Prius Gen3 Winter Tyres

[timberwolf]

Just had my first taste of driving my Prius in the snow. Have driven automatics for a number of years and have got used to driving them in snow (Accord was pretty good) but this was a new experience! Going down a slight slope it unnerved me straightaway as it started to skid but got it under control, then going up a bank I could see a number of cars struggling ahead so slowed down to a crawl hoping to just keep a steady pace but then the orange light started flashing on the dash and the car started to weave about! My first experience of traction control.

Is weaving a result of the Traction control being applied? I would have guessed one of the other driver aids such as VSC or Anti-skid was more likely responsible.

Traction control removes power from the driving wheels, the system removes a little bit of power at a time and if the wheels continue to slip it will keep removing power to the wheels until either traction is regained or you come to stop. If the Traction control cuts power so that you end up stopped, it isn't easy to get going again because the Gen 2 Traction control will only allow very limited slip before removing the power again.

The reason I am wondering about VSC or Anti-Skid is because I thought that was more likely to give a floaty feeling which could feel like weaving but they are systems that are designed to counter-act rather than cause weaving.

I'd check that your tyres have sufficient tread depth, the minimum for snow 4 mm.

Could any of your brakes be binding slightly?

Or was it just that one side of the road/snow was more slippery than the other side??

I weaved my way slowly up which was a weird experience only to be passed by a little Peugeot who had no problem.

Narrower tyres on the Peugeot?

Going down I stuck it into the low gear and stabbed the brakes to try and avoid any further skids which seemed to work OK.

That doesn't sound right, stabbing the brakes should have been more likely to induce a skid not less!

[johalareewi]

the orange light started flashing on the dash and the car started to weave about! My first experience of traction control.

Is weaving a result of the Traction control being applied? I would have guessed one of the other driver aids such as VSC or Anti-skid was more likely responsible.

Flashing orange light on the dash and weaving about is VSC kicking in (on a gen3 prius at least). There would also have been a few beeps.

[timberwolf]

Flashing orange light on the dash and weaving about is VSC kicking in (on a gen3 prius at least). There would also have been a few beeps.

It doesn't mention the beep in the Gen 2 Owners Manual but I found a PC forum post that mention it. It is more clearly written in the Gen 3 Owner's Manual. In summary it flash for a couple of reasons:

Slip Indicator flashing = Traction Control

Slip Indicator flashing + Beep = VSC

I think of these things as separate but I wonder if I should? The wheels slipping i.e. loss of traction is detected at the wheels. VSC I think has at least an input from a yaw sensor.

I think* I see the Slip Indicator when I am braking in the wet over man-hole covers for example. I think* I've seen it when I was stuck by a wedge of snow under the rear tyres that prevented the car from reversing. I've also seen it when thick, fresh snow coming up to the entrance of a roundabout and also going up a a gentle bend in a snow covered road. I can't recall any beeps.

* Remembering what icons I've seen seems to err slip from my mind very easily. BTW I dislike most of them on computer software - I guess other people must forget as well otherwise why would they have created those Tool tip words that appear when the mouse hovers over yet another icon depicting who knows what!

[noisyhen]

Is it better to buy four wheels to use for winter tyres (as BMW do) or just replace the tyres?

Your call really. A complete set of wheels could be very expensive but you then have the luxury of being able to swap between winter and summer wheels yourself with no additional cost. Just swapping the tyres saves having to buy a set of wheels but you then have to pay to have the tyres swapped. On the plus side, you do get the wheels balanced regularly. In both cases, you do need to have some space to store the unused set of tyres/wheels.

When looking to buy new car last year local BMW dealer were offering good deals on wheels fitted with winter tyres, and they would change them and store them for you. Anyone heard of Toyota offering similar?

[noisyhen]

Cannot recall hearing bleeps.

[Parts-King]

Yes we offer a tyre hotel, £50 for 6 months, we safely store your wheel/tyre option for you

The VSC bleep/flashing light happened to me on Saturday when the Prius tried to go sideways on black ice about 20 MPH ish

Kingo

[noisyhen]

Just had my first taste of driving my Prius in the snow. Have driven automatics for a number of years and have got used to driving them in snow (Accord was pretty good) but this was a new experience! Going down a slight slope it unnerved me straightaway as it started to skid but got it under control, then going up a bank I could see a number of cars struggling ahead so slowed down to a crawl hoping to just keep a steady pace but then the orange light started flashing on the dash and the car started to weave about! My first experience of traction control.

Is weaving a result of the Traction control being applied? I would have guessed one of the other driver aids such as VSC or Anti-skid was more likely responsible.

Traction control removes power from the driving wheels, the system removes a little bit of power at a time and if the wheels continue to slip it will keep removing power to the wheels until either traction is regained or you come to stop. If the Traction control cuts power so that you end up stopped, it isn't easy to get going again because the Gen 2 Traction control will only allow very limited slip before removing the power again.

The reason I am wondering about VSC or Anti-Skid is because I thought that was more likely to give a floaty feeling which could feel like weaving but they are systems that are designed to counter-act rather than cause weaving.

I'd check that your tyres have sufficient tread depth, the minimum for snow 4 mm.

Could any of your brakes be binding slightly?

Or was it just that one side of the road/snow was more slippery than the other side??

I weaved my way slowly up which was a weird experience only to be passed by a little Peugeot who had no problem.

Narrower tyres on the Peugeot?

Going down I stuck it into the low gear and stabbed the brakes to try and avoid any further skids which seemed to work OK.

That doesn't sound right, stabbing the brakes should have been more likely to induce a skid not less!

Just to clarify a gentle stab on the breaks, not a great big skid inducing stab! Replaced one front tyre in the last few months, could difference have such an effect?

[timberwolf]

Just to clarify a gentle stab on the breaks, not a great big skid inducing stab! Replaced one front tyre in the last few months, could difference have such an effect?

:D Thanks for the clarification, I think I would use a word like dabbing the brakes?

I am pretty sure it is not recommended to mix old and new tyres on the same axle or even different brands with different tyre tread patterns. It could explain it.

[noisyhen]

Just to clarify a gentle stab on the breaks, not a great big skid inducing stab! Replaced one front tyre in the last few months, could difference have such an effect?

:D Thanks for the clarification, I think I would use a word like dabbing the brakes?

I am pretty sure it is not recommended to mix old and new tyres on the same axle or even different brands with different tyre tread patterns. It could explain it.

Just to clarify :D I've done 7000 on original set of tyres and about 1000 on the replacement due to a damaged tyre on the front.

I thought it was weird my first driving experience on snow and will wait to see how I get on the next time before making any judgement on winter tyres.

Have a merry christmas everyone.

[cootuk]

A work colleague just got a quote from Honda for winter tyres for immediate fitment.

They wouldn't supply 15" steels wheels as part of the deal as these weren't on an options list,

but they would swap tyres and charge a £35pa storage fee if he needed the summer tyres storing.

[johalareewi]

Wouldn't you just know it.

Winter tyres on and the temperature is back into double figures.

[kithmo]

Wouldn't you just know it.

Winter tyres on and the temperature is back into double figures.

Hey, if you've got 'em, flaunt 'em

[Sagitar]

Wouldn't you just know it.

Winter tyres on and the temperature is back into double figures.

Hey, if you've got 'em, flaunt 'em

. . . . and if you are fond of snow, just take 'em off . . . . .