Power Through

Kinja'd!!! "Voice of C. Montgomery Burns" (voiceofcmb)
01/30/2015 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

Kinja'd!!!1 Kinja'd!!! 4

I got myself stuck on a unplowed snowy side "road" today. There's this service road in the large business park where I work and it's only used by trucks and the like so it doesn't get plowed. We got some fresh snow this morning, about 2 inches or so, and I decided to see what my RWD car on summer tires can do. As a side note, the normal roads were salted/wet and the Potenzas had no issue at all. If roads are bad I usually just work from home.

So, I get on the service road with traction-control on fully. I slowly start to get on the 2-3 inches of mainly unpacked snow as not many trucks have driven across it by this time of the morning. As I progress down this flat, short service road, traction-control is going off like crazy and limiting the gas. I eventually slow to a stop and forward progress is no longer an option. I throw it in reverse and try to wiggle my way out. I'm able to reverse a few feet and I go back in forward gear. No good, I'm stuck.

Now I'm starting to feel embarrassed, but I'm not done yet. I turn the traction-control completely off, no DTC or DSC, and I give it some gas. The rear tires are spinning wildly, I'm starting to see some fishtailing and I get some grip. I keep it on the gas and slowly but surely I creep up to 20-25mph. Snow is being thrown as if from a snow-blower and my speedo is reading 70-125mph, as if I got some air in a arcade racer.

I get to the end of the road and I'm back on proper salted roads. It was a fun learning experience and one I would recommend to anyone who isn't the most confident driver in the snow.


DISCUSSION (4)


Kinja'd!!! davedave1111 > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
01/30/2015 at 10:19

Kinja'd!!!3

Just a note, you have much more traction when your wheels aren't spinning. It's better to just use a smidge of gas in a high gear to get you rolling, and then just crack the throttle a little more to accelerate. And be careful out there, remember it'll take you at least as long to slow down again.


Kinja'd!!! Voice of C. Montgomery Burns > davedave1111
01/30/2015 at 10:24

Kinja'd!!!0

Yeah, once I got up to the 25mph, I'm guessing as the speedo wasn't accurate, I was about 100ft from the STOP sign and it was a bit squirrely slowing back down.

Thanks for the advice. I didn't mention it but I did start slowly but as I started to fishtail I think I was putting more gas down subconsciously on purpose for more fun :).


Kinja'd!!! OPPOsaurus WRX > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
01/30/2015 at 10:36

Kinja'd!!!2

I bought the WRX last winter with summer tires. holy shit it was bad. it is pretty hilarious to be crawling along at 100 mph tho


Kinja'd!!! davedave1111 > Voice of C. Montgomery Burns
01/30/2015 at 11:34

Kinja'd!!!0

As long as you're doing it on purpose, it's all good :)