Im a bit confused about the hows and whys of the DSC system.
Can anyone explain when to have this turned on and off?

Do most of you keep DSC on all the time?
I've been driving with mine off, I like the idea of being in control of my car, but should I turn it on at all times?
or do you turn it on on slick roads??
db

 

I turn mine off & leave it off. Too many roads I turn onto have heavy fast traffic. Pulling out only to have the DSC cause the car to hesitate 2-3 seconds is worse than aggravating, its dangerous. I'm tempted to get Ian's window circuit just to have the track function (DSC off)

 

obivously having it on at all times is the best solution, because you never know when your going to need it. However, it is understandable why so many people are annoyed with it because, IMO, the DSC setting is a bit sensitive. So I can see why many people just turn the DSC off. One solution is going the aftermarket ecu tuner route and adjusting the sensitivity of the DSC.

 

I was mostly concerned about wether I was suppose to have it on, if I was screwing the car up.
db

 

You're not going to damage the car by turning off the DSC (unless you hit a slick spot and spin )

Have you driven with it on? If not, I'd recommend that and see if you find it intrusive. You'll see the yellow light come on, and will probably feel it. If it distrupts your normal driving habits, either change your habits or turn it off.
Mine either isn't as intrusive as others, or I drive more sedately (the wife isn't buying the latter) as I rarely see the DSC light, and even then I don't feel the big bog that some report.

I would definitely leave it on in inclement weather. You never know if the DSC is going to save you, but it would suck out loud if a wreck happened and you DIDN'T have it on - oh the 'what if' scenarios!

 

Granted, I have a Cooper, not an S. With good tires, having DSC on is not an issue. I even left it on when I was at a BMW club driver's education event on a racetrack (as the BMW club suggests). I only noticed it cutting power twice over the weekend, and those were times when I was driving poorly. If you drive smoothly, it's not intrusive at all (on a Cooper with good tires).

As others have said, it would suck to have it turned off and need it. And if you need to be at the limit of traction when you pull out into traffic, you should probably wait for a bigger opening.

Leave DSC on, IMHO.

I do turn mine off for autocrossing and particularly tight race tracks.

 

At the last DE I left my DSC on and it cost me about 4 seconds on a 1:00 course (best time is a 57 i think). If you want the comfort of having it on, but not the intrusive nature of the stock software I would recommend checking out MTH.

 

DSC is a great emergency aid, but in situations where you know you don't need it, like starting out from a traffic light, or merging into traffic, DSC can be downright dangerous as any slippage on the wheels makes the computer cut power, and you stop moving momentarily, which
1.) bad cause you might get hit by something moving really fast
2.) we don't have much low end torque, so your revs are now low, and you will need to get your revs up so you can accelerate!

DSC is especially more of a pain when your tires wear and they slip a lot more at starts.

 

I leave the DSC on all the time and have never seen the DSC light come on in my car. I might have missed it if it flashed but I think the addition of a LSD helps to tame the DSC. Last week I watched for the DSC light to come on after I shifted into second gear and spun the tires, but no light.

 

I don't have dsc, but asc as we all have, which also shuts power down if wheelspin. Recently I almost got hit buy a pick-up truck, because of this safety feature as I tried to merge into traffic during rush hour. I suggest using dsc, asc... when weather conditions are bad such as snow or heavy rain, especially in the fall. I have heard of a modification which has asc/dsc off when the car is started but can be switched on when wanted...

 

I have had DSC kick in on the MINI and on an Acura while driving on mountain roads. It jerked the car and unsettled it. I really don't like it and I turn it off.

 

I leave it on all the time and have no trouble ( so far) darting out in traffic. The only time I shut it off, was once when I was stuck in a snow bank in my driveway and I was rocking the car back and forth trying to free it.

 

I agree with this....In Atlanta I leave it on just getting from point a-b unless I know I am going to drive a little harder then I turn it off. I turn it off in the mountains. (It rarely comes on in the city.) We have been having strange weather this summer and it will rain on one block and not the other. The section of Atlanta that I live in is hilly and twisty so the insurance is nice......for me

 

All I can say is there must be different versions of DSC software depending upon the year or month or week of production. Mine is an 8-2002 MCS and I leave my DSC on all of the time and never have any problems, even when launching hard to get onto a highway. I can launch at 2,000 to 2,500 rpm and accelerate at WOT, shifting at redline, chirp the tire in second and NEVER see or feel the DSC interfere. This can be with either my stock 195/55-16 summer tires or my 175/65-15 winter tires

I auto-X several time a year and turn it off during those occassions, if I remember. If I forget, I soon realise it as it cuts in to limit wheelspin coming out of the corners. However I have never felt it apply the brakes while in a turn so I am pretty sure that it is just the traction control function that I feel and not the Dynamic Stability control.

The other times I turn it off is in heavy snow. I find that hill climbing is almost impossible with the DSC active. Again, this is to defeat the traction control function not necessarily the dynamic stability control.

If I were given the choice of being able to defeat the traction control without defeating the stability control I would definitely be interested in this option.

From my experience I would recommend leaving the DSC on at all times while driving on public roads, excpet in heavy snow.

 

I have ASC+T, I leave it on all the time, unless I have heavy snow to plow through.

I find on snow pack, or ice, it does flash, or stay on steady.What this does is tell me the traction is bad, and I'm being to heavy on the throttle.

Being smooth on the throttle will get you up to speed quicker than spinning your wheels. On snow pack/ice your going nowhere fast with the wheels spinning.

But if your going 60 mph, and you hit ice, and the ASC+T kicks in, thats a good thing. Wheel spin can be a very bad thing, you could end up somewhere bad fast.