[MRV99]

Correction..... Turn the DTC on not off. Sorry I get confused between the different BMW's I have had. I have edited the post to reflect my mistake...


In the Midwest we have had a good amount of snow and with it being very cold 0 to -20 before wind chill, the roads still have packed snow on them. I have to say the DTC much better compared to the standard DSC and is very obtrusive when driving in these conditions. Personally, I think it makes it very hard to drive because the slightest slippage, the computer is cutting power and hitting the breaks. Even with good snow tires, I am still finding this an issue. For those of you who agree with me, I have a suggestion.

Before I begin, I feel very comfortable drifting and do not get squeamish when a car squirrelly when driving. I spent many a snowy winters night when I was 16 out in the country driving crazy.

To make driving much easier, I will turn ON the DTC (one push of the traction button). By doing this, you DO NOT COMPLETELY turn off DSC Traction control. To do that, you have to hold the the Traction button for a few seconds before it is completely disabled. I find that this allows one to drive with a bit of throttle and have much better control of the X5 in the turn. If you start to get a bit more sideways than a small drift, you can feel the DSC kicking in and straightening you out. It does not cut all power which is a really good thing IMO. This also allows you to power through a turn and basically negate the DSC by using the throttle.

From a standstill, it is nice that it will allow for a bit of wheel spin if you want to be a bit more aggressive with the throttle. Personally, it used to drive me nuts when the power would be cut to nothing once a bit of wheel spin was detected.

For those of you who have not tried this, I would highly recommend giving it a shot. If you are really worried that the car will be out of control, hit a snow covered parking lot and see what it feels like. I am sure you will see that it make driving in the snow much easier.