DSC Module and road experience
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Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 14,140
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From: New Zealand
...with no other hardware changes. The Focus RS weak spot is camber/castor adjustability, and this would be the only reason I would look to change the dampers - but mainly if I was using it more on track - which I probably won't much now I'm using the GT4 on track.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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From: santa barbara
i just bought one for a driver . the worst suspension tuning ive ever seen including lotus, two settings harsh and unbearable. the handling is fun with the trick 4 wheel drive system but doesnt feel like 350/350 hp&tq. time will tell, traded a 17 GTI that lasted me 2700 mi and three months. hated the DSG and front drive but it was a much better made car. carl
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 436
Likes: 58
From: Ontario & California
I had my car in the shop recently for installation of TPC's adjustable rear toe links & then a sport street alignment (settings recommended by TPC). Drove the car on CA Hwy 128 & if any of you know that road, it's about as awesome for spirited driving as you can imagine. The car felt great on the trip home & handled extremely well. Just the alignment really helped "tune" the car for the kinds of roads I like in N. California.
After a few days I installed a DSC controller which noticeably smoothed out the bumpy California roads. I took it easy for a few drives just to get a sense of the DSC's influence on the handling characteristics of the car. What really amazed me was how good the car felt going into some curves with inclines/declines. Northern CA Pacific coast hwy is a favourite b/c it offers a great mix of that + scenery.
With a few drives on the car I decided to do a spirited north coast drive still on reg mode. Car was driving great then after about 20 min or so I get the message "ESC + TC failure.... Adaptive driving permitted"
I continued & the car felt okay, however driving along roads with adjacent > 200ft cliffs & thinking the TC & stability controls are now off, I dialled it back.
The car has had 3 or 4 drives of ~ 10-15min since then & the fault code has stayed on & sport, ESC, TC buttons will not illuminate.
the fault code isn't clearing spontaneously & the car feels non-compliant & a somewhat stiff, like PASM Sport.
Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just remove the DSC & put stock controller back in??
Unfortunately I don't have a PC laptop here to run the DSC sport tuning software : (
After a few days I installed a DSC controller which noticeably smoothed out the bumpy California roads. I took it easy for a few drives just to get a sense of the DSC's influence on the handling characteristics of the car. What really amazed me was how good the car felt going into some curves with inclines/declines. Northern CA Pacific coast hwy is a favourite b/c it offers a great mix of that + scenery.
With a few drives on the car I decided to do a spirited north coast drive still on reg mode. Car was driving great then after about 20 min or so I get the message "ESC + TC failure.... Adaptive driving permitted"
I continued & the car felt okay, however driving along roads with adjacent > 200ft cliffs & thinking the TC & stability controls are now off, I dialled it back.
The car has had 3 or 4 drives of ~ 10-15min since then & the fault code has stayed on & sport, ESC, TC buttons will not illuminate.
the fault code isn't clearing spontaneously & the car feels non-compliant & a somewhat stiff, like PASM Sport.
Does anyone have any suggestions or should I just remove the DSC & put stock controller back in??
Unfortunately I don't have a PC laptop here to run the DSC sport tuning software : (
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 436
Likes: 58
From: Ontario & California
Thanks Tom, I'll double check the connection. I watched the youtube video with Tom Chan doing the install & followed his instructions exactly. After plugging in & driving for a bit, I could tell the car felt different. It was like the car felt softer at high speed but didn't "bounce" or "tilt" when you went into a curve/corner at high speed.
The car just had the transmission replaced as part of that 3rd gear failures WJ88 campaign. The car needed an alignment after that, however was driven ~ 150 miles before installing the DSC without issue.
Tonight I disconnected the battery & leaving overnight. I'll re-check in am along with the DSC connection plugs.
The car just had the transmission replaced as part of that 3rd gear failures WJ88 campaign. The car needed an alignment after that, however was driven ~ 150 miles before installing the DSC without issue.
Tonight I disconnected the battery & leaving overnight. I'll re-check in am along with the DSC connection plugs.
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Joined: Jul 2015
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Mine has worked flawlessly for a very long time with street and track use....I'm pretty sure Tom will sort things out. It's a very good upgrade with the TPC rear toe links...maybe it's just the connector or the unit needs an update?
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,556
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From: Jessup, MD
Thanks Tom, I'll double check the connection. I watched the youtube video with Tom Chan doing the install & followed his instructions exactly. After plugging in & driving for a bit, I could tell the car felt different. It was like the car felt softer at high speed but didn't "bounce" or "tilt" when you went into a curve/corner at high speed.
The car just had the transmission replaced as part of that 3rd gear failures WJ88 campaign. The car needed an alignment after that, however was driven ~ 150 miles before installing the DSC without issue.
Tonight I disconnected the battery & leaving overnight. I'll re-check in am along with the DSC connection plugs.
The car just had the transmission replaced as part of that 3rd gear failures WJ88 campaign. The car needed an alignment after that, however was driven ~ 150 miles before installing the DSC without issue.
Tonight I disconnected the battery & leaving overnight. I'll re-check in am along with the DSC connection plugs.
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PCA National Instructor
TPC Racing stats:
2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge 992 Cup Am Champion
2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge GT4 Pro-Am Team Champion
2022 Porsche Sprint Challenge 992 Cup & 991 Cup Champion
2020 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge 2nd Championship
2018 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge 2nd Championship
2016 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Champion
2013 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Champion
2006 Rolex-24 @ Daytona GT Champion
2004 Grand-Am SGS Class Champion
PCA National Instructor
TPC Racing stats:
2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge 992 Cup Am Champion
2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge GT4 Pro-Am Team Champion
2022 Porsche Sprint Challenge 992 Cup & 991 Cup Champion
2020 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge 2nd Championship
2018 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge 2nd Championship
2016 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Champion
2013 IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge Champion
2006 Rolex-24 @ Daytona GT Champion
2004 Grand-Am SGS Class Champion
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 436
Likes: 58
From: Ontario & California
After leaving the battery disconnected for 12 hours & inspecting connections on plugs to DSC unit, I started the car. Unfortunately, the fault codes remain. I'll go for a 1/2 hour drive this am & see if the warnings disappear.
I didn't have any faults with the stock module after the transmission replacement, but realize the DSC is analyzing a wider array of sensor information. It seemed to be working just fine for ~ 20 min of fun driving before throwing the codes.
If the faults remain after today, is it possible to send the unit in for an update should the faults clear upon re-installation of the stock controller?
I'm on the north coast of CA & the nearest Porsche dealership is 2.5 hours away. Also I only have a Mac laptop here so cannot obtain the error codes with the DSC sport software. I'm committed to getting the darn thing working again b/c after only ~ 25 miles of fun driving, I realized this little gold box is everything people say it is : )
I didn't have any faults with the stock module after the transmission replacement, but realize the DSC is analyzing a wider array of sensor information. It seemed to be working just fine for ~ 20 min of fun driving before throwing the codes.
If the faults remain after today, is it possible to send the unit in for an update should the faults clear upon re-installation of the stock controller?
I'm on the north coast of CA & the nearest Porsche dealership is 2.5 hours away. Also I only have a Mac laptop here so cannot obtain the error codes with the DSC sport software. I'm committed to getting the darn thing working again b/c after only ~ 25 miles of fun driving, I realized this little gold box is everything people say it is : )
Last edited by G-forceGT4; Jul 17, 2019 at 12:29 PM. Reason: spelling
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,556
Likes: 1,184
From: Jessup, MD
DSC controls the dampers and engine mounts. DSC does not control ESC and TC. I suggest plugging in the factory PASM controller to see if the faults codes remain. Iset is also possible that once the ESC and TC fault codes are set they can only reset using a factory system tester.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 436
Likes: 58
From: Ontario & California
DSC controls the dampers and engine mounts. DSC does not control ESC and TC. I suggest plugging in the factory PASM controller to see if the faults codes remain. Iset is also possible that once the ESC and TC fault codes are set they can only reset using a factory system tester.
If any members are aware of OBDII port connector that will clear these codes besides factory PIWIS tool, please let me know.
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Joined: May 2014
Posts: 668
Likes: 123
Quick unbiased review: I had the DSC controller on my 997 turbo and now on my GT4. It makes a really big difference particularly in heavy acceleration and braking. The nose doesn't rise up during acceleration and dip during very hard braking. It stays a lot flatter. I wouldn't own a porsche without one to be honest. Can't wait to save up the money for the toe links and alignment.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 436
Likes: 58
From: Ontario & California
The toe links & a couple tweaks on alignment improve the car significantly. The tail doesn't wag with aggressive braking from high speed & they also eliminate the understeer of the car.
DSC controller was working great & very noticeable on correcting the issues which you refer to above.
I put my stock controller back on for a bit to see if "faults" will disappear, so far no luck, although not many driving cycles yet.
I didn't realize it was DSC Tom I was posting with, & thought TPC racing Tom was helping me out
Either way that's really appreciated & I want to get this issue sorted out & ensure my unit is functioning okay.
I did send an email to the dealer about the ESC & TC failure occuring with a recent transmission swap, not mentioning the DSC.
Most important ? I have at this point --> When " ESC & TC failure - Adaptive driving mode" displayed, is the DSC module still "on" behind the scenes??
I'd be happy to send the module in for firmware upgrade/check up
It seems to be, b/c the car is taught & has limited chassis movement. The car continues to handle extremely well, just seems like it's stuck in sport suspension mode ++ with bumps/jiggles quite prominent.
DSC controller was working great & very noticeable on correcting the issues which you refer to above.
I put my stock controller back on for a bit to see if "faults" will disappear, so far no luck, although not many driving cycles yet.
I didn't realize it was DSC Tom I was posting with, & thought TPC racing Tom was helping me out
Either way that's really appreciated & I want to get this issue sorted out & ensure my unit is functioning okay.
I did send an email to the dealer about the ESC & TC failure occuring with a recent transmission swap, not mentioning the DSC.
Most important ? I have at this point --> When " ESC & TC failure - Adaptive driving mode" displayed, is the DSC module still "on" behind the scenes??
I'd be happy to send the module in for firmware upgrade/check up
It seems to be, b/c the car is taught & has limited chassis movement. The car continues to handle extremely well, just seems like it's stuck in sport suspension mode ++ with bumps/jiggles quite prominent.
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,556
Likes: 1,184
From: Jessup, MD
The toe links & a couple tweaks on alignment improve the car significantly. The tail doesn't wag with aggressive braking from high speed & they also eliminate the understeer of the car.
DSC controller was working great & very noticeable on correcting the issues which you refer to above.
I put my stock controller back on for a bit to see if "faults" will disappear, so far no luck, although not many driving cycles yet.
I didn't realize it was DSC Tom I was posting with, & thought TPC racing Tom was helping me out
Either way that's really appreciated & I want to get this issue sorted out & ensure my unit is functioning okay.
I did send an email to the dealer about the ESC & TC failure occuring with a recent transmission swap, not mentioning the DSC.
Most important ? I have at this point --> When " ESC & TC failure - Adaptive driving mode" displayed, is the DSC module still "on" behind the scenes??
I'd be happy to send the module in for firmware upgrade/check up
It seems to be, b/c the car is taught & has limited chassis movement. The car continues to handle extremely well, just seems like it's stuck in sport suspension mode ++ with bumps/jiggles quite prominent.
DSC controller was working great & very noticeable on correcting the issues which you refer to above.
I put my stock controller back on for a bit to see if "faults" will disappear, so far no luck, although not many driving cycles yet.
I didn't realize it was DSC Tom I was posting with, & thought TPC racing Tom was helping me out
Either way that's really appreciated & I want to get this issue sorted out & ensure my unit is functioning okay.
I did send an email to the dealer about the ESC & TC failure occuring with a recent transmission swap, not mentioning the DSC.
Most important ? I have at this point --> When " ESC & TC failure - Adaptive driving mode" displayed, is the DSC module still "on" behind the scenes??
I'd be happy to send the module in for firmware upgrade/check up
It seems to be, b/c the car is taught & has limited chassis movement. The car continues to handle extremely well, just seems like it's stuck in sport suspension mode ++ with bumps/jiggles quite prominent.
DSC should continue to operate with ESC + TC fault codes present. The fault codes may prevent DSC from switching modes by factory fault code protocol but DSC still functions within the mode. If you purchased your DSC new after March 2018 then it already has the newest programming. No need to change it. We will test your DSC if you want.
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Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 3,556
Likes: 1,184
From: Jessup, MD
