Driving in snow

Almost got stuck on the Maccy D parking today when I parked ( backwards) in a bay no car has been in for 4 days and as a result had 5-10 inches of untouched snow.

It just wouldn't go back more, I then made use of the ''wobble''. I dropped the clutch in reverse gently: car moved an inch back before losing grip, I press the clutch pedal, Then it rolled forward again and a little bit back again, just when it starts moving back I released the clutch again, repeat 3 or 4 times and it goes back/forward by about a foot now per time, the 5th time you have enough momentum to keep rolling backwards through thick snow so just release the clutch pedal again and this time also give about 20% throttle :) and it'll crush any snow and I was in my bay.
 
Last edited:
From what I gather Surrey is quite bad yes? ...I'll be landing at Heathrow (hopefully) tomorrow morning, fortunately I didn't use the Jag to get down there, my sister used her Audi A4 Quattro, which has been left at another family members place in Virgina Waters, hopefully we'll be able to get there and then get the car onto the M25/M40, there is a big hill we need to go up, Eggham Hill perhaps ? ...not sure tbh, I don't know the area very well. Even so the Audi has normal road tyres on it, not snow tyres, still, it'll be a hell of a lot easier than a RWD car I should think.
 
Never thought of just using the clutch to get up a hill. As soon as I touched the throttle on my Focus it decided I was asking for some kind of drift mode :o

Still, well chuffed it got me home in one piece. My old little Clio gave up in the snow at the start of the year, wouldn't have made it home if I still had it.
 
Well, after all my confidence in this thread, we got about 6 inches of snow last night. The roads were snowed over when I drove to work at about 5:30 and in hindsight I should have left my MX-5 at home. Was all over the place on the road with the back end coming out, fighting stalls left and right, took me 5 minutes to get up 10m of hill. I eventually ditched it and got a lift in to work from a nice big front wheel drive van.

I ditched it on the kerb though, and I need to wait until tonight to pick it up....double yellow lines. Do you think they will be heartless enough to give me a ticket and do I have a leg to stand on? i.e can I say it was unsafe to continue in the conditions and I collected it as soon as it was safe to do so?
 
SiD the Turtle said:
Still, well chuffed it got me home in one piece. My old little Clio gave up in the snow at the start of the year, wouldn't have made it home if I still had it.
Click to expand...

My Clio's been great so far, not got really stuck once apart from when I foolishly stopped on a steep hill, simply had to reverse and get a run up. Though it was a bit scary last night driving home from work, all roads had been great so I got a little over-confident going round a bend and went sideways about 20-30ft before catching it again :p
 
Last edited:
My Scoob has been great today, been to a wide open car park to test out the different modes and this car is just so capable and fantastic! The locked diff mode really does make small work out of these conditions where others were suffering badly!
 
Been very pleased with my Punto so far, haven't really been stuck at all with easily six inches of snow all over and not a plough in sight and gritting on main roads only.
Was going up a steep hill yesterday where all the snow had been compacted, three cars and a van in front turned back. I had to stop on the hill behind them as they turned/slid so thought I was gonna be stuffed as well. Gave it a go anyway with very gentle throttle movements giving the wheel a quarter turn left to right continually and she went up like a charm. Skinny tires, no power, front wheel drive and the only driver aid being power steering seems to be not a bad combo, in crappy weather anyway.
 
Went out for a 50 mile trek today across country, was fantastic fun and really enjoyed it :D Great driving conditions, even if it was slippy, snowy and icy in parts - 4x4 helped immensely and the Jeep(s) (;)) thundered up and down really deep snowy slopes with ease :D
 
My Audi TT Quattro handled the snow really well this morning, really impressed. Heavy snow aswell as im only 10 minutes away from the Brecon Beacons.
 
Looks like the police have closed my road off(which has been gritted) and want people to carry on down a road that is like sheet ice! :p
 
Moeks said:
From what I gather Surrey is quite bad yes? ...I'll be landing at Heathrow (hopefully) tomorrow morning, fortunately I didn't use the Jag to get down there, my sister used her Audi A4 Quattro, which has been left at another family members place in Virgina Waters, hopefully we'll be able to get there and then get the car onto the M25/M40, there is a big hill we need to go up, Eggham Hill perhaps ? ...not sure tbh, I don't know the area very well. Even so the Audi has normal road tyres on it, not snow tyres, still, it'll be a hell of a lot easier than a RWD car I should think.
Click to expand...

I'm in Surrey (Have driven Woking and Guildford over the last two days) and the main roads are fine. Wet and a tiny bit of ice here and there but nothing major. it's residentual and private roads you want to worry about.

Can't see you having too much trouble on the M25/M40 but there will be heavy traffic due to everyone driving much slower.

If the hill is a normal A road that's used regularly by cars I can't see you having a problem. There is a very steep hill near a local high street here that is part of a bus route and is used all the time and no issues getting up that.
 
Just pushed one of our suppliers cars out of our car park (aka the "ice rink"), he was boasting about his powerful new car a few months back (new 4.2l V8 supercharged XKR Jag) and now he was powerless to get out the slope, so 3 of our guys gave him the torque he needed to get out ;) :)
 
Last edited:
AS much as people slate Alfas, mine seemed to be one of the few cars actually able to conquer the hill that goes up to Crystal Palace - sure I had to turn traction control off a couple of times and I do have winter tyres on, but still made the climb effortlessly, needed a bit of concentration and "feel" a few times, but nothing as difficult as pushing the car round tight twisting roads. Yay for modern car in this instance. :)
 
MX5 is hopeless in the snow/ice. Hopeless :( Got stuck on my mate's slightly hilly road in Brum. Loses grip just like that. However, the roads round here back home (Surrey, nr Weybridge etc) are fine. Came home along the m40/M25 earlier and it was fine. I hear Basingstoke/Camberley are closed though ;)
 
In the mx5 I often had to go up hills in reverse when it's icy/snowy - works pretty well. I used to have chains in the boot as well over the winter period.
 
Just took 20min to get the M6 from the gate to the garage (about 45 yards).

It is a gravel drive but all compacted snow has frozen to sheet ice.
 
Last edited:
Firestar_3x said:
Exactly, and when you slide into a kerb it only slightly bends the wheel under the car :p
Click to expand...

:o I did this at the start of the year in the snow... I was going ever so slowly, lost control after hitting the brakes.. :o and the car hit then mounted the kerb. New alloy, tyre, suspension, wing, etc I felt a right tit. I don't like driving in snow, but agree better to get there late than not at all.
 
Freefaller said:
AS much as people slate Alfas, mine seemed to be one of the few cars actually able to conquer the hill that goes up to Crystal Palace - sure I had to turn traction control off a couple of times and I do have winter tyres on, but still made the climb effortlessly, needed a bit of concentration and "feel" a few times, but nothing as difficult as pushing the car round tight twisting roads. Yay for modern car in this instance. :)
Click to expand...

My older gen has been doing fine too. Even got it back into the drive today, which if you saw the drive would be impressive. Prolly 1 in 6 hill, 20 feet high to get over with about 5 inches of snow down.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom