Sigh

(i) 37 years and 700,000 miles without ANY serious speed related accidents, or accidents involving pedestrians, i.e a few low-speed fender-benders only.

(ii) A Perfectly clean licence

(iii) NEVER driven a fast car/ high powered car

(iv) Always run on good tyres, incl Winters where appropriate

(v) Always leave plenty of room in front

(vi) Often drive SLOWER than posted or National Limits

(vii) Often make allowances for other inattentive road users.

(viii) Have driven drunk and stocious drunk.

On private land of course, and in other vehicles as well as cars, one does learn why it is generally frowned upon on the Public Highway, though I did know of an Uncle, who drove because he was simply too drunk to walk, drove weekly, and routinely, and NEVER had an accident???,plus several Alcoholic RUC men, who seemed to manage fine )

Now a "young Buck" fired up on drink who cannot even drive safe when Sober, that is a different matter.

Or "inappropriate" speed combined with Alcohol.

SO WIND yer fornicating NECK IN.

old Boy

in the nicest possible way

Who are you aiming the above post at?

Anyway. I've no need to comment here anymore. The decision is clear. You're awesome (:

I thought vxh26  got onto Drink Drivers because i posted a picture of a Licensed Premises.

And now, after commercial break is over, we can get back on the the topic at hand

I can imagine dsg is miles better in the snow than the old type autos, or asg for that matter?

Well, DSG IS a manual gearbox with automated dual clutch system, there is no torque converter of any kind there. manual box with Mechatronic unit changing gears according to a pre-programmed parameters or/and your input.

The biggest downside compared to manual box is that you do not control the clutch slip, which is the best tool for controlling the amount of torque going to the wheels when is slippery conditions and trying to move off. When on the move no different to manual imho.

I found it a bummer (the DSG) trying to "rock" the car on a muddy patch of grass, during a 3 point turn off the narrow paved track.

With a manual one could have established a nice fore n aft rythm with 1st n reverse n the clutch.

The DSG's pause betwixt n between robs one of the momumentum, that could otherwise be built up.

I did manage though.

PS

(i) Otaylor, My earlier comment was a reply to vxh26, as should have been patently clear to anyone with a basic grasp of our wonderful English Language.

(ii) I do not see myself as "Awesome" merely demonstrably, a safer, more competent driver than many?/most? others, from 37 years observation, and a statistical analysis forby?

But there are much better drivers than me out there.

(iii)We are ALL different.

(iv) There is ALWAYS a "why", cars dont just crash into each other or "leave the Road",(i.e. that often quoted phrase "the car skidded", note NOT "I lost control") without some physical cause, generally the Driver.

7 Speed DQ200 DSG in the Fabia MK2 vRS.

 

  'Traction Control System'

 Switching off.

"It may be good practice in certain exceptional cases, such as when you have wheel slip, to switch off the system'."

Examples.

when driving with snow chains

when driving in deep snow on a loose surface

when it is necessary to rock a vehicle when it becomes stuck

 

**Page 138 Fabia MK2 Owners manual.**

I found it a bummer (the DSG) trying to "rock" the car on a muddy patch of grass, during a 3 point turn off the narrow paved track.

With a manual one could have established a nice fore n aft rythm with 1st n reverse n the clutch.

The DSG's pause betwixt n between robs one of the momumentum, that could otherwise be built up.

I did manage though.

PS

(i) Otaylor, My earlier comment was a reply to vxh26, as should have been patently clear to anyone with a basic grasp of our wonderful English Language.

(ii) I do not see myself as "Awesome" merely demonstrably, a safer, more competent driver than many?/most? others, from 37 years observation, and a statistical analysis forby?

But there are much better drivers than me out there.

(iii)We are ALL different.

(iv) There is ALWAYS a "why", cars dont just crash into each other or "leave the Road",(i.e. that often quoted phrase "the car skidded", note NOT "I lost control") without some physical cause, generally the Driver.

It was obvious yes. I read it afterwards.

Problem is. I get bored of reading essays. Especially when they waffle on about nothing. (:

Ah BUT!

I intended to add, that I find the traction control system absolutly bloody marvelous, in preventing unnecessary one-sided wheel spin, especially when driving on wet grass, soft underfoot grass, sloping banks etc etc.

Really really useful for driving along pedestrian  footways with grass at each side too, as long as one wheel in on the hard, no worries.

Quite remarkable how well it works, and much better than a locked Diff.

Goneoffski

Me? RTM???

well Doh! wot a novel idea.

As "all else has not yet failed"

cheers

Marcus

What ever works for you, it shows how you can use the various choices to suit the situation you are in.

but you mentioned a Rocking Out problem.

 

There is another issue, other than the XDS on the vRS nipping at the brakes, it is cutting the power to the engine.

 

So a long thread on driving on Snow.,

& ice, and mud & now one wheel on a solid surface & one on the grass.

So you reckon in a Skoda Fabia vRS that 'S' is of no use or advantage on Descents & hilly roads, Snow covered or icy,

& in 'D' and engine braking is enough?

 

Thats fair enough really, if thats your experience of trying it.

 

(Airstrips are usually & in the main built to be flat are they not?)

Never really wondered how the guy that drives the snow plough gets to work,

sometimes i give him a lift, and sometimes he takes me.  He does my welding for me,

seeing as he is a Blacksmith when not doing the Winter Job.

 

 

Yep far better to use just the front wheels to slow the car when slippery* (engine braking) than all four (foot braking)

Yep far better to use just the front wheels to slow the car when slippery* (engine braking) than all four (foot braking)

Really?

Surely the grip from the rear wheels helps?

(i)This would depend on ones feather light braking finesse.

(ii)Though at low speeds the weight transfer due to braking should not negate the braking effect of the rear wheels, so 4 wheel braking should be more effective than engine braking, all round(& pun intended)

BUT

Engine braking will ALWAYS ensure the wheels keep turning, i.e. NOT lock up.

So optimally a 4WD an engine braking!

Just had to take a 130 mile route instead of 60 miles because the Snow gates were closed, 

and am now sitting in heavy snow on sheet ice, not much road treatment happening yet.   

Love it,

but i have the wrong tyres on the vRS, i will change the wheels / tyres later on.

 

http://trafficscotland.org

http://trafficscotland.org/weatherstations

Edited 13 January, 201511 yr by goneoffSKi

The Skoda can stay where it is for the mean time.

 

Horses for Courses, so i will use the right tyres, manual changes and easy on the brakes.

I do not think I've ever ridden a bike in winter like that lol. Mind you, that "thing" on your photos George can hardly be called a bike! Serious kit, just attach a small plough and off you go

Ere!!

Hard packed snow, with water on top (and it looked "wet" btw)

= ZERO traction or leastwise virtually zero.

On an straight flat surface in a built up area.

WITH Conti Winter tyres fitted.

Could ave been an "oops", if other traffic hadda bin present, but then I ud ave bin proceeding significently slower.

cheers

m

An another ere!

We wuz over the Cam mountain this afternoon, not gritted or salted, about 6" of Snow, partially frozen, but melt water about, ruts and tracks everywhere, some bits cut through to the blacktop, corners and inclines galore.

The DSG, left to its own devices, behaved simply impeccably, at speeds between 20mph and 50mph, with bytimes an 85 degree rotation applied to the steering wheel in an attempt to point in the correct direction.

Never once over-revved or bogged down either.

Managed much better than 99.9% of human drivers ever could.

marcus

Edited 18 January, 201511 yr by dieseldogg

Was this in the Diesel /DSG Octavia ? What tyres are on it?

1.6 TDI/DSG with 1/2? worn (5 winters of driving thereon, & I will prob run them done over this summer) Winter Continentals fitted.

They have definately lost their "bite" imho.

Only met one car during the journey on the un-gritted stretch.

Which sure helps.

Driving this particular, and unchanged/unimproved, road for 37 years is also a factor.

m

Edited 18 January, 201511 yr by dieseldogg

1.6 TDI/DSG with 1/2? worn (5 winters of driving thereon, & I will prob run them done over this summer) Winter Continentals fitted.

They have definately lost their "bite" imho.

Only met one car during the journey on the un-gritted stretch.

Which sure helps.

Driving this particular, and unchanged/unimproved, road for 37 years is also a factor.

m

Half worn over 5 years? Christ. Especially on a soft winter compound.

Steady driving and not many miles a year, or are those tyres awesome?

Well definately fitted in Nov 2010, so in the fifth winter.

 I measured tread depth  this morning, still 4mm on the fronts (which were the best 2 of the 4 tyres)

And as said I will be running them done over the summer, slick sticky rubber should grip good, in the dry, should it not?

70,000 miles on the car to date, and on the second set of summer tyres, winters only going on in Nov times and off again in March (ish)

So say winters only on 4 months out of 12, plus prob statistically driving less miles, and forby that driving slower as well.

I tend to (at least attempt to) "drive smooth", while still "making progress"

Marcus

Edited 19 January, 201511 yr by dieseldogg

Well definately fitted in Nov 2010, so in the fifth winter.

I measured tread depth this morning, still 4mm on the fronts (which were the best 2 of the 4 tyres)

And as said I will be running them done over the summer, slick sticky rubber should grip good, in the dry, should it not?

70,000 miles on the car to date, and on the second set of summer tyres, winters only going on in Nov times and off again in March (ish)

So say winters only on 4 months out of 12, plus prob statistically driving less miles, and forby that driving slower as well.

I tend to (at least attempt to) "drive smooth", while still "making progress"

Marcus

Ah i see.

Winter tyres tend to squeal abit in summer if pushed n dont hold as well as summers, but should still have enough grip for most drivers tbh. I never found em lacking, but obviously nowhere near as good as summers.

Ah Ha!

But, sticky soft compound winter tyres, low on tread, should stick like glue.

Without the tread blocks to move about.

Hence MB choosing to run their Shockel climbing "G" Wagens on winter rubber.

In the height of summer they stuck to steeply sloping smooth bare rock, like ****-to-a-blanket.

marcus

Ah Ha!

But, sticky soft compound winter tyres, low on tread, should stick like glue.

Without the tread blocks to move about.

Hence MB choosing to run their Shockel climbing "G" Wagens on winter rubber.

In the height of summer they stuck to steeply sloping smooth bare rock, like ****-to-a-blanket.

marcus

Not exactly. I've done it, and it wasnt that impressive. Much more grip out of summers. And I've pushed both on some nice twisty local roads. Summers excel in summer, like winters excel in winter in my experience.

Used to run winters all year round on a polo.