Driving in snow. DSC on or off?

[BRGcoopahS]

How do you guys manage in snow storms? Do you leave DSC on to be "safe" or do you turn it off so you don't get stuck? I personally drive with it off 95% of the time. Only when I really feel I need it do I turn it on.

[HokieZHP]

With my 335 I turn on DTC but don't disable it completely. With the traction control on, I was stranded on a hill because it cut in when I had wheel slip and I lost my momentum. With DTC on, I can slip some and keep going.

[BRGcoopahS]

I'm so lost... You turn on dtc to gain traction but with traction control on you're stuck? Isn't any sort of traction control system permanently on? I have to turn my systems OFF, otherwise it's normally on. What do you mean turn ON?

On an e46 all systems are normally on. Press the DSC button and it turns off. Press and hold the DSC button and DSC as well as stabilty control turns off. I drive with only the dsc off.

[HokieZHP]

No dsc is dynamic stability control. My understanding is that when the dash shows DSC(pressing the button once), it turns on a more forgiving traction control system. Then when you hold it, it turns it off off. Therefore, turning on DSC (DTC on my car), allows more wheel spin before cutting power to the wheels

[BRGcoopahS]

Oh ok I got ya. I interpret as pressing the button turns off the first stage and holding it turns off both stages.

Basically we drive the same way, with with the first stage only.

[HokieZHP]

Yeah you got it now. I understand it as pressing it once turns on a sportier traction control. That may be wrong though. But yeah that's how I drive

[ELCID86]

A recent related string: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?11649-Best-Practices-for-Open-Diff-Driving-in-the-Snow

[az3579]

I drive in the snow (and the track, for that matter!) with one button press.

[cakM3]

I drive in the snow (and the track, for that matter!) with one button press.

+1

[generalvp]

Mine is always on unless I get stuck and needs wheelspin to get out!

[ryankokesh]

Yeah, usually one button press, unless I'm on the highway. Then I just leave it on. I feel like slipping in that situation may not be quite as desirable.

[Dave1027]

Mine is always on unless I get stuck and needs wheelspin to get out!

Wouldn't having it on give a sort of suedo limited slip diff?

[az3579]

Wouldn't having it on give a sort of suedo limited slip diff?

No. DSC kills power to the wheels that slip. A diff distributes power between the two wheels to allow both wheels to get power.
An open diff with DSC is the worst possible scenario in this case.

[Dave1027]

No. DSC kills power to the wheels that slip.
Conversely adding power to the non-slipping wheel? That's what I was calling suedo LSD.

[bimmergofast]

Not long after I got my car I got caught a couple hours from home in a snow storm. Getting home meant crossing over a mountain pass on rt 7 out of DC, and to spare the gory details ended up with me leaving the car half way up and hitching a ride back to a friends house for the night.

In a poor traction situation the car tries to control wheel spin by cutting power, and applying brakes. Thanks to the open diff, trying to climb a hill in the snow results in the whole thing just locking up and refusing to move. I could feel everyone laughing at me as they cruised past...

I didn't know at the time about holding the button down until the brake light comes on too- that disables both the brake & throttle nannies. I suspect it would have given me a bit of a fighting chance?

Now I park it under the carport at the first hint of weather and drive my beater pickup!

[BRGcoopahS]

Turning off all aids isn't recommended IMO. The first time I did that I lost complete control. I was drifting around in an empty lot so it was practice. Having both aids off is ALOT harder to control for the inexperienced.

Just press it once. I find the first stage to be perfect. It allows you to slide about without killing yourself, granted you need some sort of driving ability. It also helps in situations you may get stuck in.