Winter Driving?

[TONYpepperon1]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Good advice lower down this thread about the benefits of switching off the traction control for some winter driving. Loose snow can give more grip if the wheels spin a little. VSC allows some wheelspin but for full throttle control you need traction control fully off.

Be aware that once the traction control is active during any ignition event you can't switch it off, at least on my BRZ. once it is active even once and even only briefly you have to switch off the engine and engage the park brake be fire restarting and then switching off the traction control

This is annoying and must be some liability lawyer's idea!

If you hold traction control down for a couple of seconds it WILL turn off permanently until the car is turned off or button re pressed

[Kazuya]

How would you know it will turn off perm?

[Tessball]

Originally Posted by brzr

this is my first winter with a rwd car
i tested an frs last february on some snow, and it had stock tires....it wasn't that bad....i would still like to take the car somewhere where i can learn

I am currently on the search for the perfect parking lot etc where once we get some more snow ice I can see how the car handles. I'm in agreement with your hibernation strategy though, if I don't need to go out I'm happy hiding under a blanket instead.

[TONYpepperon1]

Originally Posted by Kazuya

How would you know it will turn off perm?

Because I've tested it.

Andddddd it's in the manual.

[kALMIGHTY]

Originally Posted by Tessball

Thanks for the tips and pics. Tires look great! The removable tempts me to do a crazy color but i dont want to waste money and time if I don't like it. This year ill do red and see how it goes..

Red on a white car always looks great. I'd recommend buying 3 cans of red and 1 can of glossifier. You don't need metallizer.

[Kazuya]

Originally Posted by TONYpepperon1

Because I've tested it.

Andddddd it's in the manual.

I tried it once but I was looking at dash to see if there's a icon to indicate such commands.

I'm guilty of Never reading the manual.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by StarshipPoopers

Sorry, what? If I understand this correctly you're saying that you can't turn off the traction control when the car is running? Or are you saying that once traction control intervenes you can't turn it off without a restart?

In both situations, I've been able to switch back and forth at will.

On my car once the traction control has intervened it won't go completely off unless I turn off the engine, engage the park brake and restart the engine.

It will not even go "off" let alone fully off.

I'll check again just to be sure but I'm pretty sure.

You have to press and hold the traction control button for about five seconds to switch it fully off. On my Jaguar XF it takes 11 seconds!

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by Kazuya

I tried it once but I was looking at dash to see if there's a icon to indicate such commands.

I'm guilty of Never reading the manual.

He doesn't mean permanently, he means fully off. The first press switches the traction control "off" but it isn't really off. I'm unsure what that setting actually does.

To turn traction control fully off you press and hold that button for about five seconds until the "off" light also turns on.

If you switch off the ignition it resets traction control to "on".

[Tessball]

Originally Posted by kALMIGHTY

Red on a white car always looks great. I'd recommend buying 3 cans of red and 1 can of glossifier. You don't need metallizer.

My car is asphalt u took its pic at the hospital. And glossifier . It needs too be shiny.

[kALMIGHTY]

Originally Posted by Tessball

My car is asphalt u took its pic at the hospital. And glossifier . It needs too be shiny.

Oh haha. I must have read someone else's profile for the car colour. Asphalt is always a hard colour to pick out wheel colour for. I would go with black personally, but I'm just partial to black wheels.

[ZionsWrath]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

No it's not fine. In freezing cold temps PSS's will eventually warm up but the roads are so cold, that traction becomes a HUGE problem even on dry pavement.

I guess it's fine if you don't mind shitting your pants when the car gets extremely skittish.

It is fine for what he is doing. Driving the car once in a while because he is storing it for winter. While the grip is not optimal compared to what they can provide in warm temps, lettuce beef cereal, he is not going to crash because they magically have no grip.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

It is fine for what he is doing. Driving the car once in a while because he is storing it for winter. While the grip is not optimal compared to what they can provide in warm temps, lettuce beef cereal, he is not going to crash because they magically have no grip.

If you say so. I know I wouldn't take the chance, especially at highway speeds.

[jonboy99]

First winter with a RWD car here in southern ontario. Had one snowfall so far and took the brz out with some 16" Xi3s. It was the best fun i've had in ages. That's pretty much my winter mode, bar a block heater. Will try the weight in trunk thing if traction is a huge issue but otherwise want to try and keep the weight distribution standard.

And following what others have already said - yes traction control has to be switched fully off. Not because it's necessary most of the time but because it's fun with a capital F!

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by ZionsWrath

It is fine for what he is doing. Driving the car once in a while because he is storing it for winter. While the grip is not optimal compared to what they can provide in warm temps, lettuce beef cereal, he is not going to crash because they magically have no grip.

No magic summer tires have no grip at freezing temperatures and no grip on snow or ice. Period. No grip, not just inadequate grip.

You need at least all season tires to drive in winter conditions. To drive in winter on summer tires is just plain negligent. You can't stop safely from any speed.