Finally had a little fun with DSC off

[e1000]

Originally Posted by dmk08

So my cars in my early 20s were LS-1 F-bodies. Turned off DSC in a lot today for a little testing. Seems pretty tame and controllable compared to those led sleds but definitely will fling you around if you're not careful.

Is there some sort of torque converter in the DCT transmissions that bumps up the revs when you floor it from a roll in 1st? I spin up top and if I drop the clutch a little but if I just roll into it from 2500 I won't spin til 2nd. This thread concerns me that my car may be down on power.

Absolutely no torque converter in the DCT

[Reznick]

I'll admit, I grew up driving cars at a very young age. It was right around 1997 you started seeing traction control systems. They've gotten better & better and now they are to the point that they are a driver's(racers) aid .I mean no offense in saying this, but I can't help but feel in some respects all these drivers aids are giving younger drivers a false sense of ability behind the wheel and are only dumbing down their true control of a car . How many stories have we heard of a driver turning off the DSC and going right in the ditch or worse. I don't mean this to come off sounding like a snob and that I'm a better driver then you. What I'm trying to say is if turning off the DCS is something that is a thrill for a few minutes maybe you should sign up for some track time with a professional instructor. Knowing that YOU can control the car in any situation is a good thing & the ability to throw a car around and make it dance on the edge of control is true nirvana.

[Reznick]

Originally Posted by kmarei

I didn't mean to sound harsh, and I'm sorry if I did.
I was not singling you out, I was commenting on how a lot of people think if you turn off your DSC you are a death trap waiting to happen

But to further what you said
If you always drive with DSC, You're not learning, as most mistakes you make will be corrected by the DSC.
it's only when you don't use DSC do you learn that you have to be easy with the throttle in certain situations, car control etc
Other wise you can just mash the gas pedal very time and rely on the computer to regulate the gas, and take care of business
I can guarantee you that anyone that is a formula one driver etc, did not get to where they are by using DSC all the time

I can also tell you it took me 2 years of driving this car before I felt comfortable turning off the DSC
Now after owning an M3 for close to 4 years, I am pretty confident in my skills to handle it without the electronic nannies
BUT
When I turn off all that stuff, i am giving my driving 100% of my attention.
If not, then I leave everything on.

Well said

[DBH]

This thread is really funny!

I realize that I must be the oldest guy here - I learned to drive on 300 to 400+ HP cars with tons of torque, live rear axles and bias ply tires six inches wide (if that). Talk about snap-oversteer! This is what you had and you learned (pretty quick) how to deal with it. Now for me , it's a non-issue.

That being said, with DSC being so good and transparent, I generally don't deactivate it unless I'm out in the country on a "serious" drive.

[Drifty//]

Originally Posted by Robz26

Yeah. Max power, S6, comfort EDC, OEM Pirellis.

Okay, try a lower power setting. You'll probably find it enhances your control of the car and lets you give your passengers a smoother ride.

Remember, the Power setting doesn't change the peak output, it just changes the throttle response curve (essentially making the throttle more sensitive when you're barely stepping on it, and less sensitive at the end). This hampers your ability to modulate the throttle in a smooth and controlled fashion. And control is what it's all about.

Perhaps there should be a skull & crossbones on the display, if you disable DSC while in max Power mode.

[Reznick]

Originally Posted by DBH

This thread is really funny!

I realize that I must be the oldest guy here - I learned to drive on 300 to 400+ HP cars with tons of torque, live rear axles and bias ply tires six inches wide (if that). Talk about snap-oversteer! This is what you had and you learned (pretty quick) how to deal with it. Now for me , it's a non-issue.

That being said, with DSC being so good and transparent, I generally don't deactivate it unless I'm out in the country on a "serious" drive.

Not sure how old you are, I just turned 40,,,but I was thinking the same thing. I grow up with big horsepower cars and we had a lot of property for me to drive our old cars out in the fields. So I learned to slide a car around ."drift" it , if thats what you want to call it . I had a VW buggy I could drive sideways all day long. I absolutely LOVED driving in the raing and snow.
So when I was actually legal to drive on the streets , I had no problems with the 400+HP Chevelle I'd been working on. I just feel like the younger generation of drivers are missing out on something. There's something about hitting that perfect downshift, trail braking a little to get the rear end out and blasting through the exit of the a corner and knowing YOU did that.
But you are right . The DSC is so good, if you aren't confident with it off ,then don't touch it and just enjoy the ride

[S65V8]

Just had a little fun myself with DSC off, but this time I compared edc settings and power settings. Found that having just power on (non M) and comfort edc setting work great too.

[crazydrummer]

I feel like some of the people on here really can't drive lol. If you can't control oversteer in an m3 you need to go back and do some donuts in your high school parking lot lol. I've owned and e36 and now e92 m3's. the first thing I did to the e36 was do the traction control delete. These cars are NOT that hard to control if you have any idea what your doing. (At the very limit this is a different story of coarse)

[thetedderbear]

This thread is full of so much facepalm

[Kanweezy]

I had the DSC off the day I bought the car, it's best to get used to it fast unlike the guys who sit there afraid of their cars

[M4Now!]

I feel the same way about turning off DSC as I do about excessive excessive speed on a given road. DSC gives you margin for error - and you never know if you'll come around a corner to find gravel, or mud, or a deer, or whatever. Driving on the edge is exactly that - and maybe it will never bite you...

On the track I usually have it off, after a few laps to test the track surface. If you know what conditions you're dealing with, it can be fun!

Cheers

[mobius_m3]

Turn it off and let 'er drift!

[MRV99]

I will admit I read the first page of threads and then jumped to comment. I have read countless DCT off threads and being the "not hitting a curb" attitude I was staying away from that button. I started thinking back when I had my 90 mustang with 375 RWH(which was huge starting at 225 crank in high school) LSD and no traction control, solid rear axle with 275 meats on the back(sorry if I sound dated). I used to take that sideways all the time. Hell if I wasn't at the track doing 1/4 mile runs, I swear I was sawing at the wheel under full acceleration in a turn, that is what we did. So my curiosity got the best of me and the DCT was off and i explored.

Yes the car does get tail happy but maybe I am being a dick but I thought it was very predictable and what I expected and wonder is everybody crazy. It was not like you hit the gas and I was sideways out of control... Was I not really flooring it or was the 2 years of constant sideways in my mustang just that much education that I was thinking it was not as bad as all the threads read. I could be wrong but I didn't think it was OMFG type of experience. Should I put on my fire suit now?????

[scm6079]

@MRV99 - I have to agree. I read the first page (of this admittedly old) thread and about choked. Perhaps I've spent too much time hooning around while younger - or perhaps it's the time I've spent at racing school and/or track days - but I find the M3 very easy to control on the power. As soon as I was past break-in the first thing I did was drop off DSC and see how it handled in a power-slide.

I appreciate the DSC during the daily commute where the unexpected may catch you off guard - but it seems like it would be a GOOD idea for all M3 owners to find an empty parking lot and learn what happens when you stomp on the gas of a powerful RWD car... I've seen one too many Corvette videos on YouTube where some idiot crashes where they shouldn't...