DSC turns off automatically? - MINI2

zakato · #1 (**permalink**) Jan 12th, 2009, 11:30 AM

Hi there!

If anyone can give me his/her opinion I would very much appreciate it!

1st of all, my car is a February 08 Clubman.

I was quietly driving home on Friday, on a straight road doing 25 mph, no rain, no nothing (Alicante Spain), and suddenly I had a beep and the DSC light (exclamation mark inside a triangle rounded by and arrow) came on and stay on until I switched off the car at home (5min later) ... The sign came on at its corresponding spot at the rpm gauge and also at the digital rpm gauge screen. In this last case I am not sure if the sign had and extra exclamation mark to the right. I can´t remember of any other lights on at the same time, but I am not sure.
Of course, I did not pressed the DSC button to turn it off.

Once at home and stopped I switched off the engine and then on again, and the light has been gone since then. Car seems to be functioning as normal now .

I have been to my dealer this morning to have an explanation, but I am not yet convince at all neither with their manners (I have already place a complaint) nor with what I have been told.
The person I have talked to at my dealers, who was not a mechanic, has told me that DSC light can turn on automatically if for any reason the car decides to turn DSC off.

I have checked the manual and have not found anywhere that the DSC light can come on automatically without pressing the corresponding DSC off button. As far as I understand the DSC sign turns on blinking while DSC is acting, or remains constantly on if DSC is manually turn off.

My question is: Can DSC turn off automatically? ... and if so for what reason?

ALD0 · #2 (**permalink**) Jan 12th, 2009, 12:54 PM

I have never heard of it turning off automatically, it's a safety feature to the car so should not happen, did you maybe knock the switch by accident?

DaFlake · #3 (**permalink**) Jan 12th, 2009, 01:00 PM

If there is a problem with the system then it will probably shut off but it shouldn't under normal circumstances.

zakato · #4 (**permalink**) Jan 12th, 2009, 04:59 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by ALD0 (original)

I have never heard of it turning off automatically, it's a safety feature to the car so should not happen, did you maybe knock the switch by accident?

Thanks for your answers!

I have been thinking about this point .... but as far as I remember I had both hands on the steering. I might have changed gear, but did not put my hand anywhere near this button. Moreover, the button needs to be pressed for a sec in order to be turned on/off .... I just can't find a logical answer to it.

It might have been a bad contact ... I don’t know! .... I just want to have it check at my dealers to make sure everything is fine ... the car is still under warranty.

So I have been to my dealer this morning to have an answer about this, or have it checked ... the only thing I have been told by the person at the reception is that the car sometimes for some reasons that I might not notice does this .... ?!?!??!?!? ... say what?!?!?!? ... after hearing this I have asked to talk to a mechanic to have this reconfirmed (as the manual says nothing about this behaviour).... and then I have been accused (for the first time in my life) to mistrust her words because she was a woman!!!! .... Jesus Christ! ... after this I did not talk to a mechanic and of course I did not have it checked.

After placing a telephone complaint at the main headquarters in Madrid I have just received a call telling me that I'll have the car check ! .... Am I asking for something so weird? ... anyway ... thanks for your responses.

DaFlake · #5 (**permalink**) Jan 12th, 2009, 05:15 PM

Nope, it sounds like you have a legit complaint. Just keep your cool and things will get sorted.

Lawrothegreat · #6 (**permalink**) Jan 20th, 2009, 09:31 PM

You couldn't accidentally switch the system off - the button has to be pressed for a 'good full second' or two!

Sounds like the system for whatever reason malfunctioned - the symbol illuminated to let you know the system wasn't activated. Just a guess....

Good luck

zakato · #7 (**permalink**) Feb 1st, 2009, 04:16 PM

Just to let you people know ... there was indeed a malfunction ... the car was finally connected to the computer and reported something to do with the clutch that also affects DSC or turns on the same light ... didn't get the explanation very well sorry!

Anyhow, I felt as if the car seemed more wobbly while the light was on, so I assume that DSC was off ... it did not happen again after the car was switch off ... but anyway it's already been fixed!

Thanks again for the replies!

finkaivara · #8 (**permalink**) Feb 25th, 2009, 05:39 PM

I'm having exactly the same problem, but also with hillassistant warning light. Fault has occured everyday 1 or 2 times since last saturday when I bought my MCS Clubman -07. It's still under guarantee so hopefully it will be fixed at friday. This fault isn't nice to have in here Finland during the winter time...

I'll let you know what was the problem, if they (service mechanics) will kindly tell me.

finkaivara · #9 (**permalink**) Mar 20th, 2009, 11:23 AM

I got my car back at Wednesday. It took almost three weeks to fix it up!

First they changed the optical sensor of clock spring, but it didn't solve the problem. After that they replaced the whole clock spring and the problem was gone. At least this was the spare information that I got.

But still I'm having so called "chewbacca clutch", because they told me that they couldn't hear the howling noise when gearing down from 2nd to 1st... I sent them links to this and NAM -forums. I also tried to plead the TSB SI M21 04 08 , but with no result.

And the cars readout is only 13500 km!