Okay, I'm a little confused about what means DSC is on and what means it is off.

If I flip the toggle switch, and the yellow triangle appears, does that mean it is on or off???

 

Yeah, my only real problem with DSC is how it acts on launch. Nearly every time I pull into traffic, the car bogs down from the DSC, quite annoying. I DO love it on the twisties, though - it saved me from totalling Sprog II the other day. I just wish it was a bit more forgiving on takeoffs. I won't even get into how bad it is on takeoffs in the snow... but it ROCKS on icy-road cornering.

 

>>Okay, I'm a little confused about what means DSC is on and what means it is off.
>>
>>If I flip the toggle switch, and the yellow triangle appears, does that mean it is on or off?


If the light is on: DSC is OFF.

 

So, the consensus is that DSC is great in the snow, slippery conditions, and other situations that involve traction loss while you're under way. I agree. But it also seems that many have found that where it absolutely sucks is at launch. It approaches dangerous in some conditions like when pulling out into traffic. It would seem that some recalibration of the system is in order. You LISTENING BMW/MINI??

In the meantime, I guess I'll pay extra attention to disabling this rather costly option most times that I fire up the car. The funny thing is, I am now not-too-happy with two of the three pieces of the "sport" package on my S (the 17" wheels and the DSC). Gee, I should have saved the money and I would have been able to have a sub $22K MCS...and some cash left over to buy some nice wheels. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks for all of the input and discussion!

 

>>The funny thing is, I am now not-too-happy with two of the three pieces of the "sport" package on my S (the 17" wheels and the DSC). Gee, I should have saved the money and I would have been able to have a sub $22K MCS...and some cash left over to buy some nice wheels. Oh well, live and learn. Thanks for all of the input and discussion!
>>

This is exactly why I didn't go for the Sport Package: didn't want the big wheels, didn't want DSC, didn't want fogs (fabricating functional brake ducts). The headlamps would have been nice, but I can live without 'em. Honestly, the "Sport" really isn't too sporty all in all.

R

 

>>Okay, I'm a little confused about what means DSC is on and what means it is off.
>>
>>If I flip the toggle switch, and the yellow triangle appears, does that mean it is on or off???

When the DSC is off, the yellow triangle is illuminated to indicate to you to drive with caution, because the DSC is deactivated and cannot assist you if you happen to push the car over its limits. Here's a handy thing to that helps me to remember. In terms of motoring, roadside yellow triangular signs mean caution!

 

OK, I'm confused - the bogging down at launch SHOULD be a function of the traction control, not the DSC. So, are MINIs with only ASC+T having this problem too? Or is the "traction control" portion of the DSC program different?

 

thanks! i had a feeling the light on meant it was off. I wish it could be off by default!

 

I have experienced the same problem,,I have never taken my car to "redline" but have punched it to appx 6000 rpm's in 1st year,,and then shift into 2nd gear,,,and "boog"..if I go into 2nd at 3000 i can take it to 6000 rpm with no boog at all,,( also I have only gone to 6000 rpm in 1st and 2nd,,only as I want to keep my driver licence,,(and I am an "old man" ,,and 6000 rpm 3rd 4th or 5th gear is JAILTIME...lol

 

PDX:

now there's a highly interesting thought, using the foglight holes in the front airskirt to fabricate brake cooling ducts!
I agree with you, I could do without the foglights in hindsight. I chose not to get the sports package, because I did not want the 17" wheels, but I got all other parts of the package separately, including DSC and fog. I still am glad I got DSC, and will just turn it off occasionally.
BTW, even if you don't get DSC,. the car would still have AST (all season traction control), which is what is giving us part of our problem. As someone pointed out, DSC is more likely to kick in with LATERAL accelleration (I think), off the line problems and crossing traffic problems are traction control issues. Merging around a tight corner into fast traffic however could be a DSC issue.
Anyway, if I were to get a new MCS now, I would still get DSC, but I would skip the fogs.

SO, have you gotten anywhere with the brake cooling ducts?

TIA!
Markus

 

Should have save those couple hundreds buck for other suspension mod......I definitely would not be getting this option again if I had the chance to do it all over again

 

Not having my MINI yet and not test driving one at night, I have not had a chance to see the fogs in action. I have had fogs on my last three cars and would not want to be with out them. I hate driving cars that do not have this extra illumination to the sides and assume the MINI's do a good job in this aspect. As long as the wheels have fairly open designs, only those using MINI's on tracks or serious ralleys should run into a brake overheating problem. If I was using it for that, I would mount fogs next to my rally lights and duct air from the dam like has been suggested.

Again, not having my MINI yet I have not had a chance to experience the DSC yet but I am getting worried by these posts. I loved the DSC in my 328. It kicked in when accelerating hard only if you were pulling out at a 90 degree (thus the lateral instabillity to kick DSC on). Is this what most are experiencing or does it come on during a hard straight line acceleration? Once I was used to it on my bimmer, I could ease up ever so slightly on the throttle and go hard again to pretty much counter any sluggishness. If I was waiting for a small opening in a lot of traffic, I would turn it off. It did save me many times when taking the car to its limits. Also helped a ton when the roads were wet.

I sure hope the MINI's is not as bad as it sounds.

Regards,

 

i really like the dsc. the one thing that really pissed me off about my old car 98 altima, was that no matter what it was always slipping and sliding around. i got into an accident from skidding when the roads were damp, it was just bad news. i love the dsc cause everytime i feel like something is going to happen, it doesnt and the little dsc light flashes. i have never experienced it coming on when accelerating at a light. the only other time ive had the dsc light come on is when theres too much sand and i accelerate too fast. its definitely a good thing in wet weather but i think on highway driving it is totally useless though.

 

I would like to see some slalom runs comparing times with DSC on and off. I am guessing that a professinal driver would achieve better times wth dsc on than with dsc off anyone have any timed test runs?

 

After just completing Level 2 auto-x school, taught by the illustrious Brian Garfield I can say from experience that when auto crossing, one wants the DSC off. In fact, each instructor who either drove my car or rode shotgun with me made sure the DSC was off. Since runs are timed, one doesn't want anything that would slow the car in any way.

The car handles pretty darn well with it off...at least it did when I could remember the course, not hit any cones, etc.

It slaloms like a dream without DSC. Not having run the course with DSC, I can't tell you what the difference would have been, but I'm sure it would have been significant.

 

okay, screw you MCS people (just kidding of course, don't yell at me!), what about just the plain old MC people with DSC? Do they work differently? Or is it just due to your increased level of power that you are having DSC issues, especially off the line? I've never had mine go off from a straight acceleration. In fact, I have only ONCE had it blink, indicating that it was working on an off ramp. I couldn't actually feeel any real difference in the short time it was blinking, but I've taken many a ramps and yielding merge lanes rather quickly, and have wondered why it hasn't kicked in....I guess there's a slight chance that I just haven't seen it go off, but that's pretty unlikely.

Anyway, is there any possibility, they work somewhat differently on the MC v. MCS, or is it the heightened power that makes it more susceptible to go off in the MCS?

ryan

 

I, like wagsFTB, wonder if the MC DSC is programmed differently than the MCS DSC. I work the twisty bits w/ VERY little mercy, and I am usually much too busy driving to glance down at the speedo to notice the DSC light. I am delighted at the performanc of the car at speed, and have never even been AWARE of my DSC. I can rip into take-offs, and when I'm taking a 25 mph curves at 55 or 60, I've never felt any lack of spirit in the car. I have felt a loss of traction on several occasions when I really push things, but mostly I just feel the G's from the grip of my 16" run-flats, and this on wet and dry pavement- not yet any snow as yet. In short, my DSC seems to be funcioning in an almost transparent manner. Mind you, I'm not looking for 4 wheel drifts, and I suppose if I was, I might be aware of the light coming on. But when I'm navigating at an average of 85 to 95 through the windy parts and carving the curves with glee, I'm not aware of any DSC interference whatsoever. Perhaps mine isn't working...?!!

 

I turn it off always. Unless I'm on a trip or in bad weather, then I'm not throwing the car about so much so I leave it on. I don't mind hitting the switch to turn it off every time I start. In fact I like it, its fun to play with toggle switches!!!

~Joe

_________________
'03 BRG/W MCS Sport, Premium, Leather - Since Nov '02

 

Another MC owner chiming in... (like anyone cares )

I now leave mine off, always. It wes constantly kicking in when I was powering out of sharp corners and shutting down the fun, especially if the surface was loose or wet. Total buzz kill. I'll try it again if I ever encounter snow, but the light stays lit for now.

 

Have to say dsc does come in handy when u are driving along on a wet, dark and twisty road.....that about the only time I like the darn thing but I asure u that it probably did save my life a couple time in situation like that .....other then driving in those condition I always keep my dsc off

 

I have a Copper and an S the programming does not appear to be different, the power difference does seem to cause DSC/AST to activate more frequently on the S. Wags I think you have a CVT that would explain your not seeing the light activate it probably rarely does with a CVT

 

I like to see the light. So I keep it of and the hold on. More fun with it off. :smile:

 

Right. And that's what I was getting at when I started this thread; i.e., the programming for DSC seems to be rather unsophisticated. For one thing, it needs to be more sensitive to WHEN wheel spin occurs -- so that at launch, when you're probably not skidding off the road, it can not kick in...but if it detects spin/slippage when underway, it can take over. Also, it should be calibrated for the S's extra torque/power.

The system is software controlled, so adjustments in the programming should be possible. I'd be surprised if someone aftermarket didn't address this if MINI doesn't first. But, MINI's diddling with the ECU programming all of the time, so addressing the DSC issues shouldn't be something that we have to wait for indefinitely.

ARE YOU LISTENING MINIUSA????

 

I dunno... I have a CVT and I see my DSC lights flashing a LOT! Almost to the point that I am surprised how often. I leave it on though - the only times it seems to be really noticeable are times that I'm probably "pushing" a little too hard on public roads anyhow - so it is a good "limit reminder!"

Of course, it does suck when pulling out quickly to squeeze into traffic or something and it kicks in...

 

off