Fortunately didn't hit anything.
It was a steep downhill slope (I travelled on this route many times) but icy. Like other days, I downshifted from 4 to 3 manually (the ECU/TCM tends to keep the car in 4th in that slope) and speed was ~35 MPH I pressed the brake a bit to slow down and suddenly car started moving sideways!
I became nervous and pressed brake even harder and tried to gain control and then car was moving both left and right (may be I was trying to correct with steering)!
It was a narrow road carved thru hills. So hitting on side of wouldn't have been nice (not fatal but potentially major damage to car).
No other car passed at that time so no drama. I regained control within 3-4 seconds and continued normally. Road was not icy except this specific short stretch.
I think the lesson learnt is that my speed was higher than appropriate for the condition. I should have slowed down much earlier (after observing icy condition).
However, I could not figure out whether front or rear of car lost grip. My front tyres were replaced only a month back and rears have 5-6 mm of tread.
ESC indicator didn't flash on dashboard.
I did experience skid once few years back but that was open and flat road - so less scary. Skid in downhill is worse because of gravity!
|
|
What tyres do you have on your jalopy movi, and what was the outside temperature, if you have that feature on your car.
|
Front = Hakook Ventus Prime 3
Rear = Hankook Ventus Prime 2
Temperature was 2 C
|
|
Time for a set of winter tyres.
Last edited by: CGNorwich on Tue 14 Feb 17 at 10:48
|
|
... or just be a little more cautious in the cold stuff. I do think that winter tyres are something of an overkill except for those who live further north, or maybe more isolated.
|
|
And follow manufacturers recommendations to put new tyres on the rear.
|
2nd gear, idling speed, DON'T touch the brakes.
Easier said than done, as it's usually too late before you realise.
|
|
According to what I was taught, you never brake in a skid! so first mistake was touching the brake, 2nd braking harder! I know it's instinctive to hit the brake pedal when things start to feel funny, and even harder to keep your feet off it! - but apparently that's what you're supposed to do! Similar to when a trailer starts to "snake" most folk try to slow down, but you should actually speed up to pull it straight first then slow down! The skid tactic luckily I've never had to try, the trailer one I have several times, and it works!
|
I skidded all the way down a steep hill in snow in January. Braked enough to get the ABS to engage .. just. No braking = crash in corner at bottom - I avoided that.
Statistically that is the third day of driving I have needed winter tyres since 2010.. (I only drive when I need to).
All Season tyres a better buy.
|
>>except for those who live further north>>
A bit cheeky in view of the fact that the south has had far worse weather conditions for the past few weeks than "Our Friends In The North" have been experiencing....:-)
|
|
ABS should have helped improve your control of the vehicle whilst you were in a skid if it has the feature (most do these days).
|
|
Stuart, that was a late addition when I realised that someone would soon tell me how important winter tyres were in the North, and that we were all namby-pamby southerners. Can't win sometimes...
|
>>Can't win sometimes...>>
It was, as you no doubt appreciated, tongue in cheek...:-) But it does make a pleasant change for the weather conditions to be reversed and the resulting rolling TV news channels' obsession with the resulting chaos to make the main headlines.
|
I've been driving for since 1973 and have skidded on ice quite a few times, including crunching my much-luved Datsun 240Z :(
At another time I was delivering paper to a printers in Hemel Hempstead in a Commer van, when I had the same experience as you did this morning. It was quite a steep hill and my van was loaded with reams of paper, so there wasn't really anything I could do, except try to steer into the curb so as to avoid hitting any of the cars further down the hill.
The Ventus Prime 3 summer tyres check out as being better than the Prime 2's obviously, but ice is not nice even with winter/all season tyres.
35 MPH + downhill + 2°C ... if you were doing 30 MPH maybe you wouldn't have needed to touch the brakes :)
|
|
Skid pan training is worthwhile and might impress your insurers.
|
>> At another time I was delivering paper to a printers in Hemel Hempstead in a
>> Commer van, when I had the same experience as you did this morning.
>>
On a steep hill they are a b***er to keep under control, with or without ice. Drum brakes all round, no ABS, all the handling of a bath sponge.
But I still love it.
|
Indeed, it was one of your type commerdriver. I also used to take out the bigger Commer Walk-Through occasionally:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lion-Car-Commer-Bestelwagen-Walk-Thru-Van-Royal-Mail-1-43-/311801196763?hash=item4898ccb0db:g:kIYAAOSw-itXsIWO
Totally gutless and very, very noisy - God how I hated that van.!
|
I'd guess your car's front engine, front wheel drive?
As you changed down, the deceleration transferred weight forward. Braking caused the rear (unloaded) wheels to lose traction, resulting in the skid (locking the back wheels on almost any vehicle will result in the back end trying to overtake the front).
In the event of a skid of any sort the last thing you should do is brake. Lifting off and dipping the clutch will allow each wheel to find its own traction, enabling you to regain control quickly.
|
I drive in the Andes in winter, and one of my Landcruisers has road tyres on it.
If there's a difference here its that people don't expect a car to drive exactly the same on snow as it does on tarmac, and aren't surprised when it doesn't.
It seems in the UK that people want their car, and its tyres, to make all weather driving like normal driving so that they don't have to put any extra care or thought in themselves.
|
>>It seems in the UK that people want their car, and its tyres, to make all weather driving like normal driving so that they don't have to put any extra care or thought in themselves.>>
It's comparatively rare that conditions are tricky for more than a day or two, so there is little incentive to go to all the time, trouble and cost of fitting winter tyres in most parts of the UK.
|
>>
>> It's comparatively rare that conditions are tricky for more than a day or two, so
>> there is little incentive to go to all the time, trouble and cost of fitting
>> winter tyres in most parts of the UK.
>>
The BMW has a tyre pressure monitoring system that gives temperature and pressure of each tyre. Now whether it really makes much difference in day to day use I don't know, but the Continental winter tyres fitted at the moment will reach an operating temperate of mid to high teens (Celsius) after 10 miles driving on a frosty morning in January, whereas the 'summer' Michelins would struggle to hit high single digit temperatures on the same drive on a frosty November. And the continentals have lot more grip in cold / damp conditions than the Michelins - so there must be something in it... I'm positive in higher temperatures the feeling would be reversed - the Michelins are very grippy in once they do reach higher temperatures. Cost wise, you have to wear out tyres in use anyway, so I reckon that running winter tyres is cost neutral, if not cheaper per mile. A set of Michelin Pilot Supersports is about £1k. A set of winter continentals around £700. Event tyres do charge £60 for swapping them round though. And they'll do that at home / work, so easy enough. And, we had snow in Sussex at the weekend :p
Last edited by: PeterS on Wed 15 Feb 17 at 06:40
|
I've given up on winter tyres now. I put some Nokians on my Lancer = never used them in anger.
I put some Vredersteins on my scooby doo = never had to use them in anger.
Got some Dunlop carp on my CR-V, can't remember what type they are, as long as they pass the MOT I'm okay with that. Course, if I lived where 'you 'lot' live, I might have to do a rethink :o
|
>>Got some Dunlop carp on my CR-V, can't remember what type they are
= Grandtrek ST30
|
>>In the event of a skid of any sort the last thing you should do is brake.>>
We were taught cadence braking.......
|
|
Touch wood, not had any problems for years. Gngerly takes it. May have been diesel - muppets overfilling, especially buses and trucks.
|
>>
>> We were taught cadence braking.......
>>
That I think is for getting your speed down while still on a surface with some chance of grip. Once you are on ice and can feel it beginning to slide then any braking just makes it worse.
Any wheel that begins to grip will simply veer the car off course in that direction. It's too late to brake then - all you can do is steer very gently to try and control the skid and stay on the road - often contradictory aims.
I have very rarely and very reluctantly had no option but to go down a section of sheer ice. As with mud on an off-road course. they teach you from a standing start engage very low gear, no revs. clutch in, and then do nothing except steer and hope.
|
I skidded this morning - Dog
