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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum my 530d in cold weather - snow (but not really settled)
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      01-20-2013, 10:44 AM   #1
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my 530d in cold weather - snow (but not really settled)

just felt compelled to write about my 530d msport.
i'm in London an dthe last few days its been snowing (I know nothing compared to other locations but we in the south of Uk tend to make a meal out it!). Temperature around freezing. Roads gritted.
just have to say the car warms up very quickly. Heated seats are like sitting on on a volcano!
Only issues I had which is documented in the manual is that the radar sensor under the front bumper got a build of snow and there fore I got a warning on my HUD about the collission warning being deactivated.
Quick wipe off and all good again.
Car felt really luxrious and has made the journeys feel like a complete non event. Grip on summer tyres on the few roads that hadn't been treated was surprisingly good. I noted that when i applied some gas and the rear wheels started to slip, it took quite a bit of effort before the DSC kicked in, its almost as if it knew it was on snow and allowed a small amount of slip before intervening.(Perhaps becuase its under light throttle it assumes that?)

All in all, very capable - i just need to get the car cleaned now!
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      01-20-2013, 11:03 AM   #2
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Thanks for writing this up, im about to buy a 530D msport and was considering if i needed rear winter rubber. But at 19" 2 extra rears are very expensive.

You've put my mind at ease, which type/size tyres do you have?
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      01-20-2013, 11:59 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmw-man-uk View Post
Thanks for writing this up, im about to buy a 530D msport and was considering if i needed rear winter rubber. But at 19" 2 extra rears are very expensive.

You've put my mind at ease, which type/size tyres do you have?
Be careful guys, the 5-series is fine on winter tyres, but I'd be very cautious of braking and car control, on summer tyres, even if you get a bit of grip, enough to get going.

BTW, winter tyres are not just for the rear. You could end up in a worse state, if it all went wrong on a pair of rear winter tyres. Braking is still compromised, the front needs as much grip as the rear. So not at all recommended by any in the motor or safety industries, particularly as most of the winter you won't be on snow and driving characteristics will be, to say the least, unbalanced.

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      01-20-2013, 12:28 PM   #4
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I've got Michellins on my 19" wheels. I don't doubt that winter will be a lot better, the conditions I've encountered were not exactly challenging and to be honest , when I had my previous E39 (again on summer tyres) in bad snow and ice it was quiet difficult to handle.

i've not encountered any icy roads yet in my F10 which would be another matter and in that case I'd leave the car at home.I just don't think its worth trying and I don't need my car for work so i'd rather avoid getting it damaged through a silly mistake (or someone elses)

I just wanted to comment on it s it handled better than I was expecting.
I always try to drive in a manner where the DSC or ABS doesn't kick in, that way you have some reserves so to speak.
It was a really nice place to be, freezing outside and a nice 22c inside with everything just working- which is how it should be.
Althought it didn't take much snow to disable the radar sensor.
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      01-20-2013, 02:41 PM   #5
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When I was driving the 330d I had the chance to try both my summer and winter sets on the same day, on the same snow/ice covered lane. Was able to make some comparison tests, to really see for myself what the differences were.

Where the summer tyres would slip and slide about, no acceleration and braking was just a slide, the winter tyres transformed the car. You realise how "on the edge" you really are on summer tyres, and how much safety the winter tyres add, even to smooth ice.

Acceleration and braking were in a different league, almost as if there wasn't any issue with snow and ice under the car. When I flipped it through a 90-degree junction, the summer's had the car swinging out, DSC light flashing as the car tried for control again. On the winter tyres it was very hard to even get the rear to break away, let alone see flashing lights.

A few weeks ago I had my 5-series on the same lane on a surface (much as the picture of it outside my home), and tried the same acceleration/braking, plus the rear swing out, again no drama, very impressed. Also driving through deep slush, (one of the worst conditions for a BMW, in my experience) very impressive performance.



I'm using OEM 225/55 R17 Dunlop SP WinterSport 3D run-flats.

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      01-20-2013, 03:13 PM   #6
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http://www.automobilemag.com/feature...er_tires_test/

Posted this before, but worth looking at, again.
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      01-20-2013, 03:13 PM   #7
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Hopefully lease companies will start to add winter tyres for us....
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      01-20-2013, 03:47 PM   #8
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with the current weather condition around europe, i would consider an investment in winter tires as very wise. not only do you have better traction, you actually have much shorter braking distances - worth every cent if you can avoid a dent here or there..
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      01-20-2013, 04:43 PM   #9
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I drive my F11 520d msport on snow and ice all the time. In fact I drove up to the mountains this friday with -20 degreee celcius when I arrived. The F11 is a very good winter car. It has perfect balance and is very easy to control once you start sliding. And trust me, if you drive a lot on snow/is you will and do slide once in a while.

That said, if you drive with summer wheels, or even all season wheels on snow, you are a bit blunt IMHO. It`s not only about dents or damage to your car. It`s about your life, and other peoples lives as well. 10 meter more or less in breaking distance could easily be about someone dying or not.
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      01-20-2013, 06:50 PM   #10
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All very valid points.

pete - are your rear winter alloys thinner then your summers?

AP - nice, im a fan of buying good tyres,but hankook rfts seem to be getting good reviews. its better according to this new chart system
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