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What is and how DSC Works

By BMW Tech Al. Read Bio
February 6th, 2009 | Car Tips | 10 comments
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What is DSC

DSC, short for Dynamic Stability Control is a suspension control system which goes beyond the single components of ABS, Cornering Brake Control (CBC) and Automatic Stability Control. It works by monitoring each wheel speed individually along with yaw rate and longitudinal and lateral acceleration through various sensor.

The DSC module also receives information from vehicle speed and engine speed, throttle position, brake pedal position/force and the steering angle sensor. All of this information collected is fed to the DSC control module and process.

Photo Source: eBay

Photo Source: eBay

The DSC computer constantly calculates an ideal driving condition that is compared with the current status. If the vehicle oversteers or understeers, the calculated ideal deviates from the measured status, and DSC will intervene within a few milliseconds via the engine management system by either applying brakes at different wheels, cutting fuel, and a few other methods that are too detailed for this short presentation

The DSC system can be deactivated via the center console button.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, DSC stands for Dynamic Stability Control and DTC is Dynamic Traction Control. If the DSC button in your dashboard is pressed once, the DSC system will be deactivated. To deactivate DTC, the button needs to be held for a few seconds longer.

DSC is a great safety feature in any car and it has and will save many cars and their passengers.

Here is the DSC in action:

[swf]http://videos.streetfire.net/vidiac.swf?video=b8f2e701-faa8-40dd-9db9-49213393f24e[/swf]

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  • Frederico Silva

    what is being showed in that picture??

  • http://DSCbummer Hoiser

    The DSC feature is the bane of my E46 existence. In Seattle on hills during rain it can cut power so severely to the engine on slippery streets that the car’s engine feels like it is at the point of practically dying. I wish BMW would give me the option of controlling the degree of DSC’s severity, other than just on/off.

  • Tom

    @ Hoiser: BMW does let you control the degree of DSC, sort of (excluding xi models). Press quickly and I believe it turns off DSC but leaves ASC on. Hold down DSC for 8 sec(?) and it turns off DSC and ASC.

    • Conallmacallister

      absolutely current

  • bmwtechal

    @Frederico Silva:
    i dont know.

  • http://www.bmwblog.com Horatiu B.

    @Frederico Silva: Just a photo that we decided to use….I don’t think it represents anything.

  • Alan

    It is snowy in Scotland right now, and I turned on my DSC (330d) going up a slight snowy (thankfully wide) road in Aberdeen today. Bad move. The car within about 5 seconds had kicked out the rear end about 30 degrees! (driving straight on a straight road)I had to react pretty quick to steer into and correct it. Within another 5 seconds the same happened, the tail kicked out (either FR brake or RL accelerate) and again I had to correct it pretty quick. It was pretty darnn severe. DONT PLAY WITH IT WHEN ITS SLIPPY!

  • Guest

    مرگ بر خامنه ای

  • Brianlynn2

    My warning light showing DTC deactivated has come on Does anybody know how to reactivate this

    • Asdf

      fix one of your ABS sensors.

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