Why Are Mercedes so Difficult to Drive In The Snow????

[Beaucoupnice]

I'm going to have to side with the thread author on this one. My poor C class is doing nothing but making a great impression of a snow car out the front of my house at the moment, as its way way too useless on any snowy incline. If the TC isn't kicking in then the anti-brake lock is - WTF!!! I tried the full tank and it made very little difference. I've tried the idle driving and the " ! " icon just flashes on my dash and I go nowhere.

If it were not for the fact that the anti-brake locks kicked in so well when a bus pulled in front on me and forced me to brake and need to steer at the same time to avoid the collision ( I'm still amazed at that experience), then I would be frog marching her back to the dealership with a few words to be said right now.

Your safe for now my little W204, but just watch yourself.

Oh and does anyone have any other solutions???

 

[Sand]

Hiya, I have a 59 plate C220 CDTI, I have never had a merc before and found driving the car back from Rotherham yesterday a total nightmare, felt like I was driving a death trap! Any advice would be very much appreciated...... I know to drive in high gear. . . don't brake, is it true to only use the EPS in extreme conditions? I actually had mine on and that may explain why the car was all over the road, the back end was skidding out even when I was driving very slowly and carefully in high gear, I felt as though I had no control of the car. I would normally class myself as a good driver but yesterday has really thrown me and my confidence.

 

[Sand]

The warning lights (!) came on after about 5 minutes and was on permanatley, I actually felt sorry for the other cars around me as it was clear the car was all over the road. How I got back home alive god knows!!! I know it's not a solution but it's a relief to know its not just me.......... Tonight I tried to drive down the road and got about half a mile up the street and decided it would be safter to get out the car and go back home, I daren't even take the risk of going down the hill being as I had about 3 near misses yesterday, at one point driving down the M1 driving at about 20mph the rear end came flying round to the left of me nearly wiping out a small van.............. scary!!!!

 

[television]

Hello and welcome Sand,, No easy answers in these conditions, and our snow is so much wetter than the snow in the eastern block

 

[oldsoldier]

Why are Mercedes so difficult to drive in the snow

My auto Avantgarde E220Cdi saloon is a joy to drive through snow and ice. It has near new Avon winter tyres on the rear axle, good Continental 'summers' on the front, usually a full fuel tank, a shovel and a pair of wellies and emergency gear in a black plastic sack in the boot, and a patient driver behind the steering wheel who has a featherlight foot on the accelerator. I simply cannot understand why so many MB drivers are saying that their car is awful or uncontrollable on snow and ice. I have been driving since 1952 and I have driven umpteen makes. The worst on snow and ice was a Fiat Supermirafiori. It didn't have winter tyres but it did have a sticky accelerator cable and delicate acceleror control was hard to achieve. The best was a 1303VW Beetle that stuck to the road like **** to a blanket. Wide tyres are not the problem. If they lose traction, the tread is unsuitable for the conditions or the driver is too heavy on the throttle. My advice, if anyone is interested, is to buy winter tyres for winter driving, have them fitted in late November or early December, set off early and give yourself plenty of time to get to wherever you are going. Look ahead and think ahead and be prepared for eventualities. Carry a shovel and wellies and emergency gear in a sack in case you catch up to someone who is stuck and you cannot procede. When the snow and ice has gone, change the winter tyres for the 'summer' tyres.

 

[nick73]

The warning lights (!) came on after about 5 minutes and was on permanatley, I actually felt sorry for the other cars around me as it was clear the car was all over the road. How I got back home alive god knows!!! I know it's not a solution but it's a relief to know its not just me.......... Tonight I tried to drive down the road and got about half a mile up the street and decided it would be safter to get out the car and go back home, I daren't even take the risk of going down the hill being as I had about 3 near misses yesterday, at one point driving down the M1 driving at about 20mph the rear end came flying round to the left of me nearly wiping out a small van.............. scary!!!!

Don't worry, you're not alone mate, I'm having a very similar experience to yourself. The side streets are the worst areas by me. I just put the winter switch on, put it in gear and don't touch the accelorator at all, just crawl along. Even then, I approached a junction with extremelly light braking (in neutral) and the front wheels STILL locked up:Oops:

 

[nickcc101]

Never thought of turning off the traction control until i read this thread. Tried all ways to reverse out of my steep drive without success, tried turning off traction control, came out no problem.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

My auto Avantgarde E220Cdi saloon is a joy to drive through snow and ice. It has near new Avon winter tyres on the rear axle, good Continental 'summers' on the front, usually a full fuel tank, a shovel and a pair of wellies and emergency gear in a black plastic sack in the boot, and a patient driver behind the steering wheel who has a featherlight foot on the accelerator. I simply cannot understand why so many MB drivers are saying that their car is awful or uncontrollable on snow and ice. I have been driving since 1952 and I have driven umpteen makes. The worst on snow and ice was a Fiat Supermirafiori. It didn't have winter tyres but it did have a sticky accelerator cable and delicate accelerator control was hard to achieve. The best was a 1303VW Beetle that stuck to the road like **** to a blanket. Wide tyres are not the problem. If they lose traction, the tread is unsuitable for the conditions or the driver is too heavy on the throttle. My advice, if anyone is interested, is to buy winter tyres for winter driving, have them fitted in late November or early December, set off early and give yourself plenty of time to get to wherever you are going. Look ahead and think ahead and be prepared for eventualities. Carry a shovel and wellies and emergency gear in a sack in case you catch up to someone who is stuck and you cannot proceed. When the snow and ice has gone, change the winter tyres for the 'summer' tyres.

I entirely agree with you.

It is said that "Old soldiers never die", but sadly we stand a good chance of being lynched by the hapless majority!

I have tried the C 220 estate, the S Class and the SL (all automatics) and the formula you describe works fine on each of them.

Maybe, unlike the railways, I have the "right sort of snow"? I feel I must be cheating somehow.

 

[nick73]

I entirely agree with you.

It is said that "Old soldiers never die", but sadly we stand a good chance of being lynched by the hapless majority!

I have tried the C 220 estate, the S Class and the SL (all automatics) and the formula you describe works fine on each of them.

Maybe, unlike the railways, I have the "right sort of snow"? I feel I must be cheating somehow.

To be fair, the majority of drivers here seem to be struggling. But it seems that these winter tyres do make distinctive difference, judging from the last 2 posts.

 

[johnboy615]

My old SEC was a nightmare in last year's snow, the worst I've ever experienced! This year I've taken off the low profiles and fitted it with the old standard wheels and the difference is immense. Yes it is possible to drive to the conditions but this year I have seen more stuck Mercedes than any other cars; this year must mean something?

 

[Patch]

Snow Driving

I have a C220 Auto (nothing in the boot but good tread summer tyres on the rear). The only way to drive the car in snow is with the foot off the gas. I live up a asphalt lane with a 5m incline over 100m's and during the most recent snow I was able to get to the front door. As I only got the car in August my first attempt was all speed and wheels spinning and I failed miserably. so I let the car crawl up the lane with the ESP off. It was slow but much better than having to walk or push the car.

 

[47p2]

Try it with some weight in the boot, it should make it a little easier

 

[dizzy lizzy]

Try it with some weight in the boot, it should make it a little easier

as long as it is not the wife

 

[st4]

Or just plant it and giggle as it wobbles its hips...

its rather like a seductive woman when the car wobbles its hips....

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[brianbrian]

Wife in boot

as long as it is not the wife

oOPs, that reminds me forgot to let her out. Hope this helps

 

[Quick Silver]

oOPs, that reminds me forgot to let her out. Hope this helps

Should that not be titled puss in boot seing as its pantomime season :grin:

 

[Colt45_GTO]

Should that not be titled puss in boot seing as its pantomime season :grin:

 

[Michael G 2]

Or just plant it and giggle as it wobbles its hips...

its rather like a seductive woman when the car wobbles its hips....

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Concentrate on the forum, Steve.

 

[Colt45_GTO]

Concentrate on the forum, Steve.

i think he needs to concentrate on fixing the bushes and shocks if his car wobbles lol.

 

[Developer]

i think he needs to concentrate on fixing the bushes and shocks if his car wobbles lol.

I think he's always looking for a bush to fix