S3 + snow

_Zerocool_

_Zerocool_

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Ok so the snow has been pretty bad today. I thought I'd try out the 4wd on the S3 in the snow for the first time.

To get to the point it was pants. m6 old 2wd diesel golf was better.

Got stuck in the gym car park. Took half an hour at least to get it out. Then got it stuck at work then got it stuck when I got home and I only just made it home took me an hour to get it parked up. There was lots of wheels spinning.

I was disapointed to say the least. It didn't seem like the rear wheels got involved much.

Whats everyones elses S3s like in the snow.

I don't know if I'm expecting too much as it was pretty bad snow or my 4wd is broken or my tyres are rubbish.

Thanks
 
Shouldn't be getting stuck like that, I'd guess your haldex isn't working as it should, I could have bald tyres and I wouldn't get stuck in a gym car park !
 
_Zerocool_ said:
Ok so the snow has been pretty bad today. I thought I'd try out the 4wd on the S3 in the snow for the first time.

To get to the point it was pants. m6 old 2wd diesel golf was better.

Got stuck in the gym car park. Took half an hour at least to get it out. Then got it stuck at work then got it stuck when I got home and I only just made it home took me an hour to get it parked up. There was lots of wheels spinning.

I was disapointed to say the least. It didn't seem like the rear wheels got involved much.

Whats everyones elses S3s like in the snow.

I don't know if I'm expecting too much as it was pretty bad snow or my 4wd is broken or my tyres are rubbish.

Thanks
Click to expand...
never had any issue. goes everywhere with winter tyres. even the roads covered with 5cm thick ice + snow weren't an issue. there was even ocasional 4wd sideways action too :D

so. either you need good winter tyres, or maybe there's something wrong with haldex...
 
mine is good. must be the tyres or how much thread left on them maybes? was driving in the snow other morning up hill and down was no problem. i've got an S3 also.
 
No problems here either,even in conditions that ordinary tyres really shouldn't work well in.
 
Hmmm. I think it might be the tyres. Its got Falken Ziex on it (not my choice, it came with them) and I don't really get on with them at the best of times. I've just googled them and the reviews say they are terrible in the snow - like a bald tyre etc...
 
If really stuck, hold down the ESP button for about 6 secs to turn the ASP & ESP off.
Agree summer tyres are pants.
My 2wd Mk5 GTi with cheapo Linglong winter tyres was ace in snow covered roads, so much so only vehicles going about were 4x4s. I doubt the quattro on summer tyres would have coped.
 
As above turn off the stupid traction aids and it's a different car ever with normal tyres on it.
 
My FWD Sportback gets up everything with winter tyres on.... Its all about your tyres. The amount of "Brits abroad" cars I've seen here, X5s Q7s rangerovers to name a few that have been either stuck or slid off the road because they have summer tyres on.. You would be shocked at the difference.

An S3 with winters on would eat up everything


Winter Tyres v Summer Tyres: the Truth! - Auto Express - YouTube
 
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I think it's your tyres. My RS3 on supposedly 'dry optimised' Michelin Pilot Super Sports was superb in the snowy lanes around the Elan Valley yesterday, no loss of grip traction and superb under braking.

Frontsnow.jpg
 
MrLapou said:
If really stuck, hold down the ESP button for about 6 secs to turn the ASP & ESP off.
Agree summer tyres are pants.
My 2wd Mk5 GTi with cheapo Linglong winter tyres was ace in snow covered roads, so much so only vehicles going about were 4x4s. I doubt the quattro on summer tyres would have coped.
Click to expand...

Do you guys really rate turning the ESP off?

I'm contemplating this next time out in the snow..
 
Yeah I'll give that a go too. Have you had problems then MB? It looks like winter tyres are the answer... More money!
 
_Zerocool_ said:
Yeah I'll give that a go too. Have you had problems then MB? It looks like winter tyres are the answer... More money!
Click to expand...

I've spun up a few times but this was on Summer tyres on a steep hill start yeah... other than that not had too many problems!
 
My S3 is awesome in the snow, Dunlop SP Sport Maxx, no loss of traction!

s3snowman.jpg
 
Agreed something somewhere even on summer tyres S3 will go most places, certainly will not get stuck on flat, I have nenver even had to turn off traction control, you put foot on accelerator it just goes, put winter tyres on it, and it will go anywhere up pretty well any hill and down and stop.
 
Turning the traction control off helped, thanks for the tip. The snow here is ridiculous! There is no way you would not slip. Its 4 inches minimum with ice underneath. Was out in a 62 plate 4wd ford ranger earlier with snow tires and that even got stuck. Its must be 4ft just a mile up the road. The 4wd is working as I got my neighbour to check my wheels as I was driving and all 4 were spinning. These falken Ziex tyres are just very very very sh** in the snow. Winter tyres for me next time!
 
Had 225/40/18 Falken's on my summer wheels and pretty poor in snow, swaped back to original 16's with 195/60/16 Dunlop winter sport 4D's and it will go anywhere now!
 
Not sure what tyres he's got but the snows there, is pretty bad,
 
Last edited by a moderator:
MB S3 said:
Do you guys really rate turning the ESP off?

I'm contemplating this next time out in the snow..
Click to expand...

It wil help if you are actually stuck, as it allows the wheels to spin freely, where as if it is really slippery the traction control will just end up not putting power to any wheel.

I have driven through up some steep hills, on sheet ice with winter tyres and tbh my S3 has never even looked like it would not get stuck, I think it will perform better than most big 4 x 4 as it is a lot lighter, they only thing that will stop you should be depth and snow being dragged under the car
 
If you were actually stuck solid then maybe turning traction off may help. Otherwise I'd personally leave it on, with no locking diffs you're relying on the electronics to help you out and stop a spinning wheel and hence transfer power across the axle to a wheel with grip...
 
I dont know what you have been driving, but my S3 has been like a snow plough, havent been stuck once, been epic to drift about in the snow. Had no problem on steep hills either!
 
Pulled my step dads transit out of 3ft snow with mine. And that was on summer tires....reckon it's your haldex?
 
Mine is a fwd a4, but I've found turning esp off to help loads. Last time it snowed I struggled on anything but flat as any spin of the wheels and the esp kicked in slowing them down. This time I turned it off and just drove carefully and didn't get stuck once. That's with some budget crappo's on my 18's. I bought the wheels with them on, and wasn't expecting more snow :)

I'm going to get some winter tyres for my 16's next year though. Oh, and maybe a quattro too. I want some 4wd fun in the snow.
 
I'm happy its not the haldex. I can feel the rear wheels trying to grip and like I said I had someone check when I was in the snow and at one point all four wheels were spinning. NOT HALDEX.:o.k:
I really think its a combo of rubbish summer tyres and bad snow and ice here. I get it that some of you have been fine with summer tyres but I think the ones I have (falken ziex) are particularly bad. I can't be anything else as the wheels are turning, the tyres just aren't gripping. In the gym car park it was paved brick not asphalt too. That can't have helped.

Solution - Winter tyres or at least less crap summer ones

To move on which winter tyres do you use and when do you run you're S3s on them? ie Dec - Apr??
 
Have you opened up your door to look at the rear wheels when your stuck, see if they are spinning to get traction ?

The snow has been bad over the last 3-4 years and I've never had an issue on summer tyres, I actually tend to look for the deep stuff to plough through.

Audi recommend in the manual to turn the ESP off in the snow, I leave mine on most the time though.
 
Only had mine since the Autumn but we've had some fair snow this winter and its been on the nail every time I've needed it to be, even on the standard tyres.

I was out in some pretty bad stuff in a MY62 A4 Quattro courtesy car last night too and that was brilliant (for a saloon).
 
audi upgrades
Currently running Avon Ice Touring ST's on my car and they're epic in the snow. Even on wet/icy roads they are in a different league to summer tyres and I can still enjoy the car without fear of falling off the road at every corner.
 
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