CTYankee

If I understand the manual correctly, the default DTC (traction control) setting is OFF (i.e. not engaged) and DSC (stability control) is ON (engaged). If you want to start in snow or some other situation with poor traction, you press the DTC button. This ACTIVATES DTC and DEACTIVATES DSC. Is this correct?

It is completely opposite the system in my E39, where traction control was engaged all the time and required no action in snow, and the button activated and deactivated DSC. I thought I misunderstood the manual, so I called my dealer. The service guy said I was wrong. He said "don't push any button if you want traction in snow. The car will engage automatically."

So then I pressed the SOS button and got some guy who, after admitting he didn't know anything about the car's mechanics, confirmed the manual and contradicted my dealer.

Please, does anyone know the real deal? Thanks a lot.

amigo525

You can follow this link also:

http://forums.e60.net/index.php?showtopic=17613&hl=DTC

EBMCS03

I just look at it this way.

theres 3 settings

1. DSC ON
2. DSC Partially ON allowing some wheel spin (DTC ON)
3. DSC OFF

Kinda like how the F430 has it.

Normal Mode (DSC ON)
Sport (DTC ON / DSC ON partially)
RACE (DSC OFF)

I swear thats how it kinda works... DTC BLAH! Bad confusing wording... Somone correct me if I'm wrong...

Brendan

As I understand it the button cycles through 3 modes

Default mode is with DSC ON
Press the button once DSC reduced with DTC ON. Symbol between dials warns. I plan to use this setting if I ever encounter deep snow.
Press again and DSC is completely off. You then get explicit warnings that BMW has given over control
Then press again and the car is back in Default mode.

Like a few things in the manual you have to read it again and again to get the gyst. I think DSC/DTC was discussed on a previous thread though.

norham

Has all e60's got DTC

mr_djurgarden

If you just push the "DTC button" the DTC will go on but if you hold the "DTC button" for around 3 seconds the DSC will go off totally.

300TTto545

I think some of the confusion comes from the desire to have some wheel slip in deep snow. The standard setting (ie default) allows no slip. Hit the button and you allow some slip - which is preferable in deep snow. I could be wrong but that is my understanding. DTC allows more slip than DSC (straight line). So the default setting is safe but may not be ideal for getting you thru thick snow.

It is similar to wanting to be able to shut off ABS in deep snow. I got in an accident years ago in deep snow driving an ABS equipped car that was borrowed. The brakes just cycled whereas in my car they would have locked allowing me to stop. Interestingly BMW doesn't allow for shutting off ABS like some other cars have (in the past at least). I don't know where all this falls into play with DSC in deep snow. Would you shut it completely off? I don't plan on driving my E60 in snow at all but at the time I lived in Buffalo with snow tires on an RX-7 and that was a lot of fun - no ABS, DSC, or TC of any kind....

markt540i

It is all so clear now...NOT! I am now confused about something that I did not know I did not know.

znod

Leave the DTC button on for, in effect, both DSC and DTC (most restrictive version of DTC).
Push the button once to have less of both.
Push and hold the botton until the warning triangles show up to turn both off completely.

The bad is that you can't leave DSC completely on while turning DTC completely off--so that one can control his or her own wheel spin and not have HP affected by big brother.

EBMCS03

Has all e60's got DTC
[/quote]

I think so. But BMW just relabled the button on the dash to DTC in MY2005 cars.