Traction On/off?

[1on135_deal]

Wondering what setting you guys often drive with on a regular basis?

[MarkR171]

DSC completely off.

I have some sort of a "pre-flight" check in my car every time I drive.

1. Start the car
2. Sport Button
3. Hold down DTC to turn off DSC completely
4. Lever down, left, then tap forward to M1 mode

[1on135_deal]

while normal cruising also

[MarkR171]

Yes, always. DSC only stays on if it's pouring rain.

[1on135_deal]

!

[Black Sheep]

I drive with it on all the time unless I'm at the drag strip. If you are not an experienced rwd driver, id recommend leaving it on

[BrokenVert]

Leaving it on on public roads is a good idea for 2 reasons

1) why are you pushing it hard enough that dtc on or off makes a difference

2) that light gets annoying

[MarkR171]

I don't notice the light and there is a noticeable difference in throttle response. If the roads are dry, the car isn't going to just spin out uncontrollably everywhere anyway.

[N55_BBM]

I just leave it on the whole time and when I'm on the track I leave DTC on (because I'd probably crash into a wall if I don't).

I find there's no reason to leave it all off when doing my daily driving unless I want to do donuts on a parking lot.... I rarely see traction control kicking in unless the road's wet/icy (unless i slam the gas at full lock which is stupid), so there really is no reason to turn it off. Yes, throttle response changes a tiny little bit but unless you're drag racing or at a racetrack I really don't see how it would affect daily driving at all..

better safe than sorry, I'd rather keep it on...

[bluesunit]

DCT off unless weather sucks or I'm just cruising.

DSC on at all times except when autocrossing on slicks.

On street tires (Hankook V12s, don't know if it's the same for stickier streets), I found that the car is faster with DSC on as it limited on-throttle understeer.

Car does feel a little dopey if you punch it with DTC on.

With DSC on/DTC off, stability intervention is very progressive and it will let you get a little out of shape before it reels you in ("fun and safe").

This is a really nice considering many cars hit you with the brutal fuel-cut punish stick as soon as you even slightly spin the tires (looking at you, Infiniti).

Quick edit: My stability control was broken for about a month and a half while I waited to get my steering angle sensor replaced. During that month it poured frequently. The 135i is very, very predictable and neutral with no nannies on and is not trying to actively kill you (looking at you Corvette and s2000). You'd have to be driving like a complete and utter dumb-ass to get yourself in too deep. (Consider that a warning if you are a dumb-ass )

[Rico135i]

Originally Posted by bluesunit

DCT off unless weather sucks or I'm just cruising.

DSC on at all times except when autocrossing on slicks.

On street tires (Hankook V12s, don't know if it's the same for stickier streets), I found that the car is faster with DSC on as it limited on-throttle understeer.

Car does feel a little dopey if you punch it with DTC on.

With DSC on/DTC off, stability intervention is very progressive and it will let you get a little out of shape before it reels you in ("fun and safe").

This is a really nice considering many cars hit you with the brutal fuel-cut punish stick as soon as you even slightly spin the tires (looking at you, Infiniti).

I second this post... exactly how I feel and is what I do

[N55_BBM]

ok just clarification here, correct me if i'm wrong but I thought "DTC on" is when you press the DTC button and you get the DTC light on the dashboard (aka fun and safe mode). I thought DTC "off" meant factory settings (idiot-proof mode)

[N55_BBM]

yes, I was right . Read the posts #3 and #13:

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250656

1) Default = DSC Mode
2) Fun = DTC ON
3) Scary = All of (DSC and DTC off)

Just so we get clarification on verbiage

[MarkR171]

DSC off isn't scary by any means... It takes a lot to get the car out of shape... For daily driving, I'll admit, you won't notice much between DTC on and DSC all off. I go back and forth between the 2 depending on whether I'm too lazy to wait 5 seconds on the DTC button or not

DTC is safer as it will limit both under and oversteer at speeds until you get more familiar with the car's (and your) limits.

Maybe it's because I don't have the RFTs anymore and I have a beefy front sway, but DSC off is completely controllable. The only time it can get scary is if you give too much throttle through a tight corner and the back end comes out with power... but you won't do that by accident, even with a tune. Or, if you go into a corner too fast, the car will push... but you won't be doing that in every day driving either.

Of course, if you don't really care, just don't touch the traction control and leave it alone on an every day basis. Do an HPDE or AutoX to try the car out with DSC off and find what happens at the limit. I used to autox with DTC on thinking it would be faster, but the more I got used to it, the more I was able to pick up on how much it was slowing the car down. DSC off is just so much more fun, and not scary at all unless you don't know what you're doing behind the wheel.

[Robert135iDCT]

Today I was at a light and a friend pulled up in his Infiniti G37. He has 30 more horses and weights more (but I had a large passenger which nearly equalized the weight). At the start, my 135i w/ DCT seemed to really bog down at the beginning. I think I got some wheel spin then DCT probably kicked in. He got a really nice start on me and I was unable to catch him before we reached 60. Should I have turned DCT off? Should I have started lightly on the throttle to avoid wheel spin? I have launch control, but didn't have time for the sequence and don't want to do that to my clutch anyway. Non-flaming suggestions?

[GaryS]

For me, DSC = Dynamic Street Control and DTC = Dynamic Track Control, and DSC Off is for drifting. I also use DTC getting started in snow.

I haven't tried DSC Off on a track, because the BMWCCA won't let me, maybe later this year.

adding: I will have a limited slip diff pretty soon. I expect the DSC setting will make a lot less difference.

[Lubo]

I always drive without any traction. Be it snow, rain, or track. I would actually pay money to someone to come up with a software where

default = all traction off
one click = DTC
5 second = DSC

[N55_BBM]

Originally Posted by Robert135iDCT

Today I was at a light and a friend pulled up in his Infiniti G37. He has 30 more horses and weights more (but I had a large passenger which nearly equalized the weight). At the start, my 135i w/ DCT seemed to really bog down at the beginning. I think I got some wheel spin then DCT probably kicked in. He got a really nice start on me and I was unable to catch him before we reached 60. Should I have turned DCT off? Should I have started lightly on the throttle to avoid wheel spin? I have launch control, but didn't have time for the sequence and don't want to do that to my clutch anyway. Non-flaming suggestions?

LOL you're getting nowhere if you try to launch with traction control, it'll just cut off all of your power. Turn it all off when doing that or at least press the DTC button once. You should be able to beat a G37 with your eyes closed... Especially with DCT

And for the record DCT = dual clutch transmission, and DTC = dynamic traction control. Don't get them mixed up!

[MrBlonde]

Factory settings on the street.

[pixelblue]

^ ditto

[1on135_deal]

really interesting the different types of driving styles we have. I just had my rear end kick out really bad shifting from 2nd to 3rd with full revs with (DSC and DTC off) so I want to see what the sweet setting was. Looking forward to summer maybe better traction then. Also they one reason i do like the 1M limited slip, this car needs it, i have the m button programed on my m3; so kills traction but never has the rear end kicked out that bad i was what the hell amazing but scary, i corrected my way out of it. But lets face it even the best race car drivers crash.

[chachacha28]

Originally Posted by pixelblue

^ ditto

x3

except once, i went to an empty parking lot and did a donut.