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  #1  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:30 PM
Hatterasguy's Avatar
Zero
 
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Location: Milford, CT
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Red face 4in of snow and the SDL is stuck!

Well tonight the conditions were the worse I have driven the SDL in. Their was 4in of fresh snow and some nice ice under it because of last weeks snow melting.

The first way I tried to get home from work I got stuck. I had to stop on a slight uphill street and couldn't go forward anymore. But I managed to back into a driveway and go down the street.

Now I tried to go another route and that went better, but I still had to get up the steep hill I live on.

So I went up the less steep part of the hill and I ran a few stop signs because I needed to get some speed up to make it up the hill. Who sticks a stop sign at the bottom of a steep hill?

Anyway I got halfway up and the rear broke lose and went right. Luckly I was able to stop it twice and keep making headway. I got 3/4 of the way up and almost came to a complete stop. I got on it and brought the rpms up to 3k or so and the rear was going right but I was moving up the hill! So I went up the rest of the hill sideways very slowly but I made it.

What I learned is this:
Fwd cars rule in the snow, when I got stuck the first time my dad came with some sand to help me. My moms fwd car with all seasons with less tread then mine had no problem at all.
awd is even better.

But if I was using my MB next winter snow tires are a must.
Also cat litter is a must.
Putting some heavy crap in my empty trunk couldn't hurt.
Also stay off the turbo, you have to keep the rpms under 2,500 because as soon as the power comes on the rear breaks lose and slides right.

The moral of this story is park the MB in the snow and use a fwd or awd car.

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  #2  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:37 PM
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typically on snowy road untill this year (got snow tires) I've always had better luck pedal to the metal and balancing the car in the center of the road while the rear slides right and points the car to the left, it took some practice but I was always able to make it up steep hills provided I wasn't starting from a dead stop at the bottom. I remember back in Jan 2001 with the 240D in 7 inches of snow it balled right up a hill with no sign of slowing down. Granted there were two people in the car plus an amplifier and full drumset, but still...

that reminds me, I did get stuck in a small ditch once with the 300CD with the stock 14" wheels 195/75/14 on. I managed to spin it around and get back home, switched out the rims and put the 17" 245/40/17's back on it and made it the 25 miles to work (and past that ditch) without getting stuck. I had put the stock wheels on the car the day before in anticipation of them doing better in the snow. Oh well I guess I learned something.
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  #3  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:39 PM
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I keep a 1 gallon sheet rock compound bucket full of old sandblasting media.

I don't like cat litter for traction becasue it gets like pig snot (slippery as hell) when it gets wet. A german entrenching tool to dig packed snow to clear asphault if needed and a set of strap on emergency chains, as a emergency show kit.....( also a stadium blanket and gloves)

but grab 4-6 sacks (50lb or more)of play sand for kids at home depot, and put them in garbage bags.....great ballast, if you get in an accident they will rupture and not kill you, and in a pinch great to get you out of an icey mess.
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  #4  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:49 PM
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I need to figure out how to make these things a bit better in the snow. I have a line on a nice 1982 300SD I might (want to stress might, the owner probably won't sell) get in another month for my winter/school car. Trans done 100k ago, suspension done 30k ago, driver side seat done 4 years ago.

I have to much time, blood(ohh the cuts! I'm a clutz), and money into my SDL to drive it sideways up a hill.

But the sideways thing works well I can control it very well sideways.
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  #5  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:50 PM
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I've only ever gotten "semi-stuck" a couple of back and forth motions where I was stuck and I was out....once I am going there's no stopping it, I plowed right up our hill in 14" of fresh snow before, yes I was going a little sideways, but I made it A guy on the street with a mini van with fwd took several tries to get up the streetm don't know what all that was about. I got stuck in a drift in the parking lot at work, my solution was some revving, and it worked....I do have real good tires though, they seem to help quite a bit.
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  #6  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:52 PM
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The snow this evening is indeed more slippery than most. Anything you can do to keep the tires cold will help, as will intense concentration on what's WAY ahead. But this is some nasty stuff tonight. Studded snows on my truck were spinning on going up my driveway about 1 1/2 hour ago - that almost never happens. They'll be lots of accidents tonight and people with FWD stuck too.
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  #7  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:54 PM
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Sounds like my trip home from Wal-Mart ... I barely got out of the parking lot. Had to go up this steep little hill to get on the main drag, and I think I would have made it, but stuck right at the top was a little Beetle going NOWHERE, wheels spinning, so I had to come to a complete stop. So there I am, complete stop, on a steep, sloppy, slippy hill with a couple cars right behind me, thinking "CRAP." Needless to say, I had to do some backing down. Tried a different exit, was about to coast around a right turn and make it onto the part of the street that had been driven on enough for it to give traction ... damn oncoming traffic, I had to stop, and it took me about five minutes to go six feet. After a lot of spinning, Bo and I made it to the main road and then did 20mph all the way home. BARELY made it, a little worse and I would have had to park it and walk home. They do an awful job of plowing around here on some roads, while others are clear right away. Only lived here a month so I have a lot to learn ...
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  #8  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:54 PM
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Pete so it isn't just me! This stuff is slick, I have brand new all season tires with a real nice tread on them.
Yeah lots of accidents but people still drive 40mph!
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  #9  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:56 PM
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We did have some snow last sunday night like that, we got 6" of real wet heavy slick stuff....I had no traction half the way home but thankfully only had to go on level surfaces most of the time. Tons of accidents, I saw several on my way home, all were fwd cars that had gone into the ditch....eek.
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'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
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  #10  
Old 02-24-2005, 09:59 PM
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hattie.....welcome to the inconvience of winter. love the 240 in fresh snow and flat roads. it pulled better thatn the fwd cars i was around.

heck yes stay waaaay off the turbo. too bad on hills there is no cut off switch(hey whunter can you develop one for turbo cars?) . take boneheaddocs advice and get the sand in the trunk. lousy on mileage but it will get you up the hill. try letting some air out of the tires to increase contact. no wait less contact is better in snow. okay carry a compressor in the trunk and inflate to 50 lbs going up hills and remember to deflate when you get home. hey i got some road salt you can have. tons of it. bring your own ih dumptruck. heck maybe one can be wired for you and you can take it home. they are large and orange with plows. would look good on blocks in the front yard.
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and can be seen on the cars for sale thread here. pix also available.


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  #11  
Old 02-24-2005, 10:26 PM
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The best thing is to get a set of four snow tires. They aren't all that expensive and they make a huge difference. I bought a set of four at the local discount tire for just over $200 installed. I also keep a few bags of sand in the trunk. Rear wheel drive is more predictable in snow than front wheel drive IMHO.
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  #12  
Old 02-24-2005, 10:30 PM
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And remember all ALL-season tires are not created equal, some are worthless and others quite good.

I ALWAYS had dedicated snow tires on their own rims for winter when I lived in the snow belt growing up (Pittsburgh, PA)
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1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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---------------------
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  #13  
Old 02-24-2005, 11:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 83-240D

heck yes stay waaaay off the turbo. too bad on hills there is no cut off switch(hey whunter can you develop one for turbo cars?) .
I'll take a stab at it. Couldn't you just add a 2-way switch valve in the wastegate line? Switch it on and it would pass straight through the line and act normal, switch it off it would all vent right out. There should be no smoking problems since the ALDA wouldn't even see the boost pressure in the manifold.

Or how about a modified EGR. Plug the exhaust port and when you apply vacuum and open the EGR, manifold pressure would vent and drop.

Don't mind me, just rambling on with ideas.
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  #14  
Old 02-24-2005, 11:04 PM
Anders
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Orlando, FL
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Snow Tires

Hatty,

When I lived in Portland, Maine I had to go up a BIG hill to get home in my '84 300D.

Wore four snow tires from Thanksgiving untill April. Loud, dropped the fuel mileage. But:

I could go anywhere. I remember passing a Civic up hill with 4-5 inches of powder.

It might be cool to get a set of steel wheels with plastic Euro covers for the winter.
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2002 Subaru Legacy L Wagon (115k) (Wife's)
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  #15  
Old 02-24-2005, 11:09 PM
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Hatt,
I have the michelen alpine something or others. They are the directional snow tires. I had to stop on a fairly steep snow covered incline a few weeks ago. I really thought I'd have a problem but the sdl pulled right up the hill. I also had about 50lbs of junk in my trunk.

My car came with some brand x all seasons on the rims and the these snows in the trunk. The all seasons, although almost new, were junk. Couldn't get traction in rain. I tossed them this past november when I had the snows put on. The other nice thing about the snows is that they aren't noisy. I'll be getting some new tires in few weeks for spring thru fall driving.

Dave

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