I hope it's the tyres!

[JB CAT7]

4x4 140 Elegance.

Dunlop sport 4mm fronts 6mm rears.

Rubbish in the snow today even when using crawling button.

Had to dig 2 x 100 metre channels down to the tar mac to get it home.

Even on the flat in the snow the wheels just spin without much forward movement.

The car is second hand with 18000 miles on the tyres.

I was hoping they would last me through the summer before putting winter tyres on.

I have a 12 year old Octavia with winter tyres that goes anywhere !!

I am presuming and now hoping that winter tyres will make a huge improvement to the Yeti.

Any suggestions as to which make of winter tyres o go for would be much appreciated.

In the meantime whilst this weather persists I shall stick with the Octavia!

[Gizmo]

Nokian WR A3 all the way

[ernieb]

You already have the answer, winter tyres. I use the Dunlop winters with no issues.

[domhnall]

Nokians were amazing on my octavia but I now have vredestein wintrac extremes on the yeti

[weasley]

I found mine to be a revelation in the snow, on 11-month-old standard tyres (although I am not sure what a 'crawler button' is? If it's the off-road button, I don't have it and it was still unstoppable in conditions that were stranding regular 2wd cars all about me). No question winter tyres will make it better, and there are limits to how far it will go in extreme conditions, but it is far from 'rubbish', unless you hold high expectations!

[Bobdog]

Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons. I ditched the Dunlops at about 20k miles and put on the Goodyears. I've used them all year round and they've been brilliant - especially in the snow (and have been so in the last few days). Replaced the fronts at about 46k, because they'd got down to the 4mm mark and I was going to the Alps to ski. Still not changed the rears yet and coming up to 53k now.

[Llanigraham]

What "crawling" button? If you mean the "Off Road" button that isn't a "crawler" button. Have you perhaps misunderstood what it does?

If the wheels were spinning, were you in the wrong gear? Sounds like you might have been in first when second might have been more appropriate.

Winter tyres will (apparently) make an improvement to any car although I still haven't fitted them to mine as I find the Kumho's surprisingly effective. My fronts are due to be replaced tomorrow as they are down to about 2mm but even so they got me up the 1:8 hill out of Newtown, in about 4" of fresh snow at 0500 on Friday morning.

I would have fitted the Goodyears but there don't appear to be any around at the moment!

[domhnall]

Is there a kerb crawling function? :blink:

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[Bobdog]

Is there a kerb crawling function? :blink:

Nah, if there was I'd have found it

[JB CAT7]

Yep, it was the "off road button"

Previously in approx 3" of snow I just press the button, put it in first and it finds its own way home up the hill, all I do is steer!

Today it was approx 8 " deep with four foot drifts which brought us to a halt so I was going to reverse it back up the track.

Put in the off road button and reverse but no joy (approx 30 degree slope) after digging out and reversing up the hill on to the flat I put it in off road mode to go the 4 metres onto the drive but to no avail.

Out with the shovel, down to the Tarmac and hey ho it got home.

I understood from the dealer that the off road button allowed the car to control the speed/ traction as it crawled its way through the difficult bits, after which you disengage the button to put it back in "normal" mode....maybe I misunderstood.

Any advice much appreciated.

[dbg400]

We've managed to avoid the worst of the snow here but driving around the local villages yesterday the Nokian WR A3s did a terrific job. I've now done more miles (5000) on them than on the Dunlops (4000) the Yeti came with - I think it's been a good investment. With the forecast low temperatures and possibility of more snow (forecast has changed again and we're expecting more overnight) they won't be coming off for a few more weeks at least.

I've also been impressed with the Goodyear Vector all seasons which i had fitted to SWMBO's i10. That had to go over to York for its service & MOT in the last bad snowfall here, and it felt very composed the whole time.

[JCP]

Had Conti 205/55/16 ts 830s which were excellent but have moved on to Nokian to fit the 17" annapurnas. terrific!

Really worthwhile.

[Bobdog]

Yep, it was the "off road button"

Previously in approx 3" of snow I just press the button, put it in first and it finds its own way home up the hill, all I do is steer!

Today it was approx 8 " deep with four foot drifts which brought us to a halt so I was going to reverse it back up the track.

Put in the off road button and reverse but no joy (approx 30 degree slope) after digging out and reversing up the hill on to the flat I put it in off road mode to go the 4 metres onto the drive but to no avail.

Out with the shovel, down to the Tarmac and hey ho it got home.

I understood from the dealer that the off road button allowed the car to control the speed/ traction as it crawled its way through the difficult bits, after which you disengage the button to put it back in "normal" mode....maybe I misunderstood.

Any advice much appreciated.

Well your first mistake is trying to reverse it. You're better off in snow with a slightly higher gear, and you've gone lower. Try going forward

in second!

[JB CAT7]

Had to reverse it as it was impossible to move forward without a plough.

The only way back was up the tracks the car had made coming down.

Is the off road button just for forward movement?

[Arkaig]

Is there a kerb crawling function? :blink:

Try going forward in second!

Like this?

:rofl:

[wakev]

^^^^^^^

Brilliant going to make one for the mother in law :rofl: . she only has 3 wheels on hers. I WILL FIND A WAY ROUND THAT

[servicepoint]

I have to say I was slightly disappointed with the Yeti's performance in the snow with the standard pirellis and they were brand new at the time. I went down the route of a second set of wheels with winters on due to this along with the amount of snow we get where I stay and its made a massive difference.

[bluecar1]

Nah, if there was I'd have found it

Like this?

:rofl:

hi bob

looks like going to get crowded in your naughty corner (as normal) room for any more and a party over there ?

[Bobdog]

We'll need more beer! Martin?

[Llanigraham]

This was going to work on Friday:

That snow is about 6" deep and is about the limit I was happy driving in.

In 8" of snow I'm actually not surprised you couldn't get traction, as that is more than the ground clearance! And you haven't been "let down" by the car, but by the tyres. No standard road trye is going to work in that sort of snow. Even winter tyres might well have had a problem.

Off road button. Who ever told you that was what it is for wants shooting! If it was a Skoda dealer even more so! You should have had it switched on before you even got into the situation. Turning it on after there is a problem is the wrong thing to do. Also using first is the wrong thing to do as that allows the engine to rev too much; you should have been in second, so reducing the revs. Too many people seem to think that the only way to get traction is to flooor it, whereas the best method is to do everything gently.

I can't find it at the moment, but there is a very good explanation of what the OR button does in the Yeti brochure and in the Handbook. It is worth reading it

And one final point; a lot of people buy 4x4's because of this sort of weather and think it is going to be their "cure all". Well I'm very sorry but they aren't! 4x4's are very good at generally getting some better traction to go but they are no better, and sometimes worse, when it comes to stopping. Gravity is far more powerful than the brakes! It is also a lot easier to get yourself into trouble in a 4x4 as it allows you a greater feeling of confidence. When teaching 4x4 driving it is one of the first things we have to point out to people, along with making an assessment of what you're going into before you get too involved.

[wakev]

We'll need more beer! Martin?

Now you are a sailor Bob how about a drop of rum?, I can bring along a bottle of Dominican 151 75% , Known in the Dominican republic as Dominican gasoline (I think half of them run their cars on it, cheaper than petrol over there )

[The Plumber]

Running standard 17" wheels at any time of the year on a Monster is a bad idea in my book

Seriously though you do need winter tyres and the 16" 205 or 215 width work best. Although as Graham states, even then you can end up in situations/conditions where they will not help due to the depth or state of the snow.

Someone mentioned reversing, then yes from my experience it can help; found myself briefly in some fairly deep wet snow, and due to the engine weight the front was digging in but by reversing the lighter rear 'climbed' over the snow allowing the winters some traction, dragging the front with it.

TP

[rockhopper]

I am presuming and now hoping that winter tyres will make a huge improvement to the Yeti.

Any suggestions as to which make of winter tyres o go for would be much appreciated.

In the meantime whilst this weather persists I shall stick with the Octavia!

Almost any winter tyre will be fine.

We will say ours are the best. :lol:

At this time of year you may not be able to be choosy.

Best time to buy is August/September.

Sent using whatever device I'm using at the time.

[Freshacre]

and one further point is to turn OFF the ASR/ESR/WHATEVER-IT-IS-CALLED button = the traction control thing. Even the Yeti handbook (which is, incidentally, much more thorough than the Superb handbook) describes one or two instances where it is better to have it off (the BUTTON, Bob, the Button - oh, it gets worse...).

I'd the dubiously delirious experience of attempting some open moorland between Brecon and Builth today and managed, with the traction control off once I had remembered, to get about half a mile - and then doing a 10-point turn before heading ever-so steadily back home. The drifting over the road was between six inches and three feet deep. and while it was possible (even on the stock 18" normal Contis the car came with) to maintain forward progress despite not actually being able to see where the road began and ended, and as it was about 6pm with a lowering sky spelling impending doom, I didnt fancy either being rescued or having to hike it, the U-turn seemed the most appropriate course of action. What didnt really help in the Superb was the much more pronounced 'air dam' beneath the front bumper which despite my best efforts otherwise proved to be useless as a snow-clearing device.

And once back onto non-drifted-upon black stuff, the familiar body shudder due to impacted snow and ice in the alloys started up, threatening to dislodge any fillings that I have left in my teeth.

Interestingly, having escaped the clutches of the drifts, two warning lights came on. One was telling me there was a problem with the ASR system (which didnt respond to any button pressing) and the other was telling me that the tyre pressure monitoring device wasnt working. After a couple of normal miles, however, both lights went off, and the ASR system began to respond to having the button pressed.

In a brief, subjective retrospective reflection on the abilities of the Yeti and the Superb I think I'd have marginally more confidence in the Yeti in similar circumstances. I think it proved the more able to be "driven", and to steer more accurately.

[dbg400]

We'll need more beer! Martin?

Well, the Pilgrims Hope (centre box in the image http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/267930-bobdogs-yeti-naughty-corner/#entry3185779 ) got underway last night but won't be ready until early May :( On the positive side there's a barrel of Nog that will be ready in a fortnight.