[silverado]

Originally Posted by CSL

less just face it BMW electronics are garbage.

This is a gross exaggeration, IMO.

[RGB]

DSC is designed to correct emergency skids that can happen from time to time or, probably, NEVER in the life of the car.

If you use DSC as a permanent lifesaver and rely on it in every corner...

[HoosBMW]

Originally Posted by RGB

DSC is designed to correct emergency skids that can happen from time to time or, probably, NEVER in the life of the car.

If you use DSC as a permanent lifesaver and rely on it in every corner...

i don't rely on it...

[HoosBMW]

but in case of emergency...then yes

[Rally guy]

Every body thinks they're a great driver. 80% of drivers think they're "better" than the average driver. That figure prolly goes to 100% of BMW drivers.

I can drive a rally car on snow and ice-covered stages for hours on end and win rallies. I can drive figure 8's on ice in a state of constant "drift" in an AWD turbo car at will. I DO NOT think I'm a great driver. I know truly greaat drivers and they are head and shoulders above me.

And while I am not a "great" driver, I think DCS is designed for the vast majority of folks who really don't know how to handle a drifting, spinning or sliding car. I'll suggest that 99.999% of drivers cannot safely regain control of a sliding car - let alone purposefully invoke a slide and control it. For all those folks - DSC is probably useful.

For me - not so much. I can feel it fighting my long-learned instincts and in the snow I'll turn it off. But that's just me. Rally drivers are a strange and rare breed.

Unless you have tons of "past the slip angle" experience - DSC is probably a useful thing.

RK

[Kuma]

Originally Posted by gunder

As good as DSC is, it cannot overcome the laws of physics. Learn proper driving technique (on the track) and know the limitations of your car. Don’t rely on DSC to take care of things if you lose control of your vehicle.

Didn't BMWExecutive prove the DSC cannot overcome physics fact in an earlier thread? I tend to cruise about, i like acceleration, but I try to be as safe as i can (I keep my DRL's on *gasp*). That said i think curbs need to be lowered so they stop rubbing on my bumper..

Is South Bay BMW what used to be Vasek Polak BMW? I used to get my E36 serviced there when it broke down every 2 weeks.

Wouldnt the appropriate topic for the thread be "I almost killed/damaged my E90"? Seems to be more driver error/miscalculation than the car.

Ed

[BK]

You guys need to play more Gran Turismo 4.

[BayAreaBMWFan]

Originally Posted by HoosBMW

to have some fun,

these cars are known for their handling...so why not push them to the limits..albeit stupid of me on the streets and not on a track...but in my defense there were no cars or traffic

The problem with these high speed turns is not the vehicle traffic but pedestrians. You never know when someone in the road you are turning into decides to cross the street. Because you are coming in fast, he does not have time to see you and stop. And since people are much smaller than vehicles and not on the road, it is easier for driver to miss them.

[Nikki]

you mean you almost killed your car

[HoosBMW]

Originally Posted by Kuma

Didn't BMWExecutive prove the DSC cannot overcome physics fact in an earlier thread? I tend to cruise about, i like acceleration, but I try to be as safe as i can (I keep my DRL's on *gasp*). That said i think curbs need to be lowered so they stop rubbing on my bumper..

Is South Bay BMW what used to be Vasek Polak BMW? I used to get my E36 serviced there when it broke down every 2 weeks.

Wouldnt the appropriate topic for the thread be "I almost killed/damaged my E90"? Seems to be more driver error/miscalculation than the car.

Ed

yea it used to be Vasek Polak...if i had DSC off i would have been fine...like i said earlier, it turn on, applied the brakes, then turn off...it felt like someone pulled the e-brake in the middle of the turn...i have driven like that before and since then with out the DSC and with cars that don't have track control and was fine...

[deltron]

I have a DTC button on my dashboard, but my CA said to turn it on only when its snowing, icy and rain if I'm really really paranoid about losing traction. I know DSC isn't DTC, but isn't DSC something that's just always on?

I haven't read everything in the users manual yet (2 weeks into delivery), still getting use to driving the car before I fiddle with all settings in the OBC.

Off-topic, the cruise control in the E90 is awesome (+-5 mph control), ACC has to be a blast.

[ward]

if you have to ask or don't understand, it's best that you never touch that button mr 3030


the CA meant to turn on DTC (hit button once) to get started when stuck in snow, once rolling you'd hit the button again to turn the system back on

[wongmb]

Originally Posted by ward

if you know how to control your car properly this would never have happened

if the DSC light comes on frequently you are cornering improperly

a well driven car can drive through a corner faster than a poorly driven one (and can carry more speed before DSC kicks in)

head to a school ASAP, this is not just for the OP but for lots of people on this board

Very well said. i agree 100%

DSC should not kick in and you should not rely on DSC anyway.

[wongmb]

Also heel-and-toe and downshifting are supposed to be done BEFORE the initiation of the turn. During the turn, you should be partial throttle, and in gear obviously. If you start slipping during the turn, just back it off on the gas a bit, then get on it and you should straighten out. If that fails or dont think it can be corrected, both feet in and steer where ur are looking (want to go).

Once the back car starts losing the back end, putting it in neutral (or downshifting) only makes it worse. Dont forget these are real wheel drive cars. You need power to have traction on the rear wheel. Downshifting may provoke too big a change in torque and starts the fishtailing sequence.

[BK]

In defense of the OP, he did say he'd taken this turn even quicker in the past with no problems. Also, it sounds like the rear broke VERY loose, as if someone had pulled the handbrake in the middle of the turn. Following that, his traction and tire pressure lights all lit.

Notwithstanding the stupidity of taking a turn so fast, it could be a bona fide problem with the OP's car rather than the driver. It brought to mind the experience of C&D when they tested the 330i along with other $35K (yeah right!) sport sedans: "... Then the ABS lamp lit. We tried to execute one stop on our high-desert test road and nearly executed a 360 spin at 70 mph instead (thus, our braking number is from a previous test). Shortly thereafter several airbag-malfunction warnings lit up. Maybe it was just a coincidence." Of course, C&D followed that up with, "Even with its dash ablaze in emergency alerts, the 330i wormed its way into our hearts."

Most likely, the OP's problem was sand or something on the road, so he exceeded the grip of his tires, and then exacerbated the problem when he downshifted/braked after he got loose. But if we want to give him the benefit of the doubt, there is the C&D experience, which sounds sort of similar.

[flipmde786]

C&D obviously had a malfunction-laden car.

Should've gotten an xi .........jk

[Krockit]

Yikes- Nasty. Glad you were not wrecked. Best advice I ever got when I wanted more HP early on in my Porsche ownership.... "Go do a driver's ed." Man, once you learn what the car can do as a direct result of having the skills to put it there, it's instantly a helluva lot faster car... Funny thing, I started slowing down on the streets after my first DE. Because of those driver's schools, I feel confident if electronic drive controls fail on either of my cars, I'll be ready. Good Luck with the fix and be careful out there.

[danglez1234]

i sometime piss in my car, because i too love to push it to the limit!