[FeonixSTI]

Hey all,
Well first off Im gona say I have no in snow driving experience. Im going up to the mountains this weekend and I was wondering if there are any tips or precautions that any of you could give me. I have all season tires, not highly rated for snow. Also probly an ignorant question and please dont bash but am i going to need to put chains on the STi, highly doubt that I would but really would rather ask.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Rev]

Just one tip. To get off the line in deep snow, use the DCCD in lock mode.

[tylerdurden06]

Originally Posted by FeonixSTI

Hey all,
Well first off Im gona say I have no in snow driving experience. Im going up to the mountains this weekend and I was wondering if there are any tips or precautions that any of you could give me. I have all season tires, not highly rated for snow. Also probly an ignorant question and please dont bash but am i going to need to put chains on the STi, highly doubt that I would but really would rather ask.
Any input is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Although you have AWD, you have to remember that 300ft. lbs of torque comes on early with the STI and it will be hard to control it if you are a Beginner when it comes to driving in the snow. I've been driving in snow for a while and still have the Stock Bridgestones on mine, but I am very aggresive and can countersteer effectively. I don't suggest anyone keep the stock wheels on though cause it's very dangerous... I'm just an idiot..LOL.. Anyway, control the gas properly and don't get too excited. Even if you are going straight, all it takes is a little to much gas and your STI will be side ways. You have to be prepared for that. Also remember how strong the breaks are. Be soft and tap them when coming to a corner or stop. Start slowing down waaaaaayyyyyyy before the corner. If you take a corner and you still end up going straight, try to break the rear lose so it swings around. Last but not least, do not get scared and lose your focus or your $30,000 dollar car will be at the bottom of a gulch. Be safe and good luck.

[tylerdurden06]

Originally Posted by Rev

Just one tip. To get off the line in deep snow, use the DCCD in lock mode.

that too!! hehe...forgot... Do not!!!!! Keep it in lock on dry pavement. Your common sense should answer your question if you are wondering why..

[pantag]

Just stay easy on the throttle. Your car has a lot of torque even at low RPMs, so that might be tricky sometimes. If you see a lot of snow or slippery conditions you might want to lock the differentials by setting the DCCD to LOCK. Do NOT use this setting if you take sharp turns though. Other than that, you have nothing to be afraid of. AWD is great at snow as long as you don't do silly things.

[FeonixSTI]

Thanks guys really appreciate the input

[Wazazell]

according to the manual, you cannot use tire chains on the STi because of clearance issues with the wheels/brembos. I don't know for sure if there are any ways around this, maybe if you're on aftermarket wheels w/ lots of clearance, or maybe there's an aftermarket tirechain that doesn't pass through the wheel?

Best advice, leave plenty of room between you and ANYTHING else. Make sure you have plenty of room to stop, make sure the guy behind you has plenty of room to stop, make sure you have an escape route if the guy behind you didn't leave plenty of room to stop. Don't make any sudden or jerky movements. Be careful when changing lanes and crossing snow/slush/ice between the lanes.

Good luck!

[BSBG]

Smooth is the rule!

Easy on the gas when pulling away, smooth on the drakes when slowing and allow plenty of extra room.

Try to find an empty snow covered parking lot to get a feel for how the car responds. I hope you have taken a skills school or something and are familiar with how to correct oversteer and understeer situations.

[Genepy]

Hi FeonixSti,

Here is what I would recommand:

First off, let's say that snow driving includes a lot. I would say that you're gonna run into 3 different types of situations and sometimes a mix of the three:
1. sluch, in which you'll be find with you're all season
2. real snow, in which you should be careful but grip still exist
3. ice recovered by snow, in this sitatuation, you're scewed with your all season.

I live in san francisco and just mounted real snow tires today to go up to tahoe. I've been living in switzerland all my life, and have lots of ice track days under my belt, and I'know for a fact that all season are just a bad compromise.

But since you already have them, there are some stuff you should be aware of. The most important one: don't focus too much about throttle control this will come naturally, what you will be most concerned with is braking. Between all season tires and ABS kicking in, your brembos are gonna be useless. It's like you have no braking power at all. What I usually do is when a turn is coming ahead (if nobody is behind me, off course) I would hit the brake real quick to test what amount of grip I'm gonna work with in the next turn. Remember that the conditions can change at any time.

Oh, and by the way you can be the best countersteerer in the world, if there's no grip, you're gonna understeer like it's the end of the world. When you feel that you're understeering, try to fight the urge of turning your wheel more, in fact you should try to unwind it until you regain grip. Of course, if you want to have a little more fun that's where the scandinavian flick and left foot braking comes into play! Snow is great for practice, since you're going so slow, even if you hit the snow wall, you'll be find. Also, it's a good idea not to think about crashing your car or you'll just get tense and panic at the first hint of slide.

Let's just hope your not going to be on a banked icy road, or else....

Concerning chains, I've never owned or used any, even in the worse situation.

[AKhick]

Don't forget to look behind you're when stopped. Some clown in a four-wheel drive truck might think that he's got the best braking power since he has four wheel drive but instead he'll use your trunk to stop.

[BluSTi]

Slow down. A lot.

[RG]

Just drive slow and brake early. AWD won't stop you from sliding.

[520]

this goes with watching ur speed but shift at low rpms(Sorry if someone said this i didnt fully readl all the other posts)

[mx_9]

Start off in 2nd or 3rd gear. Don't tailgate and let faster traffic pass you. Brake ridiculously far back. If you can, find an open parking lot with snow in it and practice starting, stopping, turning at low speeds, and braking while turning. You can spin your wheels at low rpms in high gears very easily, so just be smart and take your time.

[krees23]

On slippery roads another thing that helps -
You can turn and you can brake, but try not to do both at once.