This is not a winter car! Fed up! May end up selling...

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Are you sure that sensor is on the rear diff? A Torsen shouldn't generate any more heat than an open diff, less actually. A viscous coupling on the other hand always slips a bit and so could overheat. I thought the Subie awd used a center VC type diff. Could the temp sensor be on that?

Yes. The sensor/wire is directly attached to the differential.

[hmong337]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Hard to explain, you've either got it or you don't.

After 40 years of winter driving I'm pretty good at assessing whether the car I'm driving is likely to make it or get stuck just by looking at the snow surface.

I'm sure I've got it

I guess I just happened to meet my match with snow in my first winter season with the FRS. I think everybody will eventually. It's part of learning. I just didn't expect it to fail when my other FR cars of the past would've pulled their way through. Albeit, with a struggle. I definitely now know what this car is and isn't capable of. I'm not Tommi Makinen like you guys

Other than the deep stuff, this car does well in winter. Not great but certainly adequate. Like with all FR cars, if provoked enough, your headlights will be pointing in the wrong direction.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Are you sure that sensor is on the rear diff? A Torsen shouldn't generate any more heat than an open diff, less actually. A viscous coupling on the other hand always slips a bit and so could overheat. I thought the Subie awd used a center VC type diff. Could the temp sensor be on that?

Yep I am sure. As Burrcold mentioned, the sensor is plugged directly into the rear differential. When I went to change out my rear differential fluid, I remember noting that the connector plug for my sensor was cracked for some reason and thought about replacing it.

Also the STI center differential is a combination (mechanical) limited-slip planetary gear type differential and (electronically controlled) continuously variable transfer clutch. The electronic aspect of it allows the torque split to be altered on the fly or locked as necessary.

[J-Cam]

Long time lurker on the forum- but I don't often post. Figured I'd add my two cents to the much debated winter experience.

I bought the FRS with the intention of getting a winter beater, but parking restrictions left me with out an additional parking space. Rather than store the car I decided to throw on a set of winter tires (Nokian Hakkapeliitta r2's) in stock size on the stock wheels.

The car in my opinion has been fantastic to drive in the snow and surprisingly far exceeded my expectations- I wouldn't hesitate to drive it anywhere, and I don't.

I live in Ottawa and we've had 110cm of snow in the past 2weeks- real winter, no problems.

Cheers,
~jcam

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by hmong337

I'm sure I've got it

I guess I just happened to meet my match with snow in my first winter season with the FRS. I think everybody will eventually. It's part of learning. I just didn't expect it to fail when my other FR cars of the past would've pulled their way through. Albeit, with a struggle. I definitely now know what this car is and isn't capable of. I'm not Tommi Makinen like you guys

Other than the deep stuff, this car does well in winter. Not great but certainly adequate. Like with all FR cars, if provoked enough, your headlights will be pointing in the wrong direction.

Don't beat yourself up. The FR-S is an entirely different animal than most other cars. There is a definite learning curve and I am still learning like you. I have gotten stuck once last year when it bottomed out in my work parking lot (thankfully I always carry a small shovel in the trunk). So far, in 1.5 winters, I have only resorted to our van once. I have gotten lucky where plows have gone through our neighbourhood just before I had to go to work (shift work helps sometimes).

As others have said, deep snow is best handled by turning off all of the nannies; but, I have only realized that through trial and error (not because I am the Stig or Ari Vatenan). Even on ice traveling to Woodstock on Jan. 7th, the back end started to wag and I took the car's advice to slow down. Other cars and trucks are so isolated from the road, their drivers drove at inappropriate speeds. The FR-S certainly isn't perfect, but, I still prefer it over our Sienna.

Again, this is an extreme winter, and not at all easy. Even the best of us will get stuck from time to time and certainly not without various profanities being uttered. I hope you stick with the FR-S and catch you at more local meets.

[mountainside]

Second winter so far with our FR-S. Asphalt has 16" i-pikes and the Series 10 is still in summer shoes (shutup, I know, got laid off end of Nov. and have been spending a lot of time at home) and so far, the Asphalt has been an absolutely champ and the Series 10 has been holding it's own. Sort of.

I've definitely found that recovery in a rwd is much more intuitive than in fwd or fwd-bias awd, so trust in your ability (or practice skidding/sliding out and then trust) and trust in your car.

To be honest, if I was going to drop cash on another car, I would keep the fr-s as my winter. It takes getting used to but I love that slow speed drift around corners, lol. I vote get through this winter first (bearing in mind that it's been kind of a weird one!) before deciding, and if it's really that awful, perhaps spend a few hundred on a winter beater and store your fr-s over the winter?

[Suberman]

I had a good drive today now things are settling down out here. The BRZ romped up my icy slushy alley which is very steep. If I can drive up my alley I can drive anywhere in this city.

I have noticed that the lively energetic feel of this car that makes it so exciting to drive on bare pavement encourages the wrong driving style in winter.

I tried driving ludicrously slowly away from the curb, out of the curb side drift, expecting to get stuck and found to the contrary this car grips quite effectively if you drive more slowly and steadily than you might normally in this car.

I am beginning to think that the Torsen provides better overall low grip performance if you take it slower and let the Torsen do the work.

Lateral stability is still crazy but again if you back off the driving style a bit, to say 6/10 instead of 8/10 the chassis behaves much better. The TC also works well to keep the car moving forward in a straight line. I particularly like the TC operation with it switched off, it cuts back in if drive wheel speeds differ too greatly.

I love this car in summer time. I'm beginning to like it more in winter now I'm understanding how it works a little better.

[Suberman]

And today we have warm and wet snow on top of warm hard pack, insufficient sand and the BRZ is up to its old tricks.

The challenge is metering out exactly the right amount of torque to the drive wheels which is remarkably difficult to do.

At one point I was virtually stationary with the TC going nuts and there was literally nothing I could do to improve things.

Parked it. Will take my awd Jaguar back to the office this afternoon.

Tough winter but the car should be more capable than it is.

[FiRStsc10n]

This is just a thought because I have an AT. The snow button, with nannies off helps a lot, basically just doesn't allow you to run in 1st gear. Is it possible to just always start in 2nd with a MT?

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by Suberman

And today we have warm and wet snow on top of warm hard pack, insufficient sand and the BRZ is up to its old tricks.

The challenge is metering out exactly the right amount of torque to the drive wheels which is remarkably difficult to do.

At one point I was virtually stationary with the TC going nuts and there was literally nothing I could do to improve things.

Parked it. Will take my awd Jaguar back to the office this afternoon.

Tough winter but the car should be more capable than it is.

Man you flop back and forth on this daily! One day it's amazing, next day it sucks.

[Burrcold]

Originally Posted by wparsons

Man you flop back and forth on this daily! One day it's amazing, next day it sucks.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by FiRStsc10n

This is just a thought because I have an AT. The snow button, with nannies off helps a lot, basically just doesn't allow you to run in 1st gear. Is it possible to just always start in 2nd with a MT?

I was thinking that starting the manual shift car in second gear and using very slow throttle inputs is essentially how the winter button on the auto works. It helps but in really slippery stuff this car really isn't up to the job. Weird really as a good chassis should be a good chassis regardless of grip levels.

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by wparsons

Man you flop back and forth on this daily! One day it's amazing, next day it sucks.

Just reporting facts. You are imposing your commentary. I don't think I ever described this car in those terms.

However, the "evil little car and the good little car" is an apt description of its behaviour on winter roads. It's been a loooong time since I got stuck in any vehicle.

[hmong337]

Originally Posted by Suberman

Just reporting facts. You are imposing your commentary. I don't think I ever described this car in those terms.

However, the "evil little car and the good little car" is an apt description of its behaviour on winter roads. It's been a loooong time since I got stuck in any vehicle.

Your forgetting that your talking to a bunch of Colin McRae's in here. Nobody's ever gotten stuck in snow because they're professional race/rally drivers... Posers *cough* *cough*...

I guess you and I with our lifetime of winter driving just ain't good enough for this car because it's impossible to get it stuck unless you suck (like you and me :-))

Anyways, I actually went out and got me an emergency shovel just in case. I'm not pro like everybody here.