BMW not good in snow

1

This is silly, I drive my beamer alot and I've got stuck on the road 3 times now whilst driving.

I just drive as normal, then when I drive into residential streets (which Im required to do) and theres not alot of snow there, other cars manage fine on the same road where as my car starts skidding some where along the road and the ASC system kicks in and I cant go forwards. Mostly happens when I stick it in 1st gear and have to slow down. I can still reverse it fine though and I guess thats got to do with the fact that its an rwd.

Anyhow, any way of preventing it happening? Doing something like modifying something? cheers

Reply 1

Sync

14

They're not great in the snow. It's not a BMW failing though. Any front engined, RWD car is likely to find it harder in the snow than its FWD or 4WD equivalent, as the weight of the engine is not over the driven wheels.

Chances are your car's got relatively sport bias tyres on it, which won't help matters. The easiest, cheapest thing to do it put on a set of snow socks.

Reply 2

Paul Bartram

11

Sollution - Get someone to push. OK not the best sollution, i had to push 2 BMW's up my road the other day due to snow, small cars e.g. Ford Ka's weregettin up fine, but the Beamers were strugling like hell.

Take a bit of air out the tyres, that will help a bit, and just try to drive in a higher gear as possible.

Reply 3

HJV

16

I had absolutely no problems with a 325i Coupé in snow and ice, driving up and down small roads in the Alps...

...with Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi winter tires.

Reply 4

Low Profile

1

I have a mini cooper and it is the best car for anything!

Reply 5

z_ali

Yea my mum's got a BMW aswell and it was an absolute nightmare in the snow and my brother in laws BMW got stuck in the snow aswell

Reply 6

Riderz

16

Paul Bartram

Sollution - Get someone to push. OK not the best sollution, i had to push 2 BMW's up my road the other day due to snow, small cars e.g. Ford Ka's weregettin up fine, but the Beamers were strugling like hell.

Take a bit of air out the tyres, that will help a bit, and just try to drive in a higher gear as possible.

Dont take air out the tyres, that wont help at all. It increases surface area, less pressure on the ground and less chance to get some grip. Rally drivers use very skinny tyres during snow stages to put as much pressure down as possible.

Reply 7

Subcutaneous

20

Ive had no problems whatsoever driving in the snow with my little ka!

Reply 8

InArduisFouette

21

the problem lays with the loose nut on the end of the steering wheel

however a wide tyred rear wheel drive car is the least ddesirable option in snow , especially if you have souch poor driving skills that you leave the traction 'control' on ...

Reply 9

Hoody555

10

FWD cars are sooo fun in the snow. RWD not so much.

Reply 10

HumorousGent.

16

Lover's Knot

Anyhow, any way of preventing it happening? Doing something like modifying something? cheers

Some weight in the boot might help (more weight over the driven wheels), try some bags of sand.

Reply 11

Benzo[a]pyrene

Riderz

Dont take air out the tyres, that wont help at all. It increases surface area, less pressure on the ground and less chance to get some grip. Rally drivers use very skinny tyres during snow stages to put as much pressure down as possible.

Not sure about that. It's advised that in winter, to reduce tyre pressure because it improves grip ...

Reply 12

Riderz

16

[QUOTE='Benzo[a]pyrene']Not sure about that. It's advised that in winter, to reduce tyre pressure because it improves grip ...

No it doesnt. Its never advised to run with lower pressures unless your on sand or soft mud. If anything during winter you will want slightly more air in your tyres to maintain pressure. Boyles law and all that. Running at low pressure increases heat and rolling resistance.

Reply 13

The1truebelieber

Paul Bartram

Sollution - Get someone to push. OK not the best sollution, i had to push 2 BMW's up my road the other day due to snow, small cars e.g. Ford Ka's weregettin up fine, but the Beamers were strugling like hell.

Take a bit of air out the tyres, that will help a bit, and just try to drive in a higher gear as possible.

No.

While this limits wheelspin it will also limit the level of control you have.

also - Don't take air out of your tires.

Also - Get some sandbags and shove them in the boot.

Source: Experience driving big heavy RWD cars through heavy snow (try half a foot of packed snow)

Reply 14

terpineol

14

This may be flawed logic to move on, but when I have got stuck in snow in the past (only ever happens with huge amounts of weight in the boot) getting someone to stand on the front bumper does wonders.

Could you add a few hundred kilos of bricks to the boot?

Reply 15

gbduo

15

Turn the traction control off.

Pull away in second gear.

Balance handbrake, clutch and accelerator to edge the car forward. You require ZERO throttle really, literally just bring the throttle up slightly. If you start to slip and not making any progress, then you have to start over. Once you get going you keep the throttle steady, if it starts to slip then back off slightly till you get grip back.

You are lucky you have an manual! I had to drive my Jag XJ8 back in the snow, that is an auto with over 300hp through the rear wheels and very sporty tyres. The tyres are wide, quickly fill up with snow and then act like slicks. I found the best thing to do is just go really steady and when you get home, leave the car at home. RWD does not work in the snow on Britsh (i.e. summer) tyres.

You can do it though, just you will be pushing a lot more. You can use your floor mats to give you extra grip if needed.

Graham

Reply 16

Riderz

16

terpineol

Could you add a few hundred kilos of bricks to the boot?

We put a pallet of something heavy in the back of works pick up when it snows. It will go most places with that in, but not very far without.

Reply 17

SomeStudent

15

HJV

I had absolutely no problems with a 325i Coupé in snow and ice, driving up and down small roads in the Alps...

...with Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi winter tires.

No problem with BMW... with winter tyres of course.

So there's your solution OP. :smile:

Reply 18

lodzinski

14

fat tyres, RWD, little mass over the driven wheels, it's not going to go well. The best option would be to get proper winter tyres, but we don't really get much snow. make sure the tyres are inflated fully, perhaps put a bit of weight in the boot, and as said above, pull away in 2nd balancing throttle and clutch as well as your sterring inputs to control sliding. and turn off all the electronic nonsense like TCS ASM etc, just bogs it down.

Reply 19

Lover's Knot

OP

1

Some seriously good advice here! :eek:

Rep when I can gbduo

I wasnt sure how to turn of the ASC system, so I'll do that when I go out next time.

Also starting in second gear sounds good. I wont temper with the tyre pressures, doesnt seem worth it. Thinking about getting some winter tyres on now, rather be safe than sorry. How much would a set of 4 good quality tyres cost though?

cheers guys

BMW not good in snow

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