Driving up snow covered hills in an auto
Discussion
Following on from the steep hills auto thread this will be my first winter with a BMW 335d.
It's got its 17" winter tyres on, Wintrac Extremes but i'd like some advice on how to get it up hills covered in snow and ice.
The torque makes it slip it's wheels in the wet. I assume i've given myself the best possible start putting the wintracs on as opposed to the 19" summer run flats it had before. So whats the best technique to get up those hills.
It's very likely that i will be making trips to the deepest part of mid west wales which involves a good stint through the valleys. They have caught me out every year in snow. This year i have a powerful RWD auto so i need all the help and tips i can get.
It's got its 17" winter tyres on, Wintrac Extremes but i'd like some advice on how to get it up hills covered in snow and ice.
The torque makes it slip it's wheels in the wet. I assume i've given myself the best possible start putting the wintracs on as opposed to the 19" summer run flats it had before. So whats the best technique to get up those hills.
It's very likely that i will be making trips to the deepest part of mid west wales which involves a good stint through the valleys. They have caught me out every year in snow. This year i have a powerful RWD auto so i need all the help and tips i can get.
waremark said:
I expect you will find that your rwd car with suitable tyres will be far better on slippery surfaces than any fwd car with regular tyres.
...oh, blimey, you don't live in the hills, do you?In my neck of the woods, NO rwd cars get anywhere in fresh snow or ice.
waremark said:
Personally, I would worry more about being able to stop coming down the hills than about having enough traction to get up them: come down slowly.
NOW, you're talking...
As an aside, I was considering a Merc a while ago, but I do a lot of cross country between Sheffield and Manchester, so I was a little uneasy.
I put my concerns to an E Class owner who has a short, steep climb from his house to the main road.
He said he could cope up to a point, but only by switching traction control off and giving it some welly.
Amazing, what....?
waremark said:
I expect you will find that your rwd car with suitable tyres will be far better on slippery surfaces than any fwd car with regular tyres. Personally, I would worry more about being able to stop coming down the hills than about having enough traction to get up them: come down slowly.
Absolutely. And that's why you should prefer winter tyres to 4 wheel drive. Don't go up anything you couldn't come down safely - as any climber will tell you...
mybrainhurts said:
You don't live at the top of a hill, do you...?
Your writing RWD cars off immediately because all the ones you know about have summer tyres, with the latest batch having summer run flats, even worse...I've fitted smaller, highly regarded winter tyres.
Should i approach up hill gradients with a bit of pace (sensible) or should i take it slowly and crawl up? I think it's a balance because without enough momentum you won't make it up and going to fast you risk loosing the back end?
briers said:
It's got its 17" winter tyres on, Wintrac Extremes but i'd like some advice on how to get it up hills covered in snow and ice.
With those tyres, I predict you'll be fine with no special techniques whatsover.Just normal stuff in poor traction conditions, i.e. no sudden inputs/ steady throttle, smooth steering etc.
mybrainhurts said:
waremark said:
I expect you will find that your rwd car with suitable tyres will be far better on slippery surfaces than any fwd car with regular tyres.
...oh, blimey, you don't live in the hills, do you?In my neck of the woods, NO rwd cars get anywhere in fresh snow or ice.
My son went to the Alps in snowy weather in a BMW with Vredestein snowies, in company with a friend in a FWD Renault. My son found his snowies worked better than chains on the Renault. I also have very good past experience of winter tyres.
PS You see plenty of BM's and Mercs in ski resorts.
Edited by waremark on Thursday 4th November 16:27
briers said:
Should i approach up hill gradients with a bit of pace (sensible) or should i take it slowly and crawl up? I think it's a balance because without enough momentum you won't make it up and going to fast you risk loosing the back end?
Depends on the conditions.Fresh snow...dry underneath...wet underneath...ice underneath...melting snow...frozen snow...black ice. All need a different approach. Sometimes full throttle and a high speed approach really does work, in spite of advice against.
You have to go out as often as you can and try different approaches when nobody's about.
I've been driving the hills for more than 40 years and rarely been defeated. My current home is near the top of a very steep cul de sac. It's sometimes only possible to get up backwards in a fwd car.
Oh, and DO NOT try to go downhill with ABS on a fresh coating of hailstones...
I know these things...
waremark said:
mybrainhurts said:
waremark said:
I expect you will find that your rwd car with suitable tyres will be far better on slippery surfaces than any fwd car with regular tyres.
...oh, blimey, you don't live in the hills, do you?In my neck of the woods, NO rwd cars get anywhere in fresh snow or ice.
My son went to the Alps in snowy weather in a BMW with Vredestein snowies, in company with a friend in a FWD Renault. My son found his snowies worked better than chains on the Renault. I also have very good past experience of winter tyres.
PS You see plenty of BM's and Mercs in ski resorts.
Edited by waremark on Thursday 4th November 16:27
waremark said:
mybrainhurts said:
waremark said:
I expect you will find that your rwd car with suitable tyres will be far better on slippery surfaces than any fwd car with regular tyres.
...oh, blimey, you don't live in the hills, do you?In my neck of the woods, NO rwd cars get anywhere in fresh snow or ice.
My son went to the Alps in snowy weather in a BMW with Vredestein snowies, in company with a friend in a FWD Renault. My son found his snowies worked better than chains on the Renault. I also have very good past experience of winter tyres.
PS You see plenty of BM's and Mercs in ski resorts.
Unfortunately, can't justify the cost for the short periods of duff roads we get.
Are they ok for high speed use...?
I've always found that something heavy in the boot helps, ideally a couple of large bags of sand/grit because then (in addition to giving more grip at the back) you can throw a bit about to aid traction if you do get stuck. It's always worth carrying a shovel as well. It might be a PITA, but with enough time and effort you'll get anywhere with a bit of spadework.
As far as the actual driving goes, select winter mode/economy mode on your gearbox if it has them. A little bit of momentum is good, but then just keep things steady all the way up and you should make it most places, especially with the tyres you have on.
As far as the actual driving goes, select winter mode/economy mode on your gearbox if it has them. A little bit of momentum is good, but then just keep things steady all the way up and you should make it most places, especially with the tyres you have on.
mybrainhurts said:
waremark said:
I expect you will find that your rwd car with suitable tyres will be far better on slippery surfaces than any fwd car with regular tyres.
...oh, blimey, you don't live in the hills, do you?In my neck of the woods, NO rwd cars get anywhere in fresh snow or ice.
some people seem to class a slight incline as a "hill" ...my house is in a very rural area on the top of a plateau with steep (untreated) roads in all directions, the only way of getting up it in a car without AWD was by fitting snowsocks or chains
OP get some snow chains/socks, stick them in the passenger footwell and thrown them on if you get stuck...that is what I'll be doing
good luck
mybrainhurts said:
I have an open mind and have never tried such rubber, although I used to use chunky rally tyres in the 60s, which were a little better in snow.
Unfortunately, can't justify the cost for the short periods of duff roads we get.
Are they ok for high speed use...?
I have a Merc and some people on the Merc forums use winter tyres year round, and, perhaps surprisingly, get better mileage out of them than owners who use summer tyres.Unfortunately, can't justify the cost for the short periods of duff roads we get.
Are they ok for high speed use...?
I've seen various reports from people that use them and the phrase "night and day" crops up a lot. There's a recent report on another forum from a Brit who lives in Poland and he said he couldn't decribe how much better winter tyres are without it sounding like he was wildly exaggerating.
You can get V rated (149MPH) winter tyres. H (130) is common.
Gassing Station | Advanced Driving | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff