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Big Traction issues

4K views 35 replies 21 participants last post by  NISFAN 
#1 ·
Hi All,

The last few days ive had massive traction issues on my m135i, i know this time of year isnt the best but its alot worse than normal, to the point now that the car slides around roundabouts when driving normal speeds. Under low acceleration the traction light is flickering like mad while the back axle squirms around.

Ive got my winter tyres on so i dont see that as an issue, pressures are exactly the same as what they have aleays been. Ive driven it on loads of different roads and its the same on all surfaces.

Has anyone else experianced this before? Any help is apricated :)
 
#3 ·
probably to warm for winter tyres ! also what brand winter's are you on ?
 
#4 ·
Current tyres are nankang, 225 front and 235 on the rear, i had them last winter and theyve been on for about a month and a half so far this year. Didnt have any issues with them last winter.

Currently about 5-6 deg here so its under the 7 deg reccomended for winters.

Left hand corners seem to have decent grip but turning right is terrible, could it be diff related?
 
#7 ·
Width shouldn't be a problem, rather the brand of tyre that is, depending on how they've been stored.

I'm running 215/45/18 Michelin Pilot Alpin 4s on the wife's M235i (purely because I had a set left over from a previous car) and traction and handling is still very good.
 
#8 ·
I had similar last night. Winters, square 225 Dunlop set up, on for over a month less traction sure but not a problem (fun if anything) but last night like driving on spilt diesel! Today better but still silly trying to pull out of side roads with any lock on.
 
#10 ·
MLite said:
I had similar last night. Winters, square 225 Dunlop set up, on for over a month less traction sure but not a problem (fun if anything) but last night like driving on spilt diesel! Today better but still silly trying to pull out of side roads with any lock on.
It's to warm for winters at the minute, when I tried a set 2 years ago I found them horrific ! Especially in damp conditions above 3/4 degrees

I've said it before winter tyres just don't work well with our sporadic weather,also they seem to have a very low shelf life after 2 winters people report that they just dont work very well at all.

Having said that if you live in areas prone to bad winters they ain't such a bad idea and are probably worth investing in but at the minute (where I live south east ) they would be effectively worse than summer tyres due to the warmer damp weather.

Think x climate's would be more useful as a all weather tyre opposed to a winter tyre imo .
 
#12 ·
You haven't recently put any tyre dressing on the sidewalls have you? Get a bit of that too far up the edge and it will makes thing fun...

As others have said, some days the roads just are really greasy, a combination of salt/grit/dirt, moisture, temperature etc. I don't find my winters any different up to about 8 or 9 degrees, at that point they don't really lose grip, but can certainly feel it's much "softer" going around corners. In a way it's easier to control near the limit because you get massive amounts warning that you're getting near the limit.

Don't forget winter tyres are designed to be able to run safely at their Vmax in much warmer temperatures than we have now. Places like Germany it's illegal not to run them in winter, and often near the changeover dates temperatures can be 20+ in places.
 
#13 ·
I have this issue too - on a BMW set of Continental winters. I have had Dunlop winters on a 330d and it felt really good ... the Continentals are far worse - or at least seem it (when online reviews sing their praises).

The pressures are right and they are about 400 miles in now so scrubbed off the initial newness ... yet they feel bad compared to the Dunlops on the 330d. Interestingly my E92 330d felt far more solid and planted generally than my M240i convertible does - normal tyres or winters. I wonder if the suspension set up (passive on both cars) gives this 'feeling'.

I need snow now, not salted roads ! Lol
 
#15 ·
NISFAN said:
I don't understand this thread, in my experience winter tyres generally bring on the yellow DSC light much easier. I put it down to the floppy tread blocks that mimic 'wheelspin' at the best of times.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I can't believe that tread movement will bring on the light.

Tempted to suggest, as others, that it's a combination of salted roads absorbing moisture from the generally damp conditions and creating "greasy" surfaces before the salt gets properly washed away with rain. I've had moments of extreme slipperiness recently.

One other thing, I noticed when I first put on my winters this winter that they initially had much less grip than expected - I think the tyres need to burn off a thin oxidised layer or rubber before working properly.
 
#17 ·
9mm tread blocks ain't nice for any driving apart from the ice and snow which is what they are designed for ! (Ironically once below 5mm they are rendered useless) Tyre manufacturers will say these tyres work up to temp's of 7 degrees etc etc let's face it they are trying to sell a product.
I tried conti 850p's which get great reviews however my review of them was... below freezing they were good and work how they were supposed to ( never got to try them in snow or ice as we didn't get any )
Temps around the 10 degree mark in the rain of damp they were lethal ! I took them off because they was just dangerous
So don't be surprised when things warm up they will get wobbly.
I don't want to sound like I'm putting these tyres down this is just my honest opinion , im sure they give people who use there car to commute a get deal of pleasure that they will be in a better position if the weather turns.
 
#18 ·
square setup nokian 225/17's here, nothing to report here, all good!
 
#19 ·
Aubergine_Joe said:
I read this post shortly before a trip to the shops and didn't have an answer. Driving to the shops, my back end stepped out on a roundabout and I saw a VW Passat having trouble joining it too. Perhaps just greasy roads as others have said.

Oct 16 M140i. MPSS all round. Nearly 16k on clock. Good treads.
Diesel or something equally slippery on the roundabout? I did a 180 on a roundabout in a loan Bora at very low speed. A Vauxhall of some description did exactly the same thing in the lane next to me. Fortunately we didn't hit each other or anything else. No warning at all, the car just snapped suddenly and I ended up facing the wrong way. It wasn't raining and the roads were otherwise fine. I can only guess that we both hit a patch of something.
 
#21 ·
Diesel tends to be a sudden snap followed with a little slipperiness until it wears off. It won't continue being slippery for a whole journey - at least it hasn't on the 3 or 4 times I've hit it.

Always tends to be on corners which makes things interesting. :D
 
#22 ·
GeeDee said:
Diesel tends to be a sudden snap followed with a little slipperiness until it wears off. It won't continue being slippery for a whole journey - at least it hasn't on the 3 or 4 times I've hit it.

Always tends to be on corners which makes things interesting. :D
That was it exactly. I'm sure you can imagine how gentle I was with the throttle after finding myself facing the oncoming traffic. :eek2: :bigsmile:
 
#23 ·
No tyre will help you on a diesel spill unfortunately, amazing how many spins are blamed on "it must of been diesel" lol
 
#25 ·
No more issue than normal on my Goodyear winters. This it the 3rd and last winter I'll use them as down to around 5mm now. TC lights up a lot easier with these but different rubber and narrower than normal summers so just expect that.

As for temperature, last year I ran them Nov to about May so they saw plenty of days in the high teens and 20+ but I wouldn't say the performance was notably poorer. Admittedly I did have an Astra VRX push me on some country lanes but winter tyres aren't for racing.
 
#26 ·
square setup conti 860s 225/17's here, all good too. Not confidence inspiring though when a bit greasy or warm.

However in autumn on MPSS was tricky as you describe - camber was way out and tyres worn to canvas on insides.
 
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