Dozens of specific answers to this question in many threads, including this one.

 

Not trying to stir up any controversy so please take this as a genuine "inquiring minds want to know" post...but why shut it off? Is it that intrusive that it interferes with your spirited driving?

I guess if you're on the track and it does kick on a lot, then sure, shut it off. Even with that being said, the video that someone posted SEEMED like it'd be a help even to those going to the track (with the exception of a very small percentage of mortals that have the expertise and experience to do a BETTER job than the electronics (I'm NOT one of them!). But maybe it's really robbing a lot of power and that's not evident on that video. But if you're just motoring around in daily life and you have it shut off, it won't be able to save you if you get into a hairy situation.

 

Yes, agreed - but that's the traction cutting in (which is a part of ASC and DSC).

To me the 'value' bit is the piece that will save your butt when going sideways unexectedly.

On the BMW DSC system, you could turn off the traction control but leave the stability system in place - that was a nice option.... that doesn't exist in the mini system.

John.

 

Visible things wil help resale - colour, stripes, sunroof etc. The invisible things aren't seen to don't regesiter on the added value scale to the average consumer.

My dealer typically didn't spec the cars on the lot with LSD. Some did get DSC - but not the majority.

John.

 

two off topic things:

I was just reading an historical novel and in it one of the characters wears a "hairshirt"....I looked it up and it was a very rough uncomfortable animal hide/hair cloth worn under your cothes at all times to make life difficult, as a means of self flagellation...I wonder if this is where the expression 'hairy situation' comes from? (see previous post)

speaking of LSD: I just reading last night in Discover mag that Dr Crick, who discovered the nature of DNA, on his deathbed confessed that he saw in his mind the double helix structure of DNA while being on LSD

 

Groan... Don't remind me of my age...

As for the resale value of DSC vs. LSD, I ordered both on my car, but if I'd been in the market for off-the-lot or used, lack of DSC would have been a deal breaker. Most people don't drive with it off 99% of the time, nor should they. I include myself in that category. Too much junk on Houston freeways; too many deer and dogs on the highways.

Case in point, we went on a drive with our local BMW club in our 530i. There was one VERY low speed corner that had some wet leaves. Our DSC wasn't working. Guess which car got a little out of sorts? And Hubby has 50 years of accident-free driving. Even he was shocked. We got the DSC fixed ASAP.

 

I have probably spent 40+ weekends on the track in the last four years driving an '87 911 with no DSC, traction control, ABS, or even power steering. It has probably accelerated my learning curve because I know immediately when I have made a mistake At Motorsports Ranch, where I have done most of the events, I have been off at every corner at least once. However, when I drive on the street I always keep the DSC on, the consequences are just too severe.

 

Under what circumstances is it cutting in? Is this under acceleration, or drifting a corner?

 

In a RWD, DSC is a must.

 

I suspect it comes from situations that make your hair stand on end.

 

I was referring specifically to acceleration on awd cars, you will simply get better traction and very little wheel spin so far less occasion for DSC to kick in (cut in is poor wording, just using it because it was used in the post I was responding to).

 

I think your both looking into it a little to deep, I always thought it was simply because a lot of hair (which one would call hairy) becomes hard to mange, difficult to get through, or find thing in. As that would pretty much be the definition of the phrase.

 

That isn't DSC. That is ASC. You can't not get ASC on a MINI.

 

Well, at least not since the R50.

 

I think you are not looking deep enough.

hairy: (adj) attended by or involving the possibility of injury, pain, or loss

That doesn't sound like long hair to me.

 

I should have said new MINI.

 

No thats DSC in every car I've ever owned with it (this is the 4th).

 

With the MINI, DSC isn't what monitors drive wheel slippage, unless the car has gone out of control. It has to be sliding in a direction other than the wheels point for DSC to get involved.

 

Um don't know what dictionary your looking at but as per Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary: hairy (adj): difficult to deal with or comprehend, or from Oxford: hairy (adj): alarming and difficult.

They are the two most popular dictionaries in the world.

The key word in both being difficult much like long hair is to manage.

 

Judge,

You're misunderstanding the difference between DSC & ASC.

ASC = traction control. It's the thing that cuts in when you accelerate too hard and there's wheelspin. That's all it does. It can actually help when trying to slowly climb an icy uphill road, but it definitely has its downsides, especially for aggressive acceleration.

DSC = ASC + extra functions, primarily "spin/slide control". This "extra function" technology can brake individual wheels as necessary in order to get the car pointing back in the correct direction. It does stuff that no human being can do (unless you had 4 independent brake pedals and the ability to adjust them in mere milliseconds!)

The point is... that although the switch to solve the annoying behavior may be labelled DSC (if the MINI has it), you shouldn't blame DSC itself when it's really the underlying ASC that is the issue. In other words, if you were to spec a new MINI without DSC, you'd still be getting ASC as standard (whether you like it or not) and therefore having the exact same problem. So it seems silly to not get DSC and the added benefits of the extra functions, for those times when you aren't trying to drive in an aggressive manner in good conditions.

If only ASC & DSC were on separate switches... but unfortunately MINI (i.e. BMW) chose to limit that flexibility to the BMW models only.

 

Anyone heard of a DSC system going bad? I guess what I am wondering is when a computer glitch or sensor goes bad what could happen? I hope there is a redundant system in place to prevent the computer "sensing" that the car is in trouble and correcting for it when it isnt.

 

Just a note as far as the accident avoidance. The MINI is an extremely stable car and unless the cars aren't consistent in the way you drive there really is no way you are going to loose the back end on the first turn of avoidance without adverse road conditions. Its tuned to get understeer right at the first go. Of course dynamically once the weight has transfered for the one direction you can turn it around with bad steering inputs going back the other way. The oversteer is really where the DSC is going to help you out, because for understeer you've already used up the front grip and it doesn't have much to work with.

So the main usefulness is going fighting against wet or slick roads or overdone driving inputs. Most people should never use it, but they are about to become federally mandated soon anyways.

Ive spun the back end around at autox once on a puddle and the other two times in the in the slalom which really lets the weight transfer get to the car. Ive managed to get some trail breaking rotation out of the car but when ever it gets close the edge the ABS interupts and it goes to understeer.

I would guess that the resale factor would be minimal because the used car market tends to be less safety conscious than the new car buyers. Since newer ones tend to be safer constantly rated on stricter standards.

 

If DSC goes bad, a light comes on the dash. One person reported that. Nothing bad happened, other than the dealer wouldn't fix it because the owner had the HIFI amp removed and replaced with another. They claimed the software update wouldn't work if the factory amp wasn't in place. Several people here have said that was a bogus excuse, and given technical reasons why.

If you mean would it throw the car out of control, I doubt it. The BMW lawyers have probably made sure they wouldn't open themselves up to those kind of lawsuits.

 

I had faulty DSC on a 2000 BMW Z3 that would come on sporadically while driving straight down the road and almost jerk the steering wheel out of your hands. Needless to say it was a serious safety hazard. After 5 trips to the dealer, the problem was finally fixed. Probably an isolated case, and I'm sure Mini uses an updated version of DSC.

 

We had the DSC go out in our 5-series, but it turned out to be a simple software error. No problem except that it didn't kick in when needed. I had the MINI's DSC go out, along with other things, when my SZL needed to be replaced. No problem.

Our mechanic (not dealer) said the 5-series DSC replace was mucho bucks if replacement was needed. We got lucky.