Snow

[shosky]

I have a C220 on a 58 plate. I purchased it in may this year, and today had my first experience of driving in the snow....i nearly sh!t myself. The car has no grip or traction the rear wheels just spin and the front lock up....it doesn't like any cornering at all. I had to abondon the car about a mile from where I live, but other cars were driving ok on the snow...are all Mercs like this....

 

[Michael G 2]

No its all RWD cars that can be poor in snow. Light use of the throttle and the turning off of the ESP will help.
Winter tyres are quite a boon too.
Hope this helps.

 

[teabag]

I have a C220 on a 58 plate. I purchased it in may this year, and today had my first experience of driving in the snow....i nearly sh!t myself. The car has no grip or traction the rear wheels just spin and the front lock up....it doesn't like any cornering at all. I had to abondon the car about a mile from where I live, but other cars were driving ok on the snow...are all Mercs like this....

Welcome to the forum and it looks like you have chosen a nice car,

All rear wheel drive cars are like this, you just have to learn to drive them correctly.

There have been lots of posts over the last couple of days with varying views on how to drive in the snow, if you have a few hours to spare you may do well to read them.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

I have a C220 on a 58 plate. I purchased it in may this year, and today had my first experience of driving in the snow....i nearly sh!t myself. The car has no grip or traction the rear wheels just spin and the front lock up....it doesn't like any cornering at all. I had to abandon the car about a mile from where I live, but other cars were driving OK on the snow...are all Mercs like this....

Hello and welcome to the forum.

It is possible to drive your car in snow and ice, but you will have to be patient and subtle. You have a diesel, I think, so getting going is not a problem, especially with an automatic. Use the winter gearbox setting and tick over only - do not use the throttle and cover the brake to restrict progress if in a confined space or where traffic conditions dictate.

The front end locking up will happen if driven as though the weather is fine and the roads clear. With snow, or worse still black ice, you need to remember the weight of the car and the speed you are doing multiply to form the force that your brakes normally overcome. So back off the throttle in good time for the point at which you want to stop (killing the speed) and select a lower gear - thus braking the rear of the car and holding it back. Light braking as you come to a halt will then complete the task.

Well worth practicing in an empty supermarket car park, if you can find one. Once you get the hang of it, it does work. I think these cars get a very bad press from people who have shared your experience, but I have been driving them for years without difficulty.

Elsewhere others (Malcolm) recommend weight in the boot and or a full tank of fuel (Teabag) both of which are good ideas. In extreme conditions, reducing tyre pressures by 50% (as you would for driving in sand) also helps traction - but do remember to re-inflate again afterwards to return to normal motoring.

Good luck - we look forward to hearing how you get on.

 

[st4]

Motto is as slow as possible but as fast as neccesary with driving in snow.

Once the car in D if it will move on tickover slowly increase throttle pressure. Smoothness with brakes, steering and throttle and converve momementum is the key, as moving off is always the hardest part./

 

[Alps]

took mine out today for a drive as have been snowed in since thursday! getting out was fine, but getting back into my garage which is at the top of a road with a light incline was fun to say the least!

if you keep moving at a steady speed no probs as soon as i stopped, slip and slide all over the place, managed to get the car back in with some help from a neighbour, but later went to homebase and got some grit!

General driving was fun, sliding out around bends was a bit hairy!

good advise given above just keep off the throttle and read the traffic ahead so you have plenty of time to stop

 

[shosky]

thanks for your answers....just a couple more points....it is an automatic, and yep starting is no issue at all. the front wheels seem to lock even when at a crawl, and going up or down hills give no grip at all, the rear wheels just keep to seem spinning, I will give it a go turning of the esp. The car also has tiptronic, so I selected first gear, this seemed to help a little, but again cornering and slopes of almost any gradient, was almost impossible. That was only with the engine ticking over and not applying any throttle at all

 

[Michael G 2]

thanks for your answers....just a couple more points....it is an automatic, and yep starting is no issue at all. the front wheels seem to lock even when at a crawl, and going up or down hills give no grip at all, the rear wheels just keep to seem spinning, I will give it a go turning of the esp. The car also has tiptronic, so I selected first gear, this seemed to help a little, but again cornering and slopes of almost any gradient, was almost impossible. That was only with the engine ticking over and not applying any throttle at all

With the Tiptronic system select 2nd, it gives more traction.
Winter tyres too they really do help. Do a search on blackcircles.co.uk

 

[television]

Hello and welcome to the forum,,a cheaper alternative to winter tyres would be tyre socks, and fine for the few days of snow that we normally get, they have replaced chains, the old fashioned things.

They only cost £50 a set

 

[shosky]

I have just had a look at the snow socks and they seem a good idea, however you only need them on the rear wheels, however how can this help the front wheels just locking up especially when trying to go round corners.

Also I dont think I have a 'winter' gearbox setting....I cant check unfortunately as my car is about a mile down the road and it's still SNOWING

 

[splang]

from their website:
Is there anything else I should know about?
A5: Nothing to be concerned about, although certain users may wish to note that

•you can use them with your vehicle's electronic aids left on, unlike snow chains which should NOT be used with traction control and anti skid devices (e.g. ESP / ASC+T / ASR / ABS).
•they are breathable so there's no adverse effect on brake cooling.
•it's recommended that users of rear wheel drive cars should also fit a set to the front wheels to provide better directional stability, especially under braking.


I refer you to the third point.

S

 

[Michael G 2]

from their website:
Is there anything else I should know about?
A5: Nothing to be concerned about, although certain users may wish to note that

•you can use them with your vehicle's electronic aids left on, unlike snow chains which should NOT be used with traction control and anti skid devices (e.g. ESP / ASC+T / ASR / ABS).
•they are breathable so there's no adverse effect on brake cooling.
•it's recommended that users of rear wheel drive cars should also fit a set to the front wheels to provide better directional stability, especially under braking.


I refer you to the third point.

S

It would help fitting them to all wheels to aid traction.
You WILL notice the difference, get all 4 it won't do any harm.

 

[television]

If you have a W and S setting on the gear change console, then keep the car in W,,this is a second gear position, it will reduce the amount the the rear wheels push the car along when braking, by pushing the brake pedal harder, you stop the rear wheels from turning

 

[jberks]

There are lots of chains etc out there but to be honest, 99% of the time, people have problems because they're just too aggressive. Sure there are places where you need them but in most of urban England, nah.

I climbed a hill last night I'd been warned by several people not to attempt, even in the LandRover. Several people who lived on it considered themselves snowed in, yet my E, with it's turbo diesel and fat sports tyres managed admirably. Gearbox in C, ESP stayed on, very gentle on the throttle, just enough to keep the wheels moving but absolutely no more. Speed to a minimum and very early braking to allow for any sliding (don't want to slide across a junction so slow to a crawl a few metres early and creep the rest of the way). It can be done. Not always, admittedly, but more often than you'd think. It's quite an odd feeling, as you go up a hill,and it's climbing, it's very tempting to give it just a little bit more power to take advantage of the grip, but don't, whilst it is moving at all, let it do it's thing. You'd be amazed what these cars can do if you're just gentle with them and think ahead a bit more.

Sliding as you go into corners is simply down to the fact that you're carrying too much speed. Your fault, not the car. It will go round if you just take it more gently.
I saw something on the news yesterday of 2 guys out helping motorists getting stuck up a road. The first thing they asked was if the driver knew how to drive in these conditions. All said yes, but when questioned, most didn't actually have a clue. A bit of help and tuition and all made it to the top.

 

[sam220cdi]

Shosky, I also had my first experience driving my W204 (08 plate) in ice today. What a terrifying experience...my pristine pride of joy was in serious danger of being pranged. The traction control seemed to work fine when I wanted to move forward, but trying to get it to stop in a straight line was an impossible task. From a crawl (less then 5 mph) all 4 wheels constantly locked up and the rear left was bouncing off the kerb. It felt like there was no ABS braking. I looked a right pratt as all around me gave a very wide berth - including the BMW behind me.
I resorted to using the manual version of ABS to regain control.

Forum,
Is there something wrong with my ABS or are all W204s like this?

 

[d215yq]

I've got a w124 with ABS and braking on fresh snow. slowed the car nicely to 2-3mph and after this the car just kept going on down the hill for about 100 feet, kept slowing in speed to an almost standstill but then gained momentum again to 2-3mph and then started slowing again but never actually stopped (foot on brake pedal at all times and ABS in overkill!)

I had to turn the wheels left and hit the kerb as gently as possible and that still didn't stop as the front left just bounced off the kerb as the car slid down and eventually stopped on the kerb, narrowly avoiding one of the slowest happening crashes possible

Have got used to the terrible rear traction for a RWD automatic but didnt think this would make any difference to stopping distance on a small incline. Annoyingly every other car was drivign a lot quicker and stopping in a few feet and without the whole car sliding about! Guess its just the primitive ABS system, it seemed very eager to cut in, so much so that Im not sure if the brakes were on enough to stop the car!

 

[teabag]

I've got a w124 with ABS and braking on fresh snow. slowed the car nicely to 2-3mph and after this the car just kept going on down the hill for about 100 feet, kept slowing in speed to an almost standstill but then gained momentum again to 2-3mph and then started slowing again but never actually stopped (foot on brake pedal at all times and ABS in overkill!)

I had to turn the wheels left and hit the kerb as gently as possible and that still didn't stop as the front left just bounced off the kerb as the car slid down and eventually stopped on the kerb, narrowly avoiding one of the slowest happening crashes possible

Have got used to the terrible rear traction for a RWD automatic but didnt think this would make any difference to stopping distance on a small incline. Annoyingly every other car was drivign a lot quicker and stopping in a few feet and without the whole car sliding about! Guess its just the primitive ABS system, it seemed very eager to cut in, so much so that Im not sure if the brakes were on enough to stop the car!

Remember that your car weighs almost 2 tons and you can't go wrong.

It has nothing to do with traction control or ABS, it's gravity and the co-efficient of friction between rubber and ice which controls this situation

 

[sam220cdi]

Hi Teabag,
I acknowledge the science but why aren't the vehicles in front and behind having the same problem? I saw vans, SUVs, BMWs etc and they all seemed to be fine.
I was born and raised in Scotland so am quite comfortable with these driving conditions. I have been driving for 30+ years so know what a car should do in ice and snow. This 220 CDI has a mind of its own.

 

[teabag]

Hi Teabag,
I acknowledge the science but why aren't the vehicles in front and behind having the same problem? I saw vans, SUVs, BMWs etc and they all seemed to be fine.
I was born and raised in Scotland so am quite comfortable with these driving conditions. I have been driving for 30+ years so know what a car should do in ice and snow. This 220 CDI has a mind of its own.

Hi Sam,

Without going too far into the science bit which could possibly provide an answer:

Vans are normally fully loaded with relatively "skinny" tyres which will allow the tyres to melt through the snow and ice to obtain a grip on the road surface.

SUVs normally have 4 wheel drive and chunky tyres to obtain grip.

BMWs have almost perfect weight distribution (better than most MBs) although I have never been left in the snow by one.

But, have you ever driven a rear wheel drive car in snow before? in 30 years it's possible you may have not; I was brought up on RWD and have had lots of "Moments" in the snow and ice, but I have never had to abandon my car because of it.

I agree that FWD cars are easier to drive in certain situations but please do not blame your MB as they are driven in all seasons in countries with much worse weather conditions than we are currently experiencing without problems such as you describe.

 

[47p2]

I don't understand what all the palaver is about, just because we had a few inches of snow over the last few days. I used to drive 44 tonne artic trucks and was always out before the gritting lorries and never once had a problem. It is a case of driving according to the conditions, thinking ahead and taking things easy.

So the next time Terry Wogan asks how the gritting drivers get to work, I'm going to call him and let him know :wink: