[Shovelman]

My 230 RWD MT performs well enough in snow but the nannies are causing me some concern.

When I am driving on a uniform surface, they do good things, but when the traction is erratic I am not convinced that they keep up. Some conditions that seem to challenge the programming,

1. The left wheels are on snow and the right side wheels are on pavement;

2. There are patches of traction amid the snow; need to take advantage of these.

3. The snow is malleable; traction can be improved by sliding or spinning tires.

4. We have arrived on pavement but the nannies are still considering allowing me some power

It would help to know just what the programming is doing.

[tripitz]

Originally Posted by Shovelman

My 230 RWD MT performs well enough in snow but the nannies are causing me some concern.

When I am driving on a uniform surface, they do good things, but when the traction is erratic I am not convinced that they keep up. Some conditions that seem to challenge the programming,

1. The left wheels are on snow and the right side wheels are on pavement;

2. There are patches of traction amid the snow; need to take advantage of these.

3. The snow is malleable; traction can be improved by sliding or spinning tires.

4. We have arrived on pavement but the nannies are still considering allowing me some power

It would help to know just what the programming is doing.

The programming is intended to minimize unwanted yaw of the car. The tolerances with traction control on on a modern BMW are very minimal. Therefore, as soon as the car detects any type of slippage and/or yaw counter to what the steering input is, it will cut power and/or brake the slipping wheel. Most manufacturers do this to minimize their liability as they assume (correctly) that the vast majority of the owners have no clue what they are doing behind a wheel. Much safer to cut power and prevent the car moving forward than allow a 5% slip angle.

You'll probably have to disable the first level of traction control so that you can manage the power and slip angle yourself. I have to do this on my C63 in the snow.

It's interesting because my 911 and Cayenne both allow the driver to have the car at a fairly high angle in the back as long as its seemed in control and the car was moving straight. In those cars, traction control only really comes on when you are doing something really stupid or try to lose control...

[CP911]

Originally Posted by tripitz

You'll probably have to disable the first level of traction control so that you can manage the power and slip angle yourself. I have to do this on my C63 in the snow.

This is correct. 1 press of the DSC/DTC button aka "traction control button" will enable Dynamic Traction Control, which is intended for driving in conditions just as OP is describing. You will see the word "Traction" displayed in your gauge cluster along with the yellow DSC "OFF" symbol to indicate you have enabled DTC.

Explanation @ 0:40 seconds:

[Wozich]

I always drive in snow with traction mode on with my RWD M240i up to speeds of 80kmh (50mph). With DSC on it is hard to drive in deeper snow or slippery icy roads because it doesn't allow even minimal slip. It really shows when you are going uphill on snowy roads. With DSC on I came to a full stop when going uphill to a ski resort because the traction control intervened so much. But in traction mode it kept moving. I tried with DSC off as well, but you have to be super sensitive with the throttle, specially with the M240i.

[jmwilson125]

My snow driving tips

-in normally snowy conditions - comfort

- in very slippery/icy conditions on the highway - eco pro

- in snow/slush/ice from a stop sign I will use - sport plus, then switch to comfort once I get going

-snow plowing at low speeds or stuck - dsc off

I would not recommend dsc off for anything about 20 mph. I think that it's only really useful for getting unstuck or up an incline where spinning the tires down to pavement would help.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by CP911

This is correct. 1 press of the DSC/DTC button aka "traction control button" will enable Dynamic Traction Control, which is intended for driving in conditions just as OP is describing. You will see the word "Traction" displayed in your gauge cluster along with the yellow DSC "OFF" symbol to indicate you have enabled DTC.

This is the best overall mode for driving on most snowy/slippery surfaces. It allows for some wheel slip and body rotation. It also uses the Comfort throttle which is easier to modulate compared to the Sport throttle. DSC Off is great if you're having to tackle deeper snow, going up hills, stuck, etc.

DSC Off equals the following:

1) All nannies off. It's just you and ABS.

2) Comfort throttle, Sport steering, and Sport shocks.

3) Brake modulated Electronic LSD (eLSD). This is the ONLY mode where the eLSD is active. It is helpful in deep snow. BMW's eLSD is surprisingly good. Most eLSDs are terrible.

[XutvJet]

I'll also add that tires are key. I've got Michelin Alpin PA4s (225/40R18 all around). They're perfect for light/moderate snow, wet surfaces, and sub 40 degree temps. I love them. If I were to get stuck in some major snow event, I have a set of Autosocks in the trunk. Those things are nuts on how well they can get you around in deep snow.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by Shovelman

My 230 RWD MT performs well enough in snow but the nannies are causing me some concern.

I find this entire topic off-putting.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by CP911

This is correct. 1 press of the DSC/DTC button aka "traction control button" will enable Dynamic Traction Control, which is intended for driving in conditions just as OP is describing. You will see the word "Traction" displayed in your gauge cluster along with the yellow DSC "OFF" symbol to indicate you have enabled DTC.

This is a true story and required information to know.

So many BMW owners don't fully understand the traction control system in their cars.

DSC Mode: Default
Default = full traction control. Wheel spin with be severely limited as the computer will take strong control over the throttle in order to limit engine power to get wheel spin under control.
This is not a good setting if one is trying to get moving on snow, even sand and mud.

DSC Mode: DTC
Push DSC button once.
This "DYNAMIC Traction Control".
This mode allows a greater level of wheel spin with less computer control of the throttle. In this mode the driver can apply more throttle and thus more engine power to the drive wheels. This will allow more wheel spin, which can be beneficial to getting the car moving and through certain road surface conditions like snow, or sand, or mud.

DSC Mode:
OFF
Those mode turns off traction and stability controls.
The driver uses the throttle to control engine power and thus the power applied to the wheels/tires.

This mode will allow doing "donuts" in empty parking lots that are covered in snow or a lot of water.
Don't try this if you have no idea why this requires very good control from the driver, and why it can be dangerous.

[Shovelman]

Great info, thanks
Tom