I got new tires for my jetta last year and it acts like it has no grip at all even in little snow it just slides and I panic and drive at 20mph with the hazards on - it's that bad! Someone had mentioned that I should be driving on a "downshift"...is there something I'm supposed to doing?
2007-03-15 09:47:41 · 13 answers · asked by googlemaniac 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Volkswagen
First, make sure your tyres are rated for snow - they should have "M+S" moulded onto the sidewall. Summer tyres don't have this, and also don't have the necessary type of tread to give traction in snow. Otherwise, drive gently, keep it smooth, and look ahead much further than usual, so you can anticipate what's coming up. Practicing in an empty parking lot with some snow is a good idea, so you can get used to how the car behaves when it gets slippery. I'd also suggest taking an advanced driving course, for the same reasons - your local police station or DMV should (hopefully) be able to steer you towards one.
Good luck!
2007-03-15 10:18:29 · answer #1 · answered by Me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It seems you do not have tires designed for snow. Check for the term "M + S" written on the sidewall, that is the only tire that is rated for snow. Visually the tire seems "knobbier" and the gaps between the treads are deeper and wider than normal tires.
Driving on downshift may mean that you should drive in a lower gear than normal. If you have a stick shift, then drive in a gear that keeps your RPMs between 3 and 4 thousand, and drive with a steady foot on the accelerator.
If you have an automatic, either put the gear in "4" or "3" position rather than "D" or if you have Tiptronic with a gated slot to the right of the "D" put the lever over there and manually downshift or upshift as needed.
If you are not sure how to do this, go to your local dealer and ask someone in service or sales to explain it. They should be happy to help.
However, first do have your tires checked out for snow rating as that will help with the majority of your problem.
Good Luck.
2007-03-15 11:16:57 · answer #2 · answered by Soho 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well my first question is ; WHat kind of tires did you put on? Some tires are all season, some are summer only. Some are good in snow and some are not.
If you feel like you have no grip, you may simply have tires that are bad in the snow.
I think what you were told was a bit confused. The person was trying to describe a method for getting unstuck in the snow. You select a higher gear, like 2nd instead of using 1st as you normalyl would from a stop. This decreases the amount of torque that reaches the wheels and makes it less likely that they will spin and slip. However this is only good when you are trying to get moving from a stop and it has nothing to do with anything once you are under-way/.
2007-03-15 09:55:27 · answer #3 · answered by Louis G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a Mini Cooper and had a 99 Jetta before that and I have read allot of the answers and they all talk about tires and they are probably right but I can tell you if your alignment is out of whack it feels like you have no traction at all, I used to have strictly street tires on my Jetta and I could go 60-70 mph on the snow on the highway as long as I didn't do any evasive moves, so you may think about that and your tires will show you if that's the case!!
2007-03-15 11:38:05 · answer #4 · answered by Sparkey 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
first off, the WORST thing you can do in snow is panic. All you have to do is do everything very slow and smooth. If you do things sudden, it will just slide.
Second, Proper snow tires are worth their weight in gold on a snowy day.
basically: Be smart. The road has less grip, so demand less grip from it. Brake way earlier. Dont turn as sharp or at as high of speeds. Dont go fast (if you have to go 20MPH thats fine). Dont change lanes over bridges and such. Drive in other cars footprints. accelerate slow and smooth.
2007-03-15 15:40:03 · answer #5 · answered by Kyle M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off it sounds like the tire tread is not a good one for the snow. You should see markings on the side of the tire ( a triangle with a S inside it) That is a mud/snow tire.)
Also in the snow, one tends to drive with a non-lead foot and in alot of cases in a gear higher than they would normally(in otherwords "lug the engine")on really slippery conditions like ice. Also, remember if you have no traction to go forward, the same can be said for the braking. So stay back from the car in front of you.
2007-03-15 15:09:03 · answer #6 · answered by ButwhatdoIno? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
trying your other gears or you did not get the correct grip on the tires. i would be talking to the tire place. you should be able to read in your manual for you car and it will explain the proper way to drive in the snow.
2007-03-15 09:56:23 · answer #7 · answered by chef_05_85 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
jettas are snow cars so its probably your tires and driving on a down shift is a bad idea because your just spinning your wheels
2007-03-15 21:13:41 · answer #8 · answered by luke 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the key here is obviously 'new tires'
not all tires perform equally in snow or in any condition.
you might have to trade em in for some with better snow traction.
2007-03-15 09:55:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only thing you need to know is how to go slow. I would rather show up hours late than never at all.
2007-03-15 09:55:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋