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Snow Button Is200


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Hey guys.

So I was wondering what exactly does the snow button do? I've never driven the Lexus in the snow yet so have no idea! My mrs drove hers last winter when we had heavy snow and she says it was useless! I remember cracking up laughing at her skidding down our road! She had to leave the car at home.

When I press it I feel the car sort of stiffen up?

Also I've read that by turning it on it will save you fuel. How true is this? And if true, how??

Thanks in advance

Chris

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Basically it calms down the throttle response mainly according to the manual. I'd guess it could help save you fuel in a way as it may help stop you driving so aggresively. It seems to do what the Eco button does on a lot of modern cars.

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From what I've read, it just reduces power (and calms the throttle response as sjr said). I've never had RWD before, and it's been a long long time since I had anything with 215 section tyres on, so I'm expecting it to be completely useless in the snow (next door neighbour has a Merc with 245 rear tyres, and he doesn't even bother getting in the car when it snows)

Maybe I should have bought that Imprezza....

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Snow button= bag of **** most pointless thing on the car. If the snow is bad enough to make you think "oh id better put the snow button on" then its just not worth going out. IMO

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  • 2 years later...

Snow button....

Decreases the angle of the butterfly in the throttle body. All it means is you have to give it more throttle to go anywhere. The idea being you don't spin the wheels up on snow by just touching the throttle. That's all it does. That's why the mpg gauge changes, by pressing it, it has the same effect as if you took your foot off the accelerator. Some say you can get 2-3mpg more by driving with it on. I don't think so and I've tried lol

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According to info from IS200 repair manual, the snow button not only affects throttle response curve and throttle butterfly angle but also has something to do with brakes via breaking actuators and thus prevents excessive wheel spin. So it's much more then a throttle control. Personally, I like snow with everything off and good winter tires on. Only me and LSD :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Most of our driving is local and using the snow button has made a difference to the fuel economy as our engine is running under or around 2000 rpm. There are no advantages when you are on the motorway as the engine is ticking over at higher rpms. Certainly a difference in local town driving.

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Most of our driving is local and using the snow button has made a difference to the fuel economy as our engine is running under or around 2000 rpm. There are no advantages when you are on the motorway as the engine is ticking over at higher rpms. Certainly a difference in local town driving.

just don't press the throttle as hard, you achieve the same thing. Snow mode doesn't alter the fuelling.

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  • 4 months later...

Gretings .

Nothing to do with snow, all it does is modify the power curve ie less power for the same throttle movement, brilliant device in traffic, if you want power sw it off and if more power still! "use the pwr button."

Regards

Malcolm

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The PWR button is only available on autos, and doesn't increase the power output of the engine - just in the same way the SNOW button doesn't decrease the power of the engine, or affect fuelling.

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The snow button works for me, because the rev's are kept low the engine is not working as hard therefore there is an improvement in economy, especially if you are just driving locally and around upto 40mph. Over 40mph no point using snow.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have NO idea how the snow mode button works in the IS, but in previous cars i've had of a similar age, switching to "snow" meant that your were starting off in second gear.

Agree with previous posters, there is no substitue for winter tyres. It makes a huge difference.

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I found I used the snow button in icy or slippery conditions, it doesn't have to be snowing. I used it because the rear wheels would spin very easily near any round-abouts and the snow button reduced that possibility, slightly, when its not dry.

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