s type - undriveable in the snow?

[jasper gilder]

When the snow struck last Wednesday night my wife was coming back to Hertfordshire from Peterborough in our 4.2 S type. She reported that every time she took her foot off the power the car got into a tank slapper and on two occasions deposited her on the hard shoulder, all at about 20 mph. She eventually got stuck on a coutry lane about four miles from home and the car would not move. Despite the so called traction control it just sat with its rear wheels spinning. Traction control only cut in at about 4000 rpm

To add injury to insult she wound up in a snow drift, Jaguar Assist refused to come out and help, a kind good samaritan who tried to help get us going failed to mention he had put an arse shaped dent in the rear wing and 4 hours after coming to a halt we got the car back on a recovery vehicle at a cost of £100 plus VAT

Two questions - Jaguar Assist told me that they only deal with mechanical and electrical failures. Is this true or do you know of cases where they have come out to other incidents - accidents for example.
Two - has anyone else discovered the traction control on the S type not to work in similar conditions.

[GreenV8S]

Don't know about the rest of it, but traction control can't help until you get over a minimum speed, typically about 10 mph. Below that, the only way to control wheel spin is to slip the clutch, which the TC can't do.

[jasper gilder]

Thanks Pete - Hard to slip the clutch in an auto!

[cerby_mike]

The TC on my XJ was cutting in at just above idle as I tried to get up a hill. It took a while, but at least I got to the top (tried turning it off but just ended up sliding side to side !!).

I would ask Jag about that, it doesn't seem right tome.

Mike

[hungryjim]

What you have to remember is that even though Jaguars are pitched against BMW, Mercedies ect. The top speck ones are at hart still sports cars and should be treated and respected as such.

When winter came do what we did and kept our S-Type 4.2 R in its Box.

[jasper gilder]

Well thanks Jim. I'll try and remember that. I have to say that compared to my 4.5 Cerbera the Jag is a bit tame. As it doesn't say don't drive it in the snow in the handbook I think we should be able to. If we can't and Jaguar think we shouldn't drive their products in adverse conditions they need to realign their marketing (X Type)As my last S type 4 litre was perfectly driveable in the snow and the traction control worked it's hardly surprising I would have expected it to on an improved model!

[lau]

I found that both in last year's and this year's snow, it was best to switch off the DSC (tracking control) on my 3.0 S-type. The ABS rapid clicking action just serves to worsen any skids in snow where slow, smooth actions are best.

Hope this helps!