.

 

It's absolutely worth it. I consider myself a better than average driver and I know what to do in the even of losing traction, but DSC saved my Mini from a crash barrier on new years eve.

It was night and there were no lights on the road.I was going down an on-ramp which suddenly turned to the left and got tighter, as I went wide, 2 right side wheels hit the salt/dirt on the side of the road and I started to slid sideways into the barrier. I kept the wheels pointing where I wanted to go and the DSC kicked in and kept me from hitting the barrier.

I look at is like its extra insurance protecting my mini.

Luke

 

While no one here...least of all me...would ever minimize the importance of DSC as an awesome safety feature, I'll chime in and say that I don't have DCS and, in almost two years of motoring about in my MINI, seem to be doing fine w/o it...neither have I encountered any situation that made me wish I had it.

That said, I have to emphasise that I do drive a Cooper, and the places I motor are really quite sane. The places I do have to "push it" have been places where DCS has traditionally been best switched off....exiting side streets and parking lots into or across traffic (...and the like).

In the final analysis, no one can say what's lurking out there on the roads, and, in general, it's best to have all the safety features one can available. DSC is one of those, so do get it if you can. Still, there's no substitute for common sense when the driving conditions are less than optimal....so don't rely on DSC for safety...it's just a safety net.

Personally, I would never be inclined to tell someone flat-out they needed DSC (...or Xenons, for that matter), but I do very much respect those whose motoring experience and enviroment makes these seem essential...if only or a little extra peace of mind.

Now the good old brake-light mod....yeah, THAT was essential!! I use that CONSTANTLY!!!!

 

I'm not buying those for added safety, they just look sweet

 

Go for it!!!!! My buddies that have 'em love 'em!!!

 

40k miles,more than 3/4 of that with the xenons lighting the way,they work great
and look sweet

 

With ASC, CBC and EBD, it seems like all the data and infrastructure would be in place for DSC. And there isn't even a separate toggle for ASC and DSC. So what would be required to retrofit an S with DSC? Seems like it could be as basic as swapping in some software, but I really have no idea what I'm talking about...

 

I'm interested in answers to this question - as a long time lurker, I've never seen this particular retro-fit posted here.

I'll post my MA's answer as soon as I have the opportunity to inquire. It's never as simple (or as cheap) as it should be though...

Gratefully,
Tatt

 

It was only $500 extra, but I doubt it is as easy as swapping some software. Should be interesting to know exactly what is added.

regards,
Red