Snow !

[lurch]

Morning, just got back from taking RX400h out in a slight covering of snow, Felt really good with no spinning issues, but i have a question please. I was wondering wether there was any sort of snow setting/button, i had a snow button on my GS300 but can't seem to find anything inside the car or in the manual. But have just seen my local Lexus advertizing a RX400h with the phrase "get a grip this winter with the lexus snow mode" perhaps someone will be able to answer this question please.

Cheers

Phil.

[patch1]

You must have had very little snow. I Took my RX400h out yesterday in Cumbria , there was very poor traction and when I came close to the main road,driving quite slowly and braked gently, there was no grip and we nearly slid into a 4x4. I am a new member so maybe I am expecting too much, all I can say is that my previous cars performed far better in much worse conditions. I have studied the manual but cannot find anything that I should have engaged for driving in snow/ice it all appears to be linked to this mystical VDIM system or have I missed something?

[Normski]

The way I see it is that if there's ice there is very little you can do regardless of whether you are in a 4x4 or not. I guess winter tyres and/or snow chains may help but otherwise just take extra care precautions.

As for snow driving i'm sure people on here have said the 400h is not 4 wheel drive all the time...

[PAD]

Morning, just got back from taking RX400h out in a slight covering of snow, Felt really good with no spinning issues, but i have a question please. I was wondering wether there was any sort of snow setting/button, i had a snow button on my GS300 but can't seem to find anything inside the car or in the manual. But have just seen my local Lexus advertizing a RX400h with the phrase "get a grip this winter with the lexus snow mode" perhaps someone will be able to answer this question please.

Cheers

Phil.

There isn't any snow button or diff lock of traction control off switch (the latter is available on the RX450 I believe). I found the best way to get grip and traction when moving off in fairly thick snow (last year) was to put your foot down fairly hard. The previous year I got stuck on a steep hill with nothing happening when I tried moving off gently.

Tyres for the RX are not very good for bad weather, great for normal conditions and feul economy though. They are an speacial size with only 2 alternatives available in the UK and but no winter tyre.

[lurch]

Thanks chaps, went out this morning we had 3" approx snow last night, again no issues felt really good, have recentenly had 4 new tyres fitted ( Hannkook RH06 Ventus st 100v £104.00 each )) with a good tread pattern they seem to have good levels of grip so far ! Time will tell.

Cheers

Phil.

[Mark A]

Good to know, I'm looking at the Hankook's Vs The General Grabber UHP's for my RX-350. The Bridgestones are CR$P in anything other than dry conditions.

Cheers,

Mark A

[daveyboo]

Good to know, I'm looking at the Hankook's Vs The General Grabber UHP's for my RX-350. The Bridgestones are CR$P in anything other than dry conditions.

Cheers,

Mark A

[daveyboo]

Good to know, I'm looking at the Hankook's Vs The General Grabber UHP's for my RX-350. The Bridgestones are CR$P in anything other than dry conditions.

Cheers,

Mark A

I have got Pirrelli scorpion zeros, superb but a bit expensive. Do not worry about the 400h in snow it is brilliant as long as you take it easy. It will pull out of almost anything but as with any car will not stop on ice. Take it easy guys and enjoy a great car!

[Duncan Roberts]

The RX400 is fine in Cumbrian snow as I ahve demonstraed to myself over two years: However on ice no 4x4 offers any advantage.

[ihpj]

Its all about the tyres, regardless if you have a 4x4 or not. Many 4x4s are shod with wide-tread Summer only tyres and their drivers appear to ignore the fact that physics still apply to them. Whether it is an RX, Q7, XC90 or even a Disco - shod with the wrong tyres they will be equally hampered because they have incorrect tyres fitted.

Its good to see a real step-change in this Country about owners and Insurance Companies understanding the benefits of switching to winter tyres.

[steve haley]

Its good to see a real step-change in this Country about owners and Insurance Companies understanding the benefits of switching to winter tyres.

Odd you should say that because I was thinking the exact opposite in that not even the AA or emergency services bother with winter tyres. They are hard to get here and much misunderstood. Everyone thinks they are solely for snow but the reality is that the min the temp drops under 8deg C they actually work better than summer tyres in any conditions. Having used them for over 20 years for annual 6wk trips to the alps I have never had to resort to snow chains or felt that the car was in any way out of control and 15 yrs was on rear wheel drive cars. I now fit them in Nov and pull them in April (statistically you are more likely to get snow at easter than xmass).

Every time I buy a new set I am amazed how each generation is better.

Tried to show the wife how to handle snow and ice in the lift car park in Switzerland which was snow on ice and had to give up as I unless I went crazy It was like driving and stopping on tarmac.

Given that most people will get through at least two sets of tyres in their ownership I think you have to be mad not to have two sets of tyres - all it costs is a set of scrap alloys off eBay for about £80. Ok you have to pay upfront for the second set of tyres but from then on its the same as the Winter set will take the wear from the sumer for 40% of the year and you keep the summer alloys in good nick.

The best I could get last year were the Vreds - the dunlops were stupid prices.

Are you implying that some insurance companies give better rates for winter tyres if so would love to know who..

rgds

Stephen

[ihpj]

...not even the AA or emergency services bother with winter tyres.

Your observation is correct; however there is a creeping acceptance of providing proper winter tyres. For example, in the Police Service I work in, vehicles in outlying districts are being switched to specific winter tyres to allow for continued mobility. Its only small scale and limited, but each year we get closer and closer to a formal policy and acceptance. I suppose organsiations, like The AA/RAC/etc. are doing the same too.

Are you implying that some insurance companies give better rates for winter tyres if so would love to know who.

Well not there yet, but many will now not charge a fee for switching to winter tyres [and rims] and apply a premium increase.

[PCthug]

Odd you should say that because I was thinking the exact opposite in that not even the AA or emergency services bother with winter tyres.

Funny you should say that.

The force i work for (traffic cop) has just changed their fleet to BMW 3 and 5 series estates, and they have been grounded due to being too dangerous to drive in this weather.

We have about £150,000 worth of cars sat doing nothing whilst we go out in a 7 year old Skoda (FWD) and a couple of old discoveries.

[Tango]

Odd you should say that because I was thinking the exact opposite in that not even the AA or emergency services bother with winter tyres.

Funny you should say that.

The force i work for (traffic cop) has just changed their fleet to BMW 3 and 5 series estates, and they have been grounded due to being too dangerous to drive in this weather.

We have about £150,000 worth of cars sat doing nothing whilst we go out in a 7 year old Skoda (FWD) and a couple of old discoveries.

Living in Norway educated me in the advantages of fitting winter tyres so I have a spare set of rims with winter rubber (except the IS-F which stays garaged if the conditions dictate). The only problem in fitting winter tyres in this country is that the vast majority are still on summer compound so there's still a high risk of accidents and queues of traffic. Unlike Scandinavian countries, I doubt if it will ever become mandatory in this country to fit winter tyres during the winter months as the season is usual too short to warrant it, but it's good to see that many people are doing it anyway.

[steve haley]

Well not there yet, but many will now not charge a fee for switching to winter tyres [and rims] and apply a premium increase.

Never heard of an insurance company jumping the premiums through use of winter tyres. As details are given in the manual they are normally considered standard fit.

[ihpj]

Never heard of an insurance company jumping the premiums through use of winter tyres. As details are given in the manual they are normally considered standard fit.

Many do in fact see the fitting of winter tyres (and rims) as a modification and levy a charge of varying proportions accordingly. Which, if you think about it, penalises policy holders for doing the right thing.

[steve haley]

Never heard of an insurance company jumping the premiums through use of winter tyres. As details are given in the manual they are normally considered standard fit.

Many do in fact see the fitting of winter tyres (and rims) as a modification and levy a charge of varying proportions accordingly. Which, if you think about it, penalises policy holders for doing the right thing.

Hmm wasnt aware of the autoexpress article and the implications

But looks like not that many are being difficult and if you persist it looks like it can be dropped

http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/Winter-Tyre-Friendly-Insurance-Companies.htm

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/178463-winter-tyre-friendly-insurance-companies/

Mine are fitted on standard fit Lexus alloys and are identical size so not sure how they could possibly class it as a modification. Given I am going to Switzerland where anyone without winter tyres in an accident in iffiy conditions is automatically at fault then they should be ecstatic. Suspect that it just needs some clarification at higher levels.

Provided you fit on normal RX300/400 alloys with standard size then I think it is much less probable that you will get hit. Im with aviva and several say that it was fine and not considered a mod so I shall leave it at that.

[PCthug]

Snow? its too cold to snow...

[ihpj]

Never heard of an insurance company jumping the premiums through use of winter tyres.

Well here is one article:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/tax-insurance-and-warranties/2010-12/winter-tyres

[steve haley]

Never heard of an insurance company jumping the premiums through use of winter tyres.

Well here is one article:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/tax-insurance-and-warranties/2010-12/winter-tyres

I suspect that this is one of those cases that if there was a problem then the insurance company would back down sharpish if referred to the ombudsman given that it is the norm on the continent. Must admit in 25yrs of using winter tyres I have never once thought about asking my insurance company if it is ok. As far as I am concerned if it is covered in the owners manual then it is standard fit.

Trawling through the net it would appear that there are several different camps with a mix of the following

1) If tyres are same size then ok

2) If wheels are oem then ok

3) We are going to charge you no matter what.

Irritatingly Some companies appear to have given different answers to different people.

AA members could always rely on the following quote on the AA's web site:-

If you follow the standard European practice of keeping two sets of wheels, one fitted with winter tyres and one with summer tyres, then there will be no need to tell your insurer so long as the winter tyres are fitted to correct specification steel wheels or to alloy wheels of a similar specification to the car's original equipment.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/safety/winter-tyres-in-the-uk.html

Curious that this has suddenly caught on, suppose it is the 2nd hard winter in a row. Still might mean that we finally get a good selection of winter tyres available here at a reasonable cost and dont get looked on as mad. Would be even nicer if local tyre companies started offering storage and annual changeover plans like they do abroad.

I see that now if you are caught in Germany in winter conditions slush/snow then you will be fined eur 40 and if you end obstructing other traffic then eur80 so if travelling abroad this can always be used an an excuse.

BTW if you fit 18" normal winter tyres then you have to be VERY careful with snow chains and make sure that they are very thin and you put them on tight as there is not much clearance behind the wheel. Socks or the easy fit 4 prong things are alternatives. If you own an SEL then disable the auto lowering otherwise you could well trap the chains against the shocks.