Defence Against Winter Snow.

[fjcfarrar]

With the early cool snap as a harbinger of things to come; it is time to remember that the ISF is completely useless where snow lies more than about 4-5 ins deep.

This is not because of the obvious reasons of difficult traction or Auto transmission - decent winter tyres will resolve this and allow reasonable progress on slippery surfaces. However if you live where the roads are never treated - such as most side roads - and the snow either lies, or a central ridge develops due to passing traffic; the ISF's low ground-clearance and its inabilty to act as a snow plough without risking severe and very expensive damage to the delicate plastic front bumper assembly and its relatively flimsy mountings is a show-stopper. Even if you avoid this damage, the ISF will simply stop moving when the snow-mountain in front of grows big enough and you can rarely back off to drive round it.

So when snow lies and you can frustratingly see traffic passing by the end of your street; you probably will not reach this road with its free-flowing traffic - and if your street has a hefty camber due years of repairs involving just adding a little more tar & tots of loose pebbles to the middle; you may not get even get out of your drive without burying the nose or a huge amount of shovelling.

The essential preparation is to make arrangements to leave your ISF at home or stay there yourself until conditions improve, and to make sure it is safely parked off-road to ensure those in tall 4x4s & enormous pick-ups who incorrectly imagine they have it sussed don't demolish your car on their way to knocking over the street-lamps when unable to stop as they have here in the past couple of years.

[stevet]

Thanks for the reminder!

Had the same with the 250 its just not worth going out. Imagine having to abandon your ISF by the roadside with cars sliding close by.

I drop the wife off at work and use her Rav4 if there is any forecast of snow.

[MrW]

Yes I managed to avoid the only snow we had last winter, and my 330i Coupe was left safely on the drive whilst we were in sunny Florida. I was a little worried as it was the first winter being out of a company car. This winter I have to admit I'm not looking forward to it. Its almost worth buying a cheap light FWD hatch with good tyres just to get around in when it gets bad. And leave the ISF and my wife's 630i at home.