What is the Best method for getting unstuck in Snow?

Well, even if you could... would you want to drive right side handle Prius in the US??? " “E-Four” all-wheel drive, an approximately $1,450 option available only in Japan."

 

I would pay $1400 extra for an AWD Prius. But I bet you would only get it with a $7,000 special package...

 

Ah-hha. Good point. I went to traffic school and there was a lady there who had moved to Australia for a few years and she found driving on the left side more intuitive. Apparently she fell right into it. I would not want a "left driver" in the states. America needs an AWD Prius.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Wait a sec...

 

Snow tires are key if you live in New England in my opinion. We're nearly through our 6th winter in our Prius and it's always taken us safely where we need to go in the snow, ice and slush.

I don't know how anyone in the snow belt gets by on those summer-focused LLR tires. They turn rock hard below 40 degrees and they have so little tread. Not safe for winter in my opinion.

 

^ Totally agree. Another benefit: your nice alloys stay out of the mess, you can wax and store them.

 

It is not the

My tires are OEM with 22k on them. They have more than enough tread for 2-3 inches of snow on flat ground. Heck totally bald tires would be able to move a car forward with that little snow on level ground. I have been driving cars in snow for decades. The problem here is overly aggressive traction control.

We had an unusually late season snowstorm overnight (mid March). The Prius was blocking all my other cars in the driveway, and I could only move forward FOUR FRICKIN' INCHES, before the traction control cut all power to the wheels. I could not even gently rock the car, because it takes too long to switch between forward and reverse. I shoveled the snow in front of the wheels, and I was able to get out.

JStrenk's method of making the TC kick in, then gently and rapidly tapping the gas might have worked. However, my experience is that when the TC kicks in, the car stops, then takes several seconds before I can apply power to the wheels again. It is now MAY so it will be next Winter before I can try it. I have printed out how to disable the traction control, and taped it into my owners manual.

BTW: I bought this Prius specifically for use with Lyft / Uber. Putting up with tire noise is a totally unacceptable option. If I pull over to pick up a fare, and had to get out to shovel 2 inches of snow, I would lose the fare. If I didn't have a way to temporarily disable the traction control, I would sell the Prius, and buy a Civic.

 

Oh, I'll have an interesting times in the winter... I haven't notice that the Prius doesn't have a TC off switch Sometimes here the snow is about 2 feet (some northern cities has more than 5ft of snow)
TC is killing the deep snow driving, it's impossible to get out/continue if the car hits the deep snow and the driver does not push the gas hard to spin the tires and use the momentum, but on icy hills it's a life saver. In such conditions the TC switch is a must...

 

GoClaws. Works wonders. Not cheap though


the bat cave

 

They put a TC switch on the dash for Gen 4 Prius.

 

Snow tires. You need snow tires. I've had my Prius through 10" of unplowed snow easily. Snow, ice and slush no match for the Prius! I've passed Jeeps and pick ups in the snow because they can't go over 40 MPH with their transfer case engaged.

 

There is a way to temporarily disable traction control on the Prius. It involves doing a dance of putting the Prius in and out of neutral, and pressing the bake pedal twice a few times. Search this forum, and print it out, then tape it into the back of your owners manual in your glove-box. When you need it, you will be able to get moving in trivial snows. Don't abuse the override, because you can easily burn out the Motor Generator 1 (MG1 is effectively the Continuously Variable Transmission). I would recommend keeping a compact snow shovel in the tool area next to the compact spare whenever snow is possible.

In Philadelphia, 2 inches of snow happens a few times a year, and some years we get some deeper snows. If you live in a place where you get two feet at least once a year, then you should invest in dedicated snow tires (and dedicated rims?). I also discovered that the Prius is much lower ground clearance than any car I have owned. I assume it will get stuck in snow depths of 4-5 inches or greater.

My plan for next winter is to keep the Prius parked on the street if I know if any snow is coming. If I can't get it moving, I won't drive Lyft or Uber that day.

 

You must have had only high clearance vehicles. The Prius is quite typical of a major group of low clearance vehicles.

'Stuck' depth will vary sharply with the particular snow type.

 

Thanks, gromittoo. I wrote the steps on a note, but the process involves stopping which is crucial when a snow-drift is ahead. I don't think I'll be using the Prius when the deep snow comes, at least for the first several days until the main roads are cleared. I have another car which has hydraulic suspension and it's clearance can be doubled when needed - very useful in winter.

Snow tires here are must-have to anyone who wants to drive safely between November and March. My Prius has 17", but I'm thinking to get 15" set for the winter. I prefer dedicated tires/rims sets (and I have summer/winter with dedicated rims for each car), because I replace them at home, instead of waiting at the queues at the tire shops/services.

I'll attach a photo from the last winter, you can see the snow was above the tires, usually the small shovel doesn't help, we use bigger ones