It’s crucial to give yourself enough time to get ready before your trip, especially if you’re travelling in the cold. Ensure that no snow or ice is present anywhere on the car. To avoid needlessly smearing your windshield, only scrape in one direction. Make sure that your car’s cameras are completely operational and not impeded by ice. Check your headlights, rearview mirrors, and other safety features as well.
In This Article...
Winter driving tip for BMW: Turn on Eco Pro and coast off
It can be a bit of a nightmare to drive in below-freezing weather. Rear-wheel drive and xDrive aren’t exactly the finest options for BMW owners. A prime example is the lack of a Winter Mode on devices like the X5. However, there is a way to avoid this fairly alarming topic, so don’t panic.
There are numerous driving modes available on modern BMWs. These include Comfort, Sport, and Eco Pro, which is the least enjoyable of them all. The fact is that the preferred setting for winter driving is Eco Pro. There are a few causes for this.
BMW’s Eco Pro modifies the way the 8-speed automatic transmission shifts for better fuel economy, just like every other efficient driving mode. The alterations made to the vehicle’s throttle mapping are another factor that accounts for why the loud pedal feels numb and acceleration appears a little out of character for a BMW.
These days, turbocharging is the only option for BMWs, which makes winter driving problematic. Another disadvantage of driving a BMW in the winter is the low-end torque it produces, mostly because turbocharged engines lose grip substantially more easily than normally aspirated engines. Eco Pro does, thankfully, set a maximum torque delivery.
Turning off the coasting feature is the second lesser-known tip for driving a BMW in the winter. Coasting, also known as freewheeling, is disconnecting the drive shaft anytime it starts rotating more quickly than the engine. When a vehicle has a manual gearbox, coasting refers to holding the clutch pedal down or putting the transmission in neutral while the vehicle is driving.
A freewheel mechanism, meanwhile, is a feature of automatic transmissions. One of those is present in the ZF-designed 8HP, and as to be predicted, it may be managed via the iDrive system of the car. Go to Option, then Settings – Driving Mode – Eco Pro – Configure Eco Pro – Coasting to get the appropriate menu. Now disable the coasting feature.
It does, primarily due to the extra work required of the car when using regenerative braking. However, you must disable the coasting function in the Eco Pro driving mode if you want your BMW to be simple to operate in winter weather. The goal here is engine braking, as you might have surmised by this point.
BMW Winter Driving Settings
When you start your car, dynamic stability control is immediately turned on. This driving mode serves as your BMW’s equivalent of a safety net. DSC is a setting that can keep your BMW operating in accordance with physics. It’s a controlled environment where you can maintain the car on the desired course, which is generally what you want. If power is outpacing grip, the DSC system will activate the brakes individually if necessary to prevent a wheel from slipping.
You may require some or a lot of wheel spin to assist you when driving in the snow and up a slope at times. Dynamic Traction Control, or DTC, can be your best friend in this situation. According to BMW, DTC is a DSC sub-function that permits more wheel spin. Now some wheel slip is conceivable with just one punch on the DTC button on the console.
Automatic Stability Control primarily relies on the brakes and only works on the driven wheels. The power to the driven wheels can be reduced in more recent iterations of the ASC system. With little traction, the technology enables the vehicle to creep out of some situations.
How should an automatic transmission be operated in the winter?
You should always drastically lower your speed when driving on snow-covered roads because it’s simpler to stop when you’re moving at a low pace. The easiest approach to guarantee you’ll have enough time to stop safely while driving in snow is to keep your pace under control. Snow may make braking and accelerating feel completely different to you, the driver. Furthermore, increased speed can cause tires to lose grip, which raises the possibility of sliding.
Using a lower gear on your car’s transmission is one approach to keep your speed under control. Keep your car in low gear to stop the engine from starting at greater speeds rather than utilizing the brakes to slow down from a high speed. Here are a few things to remember when driving in low gear during the winter.
- For manual transmissions, apply the clutch slowly and deliberately. You run the risk of having your wheels spin out of control if you use it right away after a considerable acceleration. Instead, maintain order and stability. In general, avoid overusing your accelerator or stop pedal by anticipating hills or speed changes by downshifting or upshifting.
- In most cases, you can let your automatic transmission handle the work when you have one. Modern automatic transmissions are skilled at responding to low traction levels and cooperating with traction control systems. When driving in the snow, you have more control over your speed thanks to the fact that many automatic transmissions also have a manual mode or the option to manually select low ratios (often 1-3).
The most likely times for loss of traction, regardless of the type of transmission in your car, are while you’re accelerating, braking, or turning. Read on to understand how to fix loss of traction during turning, and remember to maintain speed changes gradual and smooth.
Can the BMW xDrive system handle snow?
It does, indeed. The fundamental idea behind this technology is to provide an all-wheel-drive system, as was already explained. It gives you better traction control underneath your tires by doing this. You can benefit from having extra grip to assist you prevent spinning or skidding in icy weather.
Dynamic Stability Control is a crucial component of the xDrive technology. Once more, this maintains your car’s stability as you drive over snow and ice. If you sense that you are about to lose traction, this is paired with the anti-lock brakes to prevent any spinning and to save you from losing control.
If you drive a BMW equipped with xDrive technology as opposed to one without it, you will undoubtedly notice the difference. To maintain control when driving in winter weather, this technology’s power distribution is crucial.
Of course, there is a small caveat to this. You probably won’t profit if the snow is quite deep because it will be difficult for you to maneuver your automobile through it. Additionally, you still need to take additional safety measures to prepare your BMW for driving in poor snowy weather. Therefore, xDrive functions in the snow, but there are still additional factors to take into account.
In snow, are automatic vehicles safe?
The majority of sound advice, like taking cautious turns and sparingly applying the brakes, is applicable to both automatic and manual transmission vehicles.
Rarely do UK roads become actively unsafe to drive on, but this year seems to be an exception.
Storm Arwen has already wreaked havoc on some areas of the nation, uprooting trees and forcing cars off of highways in Scotland and the North East.
Which driving mode is ideal in snow?
The greatest alternative for driving on snow or in icy situations is all-wheel drive (AWD). The operation of AWD is the cause. All-wheel-drive systems deliver force to each of the four wheels simultaneously. When necessary, these mechanisms activate automatically.
BMW xDrive has all four wheels, right?
All-wheel drive is the designation for xDrive. During typical driving, the standard system distributes 40% of the power to the front wheels and 60% to the rear. In order to increase grip and keep the automobile stable, power can be transferred forward, backward, or to specific wheels when sensors detect wheel slide. As a result, there should be reduced chance of unintended traction loss in corners, during rapid movements, or in low-grip settings, including off-road, making xDrive BMWs better able to maintain the road.
While many other all-wheel drive systems function hydraulically, xDrive employs a multi-disc clutch that is electronically controlled, which is lighter and has a faster rate of power redistribution. BMW’s Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) system of software and sensors can send nearly 100% of the engine’s power to either axle under extreme circumstances in just 0.1 seconds. This procedure is continuously monitored and adjusted by the system. On BMW performance models, xDrive can be configured to distribute power primarily to the rear wheels, shifting it only when there is wheel slip. This ensures that the vehicles can handle the enormous power and torque outputs being supplied today while simulating the traditional rear-wheel drive driving characteristics for which BMWs were known.
Dynamic Performance Control, a characteristic of these more potent BMW models, uses the xDrive system’s electronically controlled clutch plates to accelerate the wheel opposite the one that is spinning. It collaborates with the DSC system, which uses braking pressure to assist the spinning wheel in regaining control.
What can you do to improve your traction in the snow?
A front-engine, rear-wheel vehicle might benefit from additional weight at the back to assist it maintain traction in slick (or even muddy) conditions. You are putting extra weight on the axle that generates power by doing this. According to The News Wheel, “the car can grip better if there is weight on the axle and tires that spin.”
This entails packing the trunk in an automobile. This entails filling the truck bed. Sandbags, kitty litter boxes, or even dirt bags might be used. The upside is that you can use sand and dirt on your yard come spring and kitty litter to soak up oil spills in the garage! Talk about materials with several uses.
What does the BMW DSC button do?
Dynamic Stability Control, or DSC, is a feature that is common to BMW cars. This is a sophisticated system that makes use of a wide range of sensors and investigative techniques to maximize the driving experience for each individual driver. It works as a performance-enhancing technique but also as a safety function, controlling the vehicle’s speed while taking into account any conditions on the road that can cause wheel spin or cause your car to drift or fishtail out of control. Although not all BMW vehicles have problems with the DSC system, it is nonetheless necessary to treat these issues seriously because driving without the DSC system in some circumstances may be quite dangerous.
In snow, should traction control be disabled?
When you’re driving, it’s crucial to have traction control set to 95% of the time. The safety feature, however, could be detrimental in some circumstances. For instance, it’s preferable to refrain from wearing it if you become stuck in mud, sand, or even snow.
What does my BMW’s ASC button do?
One of the most popular factory-installed optional extras is the BMW Motorrad ASC (Automatic Stability Control) rider aid system. This is because BMW Motorrad’s anti-slip control system restricts the amount of engine drive torque delivered in accordance with the state of the road’s surface and, therefore, the friction coefficient.
This prevents rear wheel spin and improves power transmission, considerably raising active riding safety in risky circumstances like riding in the rain. You can turn off the system instantly, even while moving, if electronic regulation is not necessary, such as on a racetrack.