Hi all

 

New to the forum. I have a 2017 superb 2.0 ltr diesel 4x4. love the car but disappointed today in snow. Noticed on a gentle hill in snow, the car would not move. Wife jumps in and I notice that the front wheels are spinning but the rears are not.  I was under the impression the skoda superb 4x4 is a permanent 4 wheel drive. Has anyone with the same speck had this issue? 

 

50 minutes ago, GStone said:

Hi all

 

New to the forum. I have a 2017 superb 2.0 ltr diesel 4x4. love the car but disappointed today in snow. Noticed on a gentle hill in snow, the car would not move. Wife jumps in and I notice that the front wheels are spinning but the rears are not.  I was under the impression the skoda superb 4x4 is a permanent 4 wheel drive. Has anyone with the same speck had this issue? 

 

Welcome to the forum 

 

It's Haldex 5th gen so not actually permanent AWD: 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haldex_Traction

 

https://www.pistonheads.com/features/ph-features/haldex--the-truth/31854

 

If the front tyres detected slip then nn% drive should have been sent to the rear.  You may have a fault. 

 

What tyres are you using, the stock P7's?   They actually aren't that good in the damp IME so I can't imagine them being very good in the snow.  If you were in the same scenario with either a 4 season tyre or a dedicated Winter tyre then you probably wouldn't have had an issue.  In fact one of the major manufacturers (I wan't to say Michelin but I'm not 100%) ran a comparison of a 4WD car with Summer tyres vs a FWD car with Winter tyres and the FWD near enough won every test.  

 

I driven 200 miles last night in pretty much the worst driving conditions I've ever experienced.  I now have all-season Vredestein Quatrac 5's fitted to my FWD Superb and the never lost grip once.  I was absolutely astonished by just how much of a difference the tyres made.   I'm not saying they are infallible nor that I am the Stig but I don't think I would have had such a trouble free journey if I had kept the factory fit P7's on my car.  Having previously used GY UltraGrip Winter tyres I was pleasantly surprised by just how well the Vredesteins performed, I was expecting a big compromise but I'm really happy with them. 

 

Now waiting for Michelin to bring out Cross Climate +'s in a R19....

 

 

Edited 28 February, 20188 yr by penguin17

I agree with Penguin, winter tyres M&S (or good all seasons) make a huge difference in grip due to compound performance at low temperatures and the tyres ability to get rid of ice and snow via the additional multiple narrow slots in the tread:

 

,

 

From personal experience even a 4x4 with Summer tyres will have real problems in cold temperatures in relatively small depths of snow. As well as our 190 dsg 4x4 L&K Superb estate we run a Land Rover Freelander 2 which is very capable in most circumstances we've encountered. But once returning from Italy over the Alps early in Summer after changing back to summer tyres we got caught in a dump of snow and had to pull over and wait for a few hours until it was cleared as taking some of the hairpin bends even at very low speed was too much of a risk with the family and dog in the LR.

 

In the UK I never used winter tyres but since moving to Switzerland and encountering some pretty extreme conditions I'm a real convert.

Winter tyres or good all season tyres with the 'Three peak mountain/snowflake symbol' are the way to go.

Vredsetein Quatrac have this symbol and are good. See below for the symbol.

 

Tyres that ONLY have the M & S marking are not necessarily good in the snow.

 

I was stopped at the bottom of a snowy hill by a £60,000 BMW 4 wheel drive once.

He advised me that as he cannot get up the hill there is no way my FWD will go up.

I thanked him for the advice and drove off up the hill with no problem.

I had the correct tyres fitted he had summer tyres only.

 

Thanks AG Falco

 

 

Edited 28 February, 20188 yr by AGFalco
add image.

I've had some pretty amazed looks this afternoon  as I drove home from work. Passing stuck cars and up hills that only a complete idiot would attempt. Actually had people stop and wait for me to skid to a stop only to be slack jawed as I just trundled by.

 

And all on my summer tyres ! I love 4 wheel drive !

 

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Or maybe they just didn't spot my Autosoks ;-)

Edited 28 February, 20188 yr by Nick_H

3 hours ago, GStone said:

Hi all

 

New to the forum. I have a 2017 superb 2.0 ltr diesel 4x4. love the car but disappointed today in snow. Noticed on a gentle hill in snow, the car would not move. Wife jumps in and I notice that the front wheels are spinning but the rears are not.  I was under the impression the skoda superb 4x4 is a permanent 4 wheel drive. Has anyone with the same speck had this issue? 

 

 

If the rear wheels are not spinning with the front there is a fault with the Haldex.

 

Take it back to the dealer.

Edited 28 February, 20188 yr by SuperbTWM

My winter tyre equipped L&K behaved with no issues at all in the snow and ice - unlike our RWD 3-series which is grounded in this weather as she can’t behave. 

 

i also have winter tyres on the X6 and it also happily goes up and down snow covered hills with no trouble.  It was definitely more ‘challenging’ to drive that one before I invested in a second wheel set.

Edited 28 February, 20188 yr by FelisBengalensis

Living in Biggin Hill means having a really steep drive, previously when it has snowed I have either parked the car on the road or had to clear the drive of every last snowflake before I could get the car out.

Now with 4x4 and winter tyres I just drive in and out like the snow is not there, not a single bit of wheel spin even if I cut it sharp and take the steepest way!

No need to clear it at all as you can see from the picture.

 

 

Edited 1 March, 20188 yr by philsmith

On 28/02/2018 at 17:28, penguin17 said:

Welcome to the forum 

 

It's Haldex 5th gen so not actually permanent AWD: 

 

 

I was under the impression that at all times on the 4x4 5% was going to the rear and more would go if front slip was detected.

 

My 115 miles journey this evening from Worcester to Heathrow was tense, but without excitement. I think at one point I detected maybe half a second of the car not quite moving in the direction it was pointed under braking and then it settled down again. I'm one of the heathens here that just runs on summers all year though.

 

I agree with @SuperbTWM, if front wheels detects a slip the rears should be activated and the slipping wheels being slowed down by the brakes.

 

The haldex system can distribute power front to rear but not from side to side - this is where the system works together with the ABS to distribute power.

Reason for this is that a standard differential always sends power to the wheel with least resistance. When the brake of a slipping wheel engages, the resistance is increased and more power is sent to the wheel not moving.

 

So in short - if haldex is working as it should maybe you encountered a diagonal spin where one front wheel and the opposite rear wheel was spinning?

Hi all

 

Many thanks for all the responses. It looks like the Haldex is working but 2ft of compacted snow and summer tyres is a lot to ask from the system. As per above comment, loads of diagonal spin and moving sideways and not forwards.

 

However, reading on line conflicting info, do I keep the traction control on or off; with a fear for over-stressing the abs brakes if left on.

 

Thanks once again.

Geoff

 

Edited 2 March, 20188 yr by GStone

I would let it be on if it doesn't cut your engine. Don't fear giving it some pedal, biggest mistake people does is to release the gas when it is starting to spin. Hold the pedal steady or even increase a little bit. Brakes shouldn't overheat if your not plowing hundreds of meters of deep snow on summer tires

This fear and releasing throttle when spinning was the biggest problem with the old visko system that relies on a rotation difference between front and back to keep the clutch engaged.

Summer tyres are great at polishing ice. What else do you expect?

The problem is definitely the tires... should be able to do this!

Look carefully from the 6:00 minute part until the end. I would dread to try this myself, but what a great test!

 

Edited 17 November, 20187 yr by MelSmith
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