stuck in snow

:lol: thats one way to do it!! :lol: :lol:

 

You solved your own problem.

Sounds like you have a steep driveway. This is not just a prius problem. My buddy’s Cadillac with a big v8 has similar problems with steep slippery snow covered things like a steep driveway. Traction control is a great safety device but it is also self-defeating especially in front wheel vehicles.

 

Is there anyway to temporarily disable traction control for a situation like this?

 

I encountered a similar situation on slightly wet soil. When I went down the hill it was dry, but it rained lightly when I was down there. It took three tries to get up the hill, the last one was successful after backing as far as I could and gaining as much momentum as possible before starting the climb, and even then the car barely made it to the top, with the wheels taking turns to grab and stall.

It does not snow where I live, if it did I would not be driving a Prius, perhaps a Suzuki SX4.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Highly ImPriused @ Mar 16 2007, 07:42 PM) [snapback]407152[/snapback]</div>

I think there is, it forces the gas engine to be on all the time.... but damned if I can remember how to do it.

Oooo Google is your friend:

I copied this section from the posted link above, USE AT YOU'RE OWN RISK.

to disable traction control on the prius:
1) Turn the car to ignition by pressing START twice without pressing the brake.
2) Floor the gas pedal two times (two full top to bottom pressings)
3) Make sure the Emergency brake is on now and put the car into NEUTRAL
4) Again press the gas pedal two times
5) Push PARK and press the gas pedal two more times
6) Now put your foot on the BRAKE and press START one time while holding the brake down.

The prius will reset traction control to normal the next time you start it.

 

Thanks Vagabond, that should be in a "sticky" somewhere on here......

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(not stock and very fast @ Mar 16 2007, 10:04 PM) [snapback]407126[/snapback]</div>

I was worried about that here in Boston as well. The 2007 doesn't seem to have the same problems I've been reading about. I was able to accelerate through some deep snow without the TC stopping me.

The ABS in snow however, that was a different story...

 

Can I tell y'all about time I had to leave my car twice and walk home in Rochester NY because I couldn't make it up the hill in the snow?????
Those was the ol' days.... 1980 or so without any of the computer stuff so maybe it's just the way things are in the SNOW! :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(barbaram @ Mar 17 2007, 12:00 AM) [snapback]407256[/snapback]</div>

Its snowing to beat-the-band on Long Island today. My prius is just one week old and I was concerned about how it would manage the snow. It was just fine...it tracked true and felt solid for my sixty mile round trip to work. Several times on the LIE (Long Island Expressway) I became annoyed at other drivers, despite the ice, and passed them with confidence...

The only problem I encountered was getting up the steep hill in front of my house. I got about half way up and the traction control kicked in and suddenly the car stopped and would not move. I backed up and tried again but just could not make it. Finally I had to back down make a dangerous u-turn...and then go around the long way. If the traction control had not kicked in I'm certain I could have made it.

Is there any way to turn this feature off?...HB

 

Hay "not stock", I have a question...... when you towed the car, did you unplug the little circle in the front bumper and use the "tow hook" inside??? :huh:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HIBREAD @ Mar 17 2007, 12:24 AM) [snapback]407276[/snapback]</div>

Try reading through this thread, specifically 5 posts up.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(not stock and very fast @ Mar 16 2007, 09:04 PM) [snapback]407126[/snapback]</div>

What type of tires do you have? If they are the stock Integrity tires, it's no wonder you got stuck. Trade them for some better tires, or better yet, snow tires.

Tom

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Highly ImPriused @ Mar 16 2007, 09:42 PM) [snapback]407152[/snapback]</div>

Be careful with that. You can destroy the HSD in an eye-blink without traction control by over spinning the motors.

Tom

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HIBREAD @ Mar 17 2007, 12:24 AM) [snapback]407276[/snapback]</div>

Since you couldn't try it without traction control, there is no way you can be certain that it would have made it. Snow is funny stuff. I've been stuck in four inches of wet, slippery snow in a Jeep C-J5 with four-wheel-low and big aggressive snow tires. It all depends on the conditions. Other times I've gone through two feet in my Prius.

Tom

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Vagabond @ Mar 16 2007, 10:24 PM) [snapback]407184[/snapback]</div>

It needs to be stated here that it's probably a really bad idea to do this. One of the reasons that the Prius has what some people call "overly-aggressive" traction control is to protect the electric motors that spin the wheels. Apparently over-spinning the wheels is a really bad idea and can cause irreversible damage to the electric motors.

(I know Tom just said this, but I thought it was an important point to make again)

 

Traction control, at least in an '07, is not the problem. I drove though the same stuff yesterday after removing my snow tires last weekend and it climbed just fine. Honestly I think yesterday's drive was my crowning achievement to date in the Prius because of what happened. My apartment is at the top of a very steep hill, and the roads had a good coating of snow. I was climbing and saw some cars in front of me going very, very slow. The first one was some guy in a Ford Explorer who couldn't gain traction. For every two feet he went up the hill he went left or right at least one foot. Mean while the Prius, even with the Ingrities, just kept on climbing. I nearly had to stop on the hill when I got to him. I didn't even have a problem turning into my apartment complex, climbing a brief hill that is even steeper, and crawling into a snow-covered parking space. Up-hill. On the few occasions that a wheel started to slip, traction control reduced power for a moment and then kept right on truckin' when static friction was restored. I've learned that the best strategy for limited traction is just to put the pedal down and let the car figure out what to do.

Good snow tires for the deep stuff are all you need.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HIBREAD @ Mar 17 2007, 01:24 AM) [snapback]407276[/snapback]</div>

There are hills on LI????????

We had sleet storm here-
forgot to go in the parking garage so I had to dig out Saturday-
had some trouble trying to go- the sleet was very slippery once it started melting, so once I eased off the gas the spaceship started moving-
Think it may just be adjusting to the new systems!

I had meant to order zchains but the winter came and went with little snow !

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brick @ Mar 17 2007, 06:40 PM) [snapback]407586[/snapback]</div>

That's what I do too.

Tom

 

I had trouble with 2 hills on my way home Friday night, in northern NJ. I live in a very secluded lake community where our roads are not the top priority for the town's plows, especially on a Friday night.

I have a 2006, with Michelin X-Ice tires.

I grew up in the 60s in Wisconsin, my dad forced me to wait until winter to learn to drive, something I hated as a 16 year old and have thanked him every year ever since..

The Prius is the first car I have ever owned that does NOT have a standard transmission. I have never been stuck on ice or snow, and many of my neighbors will call me when they're stuck to come over and either give them tips on how to get out or, in extreme situations, get their car out myself. So the fact that there were two hills that took me ore than 1 try to crest was somewhat disconcerting...

It seemed to me that as soon as 1 wheel started to slip, power was decreased to both wheels, making ti difficult to get over the top of very steep hills without a running start.

For the first hill I merely backed up, got a bit of a run, and was able to get beyond the "tipping" point ( the point where in my previous attempt the loss of power to the wheels was severe enough that the car couldn't make it over the crest.

The second hill, which was the final approach to my driveway, I was able to turn the car around and back up the hill. (the rear view camera helped a lot and I would NOT recommend this if there's any chance of oncoming traffic!) I'm not sure if it was that the anti-slip system doesn't kick in as readily in reverse, or that with the type of ice on the roads that pushing the bulk of the car worked better than pulling... but I got home and built a nice cozy fire.

Looks like I have to get used to automatic transmissions and anti-slip software...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(not stock and very fast @ Mar 16 2007, 10:04 PM) [snapback]407126[/snapback]</div>

I live in Florida but this product sounds interesting
http://www.autosock.us/default.aspx?did=90...ng+instructions

 

Same thing in South Central Penna. Because Driveway is steep, Wife will take Subaru and leave the Prius in the garage when they call for snow. We didn't listen to the weather report this day and had about 2 inches with some slush under. Wife got partway up and came to stop as TC took hold and tires wouldn't spin. She called on cell phone, I came straight home and got the Dodge and pulled the Prius up over. Yes the little tow bar did nicely threaded right in and gave me a good hook up. Thought I was done doing this stuff, dah, will listen to weather better from now on.
You might think is is a bad thing but we get enough savings in gas with Prius to have three vehicles. The Dodge pick-up 4x4, (14 mpg) is now just used to haul stuff or bad weather and if needed to pull overs up the hill.