Snow?

Has anybody driven in snow with the 19" all-season tires? That is all I have for my i3 currently and we are supposed to get 1-3" tomorrow.

Handles well in the snow with the 19" all-seasons. Put it in EcoPro or EcoPro+ to reduce power to the wheels to reduce/eliminating tire spinning.

My first post on the forum. I live 9 miles into the foothills west of Boulder, CO and have just under 1000 miles on our 2014 i3 REX. I've driven it in very snowy and icy conditions a handful of times now on the very steep and winding road - both paved and gravel - which leads to our home. We have the standard 19" wheels and tires and the vehicle handles amazingly. I definitely put it in EcoPro mode both to conserve battery and reduce power and am careful on the steepest, slipperiest uphills to apply power slowly. Going downhill in slippery conditions I prefer the i3 to my 4-wheel drive SUV as the "braking" of the i3 is more gentle and leads to much better traction.

Thanks, I've only had the i3 a little over a week now. I've seen any number of rear wheel drive vehicles slip on this on this one hill by my neighborhood and was concerned. However,. this area has been downgraded to about an inch of snow and they have already pretreated the roads.

FWIW, the motor is essentially directly aligned with the rear wheels. This helps. Winter tires would help more, but especially when new, the all-season tires are often adequate; not the best, but adequate. Nothing beats a purpose built tool for the specific conditions, and with winter tires, that's not only the precipitation, but the temperature which affects the rubber's ability to grip since it gets stiffer and can't conform resulting in less surface contact area.

Over the last three days I've driven in 1/2" of ice followed by 6-7" of snow and I've got the 19" All-Seasons. The ice was interesting, in Eco Pro with traction control on I was getting around as well or better than most front wheel drive cars I saw and WAY better than the poor guy I saw in a Camaro. The snow was really not a problem as far as traction goes, the only issue that is a little odd is the rear end can become "unsettled" when you let off and go into regen. It even feels like sometimes the ABS kicks in during regen which makes sense but is a bit odd since you're not braking in the traditional sense.

Two complaints:
First, the windshield wipers have always been great in the rain but in the snow they suck....a lot. Even with the defrost cranked all the way up with the temp set to 80 degrees the windshield was still cold enough that the wiper blades kept building up ice on them making them useless. Even when you clean the ice off the blades then ice/snow builds up on the edges of the windshield and the whole process repeats. Also, the windshield washer nozzles freeze up easily as well so you're left with no way to clear the windshield at all. At the very least a cold weather package option with heated washer nozzles and/or a heated windshield should be available, I'll live with the power usage to be able to see.

Second, you can't fully disable the traction control and it's REALLY aggressive in the snow (IMHO). I guess this is BWM erring to the side of caution but it makes it impossible to have any fun in the snow....no donuts for you!

Pentacat said:

Second, you can't fully disable the traction control and it's REALLY aggressive in the snow (IMHO). I guess this is BWM erring to the side of caution but it makes it impossible to have any fun in the snow....no donuts for you!

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Pentacat, are you saying that when you go into settings and select traction to off, it doesn't switch it off?

BoMW said:

Pentacat said:

Second, you can't fully disable the traction control and it's REALLY aggressive in the snow (IMHO). I guess this is BWM erring to the side of caution but it makes it impossible to have any fun in the snow....no donuts for you!

Click to expand...

Pentacat, are you saying that when you go into settings and select traction to off, it doesn't switch it off?

Click to expand...

It doesn't switch it off, despite the confusing wording they used in the menu.

Pentacat said:

Even with the defrost cranked all the way up with the temp set to 80 degrees the windshield was still cold enough that the wiper blades kept building up ice on them making them useless.

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Winter wiper blades, frequently with rubber-covered metal parts, minimize the amount of ice that can adhere. Maybe a set of these would solve at least this one problem.

The I3 performed fairly well on fresh snow, the mushy areas (and possibly icy) caused it to slip a bit. However, I was having better time another BMW which I think was a Z5 (was paying attention to the road, not the model label). I had a hard time tonight getting up my driveway, but after shoveling a bit and getting a good run, made it into my garage.

It looks like another 19" winter tire for the i3 Nokian Hakkapeliitta R2. Don't know if it is actually available, but it looks like it has some interesting features. They claim it is 30% less rolling resistance and beats others. The rubber compound has what appears to be something diamond-like crystals in it to give it better grip on things like ice. Wonder what it will do for road wear!? http://www.nokiantires.com/winter-tires/nokian-hakkapeliitta-r2/
http://www.youtube.com/embed/C72NcBOjvH0
I've owned some Nokian tires, and while not as easily found in the USA as some others, they are out there, and at least mine have performed well. I bought the BMW winter tire package, so by the time these wear out or age out, I expect there to be more choices out there.

i3atl said:

BoMW said:

Pentacat said:

Second, you can't fully disable the traction control and it's REALLY aggressive in the snow (IMHO). I guess this is BWM erring to the side of caution but it makes it impossible to have any fun in the snow....no donuts for you!

Click to expand...

Pentacat, are you saying that when you go into settings and select traction to off, it doesn't switch it off?

Click to expand...

It doesn't switch it off, despite the confusing wording they used in the menu.

Click to expand...

Here's the relevant section from the i3 owners manual:

DTC Dynamic Traction Control

The Concept
The DTC system is a version of the DSC in which forward momentum is optimized.

The system ensures maximum forward momentum on special road conditions, e.g., unplowed snowy roads, but driving stability is limited.

So based on my experience with my previous BMW cars the function of the i3 "disabling" of DTC via iDrive is the reverse of what it was in the past. In my previous 335 sedan pressing the DTC button once would disable the traction control allowing some wheel spin...or in i3 manual parlance NOT optimizing forward momentum. Pressing and holding the DTC button for a few seconds would then disable STABILITY control (DSC) allowing for more slip angles and such by disabling front wheel braking etc. In current BMW models this process is now press the DTC (skidding car icon) button to disable DTC then switch the car into Sport+ mode to disable DSC.

Not sure why BMW switched the terminology for the i3's iDrive menu. In any case it means that the i3 is completely useless for doing donuts in snowy parking lots . All that torque and no way to enjoy it....sigh.

Pentacat

I too have tried to switch the traction control to OFF it says OFF and the dash has the warning.... But BMW does not want you (any of us ) to have fun no donuts in the snow

I'm new to owning a premium car or a RWD, retired after a career designing auto safety systems and latterly leading safety analyses on electric power steering, ABS, TC, ESP, etc. My car has 19 wheels and the standard Bridgestone tyres.

We had a few inches of damp snow (the usual sort in soggy old England) on cold roads on Boxing day, and I found it difficult, although many others around me with FWD or 4WD were in trouble, too.

It was in rural Derbyshire, with narrow steep winding roads with unforgiving stone walls at the edges. Gradients on older roads in UK are much steeper than most in N America, AFAIK.

I didn't remember to try switching to TC-only mode to solve the problem of starting/keeping moving up hills; I was too busy just trying to avoid wrecking the new car! I did manage to spin through about 135 degrees on an icy stretch at one point, on a slight down grade: fortunately we stopped and recovered before any harm was done. I'm going to see how comparative reviews of the Nokians/Blizzaks turn out, and mull over the cost of buying and storage v the relative rarity of snow here.

If you want a total new wheel/tire assembly, rather than swapping tires only season to season, at least in the USA, you can buy a pre-mounted winter tire with TPMS for less than the same wheel retails for by itself from BMW. Don't know why, but that's the way it is. We have not had nasty weather, at least while I needed to be out, so I don't really know how the OEM winter tires handle. If I were going to just buy tires, I think I'd go with the Hakka R2's over the Bridgestones unless the cost was huge between the two. The R2's are also a low-rolling resistance tire, so it should not be a range issue.

An all-season tire is a compromise, all seasons. The diamond like grit embedded in the R2's should really help on ice. Nokian essentially invented the winter tire, and has always done well by me.

i3atl said:

BoMW said:

Pentacat said:

Second, you can't fully disable the traction control and it's REALLY aggressive in the snow (IMHO). I guess this is BWM erring to the side of caution but it makes it impossible to have any fun in the snow....no donuts for you!

Click to expand...

Pentacat, are you saying that when you go into settings and select traction to off, it doesn't switch it off?

Click to expand...

It doesn't switch it off, despite the confusing wording they used in the menu.

Click to expand...

Actually it is possible to disable the traction control. BUT this will temporarily disable regen (the auto brake function that recuperate energy) and ABS, so be careful if you follow the instructions below. I was very surprised how well the i3 coasts, especially when the muscle memory expected the vehicle to brake.

This is how you can disable traction control (AND ABS ALONG WITH AUTO-BRAKE!!):
1. Locate the button on the left side of the speedo-display (the button that normally reset the trip counter).
2. Press and hold until a menu appears in the lower left corner (approx. 30 sec).
3. The special menu will list the entries:
1 Identification
2 System test
3 Start roller
10 Unlock
4. Highlight the entry "3 Start roller" by pressing 2 times on the button (each short press will select the next entry)
5. When "3 Start roller" is highlighted long press the button (5 sec).
6. A dialog will appear that asks you to accept the roller mode, short press the button and the mode will activate along with an information message in the central display about the brakes (ignore this).
7. Have fun in the snow, but make sure to have ample space and no traffic (vehicles or pedestrians!) if you want to spin your tires!
8. To revert the vehicle must be switched off.

Oh and this is my first post, but the forum has been very helpful for me and my i3

I have the R2's and my neighbor has an i3 with the Bridgestone package. R2's were around $200 more for the four than the Bridgestone but the following was much different. R2's rode softer and quieter in dry. R2's are much better in snow up to two inches which is all we have been able to test in. I was able to walk up my 15 degree incline driveway with no issue. Bridgestones did not do as well though they still barely got the car up the unshovelled driveway. Neighbor will be getting R2's for next winter.

NoMoreGas said:

I have the R2's and my neighbor has an i3 with the Bridgestone package. R2's were around $200 more for the four than the Bridgestone but the following was much different. R2's rode softer and quieter in dry. R2's are much better in snow up to two inches which is all we have been able to test in. I was able to walk up my 15 degree incline driveway with no issue. Bridgestones did not do as well though they still barely got the car up the unshovelled driveway. Neighbor will be getting R2's for next winter.

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The BMW winter package with the Blizzaks are hard to beat price wise as it includes TPMS, wheesl, and tires. I just used the Blizzaks and had no difficulty in snow and moderate ice conditions. I don't have the Nokians for comparison, but I certainly wouldn't toss out a new set of Blizzaks for another set of Nokians.

It's all relative. If you shop around for replacements, the R2's may end up about the same price if you have the car long enough. Nokian specializes in winter tires from a country that really has a need for them, and it shows.

jadnashuanh said:

It's all relative. If you shop around for replacements, the R2's may end up about the same price if you have the car long enough. Nokian specializes in winter tires from a country that really has a need for them, and it shows.

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I very much agree! The past post implied that somebody was replacing the Blizzaks after one season. I would at least wait until the Blizzaks need replacement.