Winter driving

[kcobra]

I was wondering if someone could provide me with some winter driving tips.

This is my first RWD. I got some hardcore winter tires on it. My previous car was a front wheel drive.

Any particular techniques I should use while driving on snow/ice?

Should I activate DTC?

Your comments would be appreciated!

[pit1]

There are plenty of little "rules" and "tips" although helpful they will be useless until you find an empty parking lot and get a feel for how your accel, brake and steering inputs affect the dynamics of the car.

In FWD, the car pretty much goes in the direction you point it, not necessarily the case when the rears are pushing you forward.

I've driven a few in the past, but this is the first RWD car I've owned as well, always had AWD, so I can't lend too much help, I'll be listening in as well. But I can highly recommend practicing in an open area, that way you know what to expect when you need the skill.

[tnawab]

Hey Kcobra. Did you guys get hit with a storm like we did last night.

I left my car at home today. Was packed with snow, and its supposed to get warm enough tomorrow for it to melt. I didnt want to drive it around just yet.

[Fishsriz]

we just got a dusting here in TO. Barrie got about 10cm.
I heard you guys were going to get 30cm.. what ended up falling ?

[kcobra]

Yea, there was a little bit of snow/ice on my car this morning. The winter is officially here!

I'm heading over to BMW later for some winter mats, and Canadian tire for a new ice scraper.

[tnawab]

Thats what i plan to do. I need good winter mats.

[kcobra]

Originally Posted by tnawab

Thats what i plan to do. I need good winter mats.

Call your local BMW dealer. They have rubber mats fitted exactly for the 135.

They cost about $120.

[tnawab]

Originally Posted by Fishsriz

we just got a dusting here in TO. Barrie got about 10cm.
I heard you guys were going to get 30cm.. what ended up falling ?

We got 15 cm. But my street wasnt plowed, and there was an SUV in my drive way and the 135. So i pondered a little and was like "SUV!". haha

[Guildenstern]

Leave the car in DSC unless you get stuck and need to rock your way out, or the good old tire spin up the hill where DSC will just get in the way.

During normal non-stuck winter driving DTC allows more sliding as well as wheel slip, which could put you in a bad inertia state that no stability controll in the world can fix. (Rember the warning about the laws of physics?)

As previously stated the best advice is to get to an empty parking lot and see what the car does. Don't forget to use all 3 modes of the system; DSC, DTC, and fully off so that you know what the car really feels like. Expect a lot of action when you work your right foot. Especialy in the 135. On the plus side you now actualy get to go and steer at the same time, as opposed to making your poor front wheels do all the work. The empty parking lot is my favorite part of winter driving.

And as always, SLOW DOWN. DSC does not make you a driving god. Going 80 on a crowded freeway with a foot of unplowed snow and ice is not the best way to get from A to B. Those end up being the cars you see way of the side of the road (occasionaly upsidedown.)

[jmexx]

Great advice! Kal, we should have a BMW noobs winter meet where we all learn how to drive RWD in a parking lot

[frimmelnojerz]

the internet is an amazing tool
http://www.ehow.com/how_2077117_driv...rive-snow.html
its all pretty intuitive but i mean lets be realistic...some people here have forgotten their ABC's when taking ownership of this car.
Drive smoothly, make sure you have proper tires, and no hotrodding. its not the summer, consider yourself neutered for a few months.

[jmexx]

What kind of tires are most of you guys getting?

[Guildenstern]

I have a set of Blizzack WS-60 sitting at my dealer wating to be put on on friday.

So naturaly it's snowing today.....

[Spook]

Originally Posted by kcobra

Call your local BMW dealer. They have rubber mats fitted exactly for the 135.

They cost about $120.

Now there is a good idea..

[kcobra]

Originally Posted by jmexx

Great advice! Kal, we should have a BMW noobs winter meet where we all learn how to drive RWD in a parking lot

LOL. I'm down!

[ModlessG]

I bought the General Altimax Arctic. These are made in Germany. They used to be called Gisslav. For the 17" size they are $88 each. I feel that is practice is the best thing to do. Parking lots are good fun just watch out for those parking blocks.

[4wheelcycle]

I just bought Blizzak WS 60s for my 135i and I'm looking forward to winter driving here in NH. Previously I drove a Honda S2000 for five years, with Blizzaks in the winter. The key to driving on snow is to go on and off the gas and brakes veery carefully! If you hit the brakes or step on the gas as you would on dry pavement you will break loose and head for the ditches, or for cars in front of you or in the oncoming lane.

If you goose the gas (lightly!) on a straight away or a gentle curve, the rear end will break free just like a go cart and you can practice steering into your skids. As others have said, a parking lot is the best place to practice this in the beginning.

Once you get the feel of how your car handles in the snow, there is no more fun than going into a controlled four wheel drift around a sweeping 20 mph corner on new fallen snow! Just make sure there is no oncoming traffic.

[ptack]

Having had numerous adventures driving my old 3 though some bad weather (sometimes with bad tires) I would say that, in general, there are 2 things to keep in mind -
1) Be slow and steady, never panic. The slower you go, the slower bad things can happen.
2) It's all about traction. If you're used to FWD or AWD, be much more cautious with your BMW. Cars that direct power through the front wheels give you better directional control when the road is significantly more slippery. RWD is at a big disadvantage because the traction under the front wheels can bear no relation to what's under the drive wheels so you can easily find yourself being propelled forward, but not in the direction you are aimimg for. I became an expert at assessing how well my wheels were connecting to the road and the more I sensed a vaguish fuzziness, the more I ratched down the speed and gave myself more room behind other cars. As long as you have proper winter tires on and drive cautiously, you should be fine. Not concentrating and overreacting are the 2 big dangers.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by ptack

Be slow and steady, never panic. The slower you go, the slower bad things can happen.

Agreed - but use common sense. I've seen a few drivers in my area (DC suburbs) take this to an extreme and slow down so much going down a hill that they don't have the momentum and traction needed to get up the following incline - sometimes causing quite a back-up.

Tom

[wa128]

I agree with ptack...it's all about traction and may I also add - patience, a LOT of patience.

I try to find a speed at which the tires can safely and easily maintain traction. Notice I did not say "the fastest speed". Then I'll keep my right foot frozen on the gas pedal position that maintains that traction and keep forward momentum going. When there's a red light up ahead I'll back off ever so slightly to still keep traction and forward momentum going. I try to delay as much as possible reaching the cars in front to stop. Otherwise, I may never get started going again. I do not worry about the cars behind me as they seem to understand and no one has been foolish enough to think they can go faster and break out of line to get in front of everyone else.

A couple of years ago I followed this technique mentioned above during afternoon rush hour traffic after an earlier afternoon snow storm through unmaintained city streets and back roads. I was able to get up a busy 1 mile incline leading to my home street while every car (4wd SUV's, Audis, Toyotas, Jeeps, Subarus, Volvos - you name it) was parked on the side - immobilized. I was driving my old 300hp, RWD IS350 on ALL SEASON tires! The key was as ptack said - traction...and patience...and luck.

[Mic]

RWD is soooo much funnier in winter

DTC off and enjoy your nearest Wal Mart parking lot

[Endre]

As others have mentioned, i would recomend a closed area where you cn test the limits of the car without risk of injuring others. Winter driving is great fun when you get the hang of it! As long as you dont drive an FWD that is..