re:ASC, potentially controversial.

[jkerouac@xxxxxxx]

This modification can be a Christmas gift to everyone who has ASC on
their BMW:
    After seeing several postings on dissatisfaction with the
hyperactive 'lawyer's' calibrations of the factory ASC system, I feel
compelled to share my secret little modification.
    I too felt the ludicrously light touch on ramps and corners that
would trigger the throttle cutoff.  Not only that, the throttle would
stay cut off for two seconds or more.  Clearly enough to force the car
into a severe attitude change even when the car was balanced and on line
initially.  I found the braking control component of the ASC is actually
well behaved if
and that was a big if, like iff as in IF and _only_If
the throttle control component could be defeated,_and_ the braking
component would then continue delivering a modulation of the brakes
independantly as needed to each wheel.  This needed to be something that
the driver could actively use, rather than being a passive bystander
desperately pleading, sometimes begging, for the car to give back to
him/her control of the throttle.
    Additionally to make this worth doing, this would need to be a
worthwhile system to leave on in most driving, only switching the full
ASC system off when driving deliberately beyond the 90% traction limits
of your car, but possibly not even needing to then either.
    Well here is how to overcome the throttle part of the ASC, leaving
your car with a more highly maneuvarable version of computer controlled
left foot braking than any manual combination of brake and throttle
control could ever give.
    An additional effect is that you get a slight improvement in
throttle response and flow through the throttle body.
    The modification to defeat the throttle control part of ASC is to
remove the ASC throttle plate from the front of the throttle body.  It
is held on by two screws that retain it in position in a rotating shaft.

It is necessary to leave the shaft in place, and to leave the position
switches connected and functioning.  Those switches are what let the
computer still think the ASC plate is open or closed.  You will get
either an ASC fault or a check engine light if your disconnect them.
    Once done, you can set aside the ASC throttle plate actuator as a
spare cruise control actuator if you ever need one.
    With the ASC throttle plate removed, you can bury your foot into the
throttle, and have the braking component do neet things as you toss the
car through autocross gates or around your favorite street corners or
mountain roads.  I leave the system on, for instance, driving as I
please on the mountain roads of the SF Peninsula, while still having a
degree of safety, just in case
    I won't say you'll autocross quicker with ASC on and the ASC plate
removed, but unless you're a front runner at big SCCA events its likely
you can be at least as fast.
    The throttle response and flow increase is a result of the plate no
longer interfering with flow through the throttle body.  Picture the
cross section it takes up in the throttle chamber and you can see that
removing it would allow at least some increase in the cross section of
area in the throttle, as well as no longer deflecting air at the angle
that it sits at.
    I hope other who are dissatisfied with their ASC find the removal of
the ASC throttle plate to give the same satifying modification as I have
found it to be.
Enjoy,
"jk

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