Turn VSA Off In The Snow?
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From: Royal Oak
Originally Posted by Legend S,Dec 2 2007, 08:14 PM
6 years 242 days on s2ki & your driving on stock summer tires in the snow 
Conclusion.
Don't drive the s2000 in the slightest dusting of snowfall, VSA or not, without snow tires.
I'm sure with snow tires that the s2000 is fantastic in the snow.
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Originally Posted by nzouk77,Dec 2 2007, 05:14 PM
Reading threads like this make me really wonder about the guys who buy S2k's. Saftey doesn't seem like the main concern.
To each their own I guess.
To each their own I guess.
If that were the case, we'd all be driving Volvo XC90s.
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Originally Posted by nzouk77,Dec 2 2007, 05:27 PM
I wouldn't agree. I think if you buy ANY car you owe it to yourself and the rest of the motoring public that your tires and brakes (among other things) are always in top notch condition and you are ready for the weather you will encounter.
Sorry if I sound like a dick when I see someone posting these threads about driving in the snow with summer compounds or whatever - but if you had lost a friend due to some idiot driver doing the EXACT same thing these guys are describing... it would piss you off too.
When you drive you have a duty to yourself and the public to be safe. If you want to be an idiot, go to the track or tow your summer compound S2k to a snowy empty parking lot and have some fun. When you are on the road - please take into consideration when you put yourself at risk, you do the same to everyone around you.
Sorry if I sound like a dick when I see someone posting these threads about driving in the snow with summer compounds or whatever - but if you had lost a friend due to some idiot driver doing the EXACT same thing these guys are describing... it would piss you off too.
When you drive you have a duty to yourself and the public to be safe. If you want to be an idiot, go to the track or tow your summer compound S2k to a snowy empty parking lot and have some fun. When you are on the road - please take into consideration when you put yourself at risk, you do the same to everyone around you.
Just not the main concern.
If it were the main concern (ie. the concern in front of all others and the driving force behind the purchase), then the buyer would have purchased a vehicle in the top 5 list for safety ratings.
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From: Royal Oak
Originally Posted by nzouk77,Dec 2 2007, 08:39 PM
Fair enough. Let me rephrase. You should be safe when driving any car on public roads, not only for your saftey, but for those around you. In my opinion, it is not safe to run RE 050's, SO2, PS2's etc in freezing weather on any car.
unsafe
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BM2gLjfE_3Y
safe
http://youtube.com/watch?v=o-Bk5f7tMBQ
unsafe
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BM2gLjfE_3Y
safe
http://youtube.com/watch?v=o-Bk5f7tMBQ
I didn't see a whole lot of rear wheel drive sportscars slamming into each other, but I did see a few fwd and awd cars doing so.
Do they all run 050s too?
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From: Royal Oak
Originally Posted by nzouk77,Dec 2 2007, 10:05 PM
I digress. Driving summer compounds in the snow is safe.
But seriously, the whole point of this thread was to point out my findings that for whomever might have thought VSA/TC would save them in snow is mistaken.
It's not like it was a lot of snow either, a mere dusting and it's already all gone today.
You should:
A. Get snow tires.
or
B. Get a winter car, which is why I noted in my first post that I will be riding out snow days in my FX45 as opposed to my s2000.
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From: Corinth, MS
Disclaimer:
I don't have VSA on my S, but my last 3-series (RWD) had it, and my old Passat (AWD) had something similar (but without the "off" button - Damn you 60 minutes & your Audi 5000 B.S.-a-thon).
Frankly, I miss it... except from a stop. My BMW would occasionally "refuse to go" from a stop in extremely slippery conditions, particularly on a gentle up-hill in a park I sometimes drive through on my way home. In that case, the only option was to push the fun button and give it some gas. The tires weren't the problem, it was the DSC (dynamic stability control) software in the car.
The rest of the time, DSC was damn handy. It would react to slick spots on the road during acceleration much faster than I ever could. I've had to re-learn how to drive in slippery conditions with the S.
So, yeah, if your tires are shot or summer compound, you'll probably be puckered up all winter or until you wad up your car, but even if you DO have your snow shoes on you might have to shut the nanny off sometimes when road conditions confuse the computer.
I don't have VSA on my S, but my last 3-series (RWD) had it, and my old Passat (AWD) had something similar (but without the "off" button - Damn you 60 minutes & your Audi 5000 B.S.-a-thon).
Frankly, I miss it... except from a stop. My BMW would occasionally "refuse to go" from a stop in extremely slippery conditions, particularly on a gentle up-hill in a park I sometimes drive through on my way home. In that case, the only option was to push the fun button and give it some gas. The tires weren't the problem, it was the DSC (dynamic stability control) software in the car.
The rest of the time, DSC was damn handy. It would react to slick spots on the road during acceleration much faster than I ever could. I've had to re-learn how to drive in slippery conditions with the S.
So, yeah, if your tires are shot or summer compound, you'll probably be puckered up all winter or until you wad up your car, but even if you DO have your snow shoes on you might have to shut the nanny off sometimes when road conditions confuse the computer.
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From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Originally Posted by DJRobNM,Dec 2 2007, 08:19 PM
You should:
A. Get snow tires.
or
B. Get a winter car, which is why I noted in my first post that I will be riding out snow days in my FX45 as opposed to my s2000.
A. Get snow tires.
or
B. Get a winter car, which is why I noted in my first post that I will be riding out snow days in my FX45 as opposed to my s2000.
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From: The 604
Originally Posted by DJRobNM,Dec 2 2007, 07:19 PM
I accept your apology.
But seriously, the whole point of this thread was to point out my findings that for whomever might have thought VSA/TC would save them in snow is mistaken.
It's not like it was a lot of snow either, a mere dusting and it's already all gone today.
You should:
A. Get snow tires.
or
B. Get a winter car, which is why I noted in my first post that I will be riding out snow days in my FX45 as opposed to my s2000.
But seriously, the whole point of this thread was to point out my findings that for whomever might have thought VSA/TC would save them in snow is mistaken.
It's not like it was a lot of snow either, a mere dusting and it's already all gone today.
You should:
A. Get snow tires.
or
B. Get a winter car, which is why I noted in my first post that I will be riding out snow days in my FX45 as opposed to my s2000.
Maybe you shouldn't get so defensive and just be thanful that no one got hurt.
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From: Royal Oak
Originally Posted by Woodson,Dec 3 2007, 12:06 AM
So you don't have snow tires on your FX45?
Jesus, If I lived in Calgary I would put snow tires on my rollerblades.
http://www.accuweather.com/world-forecast....ALGARY&metric=1
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From: Royal Oak
Originally Posted by nzouk77,Dec 3 2007, 12:40 AM
Honestly. If you have an FX45, I am sure you can spring for a set of snows on the S2000 if you want to blast around on the odd cold winter day. I am trying to get the point across that if you drive your S2000 in the winter, on summer compounds, on DRY cold roads, you will get yourself into trouble eventually. There just isn't enough traction with summer compounds to drive a high performance car like the s2000 in the cold. Just take your car out on a hot summer day after it has been sitting in a garage and drive it hard. Your 050's when cold will be pretty slick. Imagine what the 050's are like when it is -10 outside on pavement that is even colder?
It's a free country so you will do what you want - but I promise you with first hand experience I have witnessed a death by someone driving a high performance car with summer compounds on a cold dry winter day with CLEAR BARE roads.
I can't say for sure if that was the precise reason, but I can tell you the car was wearing Pirelli Rosso's, came across a two lane highway with skidmarks right at a corner and stuck a car coming in the opposite direction. If that Porsche was wearing Dunlop WinterSport M3's the accident may have still happened, but I would like to think the extra traction may have saved a life.
Take it as you will... I will spend the extra $650 or so for a set of snows on the S2k and have piece of mind driving it on the cold dry roads.
As for your original point - no arguments there. VSC won't do anything if you have summer compounds on. VSC needs to have traction on at least 1 wheel to help you out.
I was out today in the S2000 shod with WinterSport M3's in 10cm of snow (about 4 inches) and the car was fine... although the front end of the S2000 was acting like a big shovel with snow accumulation in the front end. I can say though, just as CKit has said before, the car is light and definitley won't feel as planted in snow packed conditions of the fluff as your FX45.
It's a free country so you will do what you want - but I promise you with first hand experience I have witnessed a death by someone driving a high performance car with summer compounds on a cold dry winter day with CLEAR BARE roads.
I can't say for sure if that was the precise reason, but I can tell you the car was wearing Pirelli Rosso's, came across a two lane highway with skidmarks right at a corner and stuck a car coming in the opposite direction. If that Porsche was wearing Dunlop WinterSport M3's the accident may have still happened, but I would like to think the extra traction may have saved a life.
Take it as you will... I will spend the extra $650 or so for a set of snows on the S2k and have piece of mind driving it on the cold dry roads.
As for your original point - no arguments there. VSC won't do anything if you have summer compounds on. VSC needs to have traction on at least 1 wheel to help you out.
I was out today in the S2000 shod with WinterSport M3's in 10cm of snow (about 4 inches) and the car was fine... although the front end of the S2000 was acting like a big shovel with snow accumulation in the front end. I can say though, just as CKit has said before, the car is light and definitley won't feel as planted in snow packed conditions of the fluff as your FX45.
I doesn't get very cold around here anymore and we get maybe a weeks worth of snow on the roads in the winter. It isn't worth the hassle of changing tires when you have a more capable car available.