Snow driving what gear
11-03-2011, 12:37 PM
#11
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Hi all,
I prefer to use 1st gear or 2nd, because:
1) Leaving the car in "D" (drive) puts you at risk if you step on the gas pedal a little too hard. Car could start spinning or skidding if it changes gears. That applies to both flat surfaces as well as going downhill.
2) It aids in braking when on a flat surface or going downhill.
Also, I use Blizzaks during the winter. AWD, ESP, ABS are all meaningless without the right tire for the conditions. Even then, I use extra caution because I know from first hand experience that having all that can't save you from disaster if going too fast on a slippery road. Bottom line is drive safe everyone!
I prefer to use 1st gear or 2nd, because:
1) Leaving the car in "D" (drive) puts you at risk if you step on the gas pedal a little too hard. Car could start spinning or skidding if it changes gears. That applies to both flat surfaces as well as going downhill.
2) It aids in braking when on a flat surface or going downhill.
Also, I use Blizzaks during the winter. AWD, ESP, ABS are all meaningless without the right tire for the conditions. Even then, I use extra caution because I know from first hand experience that having all that can't save you from disaster if going too fast on a slippery road. Bottom line is drive safe everyone!
11-04-2011, 09:32 AM
#12
AudiWorld Super User
I am on the side of "use D" for snow. Traction control will take the rest.
In straight line traction will prevent wheels from spinning.
If you put too much gas out of the corner, you still will get oversteet, but it is manageable with correction.
the worst part if you get carried away with all these gismos and get too much speed and you are going down the hill and cannot stop. And quattro or not, but they all have the same brakes. Here you might wish to use lower gear and do not drive that fast.
In straight line traction will prevent wheels from spinning.
If you put too much gas out of the corner, you still will get oversteet, but it is manageable with correction.
the worst part if you get carried away with all these gismos and get too much speed and you are going down the hill and cannot stop. And quattro or not, but they all have the same brakes. Here you might wish to use lower gear and do not drive that fast
.There is good primer by Kris here at AW for those of us who haven't driven in snow yet: Winter Driving Tips for new quattro owners
Personally I'd prefer to do the ACNA Ice Driving Event of a Lifetime: Seefeld, Austria 2012 with someone else's Audi but that's not in the cards this year...
11-04-2011, 10:12 AM
#13
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Excellent article, thanks for sharing. It brought up info about driving with the quattro system that I had never even considered.It seems I will have to rethink about the best way to use my Audi in snowy & slick conditions. Again thanks for the share.
11-04-2011, 05:27 PM
#14
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My first rule in slick surface driving is learn to feel the limit of traction. Learn how the tires react in given situations. A wet skid pad class is a good way. Then when winter shows up you will be prepared. I've rally raced, road raced and autocrossed many platforms for the last 20 years and all of them require one to understand where the grip is or isn't.
What gear you are in is not as important as knowing what your tires are doing. Placing the car in D and leaving the driver aides on will go a long way toward letting the average driver successfully manage slick situations.
Last time I checked I wasn't Colin McRae so it all stays on.
What gear you are in is not as important as knowing what your tires are doing. Placing the car in D and leaving the driver aides on will go a long way toward letting the average driver successfully manage slick situations.
Last time I checked I wasn't Colin McRae so it all stays on.
11-08-2011, 07:40 PM
#15
AudiWorld Senior Member
Also - leave it in D, use your paddle shifters and it will go into manual gear change, after a while it will automatically go back into D.
I use this trick all the time on hills to hold back the car.
11-13-2011, 06:43 PM
#16
I concur.
There is good primer by Kris here at AW for those of us who haven't driven in snow yet: Winter Driving Tips for new quattro owners
Personally I'd prefer to do the ACNA Ice Driving Event of a Lifetime: Seefeld, Austria 2012 with someone else's Audi but that's not in the cards this year...
There is good primer by Kris here at AW for those of us who haven't driven in snow yet: Winter Driving Tips for new quattro owners
Personally I'd prefer to do the ACNA Ice Driving Event of a Lifetime: Seefeld, Austria 2012 with someone else's Audi but that's not in the cards this year...
1. proper tires are more important
2. it is better to drive on the snow in higher gear then in lower gear because with lower gear you would need to be very precise in modulating throttle. The worst thing is to force lower gear and drop throttle in the corner because engine will drag the wheels and wheels will loose grip and your car will spin.
In other words breaking with motor as not as good as breaking with modern brakes/ABS/EBD/etc. On the other side anti-skid control will do what ever it takes to keep wheels from spinning when you have AT in "D".
After this he went into jerking throttle and affecting weigh distribution, but I did not get the point.
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