Driving in snow - thoughts

[Alistair Swanson]

I'm not finding the mk4 quite as capable as the mk2. I'm using the same wheels/winter tyres, so figure it could be one of:

• particularly powdery snow today
• traction control feels different
• driving a petrol car rather than a diesel
• perhaps i'm just more concerned for the safety of a new leased car rather than an 8 year old car that wasn't worth very much ?‍

I think the traction control just feels different though - a bit too responsive. Trying to get up a hill in about 6 inches of snow and the car would just slow down and stall (in second initially, but latterly in first). Had to turn off traction control and was able to get up the hill with relative ease, but still didn't feel as confident as my mk2.

and then a 'manoeuvring braking disabled' warning came on... assume that is to do with a sensor being covered and auto parking or something... I was still able to break whilst manoeuvring

 

[dan555]

Manoeuvre Braking, is when the car automatically stops the car if it thinks your going to reverse into something, it most probably because one of the parking sensors is blocked

 

[martin j.]

In snow I always turn off traction control on both our cars, although my rwd doesn’t get out much in the 6” in our street at the moment.
Oh, I suspect the diesel would always be better, more torque so gentler throttle inputs needed.

 

[corbu33]

Correct Martin. I'm assuming the same, that main difference in fact is petrol vs diesel and believe me it is a big difference... but once you get used to it, all good.

Diesel has more Nm on low rpms therefore might be better in the snow, while petrol is more "explosive" and when the gas pedal is pushed on the petrol you tend to obtain faster an "ice skating" effect , but again is more getting used to it.

 

[Alistair Swanson]

Also, forgot new car is > 10% lighter (I think). The real problem will be when I reach for the handbrake to swing the back end out and realise it is a button

 

[Tell]

In snow I always turn off traction control on both our cars, although my rwd doesn’t get out much in the 6” in our street at the moment.
Oh, I suspect the diesel would always be better, more torque so gentler throttle inputs needed.

More weight with the diesel as well.

 

[BigJase88]

Its the petrol lump. Need the weight of the diesel engine. Also the low down torque helps massively

 

[Tell]

Yep it's what people with petrol Ateca's moaned about when they moved from diesel.... the first wave of people going anti diesel. I got 4drive so topped it off with all weather tyres last year. Just need the snow . Turning off traction control is what I use to do with my old Altea diesel in snow when reversing out of a drive back up a hill, 4Drive, just turn the knob to get the traction adjusted plus the 4Drive ?.

There is a user profile as a separate item on the Ateca drive option, suspect Leon 4 people can put in a user profile as well. Page 233 of the user manual. Individual. Probably do something with these unless it doesnt' save your traction parameters and defaults back.