Traction in the snow and DSG

[loadswine]

I just wonder whether any of you folks have found the car to be an absolute pig for pulling away on even the slightest incline in the snow with the DSG box.
I had a couple of moments today when the car just couldn't get going and needed a push. One of them wasn't even much of a hill ,but there was no way that thing would get traction and just slipped everywhere except forward.
Okay I've got the diesel engine (2.0) but have never experienced anything this bad in other cars. Big wide 17" wheels must make it worse, but my last car, a Fiat Multipla never seemed to have a problem and getting away was relatively easy in the ice and snow.
I thought , afterwards, that turning off the traction control in these situations might be an idea.
Anyone else found this, or got any tips?

 

[Tell]

Topical subject Loadswine . My only heavy duty snow in the Altea was December 2005 in Luxembourg just before a right hand turn at traffic lights where the ABS stopped me as the lights changed. That worked well. Moving around the car park was interesting as I recall as power went on and off to the wheels. I selected a bit where there was a hill and could pull of in the morning.

I was dreading snow in the last period since where I parked up for the tube is hill and it was there that I bashed my old Uno's front wheel into the curb as the car turned in a toboggen.

If you turn the ESP off you won't have the protection of the ABS for the skids. You could think about trying the DSG in manual. Lows gear / high gears for snow... need a google.

I'm hunkered down.

 

[loadswine]

I only meant turning off the TC to get going, then popping it back on again.
I'd be surprised if there wasn't a trick or tip that the German designers of the DSG system hadn't put in to deal with icy conditions, as they have worse winters in germany than here.

 

[Tell]

Backfrom my google..

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=163326

http://www.hehd.clemson.edu/PRTM/special/GH/Drive.htm

A bit posted here by US VW DSG owners [first URL] and then some other stuff on automatics and snow. Says put in 1 or 2 then D once going. That thread a one place suggests taking ESP off when starting then putting it back on.

Perhaps a combination of manual driving in the DSG to get going with ESP off then normal auto and ESP on once off ?. Think it was the ESP that gave me the problems in that car park.

Klawit around ?

 

[loadswine]

That was useful stuff Tell, the VW forum especially, seems the folks over the pond have a poor time of it unless they fit winter tyres. It is that first bit of momentum that is needed, once on the move its fine. So I reckon that turning off the esp just to get moving might help. I might go out in a bit and find a quiet area to practice on. Will try the manual shifting as well to see if any difference there.
The ESP system uses the brakes to assist in traction control, which might be counter productive just to get moving.
This aspect of the car isn't one of VW/Audi's finest accomplishments!
I thought of Klawit as well, must have experienced more of the slippy stuff than us. Might have some ideas.

 

[Tell]

I thought it was useful Nigel and it was the ESP that gave me the problem when I was moving round the car park in Luxembourg on nice uncompressed snow, probably laying on ice, whilst trying to decide the best bit of the car park to park on to drive away in the morning. But then having the ESP on two minutes before stopped me skidding over the traffic lights and possibly hitting the curb or a car coming across etc. So dicing with the safety of stopping if you forget to put ESP back on or not moving perhaps if it's on when stationary with the DSG.

Schnee is German for snow . Another Google, another place, a German guys posted this up on Youtube "AUDI A3 3.2 quattro DSG --- Das DRIFTVIDEO ---by www.A3Q.org"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeIzTMzF_5M

Demonstartion of DSG snow drifting, might be to prove a point.

German DSG tyre talk here:

http://translate.google.com/transla...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&sa=N

This is the German Seat Altea / Toledo site that Klawit posts in I think and here's a thread on weather driving:

http://translate.google.com/transla...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&sa=G

I'm pleased this guy had the same problem that I had with my wipers but he got it on the move !

This is where the snow packs itself into the pillar the blades won't retract.

err the thread was called "Snow in the A-column" silly me

Back on topic, I guess that German's are too sensible and change to winter tyres, we Brits drive on the edge of bling .

 

[loadswine]

Some handy research there. If I had to drive in the snow regularly, no doubt , I would definitely use snow tyres.
I've just been out to experiment with pulling away on an incline covered in snow.
It definitely works best with the ESP off.
Switching to manual mode didn't help really.
The clutch engagement can snatch in these conditions, so using the handbrake to steady things up as the clutch disengages and the power comes in helps to smooth things out.
I tried one area where I had a problem earlier and no worries this time.
I also found a tricky uphill bend covered in packed snow on a private road with decent visibility. Going up steadily worked best with no ESP and a light throttle. Stopping half way up, there was no way I could get going again without dropping down to get a little momentum. Interestingly a manual Zafira diesel had more problems than I and couldn't make it up even with a bit of momentum. Useful exercise, but I'd rather not have to drive the Altea in those conditions very often.
On my car, the antilock brakes still work as normal with ESP switched off.

I think that about covers it, but it's not a good snow car with the DSG box, well at least for traction.

 

[Tell]

Is that true that ABS still works with ESP off, I thought they were connected ?. If that's the case then turning ESP off for slow crawls in snow isn't really a problem if you still have ABS for sudden stops. I did read on that VW site above that you require some slippage in snow to get a grip and it was that, that the ESP took away. One suspect that robotic gear changing isn't as tender as the human hand in delicate conditions, snow.

So there you go Nigel you proved it , I only did the meta research . I'm leaving mine parked up today, but if I turn it round I'll get the other side cleared off snow by kids making snow balls walking past.

 

[loadswine]

The antilock was definitely functioning on mine with ESP turned off. I didn't believe it myself to start with, but on a particularly slippy road, I know the pedal was pulsing and the relay sound clicking away was quite distinct.
Just in case any version is set up differently to mine, it would be advisable to test on your own car first, somewhere where it won't cause a problem.
Teamwork matey, works wonders!
Snow is melting here now, so snow on the car is not an issue now. Local chavs gave the car a snowball barrage as I went out earlier, hope the panels stood up to it!!