Common practice. Ppl do it all the time.

Worse yet, if its just a bit of ice and you dont know the wiper is stuck ... turn on the wipers and the wiper motor blows ... not good. I had it happen once years ago.

 

Chows: The operative phrase in your statement is "competent driver". Many aren't. Not arguing, but agreeing. Until there's 4-wheel-drive vehicle that's as tossable and agreeable as the Mini, I'm Mini-ing.

 

Agreed. The problem is, especially in areas that get snow maybe every other year, the people are NOT competent to drive in the snow.

I've lived in MD for more than 25 years now coming from Boston and it always amazed me that whenever it snowed, you would see cars ABANDONED on the sides of roads in the middle of the storm.

I always wondered where those people went Did they just walk home

 

chows to answer your question of where they went, I picked up a few people who's cars had broken, or ventured into the ditch. For the most part they had no means of staying warm while waiting for a tow. I always had candles in my car in the winter, plus ditch wear( heavy boots, mitts, coveralls).

The advice given to those traveling on the highways in the winter were I come from, Manitoba, was stay with your car.
If you get stuck, run the car 5-10 minutes an hour to stay warm. If your car does not run, burn your candle, with a window cracked open. Get out of the car and walk around it to stay warm. Most folks did not have candles, nor were they dressed for the weather.

Mark

 

But lotsie, there is a difference here. Your talking about cars that are broken down or in an accident. I am not. I'm talking about cars literally abandoned ... some IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!

The drivers simply panic and cannot drive in the snow. They may have moved from the deep south or CA or wherever ... the roads get slippery, just a few inches and they STOP their cars, get out and go ... where

This isn't a one time thing. It happens everytime we get maybe 6" plus.

 

Yeah the wipers up trick is a useful thing here in the Northeast.

 

Just got some experience Thurs. afternoon coming home through a big snowfall here in the Twin Cities...
really my first snow challenge with my MCS (with 15's + OEM tires).

Twice I had trouble making it up steep hills, with a slippery road surface AND several inches of unplowed snow.
Once because I got blocked by a pickup spinning for all he was worth, the other time just a steep side street....
The problem was compounded by my ASC kicking in and cutting my power.
I was in 3rd or 2nd gear trying to keep the rpm's low,
but as wheels began to spin, the ASC cut my power and the engine just lugged somewhere way under 2K rpm's.
I didn't know what was up at first and tried to give it more gas. I thought sure I would stall out and stop right there on the hill.
Somehow the engine managed to keep going and I made it, maybe down to 2-4 mph in both spots.

After reading a few posts on this thread it came to me that I could have toggled ASC off,
if I'd had the presence of mind- which I didn't since the fear of stalling was great.

I got rolling from a stop on slight hills at lights OK, but the steep hills got me, and the power loss completely confused me.
Does anyone think you can stall a stick shift while the ASC is controlling the motor?


Any thoughts or experiences with ASC?

 

Did anyone mention visibility? If this is a freak storm you are expecting ,might not be worth it but in areas with lots of snow, long winters, winter wipers and the proper grade of windshield washer fluid can save your life (prefer Rainex, works great, worth every penny). The days following a snow fall, things get greasy and messy, mix that with March sun and the trucks flying by, keeping the windshield clear is a must!

 

Hee. I live in an apartment building with an underground garage and the ramp to ground level is a bit steep. Last night there was about an inch of snow on the ramp, very soft and slippery, and I could not make it up the ramp at all if I started from a dead stop at the bottom of the ramp. DSC kicked in but there was zero traction to be had--I'd make it up halfway before I would start drifting back. Kind of amusing.

Luckily the garage is big, so I decided to just build up some speed and make it up the ramp on sheer momentum. Next time I'll try without DSC--didn't think to try last night.

 

All these pictures remind me why I'm happy I moved down to NC from MA....

 

Here's mine from late January snow here in Northern VA.

 

well id hope that you didnt go fast enought to bottom out when you hit the ramp, that would be bad for your bumper

 

Not sure how fast I ended up going, but it was pretty slow (a few mph), all things considered. I did check my bumper when I got up top. No harm done!

 

... the SALT!

 

well happy to hear it
wouldnt want something to happen to ur baby

 

 

... for your perursal.