Bravo owners: has the recent heavy snow in parts of the UK stopped you from getting around in your cars?

Mine had been pretty impressive when we had a mere 3 or 4" of snow on the roads; this morning's 10 to 12" has proved too much for it, though! I got half a mile from home without too much difficulty, found the road blocked, turned round and then spent 3/4 of an hour getting back through our estate as the car would grind to a halt wherever another vehicle had churned up the snow in the road. Luckily I took a spade, and there were a few folks about to give the car a push when needed!

Car is now back on the drive and there it will remain until there's a bit less snow about.

I watched a Mk1 Punto go past the house earlier, and found myself wishing I still owned a vehicle with decent ground clearance and minimal weight...

It coped SLOWLY in the snow this morning - steering felt like the City switch was active even though it was off and I was petrified about braking after skidding 100yds down a hill to a main junction !

As an aside, why do van drivers feel the need to horse about the outside lane on a snowy motorway at 60mph ? Have they all got something missing in their brains ?!

Its the wide tyres that are the issue, pretty much the same with all modern cars.

You may get on better if you are stuck by turning off the traction control. Only do it if you are stuck though, its a lifesaver as it keeps the car from veering off to the side under acceleration.

No problems for me and I have a glow plug out. I too kee p thinking that the city mode is on.

Mine is snug as a rug covered in a foot of a snow

Haven't attempted to dig it out yet because I know it will just fail epicly in these conditions. Its lowered and has really rubbish budget tyres which are about as much use as a glass spanner.
Not to mention i'm a bit scared of my GSR kit eating up snow moisture and killing my engine. (GSR is about a foot from the ground)

Mine's coping perfectly. Snow, what snow? It's been pretty cold around here but I don't think there has been more than an inch of snow settled on the ground at any point. Snow fell last weekend and it still hasn't left my garden, it's still unbroken, an inch deep and frozen solid. The roads are all clear. The TV pictures have got to be made up, it's impossible to be all around us but not here!

Only had about 3" - 4" of snow and the roads I travel on are mainly clear.

One thing's for certain, the Uniroyal Rainsports will never be called Slushsports!

Drove to work yesterday, 20 miles, about an hour, only to be greeted with "What are you doing here? We're closed for 2 days because of the weather!" :bang:
Made a few calls then returned home.

I do wish someone would invent some sort of universally available mobile communication device that would be available to the masses!
And then inform my employer about it!!

As I stay high up on the East Coast, I have to say that this year my Bravo hasn't coped in the snow one little bit compared to last year when I thought it was great. I have lost count on the amount of times my Bravo has got stuck on Monday and Tuesday and having to get help dig my way out, that I have now given up. When I left for work this morning, you couldn't even see my car as it's just covered in a mountain of snow I now have to rely on public transport.

My Bravo is perfect on snowy conditions! We have about 10cm right now and last year we had about an meter of snow and it has not got stuck once Offcourse most roads are plowed but even in early mornings when they have not had the time to plow the roads yet it is OK. I use wintertyres offcourse, it is illegal not to Only drawback is the heater, which is really bad!!!! The price of driving an diesel I guess

Mines decided to play 'Hide and Seek' in the style of a Citreon - ie badly !

Only got about 3" of snow in Stirling area and the main roads are clear. No issues whatsoever. In fact it has handled the snow better than the wife's Ford S-Max with the same tyre (but I'm 18/225-40 and she is 17/225-45 (or 50)) - Khumo KU-31 tyres - seem ok but I've not been trying to rag it or slide it. It has gone through untouched 3" of snow no probs and I've been using high gears everywhere.

I have felt the car slide a wee bit when going over cobbles that are cambered and speed bumps but otherwise it's been superb. But we haven't had much snow really.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/5221252817_7e3d0e0887.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5044/5213515907_751b873c0a.jpg

Superb, as posted in the other thread running all-seasons, but can drive car almost as normal. 1st gear out car park with 6 inches of un-compact snow and 3 of slush, no issues.

Only one of 2 other cars to venture into the more snowy outside lane on Wednesday morning too on the way in and it behaved itself- even though I'm sure we had a snow clearance issue as I heard some scrapes at points- the snow between 2 tracks was a tad high!

Does get a bit cold, going down the M77 at 50mph at -7c the engine temp dropped from the middle down to 1/4!

No issues for me, im in London. The back streets are frozen solid however.
I have noticed that the traction control light doesnt flash when im in 1st gear but does when i accelerate in 2nd...

my wifes 1.4 is rubbish in the snow and we have plenty up here snow that is thought it was woman problems but no i cant drive it in the snow either two problems i think the 1.4 engine is very light and small also the wide tyres do not help matters. still love the car though.

Sorry but my Bravo is terrible in the snow - loses grip in the slightest incline . Fortunately however my 2 wheel drive Panda is brilliant

Had issues with the gear linkage 'going stiff'' after prolonged periods in the below zero temps. Not seizes up completely and becomes normal after 5 mins driving time. Handling wise hardly any snow to speak of here although the roads are now prone to black ice after a milder day yesterday followed by cold temps & freezing fog today. Plenty of traffic reports of accidents but had no problems todaty with traction myself.

The heating is rubbish on your feet & temps in the cabin reduce when driving at motorway speeds. My Stilo was the same cold feet & reduced cabin temps at speed, probably the exact same climate control system in my Bravo.

Had issues with the gear linkage 'going stiff'' after prolonged periods in the below zero temps. Does not seize up completely and becomes normal after 5 mins driving time. Handling wise hardly any snow to speak of here although the roads are now prone to black ice after a milder day yesterday followed by cold temps & freezing fog today. Plenty of traffic reports of accidents but had no problems todaty with traction myself.

The heating is rubbish on your feet & temps in the cabin reduce when driving at motorway speeds. My Stilo was the same cold feet & reduced cabin temps at speed, probably the exact same climate control system in my Bravo.

mine seemed to do okay earlier this year and late last year... though theres no way i would of been using it at the end of last week...

the passat trumps it though and is a lot better

paulscatt said:

The heating is rubbish on your feet & temps in the cabin reduce when driving at motorway speeds. My Stilo was the same cold feet & reduced cabin temps at speed, probably the exact same climate control system in my Bravo.

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Regarding same problem I replied couple of days ago on some other thread. Try this:

janjam said:

Why don't you do it like we did in the old times
Why don't you take some piece of cardboard and put it in front of the radiator. It will reduce the input of cold air to radiator, and the coolant water will faster reach its normal temperature.
Just be careful not to close the whole radiator (if you close it entirely your engine might overheat), but lets say only half... and see if there are any differences.

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We had the same problem 6-7 years ago, in our company car Fiat Tempra (at motorway above 100km/h, we were freezing), and we "fixed" it like that.
Now I am in Athens so no need for that, but I think it is worth trying.
Ofcourse it can help for regular kind of heating (ie if you have manual air con)... I am not sure it can help with automatic clima control (but you obviously don't have it, since you have a problem).

Mines fine, despite the tyres being within a month of needing replacing, and them being Eagle F1s which are without a doubt the worst tyres in snow ever.

I've not got stuck, although I haven't tried to climb any 1:3 to 1:4 hills covered in an inch of snow & ice like last year.


For the record we got to the top of that hill, and would have done it un-assisted if it hadn't been for a Jeep coming down the hill which got stuck and robbed us of our momentum.