Noob Question: Does driving with DSC always on matter?

[Mz3-2010]

I was curious if driving with DSC always on either wastes more gas or wears out the DSC. Yes I am a noob so sorry if this is a stupid question :chuckle

I would have preferred it to always be off and only on when I turn it on but its vice versa. However, if driving with it always on doesnt change anything except give me better stability I guess leaving it on always is a good idea :)

[XTOTHEL]

I think driving with it always on has the same effect as leaving your computer always on. Most of it is electronic.

[Mz3-2010]

I think driving with it always on has the same effect as leaving your computer always on. Most of it is electronic.

So is it bad to leave it always on? I just forget to turn it off.

Would have been better if it wasnt automatically on when you start your car.

[XTOTHEL]

Maybe leave it on during the winter and off during the summer?

[stevenma188]

I think it's fine to leave it on all the time. If no slip is detected at the wheels, the DSC does not do anything. It "armed" normally, and is only "on" when you lose traction, and the computer has to retard power to the wheels and redistribute it. You never know when you will need it, so it's safer to leave it on.

[ovie8]

Since it is always automatically on ...i would assume that there will be no issues to leave it on.

Also, u'll never know when u'll need to use it, even in the summer. so just leave it on : )


So is it bad to leave it always on? I just forget to turn it off.

Would have been better if it wasnt automatically on when you start your car.

[Mz3-2010]

Ok thanks guys :)

[Sales 101]

I was told by a dealer sales manager that in winter you may want to turn it off. It detects slippage and reduces power to keep you in control. But in snow it may drive you crazy.

[essaarcee]

I was told by a dealer sales manager that in winter you may want to turn it off. It detects slippage and reduces power to keep you in control. But in snow it may drive you crazy.

But i thought we have the Traction control for that.

[billd80]

I was told by a dealer sales manager that in winter you may want to turn it off. It detects slippage and reduces power to keep you in control. But in snow it may drive you crazy.
+1 I have heard tons of complaints about dsc and traction control in the winter, apparantly it's going to be standard on all vehicles quite soon so I'm glad I bought when I did and opted out of the dsc/traction control pkg. Bottom line is you are not "gaining" any control by having it as it actually takes control for you, not such a good thing if you are a GOOD driver and know how to steer out of skids etc. properly, or get a vehicle unstuck from the snow. I don't think they really took into consideration the canadian winter factor in designing the dsc/traction control IMOA.

[wormburner]

Bottom line is you are not "gaining" any control by having it as it actually takes control for you, not such a good thing if you are a GOOD driver and know how to steer out of skids etc. properly, or get a vehicle unstuck from the snow. I don't think they really took into consideration the canadian winter factor in designing the dsc/traction control IMOA.

Bingo.
Those electronic nanny systems are designed for the MOST inexperienced drivers, and do nothing to help you learn the limits of your vehicle in harsh weather conditions. I remember when I turned 16 and got my first car, my dad sent me out to an empty parking lot in the dead of winter with a half foot of snow. I learned how to recover from a skid, correct a sliding turn, and brake effectively. Forget the dsc/traction control, and spend that money on an advanced driver training course I say.

[froggy]

Bingo.
Those electronic nanny systems are designed for the MOST inexperienced drivers, and do nothing to help you learn the limits of your vehicle in harsh weather conditions. I remember when I turned 16 and got my first car, my dad sent me out to an empty parking lot in the dead of winter with a half foot of snow. I learned how to recover from a skid, correct a sliding turn, and brake effectively. Forget the dsc/traction control, and spend that money on an advanced driver training course I say.

Agreed wholeheartedly! my sister has a car with traction control and it's almost impossible for her to drive in the snow. especially when you're trying to rock the car out of a tire track or such

[taz4432]

Any time I'm in any kind of vehicle with traction/stability control, the first thing I do is turn it off. Summer, winter, rain or shine it goes off before I move. I know how to drive in any conditions Mother Nature may throw at me as I *have* driven in pretty much any conditions were liable to see in Canada (can't say I've driven through a sandstorm, yet =P).

These electronic nannies just detract from the car-driver connection and I find, in winter especially, that it can be quite frustrating. I'm glad that my 3 has no such thing! Heck, I don't even want ABS but I at least recognize its merits.

[McGuyver_3]

DSC is their for a reason and if you have proper tires on your car you wont run in to the problem of the traction light flashing like crazy. I only ever turn it off when i want to shift harder then normal as the car also does a sort of fuel cut which makes it look like you are a jerky stick driver. As for the rocking in and out of snow if you turn the traction off in the mazda the front 2 wheels still move freely on the mazda were as on a dodge for instance will NOT turn as you cannot turn off traction. I was in a jam with a dodge thats why i know. Where as my mazda I NEVER had any issues with my 10.
For the reply of "i turn off my traction no matter what weather" Thats just stupid. The manufacturer put it in for a reason and i dont care how good of a driver you are. Its not always up to how good of a driver you are as it comes down to many different deciding factors. I experienced this just recently and no i was not driving

[gotak]

DSC is their for a reason and if you have proper tires on your car you wont run in to the problem of the traction light flashing like crazy. I only ever turn it off when i want to shift harder then normal as the car also does a sort of fuel cut which makes it look like you are a jerky stick driver. As for the rocking in and out of snow if you turn the traction off in the mazda the front 2 wheels still move freely on the mazda were as on a dodge for instance will NOT turn as you cannot turn off traction. I was in a jam with a dodge thats why i know. Where as my mazda I NEVER had any issues with my 10.
For the reply of "i turn off my traction no matter what weather" Thats just stupid. The manufacturer put it in for a reason and i dont care how good of a driver you are. Its not always up to how good of a driver you are as it comes down to many different deciding factors. I experienced this just recently and no i was not driving

Agreed. Even F1 drivers will tell you that the computerized cars drove better than they ever could.

But some people just can't accept there's limitation to human performance. Just like there will always be fighter pilots who say the computer will never take over. The uncomfortable truth is that modern fighter jets can't fly without their computers. In a FA-18 for example (and that's a pretty old plane, that's why we have it here! LOL) is a intrinsically unstable plane. It's only through the computers constantly moving the control surfaces that it even stays in the air. When a pilot stalls the FA-18 you know what the recovery drill is? Hands and feet off the control and just wait for the computer to sort it out. We are the weak bit in modern technology I am afraid...

[billd80]

Maybe we could have computers drive the car completely for people, in most cases this would be a huge improvement!! :chuckle
DSC only activates when it "senses" trouble anyway (skidding out of control etc.) it then can cut engine power or apply brakes to individual wheels to supposedly help regain steering etc. Traction control just cuts engine power to the wheels using one method or another. All the shows I see testing supercars etc. the first thing they always do is turn dsc and traction control off!! All I know is I don't wan't my car deciding for me in the event of an emergency situation!1

[taz4432]

DSC is their for a reason and if you have proper tires on your car you wont run in to the problem of the traction light flashing like crazy. I only ever turn it off when i want to shift harder then normal as the car also does a sort of fuel cut which makes it look like you are a jerky stick driver. As for the rocking in and out of snow if you turn the traction off in the mazda the front 2 wheels still move freely on the mazda were as on a dodge for instance will NOT turn as you cannot turn off traction. I was in a jam with a dodge thats why i know. Where as my mazda I NEVER had any issues with my 10.
For the reply of "i turn off my traction no matter what weather" Thats just stupid. The manufacturer put it in for a reason and i dont care how good of a driver you are. Its not always up to how good of a driver you are as it comes down to many different deciding factors. I experienced this just recently and no i was not driving


Agreed. Even F1 drivers will tell you that the computerized cars drove better than they ever could.

But some people just can't accept there's limitation to human performance. Just like there will always be fighter pilots who say the computer will never take over. The uncomfortable truth is that modern fighter jets can't fly without their computers. In a FA-18 for example (and that's a pretty old plane, that's why we have it here! LOL) is a intrinsically unstable plane. It's only through the computers constantly moving the control surfaces that it even stays in the air. When a pilot stalls the FA-18 you know what the recovery drill is? Hands and feet off the control and just wait for the computer to sort it out. We are the weak bit in modern technology I am afraid...


I have never once said that there are no limitations to human performance but there's only one way to improve driving skills and that's by practising those skills. And by practicing, I can come as close as possible to reaching the human limitations - so I will continue to turn off TSC/DSC/_SC/etc. and you can leave your's on. ABS is something I would normally leave on for road driving but I'd turn it off at the track if I could. Mind you, my ABS gets shut off by itself at the track very quickly anyways so it works out well for me.

P.S. I don't care how perfectly a computer can drive (it can't, but that's besides the point) - that would only be appealing to me if driving were just another chore but as someone who spends a fairly significant amount of time just 'going for drives' I can tell you that that is the LAST thing I want. There is no feeling like a nice, smooth, crisp shift or a perfectly rev-matched heel-toe downshift; or perhaps carving/cruising tens of thousands of kilometres of beautiful, winding, scenic country roads (as I've done this summer). I hope as members of a car enthusiast forum that you can agree with or at least understand my point of view.

[Rob23]

no one needs DSC in a fwd 4 banger. and if you do, dont come driving down my street plz.

[gotak]

All the car shows do tests on closed roads or on a track with huge run offs. Them turning it off isn't a problem. It's also not their car if they wreck it it's not a problem either. And even when it is those guys tends to be rich enough they can just replace it next day.

As for driving without DSC to reach your limit. Well as much as I hope you enjoy it on the track please don't do it on the streets. I just had knee surgery and spend a night next to a guy who was in a serious car accident. He had been there for months already. His legs were like sticks cause he hasn't used them in months. His skin was a sick yellow color from all the drugs and lack of sun exposure. His pain was so bad none of the drugs they gave him worked. Whenever the knock out drugs wears off he's moaning and screaming like a zombie. Do you want that to be you or that be anyone you love?

As I grow older I realized how stupid I used to think when I just didn't know better cause I didn't have the experience. Just this ACL surgery make me realize how shitty life would be if I lose the use of any limb. I couldn't do anything for myself for 2 weeks, couldn't even take a shower. Every little thing I used to do for myself like get a drink of water was suddenly a task I had to ask someone else to do. It was very humbling. I'd admit to tailgating and such before but no more. Just the thought of a life time of disability is enough to turn me off. I can arrive couple minutes later.

You might think you are the best driver in the world and can handle the car. Well let me ask you this. Have you ever hurt yourself? Why does that happen? Unexpected things happen all the time in life. Tomorrow you might be driving without DSC on the 401 and have to evade a tire flying off a truck. Do you think you can do it safely by yourself or would the DSC maybe just save your life?

Just because a car's a 4 banger fwd doesn't mean you can't kill yourself through lost of control. Tire on the 401, coyote jumping out onto the 401 seneca off ramp (this actually happened to me at 1 am one night) or some jackass in a fwd 4 banger who thinks he can drive cutting you off too close. It can all happen. Saying that is like saying: who needs body armour in Afghanistan, if you do don't join the army.

[taz4432]

All the car shows do tests on closed roads or on a track with huge run offs. Them turning it off isn't a problem. It's also not their car if they wreck it it's not a problem either. And even when it is those guys tends to be rich enough they can just replace it next day.

As for driving without DSC to reach your limit. Well as much as I hope you enjoy it on the track please don't do it on the streets. I just had knee surgery and spend a night next to a guy who was in a serious car accident. He had been there for months already. His legs were like sticks cause he hasn't used them in months. His skin was a sick yellow color from all the drugs and lack of sun exposure. His pain was so bad none of the drugs they gave him worked. Whenever the knock out drugs wears off he's moaning and screaming like a zombie. Do you want that to be you or that be anyone you love?

As I grow older I realized how stupid I used to think when I just didn't know better cause I didn't have the experience. Just this ACL surgery make me realize how shitty life would be if I lose the use of any limb. I couldn't do anything for myself for 2 weeks, couldn't even take a shower. Every little thing I used to do for myself like get a drink of water was suddenly a task I had to ask someone else to do. It was very humbling. I'd admit to tailgating and such before but no more. Just the thought of a life time of disability is enough to turn me off. I can arrive couple minutes later.

You might think you are the best driver in the world and can handle the car. Well let me ask you this. Have you ever hurt yourself? Why does that happen? Unexpected things happen all the time in life. Tomorrow you might be driving without DSC on the 401 and have to evade a tire flying off a truck. Do you think you can do it safely by yourself or would the DSC maybe just save your life?

Just because a car's a 4 banger fwd doesn't mean you can't kill yourself through lost of control. Tire on the 401, coyote jumping out onto the 401 seneca off ramp (this actually happened to me at 1 am one night) or some jackass in a fwd 4 banger who thinks he can drive cutting you off too close. It can all happen. Saying that is like saying: who needs body armour in Afghanistan, if you do don't join the army.

You're assuming I drive like an idiot on the street which is couldn't be more wrong. When I first got my G2, sure, I sped a lot but that's long since stopped. Otherwise though, I've never been an idiot on the streets and I don't see reason to be. I don't push my car to its limits on public roads and if I ever have any intention of doing so, I'll make sure it's far, far away from any people/homes/etc., i.e. basically what I'm saying is if I know I'm going to do something risky I'll do it where there is no chance of causing harm anyone or anything other than myself and my car.

With regards to being able to avoid a tire flying off truck, yes, I can avoid it DSC/TSC/... or not. I've done it before in a vehicle far larger and less nimble (and way more likely to roll) than my 3 without issue. I've also avoided animals many, many times in my 3 (that's what living out in the country does). With regards to the coyote, or really pretty much any other animal - if I swerve and crash, I get charged with an at-fault accident; if I drive through the animal it's 'accidental/not-at-fault'. Yes, if I can avoid it I will but I will not risk rolling my car to avoid something I could easily hit and keep going or at least survive. I've had to do it a couple times for small creatures on the country roads before because I have no intention of ending up in a ditch for a rabbit/turtle/cat/etc.

[shu5892001]

no one needs DSC in a fwd 4 banger. and if you do, dont come driving down my street plz.

:chuckle

[kckev99]

For the most part there is no harm in leaving it on when driving everyday. DSC does nothing when there is no wheel slip or loss of control detected.

If you plan to track your car you should have it off on the track. Having it on will keep you from learning the limits of your vehicle. The whole point of going to the track is learn to push your limits.

DSC in some cases may try to compensate for something you intended to do for example you may begin to experience some understeer or oversteer. An experienced driver will try to transfer load to certain corners of the car by either accelerating or braking at the same time trying to manage a proper slip angle to try to regain control. DSC will effectively limit all of these intentional actions as it would be considered out of the norm of it's parameters.

This is not the type of Stability control system you find in Ferrarri which are specially tuned to experience drivers and even then they have multiple settings.

Also ABS will effectively limit the amount of threshold braking you can do as well since were on the topic of electronic aids.

These features are all fine and dandy on public roads and are designed to save your ass when most people will panic. IMO it's probably best to leave it on when driving on the public roads.

I'm not sure what mechanisms DSC uses but assuming it manages throttle and brakes you may prematurely wear down your brakes on the track and add un-necessary heat.

[Jackal]

I tested the DSC in winter right after a snow fall. Just speed up a bit and the DSC and TC go on. I think it's a good safety feature. It has also worked when I accelerate too fast from a stop position turning left at a traffic light in the rain. Just like ABS I think they are nice safety features. What new acronym will they come up with next...?

[SomeGuy]

LOL @ everyone here thinking they're too good for DSC...I would consider myself a great driver and leave it on ALL the time unless I'm intentionally screwing around on empty roads. The fact of the matter is, DSC can do things you can't...such as brake a single tire to control a skid, you don't have that option no matter how good of a driver you are, only ONE brake pedal in these cars. In an emergency situation you're damn right I want my car helping me straighten things out and avoid danger. It does no harm AT ALL so long as your vehicle is under control and if it's not under control you're doing more damage anyway, so just leave it on! Idiots.

[Derek13]

no one needs DSC in a fwd 4 banger. and if you do, dont come driving down my street plz.

Ya you definitely do not need it but if it comes on the car why go through the hassle of turning it off all the time, f*ck it just drive.

[Rob23]

Ya you definitely do not need it but if it comes on the car why go through the hassle of turning it off all the time, f*ck it just drive.

exactly. im not saying if i had it in the car id turn it off, but i hear all cars after 2012 or something have to have a stability control system legally. including very small cars like yaris, versa, mazda2. i just think its unnecessary. but maybe my earlier post was a little overstated.