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Is200 In The Snow


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Well my IS has told me that it well and truly doesn't like the snow. I knew from everyone's posts that it didn't and so I have not taken it out whenever there is a hint of snow.

Was taking my dad to work at 3:30 am and was tootling along, left my house and there was a bit of hail on the ground but the road was clear. After about 1/4mile there was hail covering the road.

We saw some tracks going off the road on a bend... someone had obviously been off b4. I was doing about 45mph, so I slowed a bit more to 40mph. Shall I put the snow mode on, OK, I did.

Got around those bends no problem, then there is a dead straight piece of road. Kept it at 40mph, but the hail was a bit deeper. I said to my dad, "These are the worst conditions I've been out in this car yet" as we got a little twitch from the rear... I took my foot off the accelerator and began to let it slow down, got another twitch, this one got bigger and started to point me more than I wanted to the left. I made what was not a big correction to the right, it straightened up a bit and then when tits up. Started a slow gentle spin to the right.

At this point I'd guess we were doing 35mph. As we approached 90 degrees on to the road I realised there was no correcting this one and was already thinking how much it was going to cost :crybaby: 3/4 of the way around and heading backwards, brain goes into overdrive and I'm trying to figure out which way to turn the wheel in the hope of keeping it on the road and not off it. My car is lowered with a bodykit, I scrape the ground in some not well kept carparks and driveways, I wan't looking forward to this.

I had the wheel to the left already, which was opposite the spin, I tried straightening up (whilst going backwards) but it kept spinning and we were going off already. The car went off at a bit of an angle after spinnng just over 180 degress. There was no danger to us, there were no cars about, we were going slow, I was just concerned about my wallet, or specifically my bank ballance. The car was straddling the verge, digging it up. It travelled about 8metres off road sideways, digging its way into the ground.

The rear wheels were still on the road (just) the car was 3/4 off. I tried backing it off before we got out but it just spun the wheels (still in snow mode, fat lot of use that was). My dad got out. I got ou... I couldn't get out. I put my window down and there was a mound of soil and turf keeping me in. My dad had a quick luck but it was dark, he gave me a push and I spun the wheels up again, no luck. We heard traffic, hazzards engaged I scrambled out through the window incase they ploughed into the car. It was a van (Tesco home delivery size but not one), they went past at about 50mph. Lots of inspection insued, but it was pitch black. I began diggin with my fingers to see if there was damage but I couldn't get through 18" of soil. The mound just didn't quite reach the top of the front wheel.

We both tried pushing it out, but all that was likely to happen was we wud push the bumper off. Time to phone mum... bring a rope and more importantly the 4x4.

When she finally arrived, took over 10 min, even though it was <1 mile away. We pulled the car out no trouble. Some nice smoothing of the verge, and a dirty car. It didn't look damaged but it was stil dark. Mum took Dad to work in the 4x4 and I trundled home at 15-20mph, After about 200m there was no snow or hail on the road at all, it had melted already. The straight where we were had about 1/4" or less of hail. It wasn't particularyly slushy, I was suprised shall we say. Another van (transit) went past while we were there. It didn't slow down when we were waving, shot past at 60mph.

I parked infront of the security lights at home and it appears I have been lucky, doesn't look damaged at all. Maybe a few little scratches, but it had plenty of those already. I was dreading having it pulled out and the wheel being tucked under the car, you know when the delorean in Back to the Future (part 3?) takes off and folds its wheel in..

FLYING%20DELOREAN%20FRONT%20RIGHT.jpg

Just need to give it a wash and a proper check in the daylight. Any tips on things to check? I'll wait for it to be dry and clear and give it a handling test in a car park somewhere.

To cut a short story long don't go out in the IS200 in snow or hail :blush:

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May I suggest winter tyres for the next winter? Before everybody starts laughing :lol: about how few times it snows here, winter tyres perform better than summer tyres anytime under 7 degrees, so that's at least a few months here.

I can't say how climate change is going to affect our next winter though, so don't blame me if our next winter never falls below 10 :tomato:

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Good to hear you're ok pal, sounds like you were lucky, the IS can be a bitch in the snow if you're not used to RWD, I found it better with the coilovers and rollbars as you felt it go earlier and could correct instantly. It was easy enough to throw out in the rain never mind the snow - What tyres are you using Continuity?

I'd recommend that you get the geometry checked out as it's pretty likely that it's been thrown out of balance now.

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Glad your ok mate...i know that feeling thinking your money is being flushed away.

What tyres do you have on?

I have Nokian WR's last time it snowed they were spot on, treated or untreated roads they had good grip (even with wider wheels).

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What tyres are you using Continuity?

Kuhmos (?sp) Like i say as long as i was carefull and didnt boot it, the car stayed stuck to the road. this was in the snow the south east (Ashford kent) had recently. I was only crawling (20-35mph) but it seemed fairly stedy. The only issues i had were pulling away from right hanaded junctions :D

The roads round me are A-B roads wich recive little or no grit

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Goodyear eagle f1s on rear and nankang NS-II on front. They are what it had on when I bought it. It grips perfectly in the dry or wet. 17" wheels.

The geometry was out before I took up ploughing. The inner edges of the front tyres are balding quite badly. I'll get the tracking done, I'll take along the WIM specs and hopefully they can use those. Then in a few months I'll get some new front tyres.

They have at least 3mm accross except for the inside 3/4" which tapers off to no tread. This may not have helped, but they are definately not winter tyres anyway.

ATM i don't need to go out if it snows. Just stay in, but my Dad needed me to take him to work as his car was on MOT and the road was clear at the house! Just 200m away it wasn't.

I had a twitch which I gently corrected and then I lifted off the accelerator so that I cud travel along at 30 instead of 40. In the next few seconds was when the twitch left and spin right happended. I thought about putting some power on but decided it might make for a faster accident and to try and correct without power. Do you reckon if I'd have put my foot down on the 1st twitch that would have helped? Bearing in mind it was in SNOW mode so it wouldn't have been too much power!

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Got Pirelli P7000s on the GS. Found out on Sunday night that they do NOT like snow! Not helped of course by the fact that it looks like Blaenau Gwent Council forgot to grit the A465!

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Your one lucky man glad to hear you are though it's horrible having damage to your car that's going to cost a fortune to fix.

Hope there's no hidden damage. :duh:

I've been out in it and it handled fine, hopefully nothing will fall off it :unsure: Goin to book a tracking appointment ASAP, but I'm being lazy.

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  • 2 months later...
its not just tracking you need, its a full geometry check.... Dont get lexus to do it they suck at it and charge you for the honor.. :(

Went to WIM a couple of months ago. Retest soon :)

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[i need that too is there a wim up north i can try got a wobble at 50-60 then its fine after that. or is it a on car wheel alignment.

oh the track day in the ginetta and porsche around croft was fab :D

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