First RWD BMW + snow experience!

[decebal 0]

So I was driving home today from Lower Hutt to Wellington on motorway about 6pm...snow got quite heavy and left about 5cm on the road. This is the first time I drove a RWD in the snow, with summer tires...sh*t it was barely driveable...went about 20-30 kms in low gear but had quite a few moments of sliding and lock. On a corner corolla next to me started swerving so had to stop..then it was fun times of serious wheel spin before I got going again...

So just asking for advice really. What do you guys do in the snow, do you usually drive with chains or snow tires? Any advice otherwise?

Just asking cos I was seriously suprised how uncontrollable and touchy the car was...being said I've only driven FWD or 4WD cars in the snow and never experienced something like this...

[Surge 1]

Chains front and back. You need chains on the driven wheels and the steering. FWDs are usually fine with just chains on the front (providing you don't mind a bit of slide..)

[cliffdunedin 8]

Having chains on would rip my wheel arches to bits! So i just stick it in 'S' drive smooth as silk and i get around the hills that i need to ok, mind you is wayyyy better knowing you have the traction and control in a 4wd.

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

When it comes to a corner and the back steps out, power on and slide it out.

[_Matt_ 42]

When it comes to a corner and the back steps out, power on and slide it out.

In RWD take your foot off the accelerator, that will apply engine braking to the rear wheels and point you in the way you are steering. Only accelerate in FWD to prevent sliding into wherever you are pointing.

Oh, and easy thing to do to help out with traction. deflate your tires to 20 or so PSI

Edited August 15, 2011 by _Matt_

[kingkarl 136]

Only accelerate in FWD to prevent sliding into wherever you are pointing.

What's your reasoning on this?

(not being cheeky)

[OP6 27]

Yeh, what you experienced is the norm ! Had plenty of experience in the last few weeks driving on ice and snow here in CHC. Chains just don't look right in town! Several times it has taken a whole light sequence just to get through an intersection. In the last snow (20cm) I couldnt even get up the rise from my driveway to the crown of the road - had to be towed. Lots of fun though, today going to work travelled nearly a km on opposite lock!

Need skinny tyres and lower pressure to get any traction ( I'm running 235 45 17s that could do with some tread))

[_ethrty-Andy_ 2122]

In RWD take your foot off the accelerator, that will apply engine braking to the rear wheels and point you in the way you are steering. Only accelerate in FWD to prevent sliding into wherever you are pointing.

Oh, and easy thing to do to help out with traction. deflate your tires to 20 or so PSI

Sorry... Wasn't serious lol

[KwS 2378]

Going up and down the hills in johnsonville on the way home was damn near terrifying in the E36... not something im keen on doing again in a hurry. Although it was kinda awesome wheel spinning my way up hills at 1/4 throttle... too much torque at low RPM damnit!

[JaseNZ 53]

When in doubt gas it as hard as you can.

Edited August 15, 2011 by M-Spec

[allan 295]

Attend an advanced driver training session. This extereme weather maybe rare but it just shows how most drivers do not know how to drive in these conditions or prep their vehicle for it.

[decebal 0]

I did a bit of reading from other people's experiences and last night I decreased the typre pressure slightly, might even put something heavy in the boot. I really don't think snow tires would be an option, considering cost and I'd be using them for 2 days a year. Definitely learning how to control it better in the snow is a must!

[Docile 64]

isnt it in finland "from a top gear episode" their driving license test includes advanced driving training? skid pads etc...

[allan 295]

Yes I believe that is correct for Finland but also you cannot get a full licence until you are 18 or older I think, correct me if wrong but you can start to learn around 15 or 16. If not part of the licence process already I feel that skid control and other such technic's should be part of your training for a full licence. The plus side is it is good fun in a control environment and you learn how you will react and the car does in these out of control situations.

[elmarco 56]

They also require studded tyres in winter in Finland which makes life a hell of a lot safer - unless you get run over... Studded tyres are gruesome on the road surface though - they (the road that is) just get torn to pieces.

Edited August 16, 2011 by elmarco

[_Matt_ 42]

What's your reasoning on this?

(not being cheeky)

If you lose traction around a corner in a FWD and the 1st reaction is to let go of the accalerator, this will apply engine braking and lock up the front wheels, steering will lock and you will slide wherever the car was going in the first place so applying power and pointing the way you want to go is always the best thing in a front wheel drive slide.

So basically, FWD are safer than RWD until you lose traction. I don't know about you guys but my 1st reaction is taking my foot of everything

[Michael. 2312]

I bring out my W126 300SE when it snows, handles perfectly on it.

[kiwi535 538]

was interesting to night...must be very very careful.There was prolly about 2 in of snow on the road.I came to a round about and had to stop a wee bit more firmly than first anticipated because a couple of cars fed in from the left ,if i had entered and stopped i would have blocked the first exit.The merest extra pressure activated the abs!So i was stopped dead and had a wee bit of wheel spin on take off....this was if anything a very very slight uphill.No ther probs but i was concentrating like ----the slightest squeeze on the throttle would cause wheelspin!

[swordfish 30]

If you have a manual BMW (I have an M3) make sure you drive in higher gear than you usually do. For example: take off with second not first then put into third at 2.3-2.5 and drive in third all the way. Do not exceed 40km/hr and you will be fine. If you'll start loosing traction take your foot off the accelerator then put into higher gear if at reasonable revs. What ever you do do not brake!!! Try to brake with engine only. If you are driving an auto "*" mode is the one to use keep your speed below normal and again try not to brake if you loose traction. Hope this will help And yes reducing tyre pressure should help as well

[polley 916]

I don't know about you guys but my 1st reaction is taking my foot of everything

Isn't that what girls do? Shut there eyes, hands off steering wheel etc and hope for the best lol?

[huff3r 347]

Isn't that what girls do? Shut there eyes, hands off steering wheel etc and hope for the best lol?

I learnt the hard way that doesnt work in a FWD skid... Cars work well as cushions though .

[antil33t 90]

I like snow... and empty carparks...

[KwS 2378]

Only issue i had was wheel spin going up my hill and doing a hill start at the intersection, on a hill in snow with some dimwit atshole stopped right up my ass.

Going up the hill when i got wheel spin i just kept my foot in it, feathering throttle (to keep revs high but not bouncing on the limiter). Singlespinner means it just cut through the snow with one tire and went on its way untill it got enough grip to chop second. Wouldnt do it with an LSD though, could get very hairy.

That hillstart was a c**t though. Couldnt risk slipping backwards (into the front of the twat very close behind), so had to limit any wheelspin off the line. Did it without issue, but still made me nervous.

Glad the snow is gone (for now) tbh

[my_e36 43]

I live in Auckland so I had no clue about snow driving. How about starting in second gear? And those that got traction control with manual gearbox, will that easier to stall than normal?

[thorburn 120]

Going up the hill when i got wheel spin i just kept my foot in it, feathering throttle (to keep revs high but not bouncing on the limiter). Singlespinner means it just cut through the snow with one tire and went on its way untill it got enough grip to chop second. Wouldnt do it with an LSD though, could get very hairy.

An open diff will give power to the wheel with the least traction. So 100% of the force is going to the slipping wheel(not including the friction inside the differential). As soon as it cut through the snow and got traction the other wheel would start the spinning process.

Lsd would give you more traction

Most early simple traction control systems work by pulling ignition timing or closing the/a throttle. This holds or brings down the rpm and drops torque. Depending on how traction control is activated will determine if you are more likely to stall. Simpler systems just detect a % difference in wheel speed and pull power. Some only pull power at a certain rev range(eg above 3000rpm).

I should've got a dta ecu.