I keep ESP on in snow

 

Since you have snow tires, and limited slip (6speed R/T) you can be along with the ESP turned off. Just go easy on the throttle and avoid sudden changes accel vs. braking, etc to prevent 'surprises'.

If you experience a lot of action from the diff working to prevent wheelspin, think about doing the lubricant service, just in case there's more clutch material that might be in the diff lube as a result.

For the auto R/T's an open diff will encourange the tail end to drift out, so going ESP-off is more risky.

 

the Challenger is parked during winter but the Jeep SRT is driven daily. it has Blizzaks on the stock 20s. i turn ESP off and use autostick (i know you have manual) for same reasons above. when on an incline you have more control.

 

I would turn the traction control off only when if you get stuck.

 

Definitely try starting out in 2nd.
I used it alot when I had manual trannys and I still start in 2nd on snow covered roads with the auto stick feature.

 

I'd suggest leaving the traction control on unless as others have suggested you have to turn it off to get moving.

My first car was a big block 70 Cuda, since it was my only car at the time I had to drive it in the snow, including our 1/2 mile unpaved farm lane, it was often an adventure getting home. I got stuck a few times and frequently had trouble getting up the hill on our lane, I often had to break out the shovel and pile some stone in front of the back wheels to complete my journey.

The thing that a lot of people seem to forget is that for most of the history of the car people have been getting around in the winter with rear drive cars just fine. Now with traction control and modern tire technology it should be easier than ever.

 

I believe your owner's manual has some guidance on this but as others have stated - leave the traction control on except if you get in a situation where you need more wheel spin than it will allow to move forward or get "unstuck".
Starting off in 2nd gear is also mentioned in the owner's manual.

 

Thank you for all the feedback! I do have a 6 speed, and I think I just need to get used to delivering the power in 1st gear. It drives like a different car with the snow on the ground, and having big clunky snow boots on the clutch trying to modulate it.

I will try both modes and see which I like. 2nd gear starts with no ESP may be the ticket. Although learning to control the car more in 1st gear would be fun! I can't wait for it to snow again. This is very fun driving in winter weather. Of course I always drive slow, and anticipate turns and stops. Acceleration just needs more work.

Bottom line, it's these snow tires which are the biggest help. I was going up hills that other cars were spinning their wheels.

 

At first, I read most of your post before I scanned down to your signature. I noticed you had the STP option and was like, "WHAT? HOW CAN HE DRIVE WITH THE F1s IN THE SNOW?" Then I realized you put winter tires on. Good call. LOL

 

LOL! I know, before I bought my car I read the same thing everywhere, and finally realized it was because of the F1s. The STP was just too good of a factory option to pass up. My F1s and Heritage wheels are just sitting in my garage. The Blizzaks do great in the snow.

 

Leave traction control on unless you are stuck. If stuck then turn it off. End of story.

 

Have not had the opportunity to drive the challenger in significant snow to date.

However, as a general rule I will often turn traction control off when starting in the snow, then turn it on when moving at speed.

I found this out in my first car that had traction control: I couldn't move in a flat parking lot with 2" of snow. Turned off the traction control and drove right out.

 

I have the RSA tires and occasionally will drive in snow and sometimes ice. I would say I keep it in the garage when things are really heavy snow.

I start in second gear, and then if it is really hairy, I turn ESP Off. I don't like how the car invades with ESP On and first gear, makes it actually a worse situation for me to get it moving.

 

I had the RSA's on last winter and will again this winter. First gear, ESP on, just take off like there's an egg under your right foot. After that just use common sense. ESP off only when stuck or having fun. There were only 2 days of very heavy snow last winter that I did not drive mine to work.

When the opportunity presents itself, head to the nearest mall parking lot on a week day, early when it's nearly empty and HAVE FUN!

The last time I had people applauding me! My wife was soooo embarrassed. :laugh:

 

I forgot to mention in my ealier post, I dialed back my throttle boost (16% -> 5%) in anticipation of winter coming on. I seem to recollect you use throttle boost as well (you may have already thought about this).

 

Do both, I have a 1/4 mile dirt drive way (up hill to go home). The first 8th is very curvy and not as steep, I need some speed but keep traction on because I do not want to risk spinning out in the curves. The second half is very steep but straight. I switch traction control off at speed (about 20mph) and continue up the hill, sometimes with a fair amount of spin (but if traction is on the car will slowly come to a stop and it is a real hassle to back down).

 

What snow tires do you all recommend? I am spending my first winter in Iowa, and my Challenger has held her own, but the lack of traction is getting to me.

 

On unless stuck, and start it in 2nd is sound advice.

 

I definitely recommend leaving the ESP on. It's a safety device, and there's really no reason to turn it off unless you need to maintain wheel spin for momentum or for some spirited driving. When active, the system will reduce engine power (indicated by flashing the traction control annunciator) to regain traction, and works quite well. If the system frequently activates, simply adjust your driving habits and start in second gear if necessary.

I recently moved to Anchorage, AK, and have been driving mine all winter thus far on the stock 245/45ZR20 all season performance tires. The roads have been extremely icy lately. On several occasions, I've accelerated moderately hard and slid it around the corners just to see how well the system performs. While you could easily do without the traction control, the stability control could very well save your bacon. On multiple occasions, I intentionally slid it around a turn entering our neighborhood for fun. With the ESP on, the stability control worked perfectly and stopped the rear from sliding around even when I continued to provoke the situation with throttle. With the ESP off, the rear end came around so rapidly I hit the steering stop immediately and she did a complete 180.

 

For no reason I can easily explain, in my Charger on the snow, I get a good chunk of traction when I'm already moving, and I auto-stick shift up or down. Direction doesn't matter, I'm thinking something it does causes a quick spin that grabs through the snow to the pavement.

 

What do I do in ice and snow? I carpool with the wife in this.....boring but it keeps my car clean and out of the elements.

 

Winter tires make all the difference.

We were thinking of trading in my girlfriend's car for a small AWD SUV, but decided to try dedicated winter tires first. We went with Dunlop Winter Maxx tires and they're excellent. Her car with these tires is better than my father's 4WD truck with all season tires (except in very deep snow).

I have enough vacation time built up that I can just take the day off when it snows but my girlfriend works in a hospital and is expected to be at work no matter what (she even had to be at work when hurricane Sandy hit).

 

Winter tires make all the difference. . .

........^^^^^^^^^
.............This

I have the Firestone Winterforce tires on my 2009. I have no trouble driving on any snowy/icy roads. And I climb a 1 mile, 9% grade every day going to work.

For me, I find it quite annoying with the ESP on, so I turn it off. What I noticed is if you drive on a very slippery road, the rear will skate around a bit at speed. Instinct has me correct with proper steering input and I just drive along.

When the ESP is on, my "natural" steering input tends to over-correct since the computer has already applied brakes and/or reduced throttle input. I have to immediately reverse the intended correction. It's not necessarily unsafe with ESP, but it is quite unnerving. The ESP intervening is worse in deep snow (~4" of unplowed snow) and forces much slower speeds.

I don't like the traction control in slippery conditions either. I'd rather control the wheelspin with my right foot. And there are those rare times when you want a lot of wheelspin to keep going and TC won't allow that.

With that stated, if you drive in snow/ice with all-season tires, you may be better off to ignore what I wrote as those tires have limited traction in poor conditions.

 

I have a 2010 rt with a six speed that I drove through three German winters. I drove with traction control off the whole time I found it to be easier than having it on. It was a lot easier to keep control without the computer making imputs