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Maintenance & Repair Winter Driving - are you prepared?
149 messages, Last post on Aug 19, 2009 at 8:38 AM
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Replying to: needg (Nov 28, 2006 5:18 pm) As for the road restrictions, I think I call is in order to the CA DOT. Good luck.
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Replying to: kdshapiro (Nov 28, 2006 6:25 pm) All the cars that I am looking at have traction control, but I have no experience in the snow with AWD, RWD or FWD with traction control(with 260+ hp/torque). My snow experience has been FWD, 200hp, no traction control and I have driven through light to moderate snow storms with it. I would like to hear from people with the other types of drive systems (AWD, RWD, or FWD with traction control), and their experiences in the snow. Also, I have only had to deal with chains on a fwd car, so I would like to know if chains are placed on all four tires for RWD and AWD(when mandated). If anybody has tried to pass road restriction checkpoints with AWD and all-season tires I would also like to hear their experiences. I am currently in touch with the CA DOT, but their response is the same "AWD with snow tires". I would like to know if this in enforced during light snow storms, as my experience with cars flying by me without chains leads me to believe that not all of them have snow tires. Thanks for the help.
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chains are not neccessary except in the most extreme conditions. Modern snow tires are fantastic and four of them combined with a good car and modern traction control systems work pretty well regardless of which wheels are driven. I used to commute to work in New Hampshire employing cars that had FWD, AWD and RWD, always equipped with good snows and ABS brakes. The CHP may have a different view and I am not familiar with conditions in Cali. |
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Replying to: needg (Nov 29, 2006 4:21 pm) As far as AWD with snow tires, I think you got the answer.
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I watch the Weather Channel carefully and plan any driving trips around the weather. Also, I try not to drive whenever conditions are poor. The Long Island Railroad worked okay during last year's blizzard and I made it into NYC for a concert at Carnegie Hall. Just in case, I have a Subaru Outback with AWD with Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires on all four wheels. They should last four years and by switching out of my summer tires I extend their life also. It's like buying an insurance policy and never really wanting to collect on it. Thanks to all posters. I learned alot from your great tips. |
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Replying to: kdshapiro (Nov 29, 2006 5:30 pm) |
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Chains are required on I-50, I-80 going to Tahoe. Be advised. Some tips: As a rule, always carry chains when you go to the mountains to be on the safe side. Where can you buy chains? Costco, Walmart, any auto parts stores just about How to install chains? Suggest you try practicing chain installation in non-snow conditions to perfect it. Have a auto tool kit handy with gloves, ice scraper, de-icer, flashlight (the one which you can wear on your head is good since it frees up your hands and don't forget the batteries). Follow your chain installation instructions. Worst case scenario - pay the Tahoe chain installers to install your chains at a fee of $25 (last I heard). What's the best chains for my car? Should I buy snow tires? What's good? Call. Shop around. Ask your tire expert questions. Ask your friends who bought snow tires. lanning a trip to Lake Tahoe ski resorts? Join SnowPals.org to.. + meet snow sports activity partners of all skill levels + save money by networking for Lake Tahoe rideshares, lodging shares, ski trips + get insider's tips, such as: Sunday DEC 17, Squaw Lift ticket is only $35!! + info on lift ticket deals and discounts, group season passes, ski lease, vacation rentals + buy, sell, trade gears and lift tickets + network with San Francisco Bay Area professionals who share similar interests + expand your circle of friends + connect with members at our Official and members initiated mixers + Ride the Tahoe Ski Bus to your favorite ski resort members: 3,237 founded : Jan 2001 SnowPals.org is a grass-roots community of skiers and snowboarders for San Francisco Bay Area professionals and visitors to the Lake Tahoe area, ages 21 and up, who share a passion for snow sports. Join us at http://SnowPals.org |
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Replying to: needg (Nov 28, 2006 5:18 pm) All seasons and snow tires are different, but you maybe to get away with 4WD and all seasons depending on how bad the roads are and the level of 'Chain Control' the DOT requires, see below. The DOT has 3 levels of 'Chain Controls': http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/chcontrl.htm Basically: R1 - 2WD chains required. 4WD all tires okay. R2 - 2WD chains required. 4WD snow tires required. R3 - ALL vehicles (2WD & 4WD) must have chains. You should be able to get by with AWD only in most situations (R1). R3 is not common (but does happen) and pretty bad road-wise, probably should stay home unless you really have to be there that day. R3 is where we got stuck with one chain on the wrong 2WD drive axle. No fun! On a 2WD, you want to put the chains on the drive axles, rear for RWD, front for FWD, etc. I suppose you can put chains on all wheels if you like, but the DOT doesn't require it. Oh, and try to get some -20 or -30 degrees windshield washer fluid when you get up there. The regular stuff they sell in no-snow area freeze badly in a blizzard. |
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I'm concerned that my desire to be economical and save a few bucks is going to get me killed. We just bought and financed a new Accord, and have a lot of student loans to pay off, so we're trying to get a little more mileage out of our 1997 Nissan Sentra (I'd ideally love to get to Spring of 2008 before buying another car). It's got 120K miles on it, and runs okay. And I only drive 20 miles a day (10 miles each way to work) and then park it on the weekends. I don't need a lot of car, in other words. I just want something that will be reliable and safe, and otherwise, it's going to sit in a parking lot all day, and my driveway all weekend. The catch is, I don't feel especially safe in the car on these roads, and know that we are just biding our time on reliability. We just moved this summer to Northern New Jersey, so this is my first winter driving here, and my first winter ever driving in winter conditions (we're from the southeast). Plus, the drivers here are very aggressive, and anyone who knows the '97 Sentra knows it has NO power--zero. I get blown off the road every day driving to and from work on the highways here, and just hold my breath those 20 miles hoping I'm not in a major accident. AND we haven't even had bad winter weather yet here in NJ. So, after all that build-up, I guess I'm wondering what I can do to make sure this car is as ready for severe weather as possible, if there really is anything I can do to prepare, or am I kidding myself and just need to accept that if I want these cost savings we're getting each month the trade off will be some safety/security.
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Replying to: bruuklin (Jan 14, 2007 1:43 pm) 1) Get a set of four dedicated snows and put them on, you'll have no trouble with traction or braking except in the most severe conditions. It's relatively expensive but you'll save wear and tear on your regular tires. 2)When it does snow, find an isolated, empty parking lot and throw your car around a bit on it to become famiar with the limits and behavior of the car. 3) Stay home if it's really bad out or take public transportation. You might have truoble grasping this if you're from Dixie but winters in New Jersey are usually fairly mild with only one or two bad storms (6" or more). Anyone from upper New England or the Great Lakes States would tell you they're a peice of cake. 
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