Craig Wilcox had this problem with 235mm-wide BFG r-comps and now I've encountered it with measly 205mm Hankook R-S3 version 2's.

First, let me quote this timely bit I just read in 'SportsCar':
"I was wrong about brakes. I said to pound them. No. The attack on the pedal depends on the car. Street brake systems often need a softer initial pedal pressure. Booster delay. ABS gets confused." -- Randy Pobst

And apparently wakens the sleeping DSC as well:

This weekend at two autocrosses I wanted to work on getting more rotation in corners to improve exit speed by making it easier for this old man to avoid fwd wheelspin. So I raised the pressure in the rear tires and set about tapping or pulsing the brakes at the apex cones and it worked. That is, until I started getting aggressive with the pedal. Instead of steady sure braking I got an ABS-controlled pulsing pedal while running a good car length further than intended before slowing enough to turn in. And then with the front wheels turned sharply the car refused to make power until I had more or less coasted far enough into the turn to be able to unwind the steering wheel some.

I repeated this at the next corner and it did it again. At the end of the run I made sure I hadn't failed to turn DSC (and DTC) off. I hadn't.

On my next run I applied the brakes earlier and softer followed with progressively applying more force. No drama and a 1.2 second improvement when the DSC nanny stays out of it.

Please, BMW, let me drive the "ultimate driving machine."

Ps. No suggestions regarding a larger rear bar or mechanical lsd are necessary. This leased temperamental beast stays stock until I decide to buy it or turn it in.

 

Damn - you use the brakes???

 

I didn't the time when I forgot to turn DSC off. Drove the entire course without needing to touch them.

 

it's happened to me, but not for a while. i think bmw calls it "ice mode" - not necessarily dsc, just something with the car so it understeers like crazy, since front impact is safer.

 

I ran into this at an event last year.

I was running into the corner kind of hard. But with my speed I should have made the turn. The brakes instead decided to lock and sort of ABS on me. The car would not turn at all as the ABS was trying to keep it straight.

You can kind of see it in the video. It looks like I should be able to make the turn but the car just isn't working with me. If the time stamp doesn't work go to about 3:00mins. It happens around then. The part where I DNF and throw my hands up. I was confused.

 

It wasn't just the ABS activating, I'm used to that limiting the car's braking ability instead of enhancing it. The point here is that after I got it slowed down and turned sharply in there was very little power available for several seconds. I wish I had recorded it as I was holding the steering wheel in my left hand and giving a palms up WTF gesture with my right when coming out of the corner.

 

You might wanna try this. I haven't on a mini but did kinda on a 128 doing track days.


Disconnect the brake light switch ( only at the auto cross please!!!) It should cause a fault that defaults everything to go off line and not intervene at all as there is no input to control any functions. ( actually brake pressure sensor still live and so are the yaw sensors) but it's worth a shot.

The theory is that dsc abs etc etc are looking for brake light activation to start to do there thing

Try it first in a parking lot somewhere.

Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring

 

Interesting idea, but prohibited by rule in Solo2.

Brake pressure sensor? I was suspecting the ABS software was written to prevent tire lockup rather than react to it.