Traction in the new Ibiza ???

[andy15star]

Went over to see family on xmas day, their house is on a slight incline. Had to try and nip down the shop to get some batteries for the bairns toy and i found i was stuck !!

I tried reversing, going forward but the wheels were simply spinning. ALL other cars in the street managed to get in and out !!. I made a second attempt half an hour later (pushed out the space by my uncle) but still couldn't get out the cul-de-sac...... i was so FURIOUS i nearly kicked the car !.

I ended up using my uncles Punto which i got out flawlessly without any issue whatsoever in the same tracks i'd been trying to get out in !!

Anyone know why this might be ?????. I am really curious as to how at least 4 or 5 other cars managed to plough through the snow from a standstill, yet my Ibiza mk5 couldn't. Everytime i managed to move it a few feet it just started to wheel-slip again, very very annoying!.

I've driven in the snow for 20 years in all makes and models of car, and in worse conditions than these, and this has to be the worst i've known.

Then i decided to check the tread on the front tyres and they both have 4mm tread on them, could that be a factor ????

What is your advice of preventing wheel-spinning ? reversing up an incline ?? etc

All the Best!,
Andy

Best Regards,
Andy

 

[Dave217]

i have the same problems as i live on a hill XD traction was fine in 2nd gear though prevent alot of the wheel spin

 

[andy15star]

this is what i was thinking, do i try a run at it in 2nd gear ?. I'll try that next time ( = tomorrow morning !!)

Andy

 

[Dave217]

well if you cant get traction in 1st try 2nd less power = less likely to spin, it worked for me good luck

 

[stukillen]

Anyone know why this might be ?????. I am really curious as to how at least 4 or 5 other cars managed to plough through the snow from a standstill, yet my Ibiza mk5 couldn't. Everytime i managed to move it a few feet it just started to wheel-slip again, very very annoying!.

I've driven in the snow for 20 years in all makes and models of car, and in worse conditions than these, and this has to be the worst i've known.

Then i decided to check the tread on the front tyres and they both have 4mm tread on them, could that be a factor ????

What is your advice of preventing wheel-spinning ? reversing up an incline ?? etc

I find that cars with wider tyres tend to do worse in the snow as they spread there weight more, so you sit on the soft snow instead of sinking onto the ground underneath. Does your Ibiza have wider tyres than the other cars you have had?
I only had one problem in the snow and that was reversing up a slope from a standstill. But she had got me through areas where other cars were abandoned.
stu

 

[andy15star]

Well yeah this Ibiza is the Sport so it has the wider 17" alloys on, but they're no wider than on my Leon Cupra which i had last year and had no problem with that !.

But yes you could have a point there, the other cars which did manage to get out the cul-de-sac had standard size wheels/tyres, so there could be something in it !

Regards,
Andy

 

[Busta]

Guys,

do not forget that factory tyres are SUMMER TYRES. Even the worst winter tyre is better than pirreli summer one. I live in a country where snow is every winter and I can tell you that it is noticiable when I have wrong tyres. I've bought 14" metal rims for the winter with Maloya tyres (175/70/14 - ugly ,but very comfortable). Also, I am keeping the alloy wheels safe from all the sand and salt on the road wintertimes.


Anyway, do not blame our lovely MK5 - blame the summer tyres in the snow!!!!!

 

[andy15star]

Cheers Busta !, i wouldn't blame the car itself, i know it must have something to do with the tyres / ice under the snow etc. It was just annoying to see other cars gliding right through it !

Loving the car in every way !!

Regards,
Andy

 

[vtxracer]

Do you have ESP ?

 

[andy15star]

Well i do often get that feeling someone's in the room just before i open the door.

(joke!)

No, the car only has ABS, no traction control (which never worked in my Cupra anyway, just caused more problems than enough in the ice!)

Regards,
Andy

 

[Octane2097]

not really had any problems with traction in snow this year, altho i remember my mk4
with it being a diesel with a silly ammount of torque i couldnt get it up the drive
(since its on an incline)

 

[allym1982]

I was going to post on here yesterday to say how great my 1.6 DSG has been in the snow! Until today! Its currently sitting about 2 miles away in the local village. Probably the worst snow conditions I've ever driven in so its not really a surprise that it didn't make it up our road. On the last attempt the ABS and Power Sterling lights came on which made me think it was time to give in.

Of 4 households on the road where I live, a 1.2 P Reg Punto was the only one to make it up! Narrow wheels and lower powered engines definately seem to be the way to go!

Here's hoping for a warm start to 2010 to get rid of all the white stuff!

 

[andycupra]

tyres, and tyres size. end of discussion.

 

[andy15star]

tyres, and tyres size. end of discussion.

Seems to be the case !

Andy

 

[johnbev]

As others have mentioned its alot to do with the width of your tyres, snow tyres are very skinny.
Also the weight of the vehicle. Your leon was heavier, and a diesel heavier too over the drive wheels. Having traction control or esp will do little to help at crawling speed over clever clutch/power control in the snow.
The xds is a kind of diff lock I think so would help here...