Rear tyres wear quicker than fronts?

[johnbmwboy]

Great info people, thanks!

I'll get out there and swap them over later.

Cheers,
John

[Aebous]

Pressing the DSC once disables traction control only, not the stability control.

Is your manual different to mine?
Pressing DSC button once enables DTC
DTC is traction control

you can have
DSC (traction control and stability control)
or
DSC+DTC (more traction control and less stability control)
or
nothing [DSC off] (no traction control and no stability control)

Close, with no lights illuminated that means both DTC & DSC are both fully activated. When you press the button once it disables DTC but leaves DSC on, allowing you to spin the rear tires, but if your back end starts slipping too far out compared to the front wheel angle the DSC will cut power to the rear wheels. As you said at the end, if you hold down the button you get the pretty yellow light showing a triangle with an arrow going around it to let you know, hey your on your own and the car can and will spin all the way around in a circle if you allow it too.

[powerontap]

Pressing the DSC once disables traction control only, not the stability control.

Is your manual different to mine?
Pressing DSC button once enables DTC
DTC is traction control

you can have
DSC (traction control and stability control)
or
DSC+DTC (more traction control and less stability control)
or
nothing [DSC off] (no traction control and no stability control)

Close, with no lights illuminated that means both DTC & DSC are both fully activated. When you press the button once it disables DTC but leaves DSC on, allowing you to spin the rear tires, but if your back end starts slipping too far out compared to the front wheel angle the DSC will cut power to the rear wheels. As you said at the end, if you hold down the button you get the pretty yellow light showing a triangle with an arrow going around it to let you know, hey your on your own and the car can and will spin all the way around in a circle if you allow it too.

Exactly what I was refering to in my 1st intervention. I spent last summer with DTC off (just for fun) and wore down 75% of the center section of my F1 Asymmetrics...in 5,000 miles

[nicko]

Close, with no lights illuminated that means both DTC & DSC are both fully activated.

This is where we disagree.
no lights illuminated means DSC is on, DTC is off

Activating DTC
briefly press the button; the DTC telltale light in the instrument cluster comes on

As a check
The [DTC] telltale is lit continuously: DTC is activated

Deactivating DTC
Press the button again; the DTC telltale light in the instrument cluster goes out.

That's what my manual says. Is yours different?

[Aebous]

Ok, if you think DTC is off when no lights are on, then try to spin the rear tires. The car won't allow it, thus DTC is on. When DTC is illuminated that in itself is a warning to the driver that you can spin the rear tires and as such you need to pay more attention to your throttle control. The manual is misleading for this. Actually I think all manuals are misleading with how they word it, my Dad had the same confusion about his car. So on a wet day we went out and tested it. With no lights illuminated the tires would spin maybe a tenth of a second and the car would cut the power to the wheels, with the light on the tires would spin much much more.

On a side note, the DTC set up might be different on UK cars, but I don't think it is.

[gannet]

no lights = all nanny systems active including DTC and DSC

[nicko]

Ok, if you think DTC is off when no lights are on, then try to spin the rear tires. The car won't allow it, thus DTC is on.

When no lights are on you still have traction control (one of the main functions of DSC), just not Dynamic Traction Control.
So far, I've only turned DTC on (had the DTC light on) in the snow, and found it aided traction.

edit:
Do you think that with the DTC light on you have stability control but no traction control?

[DrNick]

Do you think that with the DTC light on you have stability control but no traction control?

Yes

[nicko]

Well I can only go by my experience in my car.
My car appears to work the way the manual says it should.

I doubt I would have got off my drive in the snow if DTC light on meant no traction control.

I've just been out to the shops and on the way back had a little play up a quiet road.
Uphill straight ahead, standing starts on dry tarmac

DSC on - DTC light off - no wheelspin
DSC on - DTC light on - no wheelspin
DSC off - DTC light off - wheelspin

If it's different for you, then, well, the cars are behaving differently...

edit:
I'll try to remember to have another go when it rains

[un1eash]

Close, with no lights illuminated that means both DTC & DSC are both fully activated. When you press the button once it disables DTC but leaves DSC on, allowing you to spin the rear tires, but if your back end starts slipping too far out compared to the front wheel angle the DSC will cut power to the rear wheels. As you said at the end, if you hold down the button you get the pretty yellow light showing a triangle with an arrow going around it to let you know, hey your on your own and the car can and will spin all the way around in a circle if you allow it too.

What he said, you dont turn DTC/DSC on (unless already off) you only turn them off. By default everything is on with no lights on the dash.

In the snow your meant to press the button once and turn DTC off as the car is useless otherwise and will keep just cutting power to the wheels and you wont get anywhere.

[nicko]

from http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpost. ... stcount=15

with DTC on, DSC has changed thresholds to allow you some wheelspin and less stability before it "saves" you

[AlanJ]

If you have 4mm tread depth in the middle of the tire I'll bet you don't have anything near that on the inside edge. The negative camber of the rear suspension wears the tires at a very uneven rate.

Agree - wear characteristics are different front to rear an would certainly advise against changing them round. Might seem like a cost effective option BUT the only contact you car has with the road is through the footprint of each tyre which if maintained at the correct presures will give the maximum possible tread footprint for each corner and wear the tyre accordingly.

[Aebous]

from http://www.e90post.com/forums/showpost. ... stcount=15

with DTC on, DSC has changed thresholds to allow you some wheelspin and less stability before it "saves" you

Yeah looking through that thread and seeing some good explanations above the picture it seems we were partially misunderstanding what DTC being illuminated meant. At any rate, keep in mind yellow lights on = wheels can spin.

[Gerry]

If you have 4mm tread depth in the middle of the tire I'll bet you don't have anything near that on the inside edge. The negative camber of the rear suspension wears the tires at a very uneven rate.

Agree - wear characteristics are different front to rear an would certainly advise against changing them round. Might seem like a cost effective option BUT the only contact you car has with the road is through the footprint of each tyre which if maintained at the correct presures will give the maximum possible tread footprint for each corner and wear the tyre accordingly.

I had been keeping an eye on my rear tyres down to around 4mm ( so I thought ) Today I removed the wheel to give them and the arches a good clean. I was horrified to see the inside of the rear tyres were , basically bald, Im putting it down to negative camber , however I will get it checked when the new tyres are fitted .

[Bing]

Yup, I always have to remind myself not just to check the tread depth gauge built into the tyre on the outside, but reach all the way over the top to feel the other side. Often results in two sets of horrified feelings - first when you realise how loosely you've been attached to the road, and then secondly when you go online to buy a new set and see the price... Cheaper than a new car though