Tekforums

...coping with the snow?

I have a Corsa D which is absolutely useless. 16 inch wheels and normal profile (195*55) tyres make far too big a contact area with the ground and theres not enough weight to add some grip. Add not very sophisticated ABS which you cant turn off and its useless!

However, I have a 99 Punto literally falling to pieces which is absolutely awesome. Horrible skinny little tyres dig down and grip properly and there are no driver aids which is ideal in this weather!

Anyone lucky enough to have a 4x4?

Mine was good.

Impreza running 432BHP, but I bought some winter tyres for it, and they are fantastic!!! I couldnt believe how much of a difference they made. They are 215/45/17 so not skinny really, but work very well. The AWD might help as well, although it isnt proper 4x4.

Dads Ford Ka is fine in in by my bini is hopeless on the icy bits.

Honda Accord - Junk in the snow.  Some Japanese f**knut decided that when the ABS Kicks in that the pedal must stay at the floor.  If I let go of the brake, the pedal still goes nuts all on its own.  No traction, nothing.

Soarer, RWD and also bloody useless.  Im effectively housebound.

Cant really comment due to the relative lack of cold stuff down here, but the few times I have been out Ive tested the brakes on my street etc to see how slippy the roads were, and they were skid worthy at 5mph if you hit the brakes even moderately hard. But in the Mazda its been fine. The micra last Feb skidded and hit the curb last year though and I doubt my driving skills had much to do with it.

Been on the motorbike (BMW F650 GS) with some dual purpose tyres the last couple of weeks and all been fine for me. If I wasnt used to riding off-road and the bike skidding about I would of freaked out a few times but as I have plenty of experiance with it snow/ice isnt that much different to lots of slippy mud :)

Quote from: chrisdickoMine was good.

Impreza running 432BHP, but I bought some winter tyres for it, and they are fantastic!!! I couldnt believe how much of a difference they made. They are 215/45/17 so not skinny really, but work very well. The AWD might help as well, although it isnt proper 4x4.

Good that someone here got winter tyres, it is hard to know the difference without trying :)

My Audi A4 (FWD) hasnt fared too badly, my tyres are low on tread anyway though and Ive had some predictable loss of grips moments. I wouldnt make any large journeys in it for sure. I cant actually reverse my car back onto my drive though, it loses all grip on the camber in the road.

Skoda Fabia MPi (the slow Petrol 1.4, last of the Skoda engines), surprisingly good so far. Its got me everywhere Ive asked it to go. Only problem is the handbrake has a tendency to seize on if its left on in wet weather for any length of time so Im having to park it in gear with the brake off atm, not enough traction to haul the back wheels along until the brake disengages in the snow.

I do miss my old 306XLD in this weather though, that thing would go anywhere. Big heavy diesel engine pressing down on the driving wheels and no driving aids, lovely.

my Audi has been ok. you can only crawl up steep hills (live on top of mountain) at 2nd gear idle speed but it gets up eventually.

Ive taken my 18" alloys with 240width tyres off and put the old 16" with 205 ones one and it is a bit better.


ABS is crap through, really death trap stuff with the snow.

Quote from: bear

Quote from: chrisdickoMine was good.

Impreza running 432BHP, but I bought some winter tyres for it, and they are fantastic!!! I couldnt believe how much of a difference they made. They are 215/45/17 so not skinny really, but work very well. The AWD might help as well, although it isnt proper 4x4.

Good that someone here got winter tyres, it is hard to know the difference without trying :)

To be honest if/when I move away, chances are I might invest in snow tyres if I can afford it. Its just not worth it given the lack of snow even when it snowed here in Dorset though. Id love to work in the Lake District, so yeah Id be 4x4ing it with snow tyres if I lived up there haha.

I dont have a car! I use my feet :D

Quote from: BeanissocoollikeI dont have a car! I use my feet :D

Which shoes are you using? Whats the traction like? :D

Quote from: BeanissocoollikeI dont have a car! I use my feet :D

 :stupid:

Quote from: BeanissocoollikeI dont have a car! I use my feet :D

Or your taxi service  -)

no snow here, had some icy bits, epic understeer but both the discovery 4x4 and legacy AWD just caught again and pulled round, in proper snow and ice i expect they would cope pretty well tbh

1.8 Vectra-B on a W-reg 2000 plate.  195/65 15" (I think), and its slipped a couple of times, but not far and not badly.  Mate has a set of Toyos on his 2.0 Veccy (pointless), and hes been sliding for fun.  They dont seem to like the snow very much.  

[double post]

mine we ok till today, bad sheet ice on a bend car slides towards curb and fence with an 09 focus rs on the other side, it ends up sideways onto the  curb, tire didnt pop so tryed to move the last 200yrd to work but wheel stuck pointing right, snapped the wish bone an the front and not sure about back, tryin to limp the car moved 10yards, walked the remaining to work, 5 mins later a work mate walks in having just done the same thing in the same spot.

My Audi a3 2005 tdi is great, grips well unless i floor it, traction control cuts in fine and limits my power, ABS does well with 215/45/17.

turn it off and use the hand break is great fun on back roads

My FTO got me upto Inverness in the snow just before Christmas and then happily took me all around Inverness until I came back in the new year.  I couple of moments where back end came out on roundabouts, really bad when its FWD!

Roads up there were pretty awful at times as it snowed virtually every day I was there.  My parents have had snow now for a month, it just hasnt gone.  Its 2 feet deep in places.

On my return journey the ABS decided to fail after getting to the end of my parents driveway, 480 miles with no ABS.  I thought itd be hairy, but I got back safely and then ABS decided to work again.

The car did you a favour tbh.  ABS is a pain in the ass in this weather.

My BMW is terrible in the snow.

Been stuck umpteem times even going for a curry! I still have the shovel in the boot!

Im wondering if I can get some snow chains to keep in the boot for when I do get stuck again if I do in the future. But I dont think anywhere sells snow chains.

My ABS was good though. I was breaking softly but it still wasnt as bad as I thought itd be.

you need some weight in the boot !


either a few heavy boxes / bags of sand etc.. or a couple of dead hookers ?

Quote from: mr_rollMy BMW is terrible in the snow.

Been stuck umpteem times even going for a curry! I still have the shovel in the boot!

Im wondering if I can get some snow chains to keep in the boot for when I do get stuck again if I do in the future. But I dont think anywhere sells snow chains.

My ABS was good though. I was breaking softly but it still wasnt as bad as I thought itd be.

The dutch thingy mentioned in the "more snow thread" is a better way than chains for those situations I believe.

and what Knighty sais is also a good idea for rear wheel drives.

Isnt a run of carpet just as good for getting the car moving when its got stuck on snow/ice?

Quote from: Clockd 0NeIsnt a run of carpet just as good for getting the car moving when its got stuck on snow/ice?

sometimes.... works well on mud....

the problem is on ice... most of the time as you try to drive forwards... the carpet just goes shooting out of the back :-(


might work better on snow tho...

Yaris T-sport on 205/45 17s handling pretty well, better than i expected, although some f**knut in a polish registered golf slid into me then hared off so am in need of a new bumper and wing :/

Jaimz :rock:

My superior driving skills allow me to drive any car in any conditions without drama.

Had to take off my front splitter on the Golf and when I go down roads with ice/snow in the middle I just hear it knocking off my exhaust.

Went to visit the rents the other day and had to lay loads of carpet to get out of the street. In short pain in the arse, running winter wheels and tyres as well and amazingly they tuck in well and dont scrub! :)

I dont get all moaning about ABS ??? It is good when it is slippery, if it kick in you have been braking to hard (or had to much speed)  and when it kicks in it is much better than locked brakes.

Quote from: bearI dont get all moaning about ABS ??? It is good when it is slippery, if it kick in you have been braking to hard (or had to much speed)  and when it kicks in it is much better than locked brakes.

it is better than locked brakes for control but locked brakes will bring you to a stop quicker on snow and ice.

Quote from: DEViANCE

Quote from: bearI dont get all moaning about ABS ??? It is good when it is slippery, if it kick in you have been braking to hard (or had to much speed)  and when it kicks in it is much better than locked brakes.

it is better than locked brakes for control but locked brakes will bring you to a stop quicker on snow and ice.

WHAT ???  When I got my license 1970 there were no ABS brakes and one learned quickly that pumping the brakes stops the car faster on snow and ice than locked brakes, ABS does the pumping for ya !!! but as I said before if they kick in you
had to high speed to begin with but the ABS will make the stopping distance shorter than with locked brakes.

Quote from: EagleMy superior driving skills allow me to drive any car in any conditions without drama.

I challenge thee to get up my driveway in my Accord.