There comes a point where even the best engineering can't save a driver from himself. With the ever-increasing demands for performance potential today, even the average buyer doesn't have to look far for speed that might exceed his capabilities. That's a tough place for a manufacturer like BMW to find itself; after all, a repeat customer is a living one. So, a little bit of help can be a good thing for everyone.
The triangle with the exclamation point on a BMW's dash is the notification light for the car's dynamic stability control, which helps to keep your car on the road by reducing wheelspin under acceleration, braking and cornering. It may come on for one of three reasons. If you push the traction control or DSC button once, the light will come on; this is the first level of DSC activation. This increases the stability control system's wheelspin threshold, which allows you to drive the car more aggressively without the system intervening to save you. Push the button again and hold it, and the brake light will come on as well. This tells you that the DSC system is completely off, and you're on your own as far as controlling the car. If the light flashes while driving, it just means that the system is working and doing something to control the car. This is a good sign. If the light comes on and stays on without your having pushed the button, something is wrong with the system, and it is in need of service.
