Help on driving in the snow

[Dr Forinor 0]

This is the first time I have owned a RWD (My BMW), and it's an automatic. So far as I can see, there is no "snow setting".

 

When moving off, do I leave it in Auto and just be gentle, or do I put it in manual & into 2nd and then move off? Any other tips? I'm not an idiot at driving in the snow, just thought someone who has experience in an Auto RWD may be able to give me some tips so I don't have to find them out myself :)

[Jim 2]

To be honest I don't think you'll really be going anywhere in an automatic BMW when it snows... they're normally the first cars I see abandoned on the roadside when the bad weather comes! :(

[Supercharged 2]

BMW's and Merc's = awful in snow/ice

[Dr Forinor 0]

Hhmm, that's not encouraging...

[coullstar 0]

Bollocks, I was on a iced up back road this morning that most others avioded. I made it to work and had some fun. Broken record but fit winter tyres and you will be fine.

 

---------- Post added at 9:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 9:03 AM ----------

 

The only thing you may fins helps is putting some weight over the rear wheels. Normal tyres, yes your goosed.

[Dr Forinor 0]

Mr Coullstar I'm up your neck of the woods. Where would you recommend going for the winter tyres?

[Portent 0]

Hmmm, this is the first winter in 9 years that I wil have a FWD car only. I've had a 4motion/Quattro during that time. I think I#m going to miss it :(

[coullstar 0]

Mr Coullstar I'm up your neck of the woods. Where would you recommend going for the winter tyres?

 

Probably best online, ebay to be honest or try aberdeen gumtree as there is lots coming up for sale at the moment. I might have a set of 17in wheels (BMW OE black steels) for sale in the next week.

[Jim 2]

MyTyres do a steel wheel / winter tyre combo.... pretty reasonably priced. I just got a set of 16" steels and 205/55/16 Michelin Alpin A4's ordered for my Octavia for £534 delivered. Could have bought that right down if I got some more generic tyres (down to about £420).

 

Pretty painful but then figured I'll be able to use these for the next 2-3 years all being well so spreading that cost over three years softens the pain somewhat.

[Peebee 0]

STAY OFF THE ROAD, WALK! Sorry for the blunt approach to my comment but if you are on about bad snowy roads, you will have more joy on a push bike. Pulling off in snow is best in 2nd gear, not an option in an automatic to my knowledge. When you've finally got going your tail end will dance all the way home.

[Dr Forinor 0]

It's semi-auto and it allows me to pull away in 2nd.

 

---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:38 AM ----------

 

MyTyres do a steel wheel / winter tyre combo.... pretty reasonably priced. I just got a set of 16" steels and 205/55/16 Michelin Alpin A4's ordered for my Octavia for £534 delivered. Could have bought that right down if I got some more generic tyres (down to about £420).

 

Pretty painful but then figured I'll be able to use these for the next 2-3 years all being well so spreading that cost over three years softens the pain somewhat.

 

That's a good thought actually, might seriously consider that, thanks. 16s should fit over my front brakes?

 

Erm, whats all this business for the 320d, "346L 1950ccm 100 kW BJ.: 05.1998-09.1999"?

Edited November 29, 2012 by Dr Forinor

[Jim 2]

Might be worth checking on some BMW forums or even checking with the dealer if they offer a winter steels package of some kind, so you can find out what size you need. My car normally runs on 18's but checking a popular Skoda forum I was able to establish that 205/55/16's would be correct for my car and 16's would indeed clear the callipers :)

[Dr Forinor 0]

I don't like the BMW forums....

 

Will phone BMW and see what they say.

[Jim 2]

Looks like you can get away with the same size as mine... just different fitment on the wheels.... MyTyres has a car selector thing to find the wheels suitable for your car. Worth mentioning I only got 91H tyres so limited to 130MPH. Can't say I've ever been that quick in the Octavia though so shouldn't be a problem.. especially on icy roads.

 

Check it out here: http://www.mytyres.co.uk/Steel_wheels.html

[Dr Forinor 0]

No I don't know if that's my size, I just picked the first available option to use as an example here. What does it all mean? How do I find out the exact one for me?

 

BMW says a winter wheel package for £950.

 

---------- Post added at 12:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:52 AM ----------

 

Ok, I've figured it out, thanks.

 

BMW says £950 for Dunlop winter tyres, MyTyres says £660 for Continental winter tyres or £665 for Dunlop winter tyres, I think MyTyres wins :D

 

---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:04 PM ----------

 

Which one?

 

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Dunlop/SP-Winter-Sport-M3-ROF.htm

 

OR

 

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Tyre/Continental/WinterContact-TS-830-P.htm

 

---------- Post added at 12:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 PM ----------

 

Read a few reviews, Dunlop rate slightly better than the Continental in Wet Grip and in Noise levels. Dunlops it is :)

Edited November 29, 2012 by Dr Forinor

[jamiehamy 0]

Agree with coullstar. RWD are not quite as bad as people make out. If you have the road to yourself, and no pillocks slowing you down when you need to keep up momentum, you can get most places.

 

 

I remember once years ago I tried to get into work in my mothers C-class (can't remember why, there was some reason). Anyway, I got stuck in traffic and almost ended up as 'one of them' stuck with spinning wheels. I backtracked the whole way home and took a backroad that had not been ploughed and barely driven on.

 

Traction control off, drove like I was balancing an egg on the dashboard and made it without a single drama,

 

Fit winter tyres and you'll get most places with it.

[Dr Forinor 0]

I wasn't necessarily too worried about it being a RWD, the more worrying part was getting moving in an auto, thought there might be a technique or something to it.

 

Anyway, winter steelies and tyres ordered :)

Edited November 29, 2012 by Dr Forinor

[Jim 2]

Damn - I wish I'd gotten commission off that sale! :)

[Dr Forinor 0]

Hehehe, you did a good job :D

[jamiehamy 0]

I wasn't necessarily too worried about it being a RWD, the more worrying part was getting moving in an auto, thought there might be a technique or something to it.

 

Anyway, winter steelies and tyres ordered :)

 

Ah, okay. Well, in that case, if you can't get moving, switch the Traction Control/ESP off if you can until you regain momentum. Applies to auto and manual I suppose.

Usually if the car detects spinning wheels, it cuts the power, btu does it for too long, cutting what momentum you have. Switch it off and you need to recognise the slip yourself and back off, but only enough to regain traction. Slipping is fine, as long as you lift off and gently up the power until you're underway. Then switch it back on.

 

Sometimes you jsut need to slip and slide your way for a few metres to get 'clear' snow and then crawl along, upping the power by tiny margins, esp in an auto.

[Dr Forinor 0]

Good tips, thanks. This will be interesting :D

[Stonejag 10]

I've driven an auto for the last five years - for FWD at least, they're no bother in snow if you know what you're doing. Some gearboxes are clever enough to start off in second gear if you manually select 2 and pull away, some aren't. My 2001 Lupo/Arosa and the C aren't :)

 

Same advice as normal really - just go very gently on the throttle as applying too much torque will spin the wheels. If you get stuck whatever you do don't boot it, you'll just polish the ice and make it slippier. Every VW auto box since 1990ish has had a slight delay in the lock solenoid activating if you go R->D->R->D without the brake pedal pushed, so give it a tiny bit of throttle and you'll usually be able to rock yourself out. If that fails, roll backwards in neutral and try on a rougher bit of snow! If you can drive on fresh uncompacted powder you'll have the best grip - if it's looking sketchy I try and get myself offset from all the tyre tracks so you have less ice under the wheels.

 

I'm considering snow tyres this year but have never used them before - the Arosa still got up a 13º slope on nothing but ice just by idling up it in 1st gear and keeping an eye on the momentum so you'll probably be fine. You might want to consider some of the non-standard chains - Mita snow chains and Jeko snow belts will both fit more easily than standard ones - bear in mind you need to take them off when you hit clear tarmac or you'll chew up the road, so you want some that fit easily!

 

HTH

 

Stone

[kevin_m 0]

Paving slab in the boot :L

[Stonejag 10]

A roll of cheap carpet (try Ikea) isn't a bad idea either. If you get stuck, lay it out behind the back wheels and roll back onto it, then use it to get rolling...

[craigowl 0]

Take care - respect the laws of physics and the potential serious dangers of ice and snow.

 

I am dealing with a case where a young man (19) dabbed the brakes on a bend on a rural, icy road, spun round, hurtled into a drystane dyke striking a lone woman rambler and pinning her by the legs to it for an instant before bouncing back off the wall to have the rear of the car demolished when it struck a van which had slowed before approaching the narrow bend from the other side.

 

The elderly lady just happened to be the only pedestrian for miles on her morning stroll. She had to have both legs amputated. At least two lives ruined by a moment's lack of judgement on a beautiful, sunny, frosty morning like today.

 

In December 1995, just down the road from here, two 20-year old girls from the town - schoolfriends of our youngest son on their way to a pre-Christmas shopping trip, skidded on "wetness" (which happened to be black ice formed after rain and sleet), and spun into the path of a Rover coming the other way.

 

One girl was killed almost instantly and the other has been in a wheelchair, paralysed and almost without speech - ever since.

 

You wil never believe the devastation that can easily happen before it is too late, unless you have had a lucky escape, or know the details of similar accidents, or are in the emergency services.

 

Think and stay safe.