"DSC off" option missing?

[BartM3]

Today I thought it would be nice to play around a bit and searched for a way to turn DSC off. After messing around for about five minutes I decided to go get the manual and learned that I had to press the "DSC off" button on the center console for at least 1 second.

After pressing the button for a couple of seconds... NOTHING?!?

Then decided to explore the M-drive but there I found the same: "MDM" is possible as well as "DSC on" but no "DSC off" to be found anywhere!

Some additional info: my M3 is a full options (EDC, M-drive, DCT, etc.) E93 first delivered in May 2010 (I'm the second owner, first owner was BMW AG).

Does anyone here know if it is possible for (i.e. a dealership) to disable the "DSC off" option entirely?

Thank you very much for any help you might be able to provide!

[bm11]

Hold it until the light comes on that says it is off. It will turn it all the way off. It is how you get into shift mode 6 and how you can enable launch control.

[BartM3]

I do know that, but unfortunately it is not working.

This is why I was wondering whether it is possible to completely disable this option through coding?

[mlhj83]

Don't have to mess with coding when there is something fundamentally wrong with your DSC button, DSC button should respond. Visit the dealership.

You Americans have very weird electronics . Different MDM thresholds, disappearing DSC-off setting, MDM being optional etc.

[///M Rakete]

Originally Posted by bmljanssen

I do know that, but unfortunately it is not working.

This is why I was wondering whether it is possible to completely disable this option through coding?

I believe it is as we were told this is true at the BMW event at the Nürburgring where we drove BMW's M3s, not ours.

[mlhj83]

Originally Posted by bmljanssen

I do know that, but unfortunately it is not working.

This is why I was wondering whether it is possible to completely disable this option through coding?

Why would you want to get coding to disable DSC completely? DSC is there to help you and others in unforeseen circumstances. Just visit the dealership and get them to fix your unresponsive DSC button under warranty.

[BartM3]

Originally Posted by ///M Rakete

I believe it is as we were told this is true at the BMW event at the Nürburgring where we drove BMW's M3s, not ours.

Thank you very much! I suppose that is the case with mine! On to the dealership this Monday!

[BartM3]

Originally Posted by mlhj83

Why would you want to get coding to disable DSC completely? DSC is there to help you and others in unforeseen circumstances. Just visit the dealership and get them to fix your unresponsive DSC button under warranty.

That is not the case. The "problem" is that I can not turn DSC off!

[mlhj83]

Originally Posted by bmljanssen

That is not the case. The "problem" is that I can not turn DSC off!

Yes, I understand you can't switch DSC off, which is why I'm saying that you should visit the dealership to get your unresponsive DSC button fixed. Some of the American M3s do not have a DSC off option within DSC setting of M Drive, but are still able to switch DSC off by pressing the DSC button. So, the fix for that is to visit the dealership as there is something wrong with it. Is it so difficult?

[Roulie]

Hey Bart,

Exact same problem here!
No quick fix at the dealer, they even put in another DSC Off button. That didn't work, also no failure messages.
My E92 M3 M-DCT, EDC etc is also ex BMW AG.
So I am very curious what you found out!

Thanks in advance, Martijn.

[pkimM3r]

im pretty sure its the coding, not the physical button...maybe a coding guy can chime in...

[JD3]

Originally Posted by mlhj83

Why would you want to get coding to disable DSC completely? DSC is there to help you and others in unforeseen circumstances. Just visit the dealership and get them to fix your unresponsive DSC button under warranty.

I dont think thats what hes asking. I think OP is asking if its possible that the dealer coded the car to disable the option to turn the DSC completely off. I dont think he was wanting to completely remove DSC, rather to remove the coding that doesn't give you the option to turn it off. (assuming, in theory, that that's the issue).

[meyergru]

Actually, there is a coding setting that disables "DSC off". Supposedly, a german car rental company wanted it - therefore it was ironically coined "Sixt" mode among enthusiasts.

Maybe, BMW has that setting on their M3s that they use for driver trainings and forgot to re-enable it. However, when I had a BMW race training, the instructors were able to disable DSC by opening the hood and then fiddling with something (they would not let us see what exactly) in order to practise drifting.

If there is a switch or plug, it may still be in the wrong position.

[jphughan]

Originally Posted by meyergru

Actually, there is a coding setting that disables "DSC off". Supposedly, a german car rental company wanted it - therefore it was ironically coined "Sixt" mode among enthusiasts.

Maybe, BMW has that setting on their M3s that they use for driver trainings and forgot to re-enable it. However, when I had a BMW race training, the instructors were able to disable DSC by opening the hood and then fiddling with something (they would not let us see what exactly) in order to practise drifting.

If there is a switch or plug, it may still be in the wrong position.

Interesting! I guess it makes sense to have a way to force DSC on in certain scenarios, but this is the first I've heard of it.

The DSC Off option missing in the M Drive settings started around 2011.5, I assume for liability reasons; the lawyers probably wanted to make sure that the only way to turn it off was to press the dedicated button for a second rather than as part of activating a driving mode. That option CAN be brought back via coding on cars that have it hidden, but that definitely wouldn't explain why the actual button wouldn't work.

I'll check the coding options on the DSC module to see if there's anything that sounds like a "forced on" option, though.

[jphughan]

UPDATE!!

Yep, there's a coding option that can prevent you from turning off DSC. It's in the M3DSC module and it's called ABSCHALTBARKEIT_DSC (translation: shut down DSC). By default it's set to aktiv (i.e. you're allowed to shut down DSC), but when I switched it to nicht_aktiv and started my car, lo and behold, the DSC Off button didn't work anymore. Switched it back and everything was normal.

I imagine the M School cars might have some physical device that accomplishes the same thing by intercepting the signal from the DSC Off button to the DME so they don't have to deal with coding, but coding is probably the issue on the OP's car. Too bad you're not local or I'd check out your coding for free. In terms of your options, you might be able to take it to the dealer and request a software update, which typically resets all coding values to their default settings. That of course assumes that there's an update to the DSC module in your car (otherwise the updater will skip it and not touch settings) and that the car hasn't had some deeper coding that actually causes DSC shutdown disabled to be the default setting, like some custom VO code.

EDIT: I'm curious, can you even get MDM with your car's current setup, or are you forced to keep DSC fully engaged? I forgot to test that when I was toying around with my car.

[deloydan]

It is how you get into shift mode 6 and how you can enable launch control.

[BartM3]

Late update:
Yes, in my case it turned out to be a coding issue! In order to enable DSC OFF my dealership had to request a special code at BMW Germany which did the trick! Additionally I took the opportunity to have my start/stop permanently disabled!

Hope this helps! If you need any more info, just send me a PM!

[BPMSport]

DSC OFF was removed from the M-Drive settings sometime in 2012. Most cars before that will have it, and it can be re-enabled with coding.

[meyergru]

Correct, but that is a different setting, called "DSC_IN_MDRIVE", which is "nicht_aktiv" in that case. There are also DSC_MENUE, DSC_OFF_CIC, DSC_VARIANTE, DSC_SWITCH and ABSCHALTBARKEIT_DSC.

Matter-of-fact, there is an e-word "SIXT" (not joking). If that is removed from the vehicle order, a later software update would not disable DSC again.

BTW: I would not disable Start/Stop completely, just enable the memory setting: MSA_MEMORY - or better, add "OMSA" to the v.o.. With that, the car will retain the last setting (see SIB 121512), as is the default for newer M cars.

[Roulie]

Thanks guys for your inputs!

@jphughan, yes I am able to drive the car in MDM mode.

@BartM3 I'll will send you a PM, because and although past experiences have shown that I am not a good enough driver, it would be nice to play a little and use the launch control every now and then ; ) Therefore DSC OFF should work on my car as wel.

[///M Rakete]

I have driven many Sixt rental M3s. Unfortunately it never occurred to me to turn DSC off just to see if I could. However the admonishment I received when I rented one from the downtown Frankfurt location leaves me with no doubt that they would have such a feature. Too funny. Likewise when driving BMW's provided M3s on the 'Ring it never occurred to me to try it.

Then again I put a perfectly good BMW M6 into the wall at the Chicane with DSC on. Yes, shameful. And BMW has subsequently changed the terms and conditions of their English Driving Experience contract because the deductible they claimed was there wasn't.

[e92ben]

This is very odd. But you never know. My e60 m5 (six speed manual) had to get coded to fully disable the traction control.