Just curious as to experiences in getting the power down in the wet, particulary 535d drivers (even more so those with some DMS tweaking)?
My 530d auto struggles getting the power down in the wet - good fun if your in the mood with the traction control off!! - frustrating when you want to go quickly and either get loads of wheel spin (TCS off) or the TCS kicks in and bogs the whole car down stopping decent progress.

 

Yep, it certainly is a bit tricky.

Coming from an RS6 that of course was Quattro & you could just point & squirt it is a little strange, given i've over 200BHP less in the 535D, but way more fun. In the dry, progress is exceptional, in the wet it's more fun & involves more driving skill. In the wet i just leave the TCS on, as i'd not like to have the ar$e end out too much on UK roads.

 

The RS6 must have been quite a rapid bit of kit? I guess there were very few cars out there that could touch it especially making quick progress in the wet!
Still am sure the 535 is still pretty quick - tempted to switch my 530d (the one with loads of faults!) for one - equally tempted with an S4 though - have you driven one?

Have you got your problems fixed on the 535?

 

And mine, but then it's also easy to spin the wheels in the dry - I guess it's the stupid amounts of torque in the diesels.

This is the first car that I have ever owned that will spin the wheels when floored at 20mph+ (in the dry).

I don't mind though cause once you get it going it keeps going

 

What tyres are you on with the 530d's ?

I don't seem to have an issue with traction when using full welly, except if being really silly. However I previously did have in cold weather with runflats, which I thought may be due to being harder compound

(535d will be a "different ketle of fish" - perhaps an X version could be a good idea)

 

No runflats - instead I've got:

Pirelli pzero nero on the front 245/35/R19

Goodyear F1 on the rear 275/30/R19

I think the back tyres don't help in the wet, as the tread pattern is kind of racing slicks + anti aquaplane channel.

For clarity - usually I will have DSC on in the wet, so what I should have said is that I have DSC kicking in to COUNTERACT potential wheelspin / oversteer, rather than a lot of actual wheelspin itself.

I have found that driving without DSC / DTC produces less wheelspin than expected, but am not sure if this is down to increased awareness (and hence more progressive use of accelerator), the fact that the DSC acts unnecesarily or the fact that I just can't FEEL the wheels spinning.

Peak torque in the 530d is already 500nm, in the 535d it's higher and available sooner, but IMO both engines produce a stupid amount of rotational force - which is always going to be hard to lay down.

 

Been trying to make the DSC light flash just for the hell of it and its not easy. Very pleased to be on 19s.
Puddles on fast roundabouts demand some respect however

 

i think the lights flicker too eagerly. pre DMS even, i put my foot down at 95 and got a reaction. i've found that when i've turn it all off, it IS hard to tell that the wheels are spinning. that is until your arse is overtaking you!

 

Even my 525d struggles with putting its power down. When you get transmission lag and the car shoots forward on a wet roundabout, it would wheelspin a good 20 foot even with with dsc on, when its off well you'll be sideways

 

This is a bit puzzling cause in my car it's a piece of cake to light up the DSC warning, in the wet OR the dry.

Could the older DSC be more twitchy than the new?

Mine will almost always go off I floor the car, acellerate when cornering or drive quickly over uneven ground.