mixa86

Well we had a snow storm on friday, and i am truly disappointed with how the car is in the snow. This is the first car that ever gave me such issues in the snow, i think the 06 guys will agree but wth is up with the traction control system. I have blizzak tires on the rear, (not a lot of tread but it still digs in), but when the car feels any slippage i get the engine cutting of power fully leaving me stuck on hills and on slanted roads. The snow button + the automatic traction control engage for hte 06' makes snow driving impossible. I need to remember the pedal dance to disengage this horrible system in the snow. I couldnt believe on the type of areas i was getting stuck for 30 seconds- 1 minute i mean they were pretty flat areas.

My friends who thought it was me, they tried to drive it around the block didnt make it half a block without it getting stuck and were forced to push the car back into its parking spot.

zen

iTrader: (6)

The same situation when I had the IS300, the rwd doesn't have LSD so it makes driving in snow more difficult and can get stuck easily.
My 250 awd had no issues drove back and forth between NJ and NYC on the Friday night.

MamadIS

I know what you're talking about man. I have an 06 IS350 with new hankook winter tires and it sucks in snow. To me the weight distribution of this car seems to be 90% front and 10% rear . the tail of this car is so freaking light that even during summer it fish tales easily. I just don't drive it when there is snow on the ground cause i know if i do, i will hit someone. but hey, I love this car and its pretty fun to drive it, you just have to be extremely careful during winter times.

zmcgovern4

iTrader: (2)

I've got Summer tires on mine, and as expected, it is worthless in any snow. I am planning to make my stock 18's my snow wheels and put snow tires on them and then get a new set of wheels this Summer... do Winter tires help that much? I mean anything has to be better than summer tires in the snow, I get that, but I'm just curious if I will be able to drive the car in the snow at all no matter what tires I've got. Does anyone load up the rear with some weight? ie sandbags in the trunk or something? does that help?

mixa86

Well i got blizzaks on the rear and i was still getting stuck. But my issue was not the tires it was the friggen Traction control system, engaging itself and causing the engine to not get any power..... once i get moving im good but getting me to move is a pain !!!! the 06 is350 needs to have a manual option and have a normal shut off of traction control like 07+. If it was manual it would be so much easier to control the car in the snow, but when it does w/e it feels like dropping my revs and switching gears for me and cutting my power im getting screwed all 3 ways at once !

Dylan19

Winter tires will help you get moving fine, when the traction control isnt going crazy. If there is any snow on the ground I will be making sure to do the pedal dance before I start driving. I HATE the car with it on, but if its off, its not that bad. I prefer dedicated winter and summer tires because I hate all season tires, during all seasons.

reyoasian

iTrader: (2)

just on the rear? not front? that is really bad and dangerous
you'd also be surprised at how allseason-like the blizzaks are when down to second half of tread

jcat_350

Not even an IS owner, but I saw this on the main page and couldn't help but click. You bought a RWD car and somehow didn't know that it wouldn't be great in the snow?

I'll agree with you on traction control though. My 07 ES doesn't even have a button to shut it off, I have to do a pedal dance lol

embolism

I've got dedicated snows (WS70's) but I got stuck trying to back into my garage. It's lane access so there was about 10 inches on the ground and it was chewed up pretty good from all the cars going through and stuff. I had my VSC off but car still got bogged down and the wheels would just spin. Had to go around the block then drive straight into the garage. No problem once you had a bit of momentum in the right direction.

Wifey was cursin RWD but honestly, if it happens once in a while, it's not a big deal to me. What spec tires are you running in the back? I've got 4 225/45/17's. You might even want to go to 205's to help cut through the snow a bit easier.

IS250TW

iTrader: (3)

Jersey member here as well
I got stuck because my car was too low and what not

But while driving, I have been turning traction control off when its snow covered (huge snow as of friday night)
I have prior experiences that having traction control on could be dangerous (due to TC too sensitive and cutting off power)

Now I'd rather slip a little bit than let the system cutoff power

mixa86

I drove/drive bmws with bald tires in the snow just fine, only exception is they are manual. This is not about the rwd aspect at all!

mixa86

I didnt have the resources to find out what the pedal dance requires of to turn the traction control off fully, i really wished they enver came up with this system that auto engages traction control by itself even after i push the button to turn it off.

jcat_350

might be able to help, if it's anything like my ES:

1.) start car. next steps need to be done within 30s of starting car.

2.) e-brake on, then pump brake pedal twice and hold brake pedal down.

3.) E-brake off, on, off, on, off, on

4.) pump brake pedal twice, little car skidding light should come on.

Long as it works same as my ES, this disables it COMPLETELY, I can speak to being finally able to smoke the tires in my ES

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Just remember, the car doesn't know there's snow on the ground. All it knows that you are slipping/sliding everywhere and it does what it can do to help. Yes it sucks, but it's the technology on these models that we're given. Pedal dance, and pray! LOL!

mixa86

Ya i can see this is a great technique..... when getting stuck a on hill cause traffic and then as someone said dance and pray you got it right jeeze! after a season of this "pedal dance" watch out all club heads, theres a new dance town ... Traction Off Dance