I just got my '04 6mt, and luv it. I am unfamiliar with VDC and VDC off.We had a snow storm last nite. 3-5 inches heavy wet snow. Very slippery. I couldnt climb a hill last nite in VDC and when I disengaged it I was able to creep my way up the hill. Overall the car was fair in the snow conditions. It will take me time to adjust having had a 96 Blazer the last 8 yrs. Has anyone added weight in the trunk for better traction? Also, the stock GoodYears seemed less than adequate... thx

 

As you've found out, there are times that the VDC has to be turned off, since a little wheel slip is advantageous. For most driving tho, leave it on -- it's a real lifesaver.
As far as tires go, most here in the colder climates have found dedicated winter tires the only answer.
Adding weight in the trunk is not a good idea due to possible weight shift, and that extra weight in the trunk upsets the normal weight bias of the car.
G/L with your new ride. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]

<font color=red>GSM</font color=red>
<font color=red>GSM</font color=red>
<font color=black>Silverstone Coupe</font color=black>

 

I'm in southern California, personally, but I've seen this question pop up on these forums many, many times.

The general consensus seems to be that yes, the stock tires don't do well in the snow. (There are 3 stock tires, btw.. Goodyear Eagle GS-A, a summer tire, Eagle RS-A, an all-season performance tire that still sucks in the snow, and the Bridgestone Turanza EL42, an all-season touring tire that is quieter and more comfortable cruising than the Goodyears, but still sucks in the snow).

If you have a lot of snow where you live, you may want to invest in a set of winter tires and rims. From our members in Canada and the NorthEast, apparently winter tires make a night & day difference in driving around on that white stuff. Some of them stick sandbags in their trunks, as well.

As for the VDC, normally in conditions like that you want to leave it on. It'll help control the RWD car when it tries to fishtail or spin the tires too much. However, sometimes you encounter a situation like the one where you describe, where you do have to disable it to get moving. VDC isn't a cure-all, though -- it can't do much when there's very little traction between the tire and the road surface. It's probable that with snow tires, your car would have just simply gone up that hill with no problems.. VDC on or off.

 

Hey I live in CT, and dealt with the same storm last night. I leave it on when I am on the highway, and turn it off on back roads for the same reason that you can't get up a hill with it on. Plus it's more fun. On the highway, it isn't fun losing traction at 60.

'03.5 Silver AT Sedan, Premium, Aero Kit/Package, Sport, Winter, Stillen Air Box, Z pipe, Polk Tweeters, Clifford RSX 3.5, Gram Light 57F Pro's (on the way), Hotchkis sways

 

If you can remember the storm of '96 on the East Coast...I had a 300 ZX and was toodle'ng around in the snow. I had a 50 lb bag of salt in the trunk...let me tell you, I never got stuck...put that bag right in the middle of the trunk and never had a problem.
Kerry

 

Dmac66-
It's too bad you couldn't keep your 96 Blazer. I kept my 96 1500 just for days like these. With the 2 car insurance discount my truck is less than 50 bucks a month to keep on the road.



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VDC or not to VDC, get better tires and turn it off for going forward. But it will help when stopping.

03 - Black - Premium - Wood - Aero w/ Spoiler - Z Tube - Grounded - Stillen CAI

 

The two most valuable lessons learned this winter: 1.) a dedicated winter tire/wheel package is worth it's weight in gold and; 2.) relocating your VDC switch to the console is time well spent

2004 | 6MTs | Diamond Graphite/Graphite
Upstate NY

 

Are the Goodyear GS-A's better than the GS-D's on sport package G's for dry performance driving?

 

If you mean RS-A, then no. The GS-D is the summer performance tire, and the RS-A is the all-season performance tire. The GS-D is the better of the two for dry performance.