snow vs stick shift?

Question

is stick shift better on snow or it is bad to drive stick when snowing?? what are the advantages and disadvantages?

most of people saying that its all on the drivers experience. but then people talk about high and low gears. i think u can do it too in automatic. just put the gears in "L"( means Low i think) or either in 1 or 2 in the automatic gears. but i need more precise answer from the pro who drives stick in the snow for more than 5 years... give some advice specially when tackling those curves and its icy. stopping the car without skidding. and how to get out when stuck in the snow?....people plz help. im just a beginner in stick.????

Answer 1

Personally, I find a stick-shift (manual transmission) to be better in the snow than an automatic transmission. The biggest reason is the ability to up-shift. Normally, you hear people speaking of down-shifting, but when you up-shift you have less torque. Less torque means less chance for the tires to slip. I've been driving a manual my whole life (well, since I've started driving) and I've found on numerous occasions that I was able to get up an icy hill by up shifting and just taking it easy.

Edit: As I re-read this, I may be wrong on the torque bit. But, I suspect that there IS less torque, but perhaps not for the reasons stated. It may just be because you're operating at the lower power side of the gear or maybe I'm just full of it. But, I can say with certainty that I get better icy hill performance in a higher gear. :)

Edit #2:
To answer your concerns about stopping, turning, etc:
You don't turn or stop any differently in a manual than you do in an automatic. When you want to slow down, you press the brake. When you want to turn, you slow down to a proper speed and turn the wheel. The only difference is that if you're slowing down below the low end speed of the gear, you'll need to down shift before trying to go again (or, in the case of braking, you at least need to depress the clutch so that a) the engine isn't still trying to make you go at {insert low-end speed for the gear} and b) so you don't stall the engine. And, actually, driving a manual in the snow can have an advantage when stopping. You can downshift your car and slowly ease the clutch back in (maybe with a little power depending on the speed) and use the engine to help slow the car. It takes some practice and you want to be careful when doing it, if you downshift too much or just let off the clutch without easing it properly you could damage the transmission.

Answer 2

surprisingly much all F-one million race autos, now run twin take carry of automatic transmissions. A consummate driving force can shift a instruction manual transmission in approximately 0.7 seconds. A formulation motor vehicle's automatic does that during 0.03 seconds. Yep ... a instruction manual expenses you maximum of a 2nd against those racing transmissions each and each time - each and each time - you shift. those are paddle transmissions, so which you will p.c. precisely whilst to shift. those automatics down shift fairly actual for engine braking, thank you. favored with the aid of people who race and win. If somebody has advised you some thing else, they're merely no longer up with the cases. extra: i may well be remiss if i did no longer factor out that an automated transmission, which contain a large-rapid twin take carry of type, is with the aid of a approaches the main complicated element of a well-known motor vehicle. If it breaks, it's going to value lots to repair whilst in comparison with an previous instruction manual layout. and that's the vast adverse. the hot automatic transmissions get greater effective gasoline economic equipment than instruction manual transmissions.

Answer 3

I prefer stick shift when driving in snow because it allows more precise control of how much engine power goes onto the road. Also, if you get stuck in snow a stick shift is better for getting that back and forth rocking motion that sometimes will free you.

Answer 4

The advantage of stick shift is that you can select your gear for a given speed. I don't see any great drawback other than the driver getting rattled if he has to do some fancy maneuvering in the snow.

Answer 5

I would prefer a manual transmission in the snow because you have more control over the vehicle. Even if you have an automatic transmission, there is still manual shifting available. If you have a car with manual shifting mode, that can help too.

Answer 6

depends on the skill and strength of the driver. If you are strong enough to hold the wheel with one hand as you slosh through snow, you should be able to drive with no problem. There really is no difference seeing as how every car has low to high gears. To keep your traction, stay in the low gears.

Answer 7

I think that snow would beat the hell out of stick shift.

Answer 8

more control over the power to the tires and power to the tranny when needed

Answer 9

it sucks......youl either die, or you wont