I've been a Mini owner for over four years and I'm wondering why it has taken this long for me to get it that my MCS performs better with the stability control off. Acceleration is smooth and linear. There isn't any sudden pick-up or hesitating. I feel like I have more control over what I want to do as a driver.

DSC has helped me to avoid at least one serious accident and I have hung onto using it as a safety issue. On the other hand, turning the DSC OFF provides better road grip and handling under both dry and wet conditions.

I think I'm going to be doing alot of motoring without using DSC. Is there a way of programming DSC OFF as the default instead of having to turn it off every time you pull away?

 

Yep. Install Ian's Auto-up (or the MCAW)

 

There's a device that allows you to make DSC OFF the default setting (as well as several other functions). Here's a link:

http://www.outmotoring.com/mcaw_mini..._auto_up_.html


Scott

 

I put Ian's DSC off in my MCS the first week I owned the car. I haven't run the DSC except two times in which it proved it interfeared with operation. For example, it a tight fast turn, it applied the front brake of the outer wheel. Now that almost made me crash!

 

What about ASC? We didn't order DSC with our '06 MCS. But I notice that when I turn ASC off, the power stays constant even if I spin the wheels a bit (which I believe is what ASC is designed to do....drop power when a wheel slips).

So my questions is....what exactly are you all feeling when the DSC is turned on? Drop in power? Brakes being applied?

Just wondering....

 

In 2 years when the government requires all new cars to have mandatory enabled DSC, you can expect the exotic old Mini Coopers without it to be even more highly desirable than they already are.

 

I haven't noticed a drop in power except for the occasional acceleration out of a corner. From a stop, it can sometimes feel like a "launch control" like F1 cars have.

 

I've been driving a friend's 2006 MCS which has the Limited Slip Differential, and I love to turn off its DSC...the steering is so fantastic!

I keep Wanda's DSC on in rainy/snowy weather.

 

Not at all, since it can simply be turned off. I don't believe the government regulation is going to also require the system is PERMANENTLY on, just that it must be supplied on every vehicle. I haven't heard that the on/off switch will be banned!

 

Thanks, this is great! Looks like I can lick the DSC on/off issue and have the convenience of auto-up windows as well. Ian's Auto Up & Track mode DSC is $48 vs. Outmotoring's $65. Is there any other difference?

 

I know of no other difference. Ian Cull is the originator of the Auto-Up with track mode. It's a plug & play install. Track mode is what makes Electro Nanny off the default. I've had one on my car a couple of weeks after delivery & I recommend it to all who want to drive their cars themselves. I love the auto-Up windows too.

 

That's good enough for me.....my order has been placed with Ian. I'm looking forward to the convenience and I'll just have to deal with the toggle switch until it's installed. No big whoop! Best of all......driving with DSC OFF has both transformed and enhanced my MINI experience.

 

I understand... and I turn my DSC off sometimes too... however I strongly encourage you to keep it on in bad weather (both rain and snow), because DSC will SAVE you in so many slippery situations, because it can do things that no driver can do (most especially braking an individual wheel in order to straighten the car out).

 

don't have my Mini yet, so I don't know how I'll feel about the DSC... but... if I do want to get this mod... and I like the Auto Up Window idea... does installing something like this void any of the warranty of a new car?

and oh yeah... i'm a total NON do-it-yourself type guy... for my types, how easy is this install?

thanks!

 

DSC is a non-intrusive feature (except for the traction control......lol). It only comes on when it registers that the car is going beyond the limits of grip, as determined by a built-in accelerometer. It doesn't reduce the grip of the car, it actually increases the capabilities of the car at its limits. You won't be able to toss the car around, but it will assist you when you suddenly find yourself in an over- or understeering car.

 

If anyone can take something that is inherently good and pervert it into something that utterly sucks, it's the government.

The article that I read mentioned that there'd be performance specs from the good ol' gov't that the stability control must meet. The intrusiveness of this system (and whether there's a defeat switch) will depend on how these specs are written

Rawhyde

 

http://www.cafepress.com/buy/DSC%20O...pt_/pg_/c_/fpt_


You want DSC OFF?

 

In 75,000 miles of driving--some of it very hard, including track time--I've seen DSC chip in twice and both times I knew what was going to happen.

Am I the only person that is not bothered by this thing?

dan

 

Most people's complaints about DSC (including mine) are actually misguided anger, because the most intrusive part is ASC+T, yet there's no way to disable ASC+T and keep DSC enabled at the same time. It sucks!

I keep DSC on 99% of the time, unless I know I'm about to power down hard and don't want the ASC+T stuff cutting in. I like a little wheelspin from time to time. As soon as I'm done with my "power move", I turn DSC back on again.

 

I'm sorry for needing to ask this uniformed question again, because I know it's been asked and answered, but I still don't get it.

If I'm not going to drive my car anywhere near the limits, the only time I think I would accept some electronic assistance would be during times of low traction like rain, or snow/ice.

I'm getting a Cooper Base. Which if any of these 2 options would be useful for me, asc or dsc or both or neither ?

Thanks,
Floyd

 

Nope.

But those of us that are not anti-DSC have given up trying to explain our viewpoint here on NAM.

 

Why not just get both. As stated previously under some conditions it can react much faster than a human and just may save your bacon. You don't have to be pushing the limits to spin out, there are many variables you have no control over. Black ice, wet leaves, sand, surprise decreasing radius corners etc.. Get every edge you can afford.

As far as DSC. I've never found the need to turn it off. It doesn't seem at all intrusive to me, rarely lighting up, and burn outs aren't one of my things.

 

This is the first statement I've read that makes sense to me. ASC = Annoying. DSC = Not very noticable. (I didn't know you couldn't switch them on/off independently. We didn't get the DSC option on our 2006 MCS)

Out of curiosity, why do you call ASC, ASC+T? Is the "T" for Traction? As in traction control?

 

That's what MINI calls it... the switch says ASC+T on it. Yes, I think the T stands for Traction.

DSC is absolutely fantastic technology that every car should have, and soon they will with the new government regulations. It has saved my bacon several times in bad weather (even when I wasn't pushing the limits!).

Now if we can just get someone to hack the DSC on/off switch to disable ONLY ASC+T (although even then I'd leave that on too in bad weather).

 

I thoughly agree with you. DSC is a safety feature that can really aid you in bad weather. I tend to shut it off during good driving days though. I seem to have a better steering feel without the DSC. But I wouldn't want my Mini to be without it.