Snow! Help!

[Parthiban]

I'm quite new to this having only had my IS for bout 2 months, but it hasnt got any traction in the snow that just appeared today! Even with the snow button on, wheels spin as soon as you touch the accelerator.

Also any kind of turn makes the tail slide out. Is this normal, is the traction control supposed to do nothing!!

Please help cos I don't wanna end up crashing it!!!

[DaveEllen]

Snow = Taxi/Tube/Bus/walk !! :o

[dribble]

I take it that your not flooring it?...

perhaps trying a higher gear - 2nd, to pull away with.

If the snow is deep perhaps your tyres are to wide, and you are unable to dig in enough to gain traction?

-Lee

[jonthebarber]

best stay at home and build a snowman !!!! make sure you wrap up warm

[ricky_is200]

I need to go out in the car in a minute, first time I'll have been out since the snow settled this afternoon, I'm not looking forward to it!

[Dr Evil]

I stayed over at a farm in the middle of nowhere last night. This morning the farmer had to tow me up the hill in his beat up old land rover!!! The shame of it. I'm glad no one had a camera!

I was fine once I hit the main road though. The snow setting seemed to do O.K.

Shahid

[Claire G]

My car decided to turn creative today and take up ballet. Did a lovely 180 degree pirouette !

[Andy_IS200]

Snow + IS + standard road tyres = ballet dancing. Sounds familiar. Glad to hear you are ok though.

[ricky_is200]

I had a terrible time trying to get home from the gym earlier. I had 5 people helping (3 of my friends and 2 passers by) with 2 of them sitting on the boot ledge trying to put weight on the back and pushing with their feet at the same time, one in the back and the others pushing but I just could not get up the slight hill. I managed it eventually but it took about 15 minutes to travel 10 meters.

[bloofire]

Hope you're okay Claire!!

Good fun driving to work this morning! 3rd gear seemed the best with the Snow setting - abs is brilliant!

[hernia]

I spent 8 hours getting home from Hemel Hempstead to Welwyn. The A1 was a car park with cars scattered everywhere and most facing the wrong way!.

I gave up at Midnight and left my beloved car in Hatfield and walked the final 5 miles. The good news was that when I went back this morning my little beauty was still there looking lovely - its was obviously either to cold for thieves or they realsied that the surrounding roads were at a stand still and the get away would be slow.

Even with the snow button on the auto gear box struggled at times and the back end was swinging like a beauty - did manage a 360 doughnut to the amazment of the commuters this morning. I acted as if that was my intention but in reality the car had a mind of its own. To make it worse the dashboard flashed something unfriendly to tell me the back wheels were spinning - I know it was I was driving it!!!

[IS chigz200]

That must be the traction control!! i got my car home fianally!! Still would not get into the drive way!! gave in and parked it in the front!!! being a RWD it drives perfect in reverse

[tonb]

To make it worse the dashboard flashed something unfriendly to tell me the back wheels were spinning - I know it was I was driving it!!!

I love it when the light comes on like that .. by the time it's worked out you are skidding, you are generally requesting a change of underwear!!!!!

being a RWD it drives perfect in reverse  

I'd sure get a sore neck driving to work in reverse .. don't think the old bill would be too pleased!

[Teddy]

I'm quite new to this having only had my IS for bout 2 months, but it hasnt got any traction in the snow that just appeared today! Even with the snow button on, wheels spin as soon as you touch the accelerator.

Also any kind of turn makes the tail slide out. Is this normal, is the traction control supposed to do nothing!!

Please help cos I don't wanna end up crashing it!!!

took me 6 hours on a coach from Stanstead to Golders Green last night. snow and chaos everywhere.

If you aint got winter tyres, here,s a good tip cos IS 200s are **** on snow.

Pack the boot with some heavy stuff. even a sand bag. the heavier the backside, the better the traction in these conditions. Use the snow button, but try and pull away in second.

Avoid braking (if you can). Kick down from 3rd to 2nd to first and then brake gently. any heavy stuff then yer arse would be spinning. so kick down well before the junction and you will realise you don,t even need to brake.

avoid sharp steering. switch lanes slowing. Also avoid the icy part of the snow if you can. you get better traction on the fresh snow than the hardened bit.

good luck.

Edited January 31, 2003 by Matthew_McNally

[Unity_neil]

. Also avoid the icy part of the snow if you can. you get better traction on the fresh snow than the hardened bit.

Us Snowboarders are used to looking for the powder lol!!

p.s. No snow in the Midlands until now, gonna go for a play tomorrow

[lexicon]

Snow mode and traction control are useless if it's more than "slightly slippy".

It's just taken me about 10 minutes to get up our road (about a hundred yards).

As soon as I got to the uphill section, wheelspin... traction control... more traction control... stall.

I had to reverse past a row of parked cars to let a taxi (front wheel drive of course) get through.

The only way I could move was to set off in second (plenty wheelspin, traction control off) then stick it 3rd and move uphill at walking pace (speedo said about 45) . I got past the parked cars and thought "Sod it, I'll leave it here". So, I maneuvered near the kerb and put the handbrake on - as soon as I took my foot off the brake, the bl00dy thing set off backwards with the rear wheels locked . So, basically I had to get it in the drive or, try and slide it all the way to the bottom of the hill - no thanks.

At this point, the taxi came back the other way and stopped to tell me to "set off in 1st gear mate" - Yeah, thanks for that :duh:

Anyway, with much wheelspin I finally got it home - tomorrow I'll stay in I think :hohoho:

[Teddy]

. Also avoid the icy part of the snow if you can. you get better traction on the fresh snow than the hardened bit.

Us Snowboarders are used to looking for the powder lol!!

p.s. No snow in the Midlands until now, gonna go for a play tomorrow

another snowboarder? work with a few nutcases, who spend a bloody fortune on the damn thing. During last year,s trip there was a risk of alvalanche on our last day, and these nutcases still went up there.

We are off there in a few weeks and I am afraid I am going for the ***** up. Sad, but can,t beat a great ***** up at 4,000m

[Rob]

went boarding yesterday to Chatel, great weather, brilliant sunshine, no wind and about 5ft of powder from the last few days :D great!! ( doesnt hurt when you fall over ) LOL

[Kavey]

I'm a keen snowboarder too - but currently suffering from a broken ankle sustained during a huge wipeout during my last trip to Breckenridge, Colorado over Xmas.

3 more weeks before I can walk and drive my car again.... it's been soooooo.... debilitating not being able to drive!

Anyway, as you other snowboarders will know, transporting a board in an IS is not really practical - I have to put foam on the edges and stick it diagonally across the back seat to get it in as they are too wide for the ski-hatch (and the subwoofer is in the way ).

I've seem these magnetic Thule board/ski carriers though that you can stick on yer roof. Anyone tried these? Do the mark the roof - I don't quie want a roof rack :duh: but the problem I might have with the magnetic ones is that I have a sunroof so won't get an easy position to mount a board along the roof - only across it, like another spoiler!

Anyone have any cunning methods of carrying their gear?

KV

[Rob]

i looked at those magnetic holders also, but then remembered the sunroof, so a no go im afraid, and as you say the ski hatch is exactly that! I put the board in the front passenger seat, drop the back down and you get loads of room, I use a cheapy non padded bag so the edges dont cut anything.

[Claire G]

Hope you're okay Claire!!

Good fun driving to work this morning! 3rd gear seemed the best with the Snow setting - abs is brilliant!

Yeah good thanks. Will be borrowing the Aerodeck for my next snow adventures

[wildrnes]

as an ex paddler (canoist) (oc1 to be precise) roof racks were a necesity

the best i found were inflatable ones they were fantastic cant remember the name tho

got them from brookbank in stockport

website

www.getoutcanoing.com i think

call mark and he will point you in the correct direction