Do’s and dont’s of driving on snow

[texomawaves]

Please share. I have a 2013 S w/PDK and drove around for awhile just fine the other day on snow. Then for some reason my car seemed to be putting on the brakes or preventing me from accelerating. I was pissed! I ended up getting stranded. I was the only car stuck. I wasn’t in deep snow. The car had a mind of its own and suddenly my car shut me down. It wasn’t me I swear. I drive on slick roads all the time. I had been driving on snow just fine for about an hour before this happened. Please share what I should have done or shouldn’t have done. Of course sarcasm is expected. Lol Thanks.

[JayG]

The best way to drive in the snow you are getting in Texas is to just stay f'in home. You note the car is a garage queen, don't mess it up in the snow
You have little or no snow fighting equipment there. I lived in Plano about 23 years ago, and I remember when we got about1/2 inch of snow and people had no idea how to drive on it.

All seriousness aside, sounds like your PASM was having fun with you

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by texomawaves

Please share. I have a 2013 S w/PDK and drove around for awhile just fine the other day on snow. Then for some reason my car seemed to be putting on the brakes or preventing me from accelerating. I was pissed! I ended up getting stranded. I was the only car stuck. I wasn’t in deep snow. The car had a mind of its own and suddenly my car shut me down. It wasn’t me I swear. I drive on slick roads all the time. I had been driving on snow just fine for about an hour before this happened. Please share what I should have done or shouldn’t have done. Of course sarcasm is expected. Lol Thanks.

Snow tires helps !

[rick3000]

Snow tires, or at least all seasons are essential. Separate winter/summer tires make the most sense for a sports car. Take it slow, stay in other peoples tracks as much as possible, slow down as much as possible without braking and don't accelerate quickly, and if it's a manual try to rev match. If you do skid turn into it, and take the gas off, try to avoid jamming on the brakes. As stated by others, it's dangerous in a place that normally doesn't get snow because even if you know what you are doing, the chance of being hit by someone else is very high.

I rarely have issues in slow below 4" (ground clearance) with snow tires.

[911monty]

Originally Posted by JayG

The best way to drive in the snow you are getting in Texas is to just stay f'in home. You note the car is a garage queen, don't mess it up in the snow
You have little or no snow fighting equipment there. I lived in Plano about 23 years ago, and I remember when we got about1/2 inch of snow and people had no idea how to drive on it.

All seriousness aside, sounds like your PASM was having fun with you

Plus one on this. I have a 4runner that did the same thing. Couldn't leave a stop light due to wheel speed difference and applying the brakes. Turned off traction control and back to normal.

[Paul]

Did you try turning off the PASM?

Driving in the cold and snow with summer performance tires is a really bad idea.

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Paul

Did you try turning off the PASM?

Driving in the cold and snow with summer performance tires is a really bad idea.

worse than a bad idea....

summer tires are like slick rocks when frozen

[911monty]

Originally Posted by JayG

worse than a bad idea....

summer tires are like slick rocks when frozen

Definitely worse! The rubber in the tire loses the ability to flex and cracks instead!

[MrBen]

From someone who lives in a part of the country where it’s possible to have snow 9 months of the year, these cars have no place on the road once it snows. Sure you can do it but you are a hazard to your self and every other car on the road. With those wide rear tires you can spin out at any time. Id say go buy a sled if you want to play in the snow leave the car in the garage until better days. I’m hoping for May

[husker boxster]

I think people mean PSM, not PASM. Changing suspension settings (PASM) would have no difference on driving on snow.

3 yrs ago I bought a base 09 Box in Tucson. I flew down and by the time I left Tucson, it was mid afternoon. The plan was to drive somewhere past El Paso and then drive to Dallas the next day and spend the night with my sister. Part 1 of the plan worked fine as I ended up spending the night somewhere east of EP. However, the next morning I awoke to freezing rain. It started out light but was going to continue all day in the direction I was headed. I beat feet to get as much road behind me as possible but took care on overpasses. Suddenly at 11am things came to a halt. The road was totally ice covered and traffic was going 15mph. My newly purchased Box had a set of older Mich PS2 tires. As I crept along at that low speed, I waited for it to slide off the road due to the crown of the road. Didn't happen and even had stopping power on the ice. Drove like that for 3 hrs until the precip started to turn to snow on top of the ice. I wasn't going to make it to Dallas at that speed and I figured I'd already used up a day's worth of luck by mid-day, so I pulled off and called it a day. I was only 2 hrs from Ft Worth but not in the current conditions. Next day the roads were clear but the overpasses were sketchy. Spent the next day in Dallas as that storm cleared the area but had to leave the next day as another storm was coming thru the midwest and if I didn't make it home that day, I'd be spending 2 more waiting for roads to clear.

Bottom line, summer tires don't become totally inoperable in cold weather. The problem is people try to drive like it's summer and their tires won't perform to those levels. I've never been a fan of PS2 for street or track use, but they were stellar during my trip home. If texoma has to get somewhere, it is possible you just have to be very careful.

What it looked like when I left Tucson.


Next day at the hotel. The semi was stuck on the ice.

[10/10ths]

.....You must turn off your stability control or else you will get stuck.

The car will auto brake and try to prevent yaw and spinning out, so you can never get momentum and it will prevent wheelspin, which you need in order to handle those conditions.

Spend some time and money on a driving school and read about vehicle dynamics.

And buy some Blizzaks.


And please let me know when you are flying your Mooney around so I can avoid that air space. ��

[JayG]

Originally Posted by 10/10ths

.....You must turn off your stability control or else you will get stuck.

The car will auto brake and try to prevent yaw and spinning out, so you can never get momentum and it will prevent wheelspin, which you need in order to handle those conditions.

Spend some time and money on a driving school and read about vehicle dynamics.

And buy some Blizzaks.


And please let me know when you are flying your Mooney around so I can avoid that air space. ��

that's funny

[tommy583]

My Box stays in the garage while I do donuts in the parking lots in my Jeep Cherokee.

Really though for the do's and don'ts would start with not using summer tires when it is below 50 degrees. In my experience summer tires go from grippy to feeling like riding on bowling balls under 50 degrees.

Oh and during the first big snow of the year, the wife and I try to find an empty parking lot to do a few donuts in the Jeep lol.

[Seal1968]

When I was young, the best place to learn how to drive in winter was in empty parking lots on Sundays, especially if you had a front wheel drive K-car or something like that...reverse donuts are the bomb. lol

[Boxstard]

Originally Posted by MrBen

From someone who lives in a part of the country where it’s possible to have snow 9 months of the year, these cars have no place on the road once it snows. Sure you can do it but you are a hazard to your self and every other car on the road. With those wide rear tires you can spin out at any time. Id say go buy a sled if you want to play in the snow leave the car in the garage until better days. I’m hoping for May

I live in the same state but beg to be different... My Boxster with proper, dedicated winter tires and a hardtop is very capable to drive through winter and light snow, comfortably and confidently. I picked 225 width for rear tires, huge difference from 255 so called all season tires that struggle to push my car on slightly inclined driveway with sprinkles of snow. Very predictable and controllable handling if I push I bit too much, I definitely feel those overconfident pick-up trucks blasting on the road could do more harm to others.

[beater986]

Best snow driving tips:

-Leave 986 at home
-Take 955 out

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by Boxstard

I live in the same state but beg to be different... My Boxster with proper, dedicated winter tires and a hardtop is very capable to drive through winter and light snow, comfortably and confidently. I picked 225 width for rear tires, huge difference from 255 so called all season tires that struggle to push my car on slightly inclined driveway with sprinkles of snow. Very predictable and controllable handling if I push I bit too much, I definitely feel those overconfident pick-up trucks blasting on the road could do more harm to others.

+1



But it's dangerous and futile to drive on snow with summer tires.

[Seal1968]

Originally Posted by Boxstard

I live in the same state but beg to be different... My Boxster with proper, dedicated winter tires and a hardtop is very capable to drive through winter and light snow, comfortably and confidently. I picked 225 width for rear tires, huge difference from 255 so called all season tires that struggle to push my car on slightly inclined driveway with sprinkles of snow. Very predictable and controllable handling if I push I bit too much, I definitely feel those overconfident pick-up trucks blasting on the road could do more harm to others.

Yup...a mid engine car is quite good in the snow with properly sized winter tires.

I drove Fiero GT in the winter years ago...it would plow through stuff. Just had to watch parking lots...low stance cars can get hung up.

[Boxstard]

Originally Posted by beater986

Best snow driving tips:

-Leave 986 at home
-Take 955 out

I often pick my Boxster over X5, only limitation is ground clearance and family hauling ability

[Boxstard]

Double posts deleted.