W124 in the snow?

[Lockhart Flawse]

Hi

Just wondered whether anyone is using their car in the snow and if so how it's performing? I assume it wouldn't be much good and so ours is tucked away in the garage and the Multipla with winter tyres is being used for everything and that includes a lot of miles across the Yorkshire Moors.

First time I have ever bought winter tyres - it's the difference between night and day. They're brilliant

L.F.

 

[kwakdonut]

So far, still using mine, have no other option really! Snow darn Sarf isn't too bad at the moment, more annoying than anything as it's having a mild melt at the moment which means it will freeze tonight and make conditions treacherous tomorrow :-(

ESP off and gearbox in 'W' for very tricky situations apart from that, just reducing speed and trying not to use the brakes too much!

 

[Vlad]

As with all winter driving it all comes down to tyres....Mercs in general are rubbish in snow if you dont fit winter tyres.

 

[trapperjohn]

Don’t forget with an auto the rear wheels are still trying to drive when you are breaking!! This cancels out breaking to "slow down"
I found last year that for low speed manoeuvring if I put the car into neutral prior to wanting to stop at a cross roads (for example) and then applied the breaks. I had a fair chance of stopping!! Otherwise I had a tonne and a half of 124 estate toboggan throwing me into all sorts of interesting situations most of them involving brown adrenaline.

 

[kwakdonut]

No, generally any car with RWD and fat tyres will be crap in the snow!

 

[mercboiuk]

When used throughout the winter, my E320 was absolutely fine 99.9% of the time, even with the wider-than-standard summer tyres.

Never had to push it, and only got stuck on a hill once because some numb nut in an on coming car was travelling too fast All I had to do was reverse slightly down the hill to get some grip

My parents only ever required a push once when they were the owner what became my 230E, too. Again, I never had a problem.

In my experience they are largely fine, although with any RWD car, you have to be that extra bit careful, even over FWD and 4WD vehicle.

The main thing I found is to plan your routes along as many main roads as possible

One thing you should try to do is find a VERY empty, VERY big, snow-covered car park. It's the best way to learn about car control at less than 5mph - and it's alot of fun

Darren

 

[manalishi]

There was some news footage last week of a W124 with its backside getting squirrly under not very much power. Looked like the camber of the road helped - and turned it into the path of a van travelling in the opposite direction.

Slow speed and the driver recovered it OK. Probably had a spare pair of shorts in the glove box.

(Doesn't everyone?)

 

[moralcrusader]

Don’t forget with an auto the rear wheels are still trying to drive when you are breaking!! This cancels out breaking to "slow down"
I found last year that for low speed manoeuvring if I put the car into neutral prior to wanting to stop at a cross roads (for example) and then applied the breaks. I had a fair chance of stopping!! Otherwise I had a tonne and a half of 124 estate toboggan throwing me into all sorts of interesting situations most of them involving brown adrenaline.

That's a very useful piece of advice - even more so for a W123 Auto that doesn't like cold starts!

 

[SilverSaloon]

like others, without winter tyres its not going to be great, but i managed ok last year when i did take it out, although i tend to leave it safe in the garage when it snows. i live on a hill too....

 

[Dai rees]

What Snow!! we still hve not had any here in Pembroke

 

[GP801]

Drove ours back from Italy last week. 2 blizzards during the trip and it coped with no problems. Saying that so did everything else. Somehow it does not seem to be such an issue elsewhere in europe. The gritters that were out made the uk ones look pathetic and also they were out in pairs on the motorways for better coverage. Ours has normal summer tyres but they are the 195/65 15 which probably helped with the narrow tread width.

 

[bh13coupe]

practice makes perfect
YouTube - Mercedes W124 thru the snow

YouTube - Krematorium Mercedes W124 300D

and these are for the 4-matic fans
YouTube - W124 4MATIC SNOW DRIFT(W124 300TE)

YouTube - 4matic

 

[ShinyF1]

So far, still using mine, have no other option really! Snow darn Sarf isn't too bad at the moment, more annoying than anything as it's having a mild melt at the moment which means it will freeze tonight and make conditions treacherous tomorrow :-(

ESP off and gearbox in 'W' for very tricky situations apart from that, just reducing speed and trying not to use the brakes too much!

235/45 tyres not ideal, so ESP on for me, but flicking into neutral when braking - too many issues today with the fronts locking and pushing on in compacted snow.

Freeze to night and working from home tomorrow I think.

 

[kbhogalW126]

My e320 with no traction control and summer tyres is staying on thedrive until we lose the snow.

I did take it off the drive on saturday to swap the cars around and it wheelspun and squealed like an insolent child.

So its now grounded for the winter.

Cba fitting winter tyres.

Next trip will be to Ian's for him to work some of his magic on it later this month.

Apart from that its staying put!

KJ

 

[snoopy]

I'm running fatter 17s on my 250d and it's a joke. I've given up trying to get it off the path now.

My new battery is also dead after 4 days of sitting. No alarm, I'm surprised the cold weather killed it so quickly.

 

[Lockhart Flawse]

I have a battery conditioner which is primarily to keep the TVR battery topped up over winter whilst it is in the garage but I have put it on the Land Rover during the recent cold spell. They plug into the cigar socket and work really well - the battery is always at full charge when you want to use the vehicle. Mine's an Accumate - about £40-50.

L.F.

 

[snoopy]

LOL did I read that right, you keep your battery "topped up" via a cigar charger in the car?

 

[krimat2005]

i got winter tyres on mine, standard size 195/65/15, no probs on about 8" of snow or slush. i got upset doing 15-25 mph behind "careful" drivers, so overtook them. the true is Britain must learn to use winter tyres and how to drive on snow and live with it. no offence guys