DSC Sport/APR Suspension Controller Tuning

[yakboyslim]

No need to drive the car for it, just need to have the car on (not even engine running). I'm sure things are slightly different with VCDS, but OBDeleven instructions might be close enough.

1. Figure out what version gateway you have (should start with 5Q0 or 3Q0). This should be in the module info somewhere.
2. Then go into the gateway module and look at live data.
3. The live data parameter we want says something to the effect of "damping mode"
4. While watching this data you can cycle through different driving modes using the button or the radio.

Driving mode selected	What you should get	What you will get if DSC and Gateway aren't getting along.
Comfort	1	2
Normal	2	2
Sport/Race	3	3
Individual	1, 2 or 3	2

This is how you would go about logging it to see if you have the problem. If you have it PLEASE contact DSC. They have been very slow to respond to my stuff - totally unhelpful on this issue. Partially I think it is because they keep asking me where I bought my unit (like it's fine to blow off the guy who bought it used, even if he is trying to help you understand the problem...)

I do have VCDS so I can log with either to test for comfort mode. I would love to use the program to help with tuning because as of right now I’m thinking of reverting back to the stock controller because I didn’t mind the B6’s with the stock controller but I picked up the DSC controller in an effort to get more out of my setup. So I’m definitely willing to try some tuning before I give up.

Absolutely. I tried to write a bit of a wiki on the Github for the tuning program I wrote. If you want to take a look at that, especially the part about converting your .pdts file (you have to use a google spreadsheet I wrote to convert your current .pdts to a .csv, after that you could always just use the YakTUNE program to make baselines). Any questions though feel free to post here or PM.

Two easy changes I would recommend trying right off the bat if the stock DCC feels better are:

1. Zero out your velocity table. Just make it zero for all the compression/rebound speeds at all four corners. This table is tuned - fairly well actually - for the stock Monroe shocks, might not be great with the B6.
2. Zero out the entire acceleration table except for the launch portion (zero the parts based on pedal position). DSC even recommends not to use this table now that they have introduced the launch control tables. It appears they removed the function that would fade the influence of this, so now rather than being a preemptive factor, it just makes the car too stiff whenever the pedal is pressed.

 

[Klrider44]

This is how you would go about logging it to see if you have the problem. If you have it PLEASE contact DSC. They have been very slow to respond to my stuff - totally unhelpful on this issue. Partially I think it is because they keep asking me where I bought my unit (like it's fine to blow off the guy who bought it used, even if he is trying to help you understand the problem...)



Absolutely. I tried to write a bit of a wiki on the Github for the tuning program I wrote. If you want to take a look at that, especially the part about converting your .pdts file (you have to use a google spreadsheet I wrote to convert your current .pdts to a .csv, after that you could always just use the YakTUNE program to make baselines). Any questions though feel free to post here or PM.

Two easy changes I would recommend trying right off the bat if the stock DCC feels better are:

1. Zero out your velocity table. Just make it zero for all the compression/rebound speeds at all four corners. This table is tuned - fairly well actually - for the stock Monroe shocks, might not be great with the B6.
2. Zero out the entire acceleration table except for the launch portion (zero the parts based on pedal position). DSC even recommends not to use this table now that they have introduced the launch control tables. It appears they removed the function that would fade the influence of this, so now rather than being a preemptive factor, it just makes the car too stiff whenever the pedal is pressed.

I will give this a shot. Let me hit you with a stupid question. Any changes that I have made to the car I have always just modified it directly to the car while it is plugged in and I just did things one at a time. Now I have modified and saved a file where I zeroed out the items that you have suggested on my computer. How do I go about writing that entire new file to the DSC controller so I don’t have to input everything one at a time?

 

[yakboyslim]

I will give this a shot. Let me hit you with a stupid question. Any changes that I have made to the car I have always just modified it directly to the car while it is plugged in and I just did things one at a time. Now I have modified and saved a file where I zeroed out the items that you have suggested on my computer. How do I go about writing that entire new file to the DSC controller so I don’t have to input everything one at a time?

I think it is file=>Open the .pdst. Then with that open I think it is under tools? There should be a Write All option

Then I sometimes Read All, and confirm that changes actually went in

 

[Klrider44]

This is how you would go about logging it to see if you have the problem. If you have it PLEASE contact DSC. They have been very slow to respond to my stuff - totally unhelpful on this issue. Partially I think it is because they keep asking me where I bought my unit (like it's fine to blow off the guy who bought it used, even if he is trying to help you understand the problem...)



Absolutely. I tried to write a bit of a wiki on the Github for the tuning program I wrote. If you want to take a look at that, especially the part about converting your .pdts file (you have to use a google spreadsheet I wrote to convert your current .pdts to a .csv, after that you could always just use the YakTUNE program to make baselines). Any questions though feel free to post here or PM.

Two easy changes I would recommend trying right off the bat if the stock DCC feels better are:

1. Zero out your velocity table. Just make it zero for all the compression/rebound speeds at all four corners. This table is tuned - fairly well actually - for the stock Monroe shocks, might not be great with the B6.
2. Zero out the entire acceleration table except for the launch portion (zero the parts based on pedal position). DSC even recommends not to use this table now that they have introduced the launch control tables. It appears they removed the function that would fade the influence of this, so now rather than being a preemptive factor, it just makes the car too stiff whenever the pedal is pressed.

Okay so I zeroed out the settings like you mentioned. Only went for a short trip and the car does seem initially seem a bit more composed and less bouncy. Haven’t throw it into any corners yet. I have not had a chance to check for comfort mode yet.

Now I am dealing with the bilstein B6’s and from what I have gathered from a source is that they operate at different mA’s so I modified the shock calibration table as well. I had done that prior to zeroing out the velocity and acceleration table though just to be transparent.

 

[Klrider44]

Okay so I zeroed out the settings like you mentioned. Only went for a short trip and the car does seem initially seem a bit more composed and less bouncy. Haven’t throw it into any corners yet. I have not had a chance to check for comfort mode yet.

Now I am dealing with the bilstein B6’s and from what I have gathered from a source is that they operate at different mA’s so I modified the shock calibration table as well. I had done that prior to zeroing out the velocity and acceleration table though just to be transparent.

Just an add on to my findings after slightly more seat time. Car feels so much better with the velocity and acceleration table zeroed. Night and day. We might actually be getting somewhere here.

 

[yakboyslim]

Just an add on to my findings after slightly more seat time. Car feels so much better with the velocity and acceleration table zeroed. Night and day. We might actually be getting somewhere here.

That's awesome to hear! I figured the velocity tables being zero would help since they were very specifically tuned for the Monroe dampers (arguably it's the only part of the DSC/APR base map that is actually tuned at all)

If you want at some point I can walk you through how I used histograms to really dial in the velocity table, but zero should at least be riding like Bilstein meant for it to ride. I might put the steps I did up here in a how to guide at some point, but honestly that is on the backburner. If you are interested though the process is pretty simple, it's just a lot of logging.

The acceleration table is so frustrating to me because DSC changed the way it works, but left it in the base maps. It used to have a decay time- you would hit the pedal car stiffens up due to acceleration table, then it decays out-but the G takes over. When they added the launch control stuff they got rid of the decay value. So it ends up just making the base maps significantly stiffer than intended most of the time.

 

[Klrider44]

That's awesome to hear! I figured the velocity tables being zero would help since they were very specifically tuned for the Monroe dampers (arguably it's the only part of the DSC/APR base map that is actually tuned at all)

If you want at some point I can walk you through how I used histograms to really dial in the velocity table, but zero should at least be riding like Bilstein meant for it to ride. I might put the steps I did up here in a how to guide at some point, but honestly that is on the backburner. If you are interested though the process is pretty simple, it's just a lot of logging.

The acceleration table is so frustrating to me because DSC changed the way it works, but left it in the base maps. It used to have a decay time- you would hit the pedal car stiffens up due to acceleration table, then it decays out-but the G takes over. When they added the launch control stuff they got rid of the decay value. So it ends up just making the base maps significantly stiffer than intended most of the time.

Yea I’m definitely interested in at least attempting to tune the velocity table. It’s worth a shot.

 

[HuntR]

Does all this discussion/data etc directly apply to the APR DCC controller, or is that somehow a different animal?

 

[yakboyslim]

Does all this discussion/data etc directly apply to the APR DCC controller, or is that somehow a different animal?

All applies. There appears to be no difference at all between APR and DSC controller besides sticker, and price. Theoretically if APR ever released a propriertary tuning software they might do something firmware to lock it out in the future, but that is not the case right now.

Even the base map appears to be identical right now.

 

[CrayonAssassin]

Just an add on to my findings after slightly more seat time. Car feels so much better with the velocity and acceleration table zeroed. Night and day. We might actually be getting somewhere here.

On stock springs but B6 dampers too, and I can also confirm the ride is so much better with the zeroed out velocity table.

 

[HuntR]

On stock springs but B6 dampers too, and I can also confirm the ride is so much better with the zeroed out velocity table.

Is the ride better than the OE controller?

 

[CrayonAssassin]

Is the ride better than the OE controller?

On OE normal and race, bumps were definitely sharper. OE Comfort was soft but not as soft as how it feels now.

Running it in individual DCC Race now feels more compliant than OE Comfort.

Need to figure out how to make the different modes more distinct.

Unfortunately, instead or 3 maps with DSC/APR I only have normal and race.

 

[Cuzoe]

On OE normal and race, bumps were definitely sharper. OE Comfort was soft but not as soft as how it feels now.

Running it in individual DCC Race now feels more compliant than OE Comfort.

I'm on B4 damptronics, stock GTI springs... and this sounds great to me.

Need to figure out how to make the different modes more distinct.

Unfortunately, instead or 3 maps with DSC/APR I only have normal and race.

But then this... deal breaker for me. I'm in comfort basically all the time. But when I go for the rare canyon runs I switch between Normal and Sport pretty often depending on the road condition. I hope they figure this out.

 

[Klrider44]

So just a little update (bilstein B6’s/VWR springs) Messed around a little bit with the velocity table. The original file from DSC has a ton of rebound added in the rear which contributes to the bouncing on their file. I took out all of the rebound in the rear and actually put negative values in the high section. I kept the compression values from DSC file for the front, the front is way to soft with values at zero. I didn’t like the negative values for the rear, I left rear compression all at zero.

Things feel much better, I am now messing with the default rate. I like default rate of 20. I’m gonna try higher for the sport file and maybe keep 20 for normal mode. I feel progress is being made here.

 

[Klrider44]

That's awesome to hear! I figured the velocity tables being zero would help since they were very specifically tuned for the Monroe dampers (arguably it's the only part of the DSC/APR base map that is actually tuned at all)

If you want at some point I can walk you through how I used histograms to really dial in the velocity table, but zero should at least be riding like Bilstein meant for it to ride. I might put the steps I did up here in a how to guide at some point, but honestly that is on the backburner. If you are interested though the process is pretty simple, it's just a lot of logging.

The acceleration table is so frustrating to me because DSC changed the way it works, but left it in the base maps. It used to have a decay time- you would hit the pedal car stiffens up due to acceleration table, then it decays out-but the G takes over. When they added the launch control stuff they got rid of the decay value. So it ends up just making the base maps significantly stiffer than intended most of the time.

Acceleration table is definitely an issue. Zeroed everything out with the exception of launch. I tried leaving the table how it came from DSC it makes the car way worse any time I step on the pedal a bit. Just zero this out for all files imo.

I owe you some logs buddy if I ever get time hahah