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I'm pretty sure the weight over the driven wheels is the same in any gear!
Fit winter tyres and the car will be transformed. Turn stability control off if the car is struggling. otherwise the power is cut once the wheels start to spin, not what you want on slippery surfaces.
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I meant when driving up a hill, there is weight transfer to the rear of the vehicle, which reduces traction for the front wheels, hence going in reverse means the weight transfer goes to the wheels with the most weight (and therefore grip) on them.
Starting in 2nd gear is to reduce wheel slip. The number of times I have seen people struggling to move in 1st gear, tap on the glass and tell them to try 2nd and off they go!
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Even my RWD Merc copes very well on snow and ice with full winter tyres on. Makes a heck of a difference.
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I bet it does. My Discovery does very well on summer tyres for getting moving, but it understeers horrendously and braking is an experience. Waiting for current tyres to wear down before buying some Yoko Geolanders or maybe the Michelin CC now that they do them in the proper size.
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Depending on the age, this 307 could have a single clutch automated manual rather than a T/C auto. This could lead to it getting itself tied in knots trying get up a slippery hill, especially if the driver has to stop and start. Also, the jerky nature of the gearchanges will increase the chances of losing traction.
Depending on how long the hill is (and if it is a public road) and how competent the driver is, reversing up will help as more weight will be pushed on to the driving wheels.
Being an automatic is not an issue, you can either manually select 2nd to pull away
If the car has a winter mode, it will probably pull away in a higher gear, second or maybe even third if is a T/C auto. If the car doesn't have a winter mode, selecting 2nd, won't stop it pulling away in first, it just won't go above second. Useful to keep control coming down a hill, but isn't going to help on the way up.
Edited by badbusdriver on 31/01/2021 at 13:58
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"selecting 2nd, won't stop it pulling away in first, it just won't go above second. "
Possibly, depends on how it is set up. Some of the newer cars have a plus and minus which will give genuine manual selection, whilst others will do what you have described. In my old school discovery, i can manually select 2nd but only when the car is in low range and pressing the 'mode' button to get an 'm' for manual on the dash. In high range it would do what you say.
Glad someone agrees with me about reversing! Needs to be done with care of course but if all clear and driver is competent (like everything) it is a help.
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If you get into real difficulty getting up a hill, go in reverse, for more weight over the driven wheels.
Well ,yes, it might - if you can (a) turn the car round and (b) steer it any better backwards than you can forwards ?
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Yes, trying to turn around on a hill is not recommended, usually ends up getting stuck sideways especially with inexperienced snow drivers and not ideal in case of oncoming downward traffic. i really meant approach the foot of the hill in reverse to begin with.
As for steering, no reason why it shouldn't, actually it should be better in reverse with the additional traction. But the limiting factor would be most people are not confident in reverse! Hopefully it is a straight hill.
Another general tip - if the car starts to slide, DO NOT hold the brakes on if you are in a slide. It is instinctive to do so, but a locked wheel cannot steer. Best thing to do is lock the gearbox into a low gear and steer without touching the pedals. Pulse the brakes if necessary but you will soon realise every time you press the brakes the car loses control. release the brakes and steering should resume.
Winter tyres or at least all seasons with the mountain symbol on them will solve all of this, and make sure you put them on all 4 tyres, not just the driven wheels..
Edited by Metropolis. on 31/01/2021 at 16:13
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Yes, trying to turn around on a hill is not recommended, usually ends up getting stuck sideways especially with inexperienced snow drivers and not ideal in case of oncoming downward traffic. i really meant approach the foot of the hill in reverse to begin with.
As for steering, no reason why it shouldn't, actually it should be better in reverse with the additional traction. But the limiting factor would be most people are not confident in reverse! Hopefully it is a straight hill.
Another general tip - if the car starts to slide, DO NOT hold the brakes on if you are in a slide. It is instinctive to do so, but a locked wheel cannot steer. Best thing to do is lock the gearbox into a low gear and steer without touching the pedals. Pulse the brakes if necessary but you will soon realise every time you press the brakes the car loses control. release the brakes and steering should resume.
Winter tyres or at least all seasons with the mountain symbol on them will solve all of this, and make sure you put them on all 4 tyres, not just the driven wheels..
Winter and All Season Tyres are definitely better (used them for many winters on mine and the wife's car) but they will not "solve all of this". They are better but they cannot overcome the laws of the universe or an idiot behind the wheel. Anyone who thinks that a set will make them a driving god will soon find the other side of a hedge or worse still kill someone.
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My Jazz automatic and Michelin Cross Climates has coped very well with snow..
(It helps I am a driving god and invincible)
Edited by madf on 31/01/2021 at 16:38
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I am not suggesting the car is going to become a snowmobile, or act like it is on rails, but with proper tyres you should not encounter difficulties in most snowy roads in England. Nit picking a little!
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I am not suggesting the car is going to become a snowmobile, or act like it is on rails, but with proper tyres you should not encounter difficulties in most snowy roads in England. Nit picking a little!
You still need to drive with care and a lighter foot than normal. People who don't are a danger whatever tyres they use.
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It's an 05 plate & l always thought it was a 4 speed T/C auto.
Though the road up is fairly quite & even more so when it's snowy, there's an awkward junction at the top with a right turn up to the cottage; consequently l wouldn't see reversing as a safe manoeuvre.
The car does have a "snow" button, but engaging this doesn't seem to make a great deal of difference. Same with manually putting it in 2nd (or first)
Looks like maybe trying a set of winter tyres
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As for steering, no reason why it shouldn't, actually it should be better in reverse with the additional traction. But the limiting factor would be most people are not confident in reverse! Hopefully it is a straight hill...
The big difficulty with driving (or steering) in reverse is simply that you are facing the wrong way, and the vehicle behaves a bit like a forklift. Even if you are used to reversing with mirrors I doubt it would be easy in snow.
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Rural shropshire is not exactly pikes peak...
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Rural shropshire is not exactly pikes peak...
Maybe not, but Brown Clee (the hill) is 1,770 ft above sea level & if your in snow does it matter?
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Hardly worth changing a vehicle just for a couple of days a year when snow might be a problem? Then having to run something unnecessary the rest of the time. A good set of proper winter tyres will make all the difference.
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Hardly worth changing a vehicle just for a couple of days a year when snow might be a problem? Then having to run something unnecessary the rest of the time. A good set of proper winter tyres will make all the difference.
Yes, l agree. It's not as though we have a great deal of snow over long periods of time.
l think a set of winter tyres would be worth a try before changing to another car.
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"Maybe not, but Brown Clee (the hill) is 1,770 ft above sea level & if your in snow does it matter?"
I was actually replying to this in response to my suggestion of reversing
"The big difficulty with driving (or steering) in reverse is simply that you are facing the wrong way, and the vehicle behaves a bit like a forklift. Even if you are used to reversing with mirrors I doubt it would be easy in snow."
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It's an 05 plate & l always thought it was a 4 speed T/C auto.
I think you are right, I had it in mind that the 307 stayed in production later than it did, and therefore (potentially) later models might have had the automated manual. But as the 308 replaced the 307 in about 2007, it would have been it (possibly after the 2010/11 facelift) that got the automated manual.
The big difficulty with driving (or steering) in reverse is simply that you are facing the wrong way, and the vehicle behaves a bit like a forklift. Even if you are used to reversing with mirrors I doubt it would be easy in snow.
If you are used to reversing with your mirrors, it shouldn't be difficult at all. Whether or not there is snow on the ground is irrelevant until such times as you lose traction. As has been pointed out, this is less likely reversing. But should traction be lost and the car starts going back down the hill on its own accord, I'd wager most people would be more likely to keep the car on the road if they are facing the direction of travel rather than trying to do it facing the wrong way. The only thing which would put me off reversing up the hill in this case, going by what has been described, is it being a public road and so you could meet another car coming down, which could be awkward. If it were a private road, I'd have absolutely no concerns about reversing miles up a twisty hill road in the snow!.
Winter tyres will certainly help if snow is the problem, but as skidpan says, they are not a miracle cure. If ice is also a factor, as well as the winter tyres, it might be an idea to get chains too, just for the offending hill.
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Another general tip - if the car starts to slide, DO NOT hold the brakes on if you are in a slide. It is instinctive to do so, but a locked wheel cannot steer. Best thing to do is lock the gearbox into a low gear and steer without touching the pedals. Pulse the brakes if necessary but you will soon realise every time you press the brakes the car loses control. release the brakes and steering should resume.
If a vehicle has ABS then it is not necessary nor desirable to pulse the brakes.
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