winter tyres or haldex issues?

[danilotto]

Well, I swapped my summer Michelin Pilot Sport 4 for winter Nokian WR4, same size.

Today was a clear, sunny and very dry day, tarmac was perfectly dry and I noticed that under strong acceleration driving straight on highway, the ESP light flashed, the car did not accelerate and gearbox, in auto mode, upshift very fast also flooring the throttle. Sometimes I also hear some relais clearly clicking under the light knob.

Never happened something before neither with the first set of Conti tyres.

So I am wondering if these Nokian are supposed to have less grip in such conditions (to so big amount? Also with AWD kicking in?) or my Haldex is going to die. No strange noises btw...my feeling was that the rear wheels did not had traction...

EDIT: forget to add that the Nokian are brand new, less then 100 km on them...

 

[Joetidman]

What was the temp? If above 7-10 degrees winters act like summer at zero. Add to that they are new and need bedding in and you have your answer. Another hundred miles or so and/or low temps and rain and they will be back to normal imo


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[Carefree69]

Put your proper tyres back on, it’ll be spring in a few weeks.

I just don’t get the winter tyres thing, never needed them in 25+ years of driving.

Compared to other countries the UK doesn’t have proper winters anyway, apart from the odd snow flurry or frosty morning. Most of the time it’s just mild.

Each to their own I suppose.

 

[Daz Auto]

In those conditions I would have though the haldex should have stopped the traction control light coming on. Though, as someone else said, you have to wear the tyres in properly. Was the road bit greasy?

Put your proper tyres back on, it’ll be spring in a few weeks.

I just don’t get the winter tyres thing, never needed them in 25+ years of driving.

Compared to other countries the UK doesn’t have proper winters anyway, apart from the odd snow flurry or frosty morning. Most of the time it’s just mild.

Each to their own I suppose.

Some very sweeping statements there. I don't expect you to understand, but please be open minded.

I have been driving for over 3 decades. Every winter I see cars sitting in fields that have obviously crashed because of the snow or ice. Yesterday, my wife pointed out another one. I just hope they were not injured.

Which part of the UK do you live in? We live in the northern half of the UK. In my experience - for 4-5 months of the year - winter tyres will provide better grip than summer tyres. Especially in the morning and evening when it is colder. Of course, when there is snow and ice, winter tyres give much better grip than summer tyres.

Continental say this on their website - "Compared with the rest of the year, UK drivers are six times more likely to have an accident during the winter months, with the numbers rising further when snow and ice occur and add an extra hazard."

Do we need winter tyres? No. Are we less likely to crash into a field with winter tyres? Yes. Are we less likely to cause or be involved in a accident with winter tyres? From my experience - yes.

Though I understand that it is not worth it for warmer parts of the UK.

 

[Carefree69]

I did say each to their own. I’ve just never felt the need for them but if you think they are worth it then that’s cool.

 

[KenL]

Maybe people just need to learn to drive appropriately for the conditions?

An S3 is 4wd, I'd hope that it would cope better than a fwd car with or without winter tyres.

 

[Daz Auto]

An S3 is 4wd, I'd hope that it would cope better than a fwd car with or without winter tyres.

Audi uses the same haldex 4WD system fitted by Volkswagen. Here is what they say on their website -

http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/need-he...tyres+if+my+car+has+4+Motion?&category=owners

"Volkswagen's 4 Motion definitely offers an advantage delivering drive to the road, although it's a mistake to think that 4 Motion means you don't need winter tyres. When they're fitted, winter tyres increase the 4 Motion advantage significantly and will make sure you get the best results out of your 4 Motion system. 4 Motion doesn't do much for steering and braking. Fitting winter tyres provides better drive, steering and braking."

Grip comes from your tyres, not your drive system - as Audi advertising would have you believe. Google 4WD myths.

Having 4 driven wheels will help you get up a hill when grip is limited. However, having 4 driven wheels will NOT help you going down a hill covered in snow and ice. (Unless you want to go down that hill accelerating!)

 

[Daz Auto]

Maybe people just need to learn to drive appropriately for the conditions?

Hmmm... one year, my wife could not get up a hill 500yards from home. Her driving had nothing to do with it. The hill was covered in sheet ice. Since then she has had winter tyres and has never had a problem.

 

[KenL]

Hmmm... one year, my wife could not get up a hill 500yards from home. Her driving had nothing to do with it. The hill was covered in sheet ice. Since then she has had winter tyres and has never had a problem.

My comment about driving was about people ending up in fields perhaps due to not driving to suit the conditions.

In the UK unless we get hit by really bad weather the main roads are usually fine. Gritters do a decent job here.

If you know it's going to be bad, stay at home.

 

[Daz Auto]

My comment about driving was about people ending up in fields perhaps due to not driving to suit the conditions.

In the UK unless we get hit by really bad weather the main roads are usually fine. Gritters do a decent job here.

If you know it's going to be bad, stay at home.

'usually fine' The car in the field yesterday, was on an A road. But the rain had washed off the grit and it had frozen again!

We live in a rural location. The roads around us are not gritted for 2 miles.

Many people don't have the luxury of staying at home when the weather is bad. NHS workers for example.

 

[Carefree69]

'usually fine' The car in the field yesterday, was on an A road. But the rain had washed off the grit and it had frozen again!

We live in a rural location. The roads around us are not gritted for 2 miles.

Many people don't have the luxury of staying at home when the weather is bad. NHS workers for example.

I too live very rural and I am in the Fire Service so also don’t have the luxury of taking time off due to bad weather.

What I do though is drive according to the conditions, and it hasn’t caught me out in nearly 30 years.

I’m not knocking anyone who goes to the bother of changing wheels/tyres every few months, I’m just saying that I don’t feel the need.

 

[danilotto]

Hello guys,

Lot of replies, many thanks. I appreciate it very much.
Unfortunately here in north Italy, where I live, there is an odd legal requirement to have winter tyres or summer tyres + snow chains on board outside urban areas. This is a feast for tyre shops that pump up the prices. I bought my Nokian WR4 online and I paid 506€ for them. My tyre shop asked me 800€ for the same tyres + swapping on the same alloys and alignment. In my vocabulary this is "fraud".

Coming back to winter tyres, I always lived without them. I drive from over 20 years and I also had a BMW Z4 E89 with RWD and the same behaviour of a soap bar, no problems at all in winter season with summer tyres.

Unfortunately, the last year, coming back home from the mountains, on summer tyres, I had to brake and I hit the car in front of me at about 20 meters of distance. This prompted me to adopt winter tyres in this season.

Note that in big urban areas the temperature rarely goes below zero and we have usually >7°C days also in January/February. So, if you live in a big city like me, you can live without winter tyres, but if you need to leave the city you are at risk of fine if you do not keep bulky and heavy (and useless) snow chains in the trunk.