This is my first thread and I couldn't find a good answer searching for some advice on driving in snow. I am in Portland, Oregon where it never snows and we got three inches last night. I was coming through an intersection turning left and the vehicle cut power as one tire started to slip. It continued to cut power until I was completely stopped in the middle of the road and unable to get going again. I tried everything I could think of with the snow mode and turning traction control off, but could not get the car going. Just letting off the break would cause the tires to spin. I also tried hitting the accelerator as a last resort with a few people trying to push me. I do have my Michelin PSS summer tires on, but is there a way to get going without the car cutting the gas if I get caught in the snow again?

 

I don't think you should be driving in the snow with summer tires. It just wont work...at all.

I think that's the problem.

 

Yes, its all the tires. Even AWD Audis with summer tires on will spin like crazy in the snow/cold.

 

There is no way you can get out of that hole with summer tires going FORWARD. But you can REVERSE and I have done that before. Move backward and then forward. But if you don't have space to do this, you are f___cked.

 

I have Blizzak snow tires. Even with those, driving in snow can be hairy. Adding weight in the trunk really helped me on top of snow tires.

Summers in snow?? Thats nuts.

 

Are their any brand of snow chains that could fit the stock rims to get home and put the car away for the winter?

 

I got caught in the snow last week with my summer tires on. Almost died about 20x's on a 5 mile attempt to make it home and almost had to ditch the car and walk the last mile. When I got into my neighborhood that wasn't plowed at all I encountered the same problem where I didn't have enough momentum or traction and in snow mode with the traction control on all power was cut and the car just stopped moving.

The trick is to turn off traction control (hold it so it turns off). Take snow mode off. 6th gear at 6000rpms got me up the final 2 hills mostly sideways and waking the entire neighborhood up... but it worked. As soon as you do have momentum I would recommend put the tcs and snow mode back on though.

 

as the others have outlined:
good set of winter tires (blizzaks)
some weight in the trunk
you should not have any issues with the above setup, summer performance tires are not meant for the colder temps period.

 

We have had a lot of snow here in NJ, and my F has gotten through it well, on Blizzaks and in SNOW mode.

 

^ mine has been in the garage most of the season...need to get a set of snow tires. But that won't protect us from the massive potholes around here lately.

 

i picked up a $1000 beater blazer because theres no way in hell i can get through a chicago winter with my F, its impossible.

 

Props to those with winter tires on the F, but you should just get a AWD or FWD beater, way more effective with winter tires.

 

I have no problem with my Blizzaks. We've had a huge amount of snow this winter here. I use snow mode sometimes, but find the cut in power is actually less helpful in some cases and sometimes I have to disable traction control temporarily. All in all, common sense, good snow tires and safe winter driving techniques and all is good here in the Great White North.

 

I also have Blizzaks on my F and get around great - even with a staggered setup for MN driving. I also run winter tires on my 2008 CTS - which the wife drives now and she manages just fine.

 

I'm in Alberta where we get a ton of snow, not to mention -40 weather.

Absolutely no issues with Blizzaks and some weight in the trunk, and I have driven in some hairy conditions.

Have to admit however, that my 2013 is far superior than my 2009 in the snow.