Cooper S traction Control... Is it dangerous? :furious:
Discussion
Picture the scene. You're pulling out on a busy roundabout. The roads are a little greasy. You know that you need to give it a little bit of weight to be able to pull out otherwise you'll be sat there for hours and hours... A gap appears. You nail the throttle. The car begins to move forward. The tyres slip a little but there's enough grip there to move you away from any impending danger.. And then the traction control cuts in. You loose all power to the wheels and looking to your right you see a 40 tonne artic bearing down on you. And there's nothing that you can do. BMW have kindly taken all of your power away from you and have left you sat there, stranded and helpless.
I know the more sensible amongst you will say "Turn off the Traction Control" or "Drive more carefully", but I'm sorry to say that I don't always drive carefully and sometimes forget to turn off the traction control when getting into the car.
Does anyone else find the traction control on the Cooper S downright dangerous at times? (Really clever when you consider that this is supposed to be a safety device.) Has anyone been able to disconnect it?
I know the more sensible amongst you will say "Turn off the Traction Control" or "Drive more carefully", but I'm sorry to say that I don't always drive carefully and sometimes forget to turn off the traction control when getting into the car.
Does anyone else find the traction control on the Cooper S downright dangerous at times? (Really clever when you consider that this is supposed to be a safety device.) Has anyone been able to disconnect it?
I don't drive my S aggressively (except when some muppet thinks he can sit on my rear) and I still find the traction control kicks in when pulling off at junctions. In fact the traction control can be downright daft at times. I have come to the same junction in 4 other cars and not had their traction control systems kick in (going uphill pulling out onto a main A road).
However I have had the misfortune to have the traction control system fail for about a month, the car is much more scary with the system off for this reason I tend to keep it on and chose bigger gaps in which to pull into, a pain but much safer.
However I have had the misfortune to have the traction control system fail for about a month, the car is much more scary with the system off for this reason I tend to keep it on and chose bigger gaps in which to pull into, a pain but much safer.
how worn are your tyres?
if one tyre is worn more than the others or you have replaced 1,2 or 3 tyres then the tyre with the least tread is in theory traveling faster than the others,this creates an over reaction from the traction control as it thinks that wheel is slipping...
check the tyre wear.Ideal is equal depth across the tread
if one tyre is worn more than the others or you have replaced 1,2 or 3 tyres then the tyre with the least tread is in theory traveling faster than the others,this creates an over reaction from the traction control as it thinks that wheel is slipping...
check the tyre wear.Ideal is equal depth across the tread
Without the Traction control it'll wheelspin in 1st, 2nd and 3rd if you push it on a greasy road. Its one of those things - turn it off and you'll regret it in the long run on public roads. Remember its a fly by wire throttle so keeping your foot planted once the ASC kicks in will get you into trouble (it'll just cut the throttle to conserve fuel) - with practice you can lift a bit and "turn it off" to get out of the way of oncoming traffic. 
Have you got a L.S.D? What year model is it - mine is an 03 and i have the ASC off for track days but you want to see the state of my outside front tyre compared the the others lol! Changing from Runflats might help too as they are VERY hard and lose grip more easily.
Have you got a L.S.D? What year model is it - mine is an 03 and i have the ASC off for track days but you want to see the state of my outside front tyre compared the the others lol! Changing from Runflats might help too as they are VERY hard and lose grip more easily.
blackspider said:
how worn are your tyres?
My tyres are fairly new (June this year). The fronts have a little more wear than the backs, but that's to be expected. All the tyres have a decent amount of tread showing and are no way near the little indicator blocks. Without getting out a set of verniers both sides seem to have the same depth......
Hobzy said:
Without the Traction control it'll wheelspin in 1st, 2nd and 3rd if you push it on a greasy road. Its one of those things - turn it off and you'll regret it in the long run on public roads. Remember its a fly by wire throttle so keeping your foot planted once the ASC kicks in will get you into trouble (it'll just cut the throttle to conserve fuel) - with practice you can lift a bit and "turn it off" to get out of the way of oncoming traffic.
Have you got a L.S.D? What year model is it - mine is an 03 and i have the ASC off for track days but you want to see the state of my outside front tyre compared the the others lol! Changing from Runflats might help too as they are VERY hard and lose grip more easily.
Have you got a L.S.D? What year model is it - mine is an 03 and i have the ASC off for track days but you want to see the state of my outside front tyre compared the the others lol! Changing from Runflats might help too as they are VERY hard and lose grip more easily.
I agree that the tyres will spin from first to third if you're misbehaving
Yep. I have LSD and it's an 05 model.. And I changed to proper tyres as soon as the run flats showed a significant sign of wear. Hmm.. That fly by wire thing. Might have to investigate taking my foot off the throttle rather than my usual practice of feathering the clutch.
But it's so bloody annoying though when you're in a slightly sticky position and the traction control takes away all your power.
It takes a bit of practice and wont stop it entirely but if you keep your foot planted you'll go nowhere! Its another byproduct of the americanisation of the car unfortunately - understeer, intrusive ASC&T and not being able to one touch your passenger window up 
Wouldn't swap mine for anything though 
specially now I've dialed out the understeer with the mods...
Good luck - methinks the weather will give you plenty of practice lol.
Wouldn't swap mine for anything though specially now I've dialed out the understeer with the mods... Good luck - methinks the weather will give you plenty of practice lol.
Go for it - my car is one of their product cars so I'm a bit biased admittedly, but they're good lads and the workshop is an amazing place to spend the day amongst Le Mans classic race cars and GT class porkers... my car is on they're webby Very pleased with all they have done on mine.
Very pleased with all they have done on mine.Hobzy said:
Go for it - my car is one of their product cars so I'm a bit biased admittedly, but they're good lads and the workshop is an amazing place to spend the day amongst Le Mans classic race cars and GT class porkers... my car is on they're webby Very pleased with all they have done on mine.
Very pleased with all they have done on mine.ive been there loads but agreed its a brilliant place theve done most of my cars matinace on the brakes only running the ecd discs and pads but so much better than stock but im down again for some bits soon so im gonna ask nick about doing the diff and clutch and possibly fly wheel
also nice to see a fellow scnm'er on here
Edited by jwf on Wednesday 15th November 21:51
The TC on my Cooper S did the same, I had a few brown pants moment when pulling out of junctions or overtaking (2nd gear, floor it, pull out, grab 3rd, nothing, stuck on the wrong side of the road, running out of the room I thought I had then the power kicks back in and you just make it). Terrible system, miles worse than on any other car I've had.
I used to have it turned off most of the time.
Did it with the run-flats and with brand new PZeros and Yoko Advans, in wet and dry.
The problem is it cuts power and leaves it cut for 2-3 seconds instead of cutting it and bring it back, like if your ABS cut in and left the brakes off for 2-3 seconds before reapplying.
I used to have it turned off most of the time.
Did it with the run-flats and with brand new PZeros and Yoko Advans, in wet and dry.
The problem is it cuts power and leaves it cut for 2-3 seconds instead of cutting it and bring it back, like if your ABS cut in and left the brakes off for 2-3 seconds before reapplying.
Edited by rich-uk on Monday 20th November 11:29
rich-uk said:
The TC on my Cooper S did the same, I had a few brown pants moment when pulling out of junctions or overtaking (2nd gear, floor it, pull out, grab 3rd, nothing, stuck on the wrong side of the road, running out of the room I thought I had then the power kicks back in and you just make it). Terrible system, miles worse than on any other car I've had.
I used to have it turned off most of the time.
Did it with the run-flats and with brand new PZeros and Yoko Advans, in wet and dry.
The problem is it cuts power and leaves it cut for 2-3 seconds instead of cutting it and bring it back, like if your ABC cut in and left the brakes off for 2-3 seconds before reapplying.
I used to have it turned off most of the time.
Did it with the run-flats and with brand new PZeros and Yoko Advans, in wet and dry.
The problem is it cuts power and leaves it cut for 2-3 seconds instead of cutting it and bring it back, like if your ABC cut in and left the brakes off for 2-3 seconds before reapplying.
Edited by rich-uk on Wednesday 15th November 22:20
Glad to know that it's not only me who's had this problem...
It can catch you out on the S 
But you would be going nowhere due to wheel spin if it was switched off!
Having it switched off in very wet conditions with an LSD can have the car sliding/spinning all over the place.
So I would say it is safer ON in the wet.
You have to remember to take your foot off the gas if the traction control kicks in and then reapply - as if driving without traction control and loosing grip
After all it is a front wheel drive car with a reasonable amount of power – it does require some respect.
Mind you I have it turned off in the dry
But you would be going nowhere due to wheel spin if it was switched off!
Having it switched off in very wet conditions with an LSD can have the car sliding/spinning all over the place.
So I would say it is safer ON in the wet.
You have to remember to take your foot off the gas if the traction control kicks in and then reapply - as if driving without traction control and loosing grip
After all it is a front wheel drive car with a reasonable amount of power – it does require some respect.
Mind you I have it turned off in the dry
It's happened to me twice now, once in the dry and once in the wet and it's not a nice experience. You already have your foot pressed hard because you want to make progress, so when the TC cuts the power, it's not a natural reaction to release the peddle, you bury it deeper.
I think the TC is too harsh, there is no need to completely remove all power for as long as it does - all that happens is that when power is restored, you end up spinning the wheels again because your foot is still buried, but by then, you've pulled out the junction and you can feather the throttle as the danger is now over.
If I have a busy junction to pull out of, the TC gets switched off, then switched back on again once I'm out.
I think the TC is too harsh, there is no need to completely remove all power for as long as it does - all that happens is that when power is restored, you end up spinning the wheels again because your foot is still buried, but by then, you've pulled out the junction and you can feather the throttle as the danger is now over.
If I have a busy junction to pull out of, the TC gets switched off, then switched back on again once I'm out.
Would have thought that with the advances in technology that the traction control would be a little more sophisticated.
The system sounds the same as on my 8 year old BMW, pull out of a greasy junction quickly and you lose all power, yet my 2005 Boxster allows you to use full welly in the same situation and you pull out quickly with no wheel spin or losing the back end. Same thing with the Porsche's traction control, PSM, turned off and the whole car spins, I know as I have done it.
The system sounds the same as on my 8 year old BMW, pull out of a greasy junction quickly and you lose all power, yet my 2005 Boxster allows you to use full welly in the same situation and you pull out quickly with no wheel spin or losing the back end. Same thing with the Porsche's traction control, PSM, turned off and the whole car spins, I know as I have done it.
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