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Snow Driving

1K views 26 replies 16 participants last post by  adgieman 
#1 ·
Has anyone else found that the ST is very poor in snowy and icy conditions. I live in Shetland and we have had tons of the white stuff in the last week, even the main roads were covered. The front end of mine was sliding all over the place and my house is at the end of a single track raod with a steep hill to get out. Most other cars (and there are only 6 other houses) had little or no trouble getting up the slope, mine would start spinning out about half way up. As a point to note I do not have winter tyres on it and i know the fat tyres are not as good in snow as skinny ones, but I've had other cars with similar tyres and they haven't been as bad.
 
#3 ·
I too find the ST shocking in snow as I live in a area that is nothing but hill's and could get my car up most of them with out a lot of spinning even in third gear.

I think it's to do with the tyre size and tread pattern (mine being Falken 452's) as smaller cars just breezed past without problem's and the works Transit was fine also.
 
#9 ·
Mine was dreadful, again with FK452s on the front. ESP on or off, any gear you wanted, any revs you wanted, all just produced burning rubber smells and no movement. Living in a very hilly area, this was part disaster part victory for me as it meant I couldn't get into work!! Did find it fairly embarassing though having to stash the car in random places (ended up being snowed out from home) as 0.9 Pandas etc went passed no troubles whatsoever.
 
#11 ·
Didn't have any problems until I managed to ground myself on some ice under some snow when parking up.

Turn ESP off, first gear, drive with the clutch, no accelerator until clear road, jobs a good 'un.

Too many people put their foot down on the accelerator and complain about the car sliding around too much.

I drove on 2" of fresh snow as well as sheet ice with little problem.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE(yoinkster @ 5 Feb 2010, 06:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Mine was dreadful, again with FK452s on the front. ESP on or off, any gear you wanted, any revs you wanted, all just produced burning rubber smells and no movement. Living in a very hilly area, this was part disaster part victory for me as it meant I couldn't get into work!! Did find it fairly embarassing though having to stash the car in random places (ended up being snowed out from home) as 0.9 Pandas etc went passed no troubles whatsoever.

cant beat the panda 4x4 in snow


i drove my
for the 1st time in snow last week, found about the same as my old normal focus, although i didnt realise you can set off in 3rd off the clutch, prob doesnt do it any good at all but it saved me a few times when it got a bit hairy! Least its not as bad as 5 series BMW's, our directors always abandon their in the work car park and car swap with their wives.....
oh and auto boxes in snow
 
#14 ·
QUOTE(Dabhand16 @ 5 Feb 2010, 06:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The handbook recommends turning the ESP off in snow. Mine was not too bad, but I'm guessing you might have had more snow where you are than down here.

I did think the ESP was interferring a bit too much. wheels start spinning, so it cuts the power and then you need to try and get going again. On a steep snowy hill that's nearly impossible and so what happens the wheels just start spinning again - Catch 22. On the flat bit though I don't think I'd fancy trying to drive it without the ESP.

Thanks everyone for your comments. At least I know it's not just me. Lots of people up here drive Toyota Yaris's and I've been taking the
by offering them an elastic band as a spare engine and saying if your accelerator pedal sticks would you actually notice. Now they're all laughing at me.
 
#15 ·
QUOTE(Andrewg @ 8 Feb 2010, 01:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I did think the ESP was interferring a bit too much. wheels start spinning, so it cuts the power and then you need to try and get going again. On a steep snowy hill that's nearly impossible and so what happens the wheels just start spinning again - Catch 22. On the flat bit though I don't think I'd fancy trying to drive it without the ESP.

Thanks everyone for your comments. At least I know it's not just me. Lots of people up here drive Toyota Yaris's and I've been taking the
by offering them an elastic band as a spare engine and saying if your accelerator pedal sticks would you actually notice. Now they're all laughing at me.

You are confusing ESP with Traction Control.
 
#16 ·
I am not sure how you are all driving, someone mentioned 1st gear etc....

Select 2nd gear and with no throttle gently release the clutch until the car begins to move, even more gently allow the clutch fully out, still no throttle, if this doesnt work try third, to speed up change up only on what the engine takes and to slow down change down use the throttle in no gear lower than third pref 4th. The moment you touch the throttle with any more than the lightest of touches the wheels will spin and all is lost. Consider that getting going traction is higher than stopping traction, you will slide and slip, go with it do what you would usually do to correct a slide but do it slowly, at the same rate as the slide the correction will be equally as slow, oh and brakes turn you into a bomb ie unguided rather than a missile.

I watched a very nice ML 55 come tanking past me in the snow and ice when it was down, I was doing 20mph in a 4wd, he was doing 40, on went his brakelights and 2 plus tons of 4wd went straight through the entrance to the roundabout, straight up the paved edge of the roundabout, coming to rest in the middle with steam and stuff billowing out. I stopped to offer assistance but fear that the fact I couldn't speak as I was laughing so much caused the guy to tell me it was all fine lol.
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE(Si @ 8 Feb 2010, 02:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am not sure how you are all driving, someone mentioned 1st gear etc....

Select 2nd gear and with no throttle gently release the clutch until the car begins to move

There is no reason to start in second unless you can't start in first which if you can control your clutch properly shouldn't be a problem in 99% of cases.
 
#18 ·
QUOTE(jamest1987 @ 8 Feb 2010, 02:24 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>There is no reason to start in second unless you can't start in first which if you can control your clutch properly shouldn't be a problem in 99% of cases.

Actually there is a very good reason to start in 2nd, it is to do with throttle response and control when in thick snow or icy surfaces. You need to slow down the response between the right foot and the wheels as far as possible. If you cant start in first then you dig in or shine up which makes starting in second that much harder easier just to rock off in 2nd. I will forgive your youth, not many winters behind the wheel
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
QUOTE(Si @ 8 Feb 2010, 02:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Actually there is a very good reason to start in 2nd, it is to do with throttle response and control when in thick snow or icy surfaces. You need to slow down the response between the right foot and the wheels as far as possible. If you cant start in first then you dig in or shine up which makes starting in second that much harder easier just to rock off in 2nd. I will forgive your youth, not many winters behind the wheel


Agreed.

My wife is currently undergoing advanced driver training (to be a driving instructor), and second gear is the way to go.

Second gear is also now officially advocated when moving off on a downward slope. Eco-friendly, green, sandal wearing driving and all that jazz.......

On a related note, my wife is now officially the worst passenger IN THE WORLD.

Fact.

 
#21 ·
QUOTE(Si @ 8 Feb 2010, 02:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Has she vomited in the footwell of your 996 Turbo? Mine has lol She said slow down or I will be sick, I didnt, she did.

No.

But her lungs are now somehow bonded to the brake lights of the car in front.

As the lights come on, she inhales deeply......and doesn't exhale until we're all stationary again.

It's also damn distracting having someone alongside you going for the phantom "dual controls" everytime you approach traffic lights.

It's ALSO damn irritating to have someone alongside you say, "oh.......that's interesting. I'll have to make a note of that......" each time you pull away, and then refuse to tell you what she just made a note of.
 
#22 ·
I would concur that the ST is pig awful in snow. I nearly posted in a similar thread a few weeks back. The amount of time I had to stop and dig on the smallest of inclines was ridiculous! As someone said before my last car was a saxo and it was AMAZING in the snow compared to the ST!!!
 
#23 ·
QUOTE(choccymonster @ 8 Feb 2010, 02:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>No.

But her lungs are now somehow bonded to the brake lights of the car in front.

As the lights come on, she inhales deeply......and doesn't exhale until we're all stationary again.

It's also damn distracting having someone alongside you going for the phantom "dual controls" everytime you approach traffic lights.

It's ALSO damn irritating to have someone alongside you say, "oh.......that's interesting. I'll have to make a note of that......" each time you pull away, and then refuse to tell you what she just made a note of.

Mine just screams a lot, thats distracting. The best thing I find is to get her drunk, then she just sleeps.
 
#24 ·
QUOTE(choccymonster @ 8 Feb 2010, 02:59 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>No.

But her lungs are now somehow bonded to the brake lights of the car in front.

As the lights come on, she inhales deeply......and doesn't exhale until we're all stationary again.

It's also damn distracting having someone alongside you going for the phantom "dual controls" everytime you approach traffic lights.

It's ALSO damn irritating to have someone alongside you say, "oh.......that's interesting. I'll have to make a note of that......" each time you pull away, and then refuse to tell you what she just made a note of.

I reckon that Jadey could've made that exact post if you've been out with her now she's driving
 
#25 ·
QUOTE(Si @ 8 Feb 2010, 02:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I am not sure how you are all driving, someone mentioned 1st gear etc....

Select 2nd gear and with no throttle gently release the clutch until the car begins to move, even more gently allow the clutch fully out, still no throttle, if this doesnt work try third, to speed up change up only on what the engine takes and to slow down change down use the throttle in no gear lower than third pref 4th. The moment you touch the throttle with any more than the lightest of touches the wheels will spin and all is lost. Consider that getting going traction is higher than stopping traction, you will slide and slip, go with it do what you would usually do to correct a slide but do it slowly, at the same rate as the slide the correction will be equally as slow, oh and brakes turn you into a bomb ie unguided rather than a missile.

I watched a very nice ML 55 come tanking past me in the snow and ice when it was down, I was doing 20mph in a 4wd, he was doing 40, on went his brakelights and 2 plus tons of 4wd went straight through the entrance to the roundabout, straight up the paved edge of the roundabout, coming to rest in the middle with steam and stuff billowing out. I stopped to offer assistance but fear that the fact I couldn't speak as I was laughing so much caused the guy to tell me it was all fine lol.

I usually move off in 2nd. Problem living up here is the steepness of some of the hills. If you're trundling along at lows revs in 3rd the car would just stall. So you have to use 2nd to get up it. I think the torque kicks in fully at just 1600rpm, which gives you little to play with before the car decides it's time for fun and wants to kick on. Unfortunately on a snowy covered hill it means you can't and end up going nowhere.
 
#26 ·
Our
is really not the best in the snow and ice. We also opted for Falken 452's. Best way to get steady progress was to get it up the box and keep the revs down. Still a bit hairy at times though!!

Esp/Traction Control does make a mad noise when engaged. Thought the front end had collapsed first time we heard it!!

Also had a problem with grit getting behind the front brake disks and the metal shield at the rear. Nails on a blackboard were nothing compared to this! Had to take off the NSF wheel to clear some out over Christmas. Sounded like a meteorite had landed in there. Anyone else had a similar issue?

Roll on summer!!
 
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