M Track Mode enabled on Z4MR

Hi All,

As promised, I have uploaded a video clip showing a bit of track driving with M Track on. I had imagined a nice clear video clearly showing 1. DSC on 2. MTrack on and 3. All systems off and the differences between them all. Watching back through the raw footage, many of the clips are spoilt with me telling my wife or other passengers how effective the DSC is when on, talking over the top of the revs and therefore showing nothing at all as the DSC kills the power. :oops:

In the future I will post more clips of the DSC off, but you all know what DSC off equals :evil:

The first few clips from Spa show me being heavy footed early or mid corner, as a result MTrack still reigns in the slide quickly. Later clips show that providing you aren't an oaf the M track barely intrudes at all. The biggest difference it makes is inspiring confidence, for example when following the Exige V6 or VX220 when very wet, or my friend and fellow racer in his Caterham at Castle Combe (this was only my second lap as I arrived late in the day).
With my present set up (Contisport 3s and standard except for Eibachs) I was lapping quicker half hour later in the dry with all systems off as I could trail brake and pitch the nose in without Mtrack trying to control the yaw. Therefore, I will probably use Mtrack in the wet or damp but switch it off in the dry.

https://youtu.be/wvgiyqzVO84

Spa.jpg


Cheers, Dave :)
 
dave that was a brilliant video of demonstration.... well done!!

finally i actually SEE the benefits... very good stuff.
 
Interesting video from Spa!
(Love that track..)
I beginning to suspect my car has the M track programmed.
With ESP on, the engine chokes as usual when slip, and takes 1 or 2 seconds to get full power back.
With just a short button push, the ESP hardly does anything and I can almost drift.. (Haven't tried that yet..). The engine NEVER loses power.
These are the first and the seventh lap on Nurburgring a few weeks ago
Lap 1 (obviously, ESP on!)
http://youtu.be/gWpYhyJgH0g
Lap 7 (ESP off, short button push) Hairy moment after the small caroselle.
http://youtu.be/ySOJ03zIzG4
 
You would know if it had M track mode programmed as you would get 'DTC' illuminated in the dash with the short press. If it doesn't and you just get the warning symbol, you are balls-out all DSC off :D
 
Hi Argenta,

Looking at the moment you had in the second video I suspect you are running with all systems off. Nice laps :)
 
Thanx!
Of course, I only get the usual lamp, or none at all if I press more than 10 seconds.
Surprised though, it's that track focused aldready.

Or I just drive too slow. :)
 
I've enabled M-track during my ring trip last weekend. It was working great and I had a fun time. Where I was feeling before that there was enough grip to accelerate out of a corner, traction control sometimes cuts power for no reason. This doesn't happen anymore in M-track mode.

Only once I had a moment where the back stepped out, accelerating out of Wehrseifen. I had to apply quite some opposite lock to recover, I am not sure if DSC (M-track) would have recovered if I didn't do it myself.
 
^ thanks for the update. Sounds great!
I enabled track mode this week as well, looking forward to my next track day. :)
 
The hack posted on zpost ; ( his view seems entirely plausible btw as their is no reason why bmw would leave this feature off )

Based on this description, and the rest of the thread...

I'm going to say this is exactly what I suspect. The programming for DTC is left in the DSC module because BMW didn't want to customize a module just for our cars.

The fact that you can spin the tires in a straight line, where both tires are losing traction, on dry pavement with this setting enabled, and still engage DSC in a turn, means you're defeating the purpose of the mechanical LSD. The programming is left there for cars with open diffs as to interfere by braking individual wheels in the rear (by the way, said feature was available as early as 2003 when the Z4 was first introduced), but when BOTH wheels are spinning the rear brakes won't kick in because, to the system, traction levels are equal for both sides.

M-Track mode on the E46 actually is a different threshold programmed in to DSC, where on a straight-line it'll give you some leeway to spin the tires, but will eventually reign you in because a moderate amount of tire spin is good for launch (put heat into the rear tires). It also dials back DSC in the corners allow for a greater degree of slip angle before intervening.

If what y'all are saying is true, that DSC still intervenes while turning, then you're in essence using the rear brakes to simulate what a LSD would do, when the car already has a mechanical LSD to start with...And a very fancy one at that.

The quickest way to test it, is to drive around spiritedly in an empty parking lot with DSC off, then drive with the "DTC" mode on, then measure the rear rotor temp to see if it's activating the rear brakes more. If it is, then turning on this "mode" is a big mistake.

I don't have a beef in this, by the way. Now, if you can find a way to program default DSC off I'm all ears.
 
^ not buying it Beedub.
The MK60.20 is the same module as the M3 CSL with LS diff.

Also from the posted vid and other track reports, it seems obvious that it's a different threshold, primarily for traction.
I'll update with my real world findings after my next track day (18th)
 
Beedub said:
If what y'all are saying is true, that DSC still intervenes while turning, then you're in essence using the rear brakes to simulate what a LSD would do, when the car already has a mechanical LSD to start with...
Click to expand...
This is what the standard traction control does though!? if I do some laps on track with the standard traction control on, rear brake temps are considerably higher than with the system fully off.
To me it doesn't feel like the M-Track mode is using the rear brakes like the standard mode does, though I have no evidence to support this yet.
 
TomK said:
Beedub said:
If what y'all are saying is true, that DSC still intervenes while turning, then you're in essence using the rear brakes to simulate what a LSD would do, when the car already has a mechanical LSD to start with...
Click to expand...
This is what the standard traction control does though!? if I do some laps on track with the standard traction control on, rear brake temps are considerably higher than with the system fully off.
To me it doesn't feel like the M-Track mode is using the rear brakes like the standard mode does, though I have no evidence to support this yet.
Click to expand...


i coiped and posted this from another forum... it wasn't my words buddy, however SOME of what he says makes sense to me, we need to know exactly what we are enabling here, if this was M track mode, id be paying someone to come and do it for me, but DTC and M track are very different thresholds as one is designed for a car with a LSD and one isn't....
 
Yeah I agree, it would be good to know exactly what is going on here. I don't believe though that enabling this so called 'm-track' mode is just enabling DTC like a custard Z4, albeit the DTC lamp lights up on the dash. However the thing works it definitely feels like a vast improvement if you want to drive enthusiastically and have some kind of safety net.
Drive round a track with the standard Z4M traction control and you will find your rear brakes take a pounding, I've yet to do the same with this 'M-Track' mode but I suspect it doesn't use the rear brakes in the same way... a good thing!
 
TomK said:
Yeah I agree, it would be good to know exactly what is going on here. I don't believe though that enabling this so called 'm-track' mode is just enabling DTC like a custard Z4, albeit the DTC lamp lights up on the dash. However the thing works it definitely feels like a vast improvement if you want to drive enthusiastically and have some kind of safety net.
Drive round a track with the standard Z4M traction control and you will find your rear brakes take a pounding, I've yet to do the same with this 'M-Track' mode but I suspect it doesn't use the rear brakes in the same way... a good thing!
Click to expand...

i would say this is the most accurate statement of the thread.

This could be of some use for me as I'm finding with my added power on longer trips the rear brakes are just being totally abused. literally covered with brake dust, my pagodas aren't cheap enough for being toasted like this! lol!!

think its time i buy this programme and start learning how to code!!
 
I guess the question is why would BMW not enable this feature on our cars from the start? If it's the same module as the CSL and the programming that's being done by us is a simple task or activating it in the code then it would have cost them nothing apart from adding an 'M-Track' logo to the dash instead of DTC to show it's on? Or am I missing something here? (Probably :lol: )
Still tempted to get this done, as Tom said would be interesting to see exactly what's going on here though.....
 
I had M-track mode on my previous M3CS, from the factory. This feels to me identical in its interference.
 
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