How does our DSC button work?

[Soco]

What are all the different combinations of the DSC button and what does it enable or disable? Toggle versus holding it down etc...

I tried holding it down today for over 10 seconds and it made the DSC light go out entirely, but I don't seem to be able to get the DSC light back on. What should I do?

[AirWreck]

I'm hoping someone more knowledgeable will chime in and fill in the blanks, but there is something called 'DSC half-way mode'. I tried it when I took my 540 to the track, because DSC engaged was too heavy-handed, and I was too chicken to fully turn it off yet.

In a nutshell, DSC normal mode does one or both of two general things to keep your car 'stable', meaning moving in the intended direction: individual control of the brakes, and restraining the power applied to the wheels.

Half-way mode, which you activated, still controls the brakes but gives you 100% availability of your engine's power. So, instead of that familiar feeling, with DSC engaged, when you stomp on it, and the tires start to lose grip, and suddenly it feels like your engine lost half its cylinders, now your tires are going to spin because you have full power. But, while taking hard turns, for example, the systems will apply brakes individually, as needed, to keep the car going where you want it to.

Or so, that is how I understand it.

The instructions for DSC half-way mode are:

Where otherwise you might just tap the DSC button, and the DSC symbol would turn on, now you hold the DSC button on for around ten or more seconds. Release. The DSC light should be off, BUT you will know you did it right when tapping the button again does NOT turn the light on. I think you need to turn the car off and restart it to clear it.

[JackEatsEmoKids]

DSC Light off - DSC is FULLY ACTIVE

Just press DSC button(light on) - Half way mode(also known as Sport Mode)

Press and hold for more than 3 seconds(DSC light still on) - I hope you know how to handle your car well.

[Idaho BMW Man]

I've always wondered what that button was for

[racerx0911]

you mean i can unleash my car some more??

[JackEatsEmoKids]

you mean i can unleash my car some more??

Yes.

[nickMANDERFIELD]

so i held the button down for 10 seconds, turned off the car, started it back up, cant seem to get dsc to go off now

whoops?

[quacktoduck]

so i held the button down for 10 seconds, turned off the car, started it back up, cant seem to get dsc to go off now

whoops?

prolly needs a reset.. look in the glove box and pull the fuse and put it back in... should work...

[Fiziks]

it's either off or on. I've never gotten the 'halfway' mode to work, Pretty sure it's a fluke like the auto tranny reset joke.

[AirWreck]

it's either off or on. I've never gotten the 'halfway' mode to work, Pretty sure it's a fluke like the auto tranny reset joke.

What year is yours? It might be something on the later E39s; a later software version.

[Fiziks]

MY99, 12/98 build date.

[andyffer]

^ must be the year...

I'll try it on my car when it rains the next time.

[Fiziks]

I seriously doubt it's another 97-00/01-03 difference. I've never seen any hard proof, like a document by BMW or something similar. It's only been meantioned in vague forum posts where the time to hold the button down varies from 3 seconds to 15 seconds.

[curtnutss]

is this only for 540 or 525 also?

[andyffer]

is this only for 540 or 525 also?

ask yourself, "why would BMW do such a thing?" next time you think of something like only the 540 or 525.

[Paintballistic]

DSC Light off - DSC is FULLY ACTIVE

Just press DSC button(light on) - Half way mode(also known as Sport Mode)

Press and hold for more than 3 seconds(DSC light still on) - I hope you know how to handle your car well.

considering jack is a certified bimmer tech, he knows what he's talking about.

[Fiziks]

considering jack is a certified bimmer tech, he knows what he's talking about.

No offense to jack, but just because you have xyz certification, does not mean you know everything. A BMW certified tech has misdiagnosed my car many a time.

However in this case I'll take jack's word for it.

[ashamans]

MY99, 12/98 build date.

99 1/99 build date, no half mode

if you think you have this go find some sand.....a sand road and test it out

[chiefwej]

There is no "half way" mode on my 2003. If you hold the button in for some period of time the system goes back on, and stays on until reset. It is a safety feature in case you put something on the console that holds the button in. I put it on a slippery road and confirmed this. Don't believe it, try it your self.

[Petes540i6]

With mine, it defaults to DSC on (the light is off) or if I push it the light comes on, which means that the dsc is off, and there is no traction control.

If I start the car and push the button in and hold it in, the light comes on. However, if I keep holding it in, after approximately 10 seconds, the light goes off (much longer than three seconds, at least). I have been told that in this mode, the DSC is engaged with respect to its use of engaging specific rear brakes, but the DSC is off with respect to its cutting back on engine power in the event of wheel slippage.

This appears to be the case in my experience in a 98 540i/6.

[cal45fan]

Here you go boys ang girls: http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/131049

[nike001]

This must be a 540 thing...?
Even though i don't have a 540 can someone please tell me where this button is and what DSC even means? Just trying to learn

[chiefwej]

That trick MAYwork with an earlier model, but I am sure that it doesn't work on my 2003, 540i. I have tried it. When you hold the button until the light goes back off, the DSC is fully on and can't be turned off until the car is turned off and restarted. Like I said, go try it yourself. I think the "half DSC mode" is a myth.

[Qsilver7]

This must be a 540 thing...?
Even though i don't have a 540 can someone please tell me where this button is and what DSC even means? Just trying to learn

It would be the ASC (automatic stability control) button on your car. DSC (dynamic stability control) is the next step up from ASC+T in BMW technology and wasn't available on your model until later. DSC is built on the foundation of ASC+T technology.

If you have an owners manual...each is explained:

[curtnutss]

I tried it in my car- it works. but open diff sucks. To get the result as a limited slip you have to push the car very hard. I don't want to wreck my car.