Traction Control vs Snow mode?

[GSmk3]

Hi,

Experienced the first bit of snow today with the GS300. The car shuddered a little when entering a sharp turn at slow speed. I assumed that was the driving wheel slipping. Should I turn on Traction Control or Snow Mode or both? How do they act differently? 

Thanks everyone.

[Linas.P]

Traction control stays permanently on, even if you turn it off... it will still kick in when you start sliding. Snowmode only changes throttle response, in some occasions it will as well start car from 2nd gear. So with snow mode what you get is less responsive throttle and earlier gear changes to keep the torque down.

Generally, there is not much use from snow mode, but it did help me few times going-up slippery hill i.e. in normal mode car would go half way up the hill, spin wheels, loose traction and then slide back down. With snow mode it would go up slower, but would not have raise enough torque to brake traction due to higher gear and would make it to the top.

[Normski]

Like Linas said those systems will help a little...but it's all about the contact with the road/snow. So it mainly comes down to the types of tyres. My GS was (as expected) quite hopeless in the snow/ice when I had my decent but ultimately summer orientated tyres. Since then I switched to some all-seasons and so far so good. I'm not expecting to make the GS into some snow plough but to give it just enough traction and stability to get me out of a spot of bother. 

[Initial P]

Holding the traction button for about 5 secs permanently switches it off which is great fun in a dirt road ect.

When it snowed last March I still had budget tyres on mine & it was fine with snow mode on much better than my E60.

 

[olliesgrandad]

On 1/22/2019 at 11:17 PM, GSmk3 said:

Hi,

Experienced the first bit of snow today with the GS300. The car shuddered a little when entering a sharp turn at slow speed. I assumed that was the driving wheel slipping. Should I turn on Traction Control or Snow Mode or both? How do they act differently? 

Thanks everyone.

I found last year that in snow mode in my GS300h on summer tyres driven sensibly it was very stable on a 175 mile round trip from Gloucester to Shrewsbury across country on snow covered roads. 

Today in my RX450h fitted with Michelin Cross Climates travelling across the Cotswolds in snow mode was a great experience. 

[simonman]

18 hours ago, Initial P said:

Holding the traction button for about 5 secs permanently switches it off which is great fun in a dirt road ect.

When it snowed last March I still had budget tyres on mine & it was fine with snow mode on much better than my E60.

 

I tried it on mine, my traction stays on even though its same year as yours.  I've got to do the 'pedal dance' to turn it off supposedly.

[Sami Tilander]

Hi, Simon.

I've noticed that to turn off the VSC, the car must be stopped... you cannot do that on move. And this really turns off the VSC, not just traction control...

BR. Sami

PS. we have about 50cm snow right now, and on last Tuesday it was really cold too (-27 Celsius in the morning)... Real winter 😉

 

[Thackeray]

1 hour ago, Sami Tilander said:

last Tuesday it was really cold too (-27 Celsius in the morning)... Real winter 😉

Moscow phone-in radio presenter calls up hardy seasoned Siberian resident: "We hear it's really cold up there just now. Around minus 40!"

"Are you sure?" says doubtful babooshka. "I'll go and check."

She comes back after a few moments: "No, it's only minus 14."

Radio presenter is puzzled. "Is it really only minus 14? The weather forecasters here were saying minus 40."

Babooshka realises why the presenter is confused. "Oh you mean outside," she says.

 

[Initial P]

I get both lights on the dials the vsc and the traction light and the wheels don't spin on gravel without doing this, maybe its a non hybrid thing or to do with the normal auto box ?

It's in the manual too.

[Initial P]