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So, I have a pick-up, as most of you know. It has 4wd, thankfully, as it's scary in RWD as you'd expect.
I'm pretty much ok with snow/ice driving techniques in general, but this is my first winter in an automatic - a big powerful one at that. I've not had any scares yet and it's been fairly sure footed, but I've only been out briefly.
It has a manual shift option, but this will occasionally still shift if it thinks you are in the wrong gear - there is also a shift lock button too, so for a steep descent, I suppose I could lock it in 1st/2nd. I find for long descents in normal conditions, I quite often end up knocking it into Sports auto mode, as it will downshift quicker under braking and hold a lower gear longer.
So, although I've probably got the basics cvovered, does anyone have any special tips, or do you just leave it in auto and hope for the best?
Apparently, putting a concrete slab in the tray makes your pickup come alive 🙂
Wasn't until I owned a 4wd of this variety that I realised how hopeless many 4wds are in the snow and marginal conditions.
Buy a Volvo. Ours has a winter button for the auto that really dampens throttle response.
Other than that lock it into gears and don't use the brakes when descending if you can help it. Also ton bag of sand/aggregate of your choice in the bed.
Wasn't until I owned a 4wd of this variety that I realised how hopeless many 4wds are in the snow and marginal conditions.
the improved traction gets you up to a speed that's impossible to stop from until you hit a ditch 🙂 used to hate my impreza in the snow. Unplugging the ABS helped a lot on the stop front !
It's got plenty of weight in the back already, so that's covered.
I'm fine with throttle response I think - doesn't respond super quick anyway.
Descents are the worst in autos, because you don't really have any decent engine braking, and I've read that engine braking is bad for autos too, so maybe not good to lock it in a low gear.
The one I had had snow mode, which would basically pull away in second gear and that was the only noticeable difference. That was AWD too, and I found it reacted best, not by being gentle, but giving it a bit poke and it would climb hills like a crab. Sideways.
As an ex owner of an auto Omega, the best car I've owned, Ok for 51 weeks of the year, then you walk.
Couple of big bags of rock salt in the rear for added traction and then you can spread a bit if you get stuck. Never had an auto with 4wd but snow mode was basically 2nd gear with a damped throttle.
Stick some proper winter tyres on it. Just cos your tyres have big nobs on 'em doesn't mean they're any good in the snow,especially when compacted.
NO cruise control 😉
I'm probably wrong, but that isn't what the shift lock button is for. I think it's mainly to allow you to put it in neutral while the ignition is off for towing or maintenance or something.
Does anybody ever actually carry cargo in those pickups? I thought they were just a lifetyle statement.
What 4x4 is it? To get the best out of it you could do with understanding how the 4x4 system works/what type it is, some are reactive and need wheel slip before torque goes to the wheels with the most grip so it needs a dose of the loud pedal, some need user intervention to get the best out of them.
If it is a proper 4x4 and not an AWD, some settings will leave all the diffs open allowing all torque to go to the wheels with no grip (but allowing it to be used on road without damage), whilst the part time/low range will normally lock everything up for the most grip when ascending/descending, but at the risk of not being able to make it round the next bend or damaging the drivetrain on high grip surfaces.
Does anybody ever actually carry cargo in those pickups? I thought they were just a lifetyle statement.
Is this a townie thing? They've taken over from the Defender round our way as the tool of choice for most farmers.
Also they easily fit 4 people, 4 bikes and everyone's kit so not a bad tool.
As for driving in snow/ice, just leave it in rwd and go everywhere sideways, only really needs 4x4 for the steeper hills.
I think I saw a pic of the OP's vehicle being used as intented, globalti, rare I know.
I agree with this (edit: about 4x4s on their original M&S tyres)
Wasn't until I owned a 4wd of this variety that I realised how hopeless many 4wds are in the snow and marginal conditions.
However, ABS has made stopping and steering autos much easier. Stopping now just means braking hard and letting the ABS do it's job. You can't "clutch down and steer" if it get a bags on but there's so little engine braking declutching isn't needed, and you can't stall and lock the driving wheels with an auto. Just do what you'd do in any other vehicle - drive smoothly.
Knowing where theartist lives and what he does, I'd have a big 4x4 as well.
We have two Skodas with autoboxes, both 2wd. An Octavia with a big heavy 1.9 tdi engine to keep traction at the front, and a very revvy 1.2tsi Fabia which wears winter tyres. Not had any problems with either in snow and ice over the last few snowy winters just driving steadily with lots of anticipation, and both of us cover the whole of Derbyshire for work. I guess we could knock them into manual and keep them in second if necessary.
Our old Renault auto had a winter button which I think stopped it going into first.
Most (well all the auto's I've had) have a * button for snow/ice. Usually means it will start off in 2nd plus react differently elsewhere.
Only experience of 4x4 and auto has been my wifes two Freelanders; the first just drove and had a hill-descent button if you really needed it while her current one has an electronic gizmo on it that you just turn to whichever picture looks like where you are. Snow/Ice seems to change everything plus increased engine braking.
In your case I'd probably leave it in drive unless I was a really steep hill, and then manually use the 'box'.
Next time buy either a proper 4x4 or a proper car, that has a proper auto box.
I'm fine with my choice of vehicle thanks - and b r, what would you suggest - a Range Rover, because that would be great for my job, not 😉
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No comments about the choice of drink, thanks - it's been done already...
Working in these conditions, it's probably the most sensible choice - this is a nice clean, mud free bit of site....
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I do want to find out a bit more about the 4wd sytem though, it seems to behave slightly differently to the last Navara I had.
And yes, I definitely need some better tyres
I've got an auto Volvo xc60. Awd.
They recommend popping it into manual and using gear 3. Never had any drama apart from nearly going into the back of a hearse on ice once! It's got winters on now but never been tested on snow yet.
Hmmm, think I'd be doing a lot of crashing if I stuck it in 3rd and tried descending some of the hills around here...
Our auto Audi Quattro was great in the snow, never really noticed the auto box being a factor. Pulling off was smooth and yes we did take care on descents. We also had a Shogun (Auto) will was much more skittish, as noted above far too light on the back end I think. So mot much help really 😕 , its hard to generalise and I think it depends on the vehicle.
That cup holder the bulmers is in is a bit of a stretch from the drivers seat
One trick for RWD autos in the snow to get them moving if stuck is to lightly apply the hand brake to provide some resistance so the wheels don't spin up quite so easily.
STR has the Nirvara not got hill descent? On the Ranger it has, apparently you use the + & - on the cruise control to set the speed and take both your feet off the pedals. Only played with it so far not used it in anger.
Stike me those panels are probably not producing their maximum there
[i]I'm fine with my choice of vehicle thanks - and b r, what would you suggest - a Range Rover, because that would be great for my job, not[/i]
I guess your only choice would be a Land Rover, as that's what the local utility companies here seem to run as their 'all-terrain' vehicle - although tbh most run double-cabs as their 'normal' one.
[i]Our auto Audi Quattro was great in the snow[/i]
Quattro has a particularly clever (and expensive) mechanical centre diff that immediately reacts to wheel slip so there is no delay in sending torque to the wheels with grip.
Other types such as the Haldex clutch (also fitted to lesser Audi's) need a prod on the loud pedal before the system works out that a wheel is spinning and torque needs sending to other wheels. Hence the offroading types getting upset with Land Rover as the Freelander couldn't negotiate simple obstacles in the same way a Defender could (idle over stuff dead slow without any revs)
Those crazy Icelanders know a thing or two about driving on snow and ice. I saw a TV programme about them and their love of driving on glaciers (probably a Top Gear or JC programme) and they said that Auto's are better for driving on ice and snow. I think it is because the power can be fed in far more gently than with a manual and a clutch so as not to induce loss of traction.
STR has the Nirvara not got hill descent? On the Ranger it has, apparently you use the + & - on the cruise control to set the speed and take both your feet off the pedals. Only played with it so far not used it in anger.
Nope, it's the one thing that most modern pick-ups now have, that the Nav doesn't, which is a shame.
Stike me those panels are probably not producing their maximum there
Yeah, without testing them, I'm not sure, but at maximum 24 panels in series are producing 1000v DC. The lowest Ive recorded when testing is around 700v, but I never test when its this cloudy ^^^
I guess your only choice would be a Land Rover,
I don't really fancy 40k a year in a Land Rover 😉