ESP in snow

[jscottuk]

Is it better to turn the esp off in the snow? Just had my first go in heavy (well 1 inch of snow).

The esp worked against the car up a cambered hill ( dragging the back end and breaking for me)

On a gritted road I think it would help keep me in a straight line but when there is no traction it seems to work against the car by applying breaks and causing skidding.

I think keep off is better in thick snow.


Sorry wrong forum. mk4 cupra lol

 

[jscottuk]

Is it better to turn the esp off in the snow? Just had my first go in heavy (well 1 inch of snow).

The esp worked against the car up a cambered hill ( dragging the back end and breaking for me)

On a gritted road I think it would help keep me in a straight line but when there is no traction it seems to work against the car by applying breaks and causing skidding.

I think keep off is better in thick snow.

 

[RUM4MO]

I think that it really is suck it and see, my wife tends to leave it enabled, but knows to switch it off if all else fails! I naively thought that this would work a bit like a poor man's 4X4 in tricky situations - but it seems like its only good for "certain" situations. Nothing really beats getting some experience of what you and your car can do in snow - it would be easier if we did not need to drive in snow! I'm okay as I have 4X4 - but you always need to remember that even with 4X4 you can't rewrite the laws of physics! Indeed the operator's handbook in most full time four wheel drive cars warn about this.

Maybe try to keep moving by maintaining enough forward momentum while on level ground and "saw" the steering wheel a bit when things get bad, road camber will always grab you in as you lose traction as you are then just creating a smooth icey surface - try to stay near the crown of the road!

 

[Aimez]

Yeh hate it when 4x4 drivers zoom past at 80 on a snowed over dual carriage way covering my screen in snow as if they are immune from sliding!

 

[bizzaboy]

Yeh hate it when 4x4 drivers zoom past at 80 on a snowed over dual carriage way covering my screen in snow as if they are immune from sliding!

.....yeah, then you find it's crashed at the next bend!

We saw a 4x4 (Land Rover) on it's ROOF driving through some back lanes yesterday (due to this snowy/icy weather). They really AREN'T invincible! (but think they are).

 

[matt_s]

Sounds like a guy I used to work with. Thought that because his impreza had 4 wheel drive it would stop better in the snow.

 

[Danneh]

As ESP stops you going sideways, I would leave it on. It's only when you can't actually move properly at all is when you would probably turn it off/traction control off.

I would leave it on unless you can feel it causing a problem.

Edit: come to think of it, I wish I had esp in my old car!

 

[T. Spark]

Im sure you wish you had alot of things on your old car, like the power to overtake safely

 

[Danneh]

Im sure you wish you had alot of things on your old car, like the power to overtake safely

haha

 

[Danneh]

If t was a GTI from those days.. tuned a bit.. would of given you a run for ya money.

 

[mgrays]

Leave ESP on ... well if you have 300 ftlbs of torque .. it may help in extremes to turn it off ... but so far in a couple of winters of Aberdeen snow I have always found it best on. Now sometimes wish I could turn the ABS off but that is another issue...

 

[Danneh]

Leave ESP on ... well if you have 300 ftlbs of torque .. it may help in extremes to turn it off ... but so far in a couple of winters of Aberdeen snow I have always found it best on. Now sometimes wish I could turn the ABS off but that is another issue...

Why ABS off?

 

[ibiza_1.4tdi]

with abs off braking on snow easier as a barrier of snow builds up infront off the tire slowing you quicker as you are pushing the snow along with the car

 

[kriso]

But you won't have any chance of steering around whatever it is your rappidly heading into....which is the point of having ABS

 

[ibiza_1.4tdi]

true but if you goin quick enough to have no brakes, then normally you will have no steering so you just gotta pray lol, but in know what you mean

 

[RUM4MO]

To be honest the only snowy wintertime use ESP has is EDL - but that as has been said is a bit rough and can destroy any movement you have managed to preserve, we tend to have a long steep driveway and it is usually best to knock the ESP off if you reckon on having just one chance left to get to the top (after polishing the compacted snow as the EDL switches off and on!

 

[Aimez]

.....yeah, then you find it's crashed at the next bend!

We saw a 4x4 (Land Rover) on it's ROOF driving through some back lanes yesterday (due to this snowy/icy weather). They really AREN'T invincible! (but think they are).

I was secrety hoping the woman in her Rangey would have at least a slide a bit to scare her this time last year. It was very heavy snowing and couldn't see any of the lanes on the motorway was seriosuly doin 25mph it was that bad as was everyone else. She spent about 5 mins slowly overtaking me the whole time throwing snow over my car. She finally overtook stayed there for 10 mins then slipped back behind me

 

[ibiza_1.4tdi]

its worse trying to stop a 4x4 on snow as it weighs more so more force behind it

 

[RUM4MO]

its worse trying to stop a 4x4 on snow as it weighs more so more force behind it

No worse than any other moving object of that weight, one problem a lot of off roaders have is that their tyres are made of very hard rubber so lose grip early on. Where they come into their own is that you can use pretty handy chains on them and that with their weight and ground clearance will allow them to get going and keep going as long as all three differentials can be locked up. My 4X4 is only a Passat so tends to have reasonably soft tyre rubber - but would benifit from having a full set of "tyre socks" - I keep trying to remember to buy one set for my wife's Polo so that it can get out on to the main road without any drama when the ice plus snow comes - but I keep forgetting to try to buy them in late spring when their prices are dropped to clear the shelves. I have used chains with a RWD Escort years ago - they were quite effective as long as you could find somewhere to hide and remove them quickly once the road turned black! Your hands get very cold though!!

 

[ibiza_1.4tdi]

i know what you mean, i was just trying to say and ibiza 1150kg'ish traveling at 50mph on snow and a rangerover 2800kg'ish traveling in the same conditions the ibiza will stop first as there less force behind it as the inertial force on the 4x4 is much higher so providing similar grip levels ibiza will stop before hand