Prius And Snow

[Mkuk0]

So....how are your Priuii getting along in these conditions??? Any issues with TRC playing silly buggers yet?

I did struggle getting into work yesterday as our barriers are at the top of a short sharp slope....but then again so did the 2 guys in front of me and everyone after until we had gritted it!

It was interesting when one guy asked me why I wasn't wellying it and I showed him my foot was on the floor, no mad engine revving just the TRC light blinking on and off as it found some traction going slowly up the hill.

[G7PCQ]

Yes........... I have to confess that despite my fears from a couple of bad experiences in the wet last year, I must confess that I was suitably impressed with the general handling although I have not done any hills yet. The yellow light did a lot of flashing especially in the side streets but overall I was pleased.

[benw123]

Luckily the office I work in was closed on Monday so worked from home, but today I chickened out of using the Prius and took our A3 TDI instead, thinking that a manual front-driver with switchable TC would be a safer bet. In the end there was barely any snow or ice to worry about other than the start and end of the commute. It was -4C this morning though so the Prius' engine would have been running most of the time!

[niglom]

I'm totally hacked off with the lack of control over the traction control system. Most people on my very flat road got out on Monday, despite there being about 2" of compressed ice on the street.

I reversed out of my drive ok (TCS doesn't work in reverse) engaged Drive and the found myself trapped in by the road camber askew in the middle of the road. Took me an hour to dig the ice away just to get the car parallel to the road.

This is a TCS issue as I was able to move it in reverse.

[Mkuk0]

THATS interesting to know, may have to get used to driving in reverse then!!

[Ancient Nerd]

I drove my Prius up my drive earlier this week on virgin snow with no trouble at all. The slope is probably 1 in 10 or a bit steeper (but not very long). However, I did it very slowly, with very little pressure on the accelerator - around 2 mph. No sign whatever of traction control cutting in.

My son tried it later in his Nissan Micra and failed miserably, so had to get the shovel out and clear the snow

[benw123]

THATS interesting to know, may have to get used to driving in reverse then!!

Definitely, and not as daft as it sounds. If I get stuck in a similar situation I'll remember that. What about using the B (Engine Braking) mode? Does that work like a low gear in an automatic transmission? And does TC still work in B too?

[timberwolf]

THATS interesting to know, may have to get used to driving in reverse then!!

Doubt that's the case though as the traction control is primarily to protect the electric motor/hybrid drive system.

[neil_fann]

Just to chip in - I've found my Prius pretty lousy in slippery conditions. I've had Minis zip round me whilst I'm going backwards down an icy slope! Will check the tires though - still might be a tire thing not a prius thing.

[Mike Nelson]

THATS interesting to know, may have to get used to driving in reverse then!!

Doubt that's the case though as the traction control is primarily to protect the electric motor/hybrid drive system.

And we though its primary function was to avoid skidding and killing us!! from experience I find slow driving works best and turning thee Traction ON in vehicles where its switchable makes it easier to get out revving wheels wildly does NOT get your out of snow/ice it just makes you feel as if you have some progress. We still have about 2" of compacted snow/Ice and no problems getting about although engine on most of time for the heating.. plus we don't skid like other vehicles (a BMW series 5 i wrapped around a lamp post outside my drive as they tried a speed hump covered in ice on a bend at 40 mph

reverse is good as its SLOW!! the moral is wheel spinning does nothing on ice and snow other than a pyschological impression of movement but most often in the wrong direction!

[Chris Dance]

I do not think it is worth the cost in UK to fit snow tyres to our Prius cars as we do not have snow and ice ALL Winter.

My son who has taken his Prius to the French Alps. He fitted snow tyres prior to going this time and he says they are great and the prius performs well in the snow. On the last occassion he went he was driving on the normal Bridgestone tyres they were utterly useless and the traction control kept cutting in. Snow tyres seem to be the answer for snow and ice conditions.

[timberwolf]

And we though its primary function was to avoid skidding and killing us!! from experience I find slow driving works best and turning thee Traction ON in vehicles where its switchable makes it easier to get out revving wheels wildly does NOT get your out of snow/ice it just makes you feel as if you have some progress. We still have about 2" of compacted snow/Ice and no problems getting about although engine on most of time for the heating.. plus we don't skid like other vehicles (a BMW series 5 i wrapped around a lamp post outside my drive as they tried a speed hump covered in ice on a bend at 40 mph

reverse is good as its SLOW!! the moral is wheel spinning does nothing on ice and snow other than a pyschological impression of movement but most often in the wrong direction!

Yes, it's a curious claim and I'm not entirely sure that it's true, but AIUI electric motors can produce a very high torque, so it seems reasonable that the Prius designers may have needed to ensure that the motors didn't damage the "transmission" system or had to limit the power delivered to the front wheels.

Killing us? The various driver aids (TRC, VSC, EBD and ABS) are there to help get us out of situations that we shouldn't have gotten into in the first place and most of the time that is probably due to our own poor judgement and over estimation of our own skills at driving.

I find I have finer control of the Prius accelerator if I'm wearing trainers rather than the thick soled shoes that I normally wear.

[timberwolf]

I do not think it is worth the cost in UK to fit snow tyres to our Prius cars as we do not have snow and ice ALL Winter.

My son who has taken his Prius to the French Alps. He fitted snow tyres prior to going this time and he says they are great and the prius performs well in the snow. On the last occassion he went he was driving on the normal Bridgestone tyres they were utterly useless and the traction control kept cutting in. Snow tyres seem to be the answer for snow and ice conditions.

That's great news.

[gaspricestoohighforme]

As always the skinny tires slice through deep snow and slush with ease with minimal tendency to hydroplane if driven reasonably. The ONLY negative is the situation where my 2002 Prius will have great difficulty to back up in deep snow due to the nature of the hybrid system. Thus the underpowered electric motor plus lack of reverse gear in the transaxle leaves the electric motor struggling to move the car backwars when "stuck" in deep snow. COLD weather dictates to the computer that the engine never shut down at stop lights. Subzero weather brings fuel economy down to only 38mpg. Cabin heat is marginal is extreme cold. For the most part we have gotten "only" 42mpg in Minnesota winter compared to 46mpg in more moderate weather.