And how was your journey?

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Stuart_D

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I don't know what the weather is like in the rest of England or Europe but in London it snowed most of the day. We knew it was going to snow today since Monday, yet for some reason none of the roads had been gritted anywhere.

Needless to day, that today was possibly the worst day for travel around London in history.

Many train stations closed because of the snow and the sheer weight of people and roads were (and still are as I type this) at a 100% standstill.

I left work at 4:45pm today to drive the 22 miles home to Northwest London. This journey usually takes me about an hour. Tonight it took me 7 hours door to door and that was with one rest stop for 10 minutes. During this time I contemplated sleeping in my A2 for the night; or abandoning my A2 and walking a mile or so to the nearby hotel (which I have now looked online and discovered all would have been full!).

All I can say is that with my A2, I switched off the traction control which made the journey a lot easier and I hardly lost grip once on the whole trip.

How long did it take you get home?!

2001 TDi SE | Cobalt Blue Metallic | Open Sky Roof | Kenwood Mask CD
www.Audi-A2.co.uk | www.A2Forum.net
 
Snow bad in the east but there is no traffic around here so although your driving slower, it is a non-stop run so actually nearly as quick!.

But still bad-I've heard of up to 7 inches in Lowestoft!.

Feel sorry for you though Stuart!

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
It's snowing quite heavily here too but our highways are nicely clean. Too bad I have to travel on secondary roads to get to my client. But I must say that the wintertires provide more grip than the normal ones. I leave the TC on to prevent the wheels from loosing grip and it drives like a charm. Yesterday there was a patch of ice in a turn and the car started sliding, but the ESP corrected everything nicely.
I always feel very safe and in control in the A2.

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi
 
What is this snow you're talking about? Absolutely none in Leeds/Bradford areas.
 
Stuart, why would switching off traction control make your journey easier?? I would have thought this was the time
it could be put to use.
We had our share here in Belgium.. but the A2 handled it with ease.. contrary to the expensive Merc CLK Coupé in front of me,
who barely made it through a bend.

Werner Huysegoms
 
Stuart, why would switching off traction control make your journey easier?? I would have thought this was the time
it could be put to use.
We had our share here in Belgium.. but the A2 handled it with ease.. contrary to the expensive Merc CLK Coupé in front of me,
who barely made it through a bend.

Werner Huysegoms
 
I understood that if the roads were that slippery, the traction control would become "confused" as none of the wheels would have grip and therefore it would just make a funny noise and not go very far!.

Could be wrong of course.....

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
That is exactly right Runboy.
That is the very reason why you would want to switch traction control off as on a slippery road you would never get anywhere!

2001 TDi SE | Cobalt Blue Metallic | Open Sky Roof | Kenwood Mask CD
www.Audi-A2.co.uk | www.A2Forum.net
 
My commute home last night took an extra hour (usually 45 mins). No major problems on the B and unclassified roads (drove a bit slower (only overtook 2 cars), and I knew where to be really cautious). Once I got on the A25 though I got into a stream of cars at 10mph... Until we got to the North downs (4 miles from home). Once over the downs (~40 mins ~2 miles) things were fine - had expected the jam to continue, but was relieved to find it clear. Yesterday morning we'd had some snow, but it didn't slow me going to work at all. This morning I did it in 1hr 10 mins, but the A25 was still worse than cross country on the whole. Had a few small slides, nothing scary - a few were on move off uphill puling to the right. Definatly an advantage to have a small, light front wheel drive car with skinny tyres!

7 hours is awful. Think of how much fuel gets wasted keeping all those cars warm. I hope you had some emergency rations etc. I hope it's better tonight (for those brave enough to try going to work!)
 
I saw some of my neighbours returnibg home after sitting at the end of the road for 45 mins! So I decided not to bother and put the kettle on instead, isn't day time TV awful! Left home at 11am for the 3 mile journey which took 20 mins, not too bad as it took the other half nearly an hour earlier. My rather bored Father phoned from his lorry at 8.45 and said that he'd left home at 7 and done 8 miles!

I live in near Guildford but the Hogs Back was closed so everyone had to get round it so came thru Aldershot. It's better today but the Hogs Back is still closed due to drifts and an overturned lorry, so all the surrounding areas are busy.

Mad isn't it? It was forecast and still we can't cope!!

Fi

2002 TDi Sport Cobalt Blue
 
Up here in central scotland it was sunny and warm all day yesterday, makes a change !:D

2002, 1.4, azure blue, 2 tone leather, concert II single cd. Member of A2OC site.
 
The wife of a colleague started her return journey from Cambridge to Maidstone at 3pm yesterday. She arrived home at Midday today. Ouch...

1.4SE petrol in Merlot Red, Biege interior, 16" 5 spoke alloys, DIS, Open Sky, Elec rear windows.
 
east northants ok just had a few snow flakes yesterday, hope things get better soon for you boys and girls

2003 se tdi ebony black, black leather,sky,dis,lumber,climate , w-pack, 5 spoke alloys
 
quote:Originally posted by Fiona

I live in near Guildford but the Hogs Back was closed so everyone had to get round it so came thru Aldershot. It's better today but the Hogs Back is still closed due to drifts and an overturned lorry, so all the surrounding areas are busy.
Click to expand...

I heard that a gap large enough was left in the road closed sign, and some crazy people decided to try and get through. Of course a little down the closed road were the police happily giving out points and turning round the ignorant mototrists!

The hogs back closure on thursday morning also affected the A3. I live on the other side of Guildford and drive the other way - my journey was normal. But my girlfirend who has to go that way (it's about 0.2 miles or less on the A3) to the Royal Surrey County Hospital (a 15 min drive) took 1hr 15min as a result. Good job she stuck with it as she was the only midwife on the clinic who got there!

Of course today we have bright sunshine - I hope it stays for a while!
 
I live in Herts - on Thursday night I left St Albans at 11.00pm to go to Welwyn Garden City about 10 miles in all . I arrived home at 1.45am.
I am running the sports pack with 17 inch alloys. These are no good in the snow. I got stuck on the flat in about 3 to 4 inches of lying snow with or without traction control - could not work out what was best.
Many thanks to all the people pushed me along.


Bartman

A2 1.4 TDI SE, Amulet Red, Sport Pack, Sky Roof, Sport Seats, BOSE, DIS, Special Rusty Brake Drums.
 
I shouldn't have mocked you all as we've had 3-4 inches of snow today where I stay, and it hasn't stopped yet.

My sincere apologies [B)]

2002, 1.4, azure blue, 2 tone leather, concert II single cd. Member of A2OC site.
 
Actually you're supposed to keep TC always on, EXCEPT if you're stuck in the snow and need to accelerate.

We had snow here in Holland too - it was a great opportunity to test the TC. Tried several things, like accelerating fast, braking fast, taking fast curves - and the computer corrected me all the time. Ofcourse the wheels did slip sometimes (I was really testing the car to see how far I could go), but once the computer corrected me, it pulled straight right away.
 
OK, lets play devils advocate............

How many people take a faster approach to driving knowing they have TC and hoping/thinking/praying it will get them out of trouble?.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
Hi I'm new to the forum and driving/owning an A2, a week in and twice last week had long journeys from St. Albans being gridlocked. Last monday was due to the M1 accident, took 1.5hrs from London Colney to home in Redbourn. Thursday after the snow, took 2.5hrs to travel 4.5 miles from St. Albans city station to home. I used the traction control and drove slowly the car did slip a little and while trying to get out of the station carpark wheelspun for a bit till back up and took a run at it. Left a smart car stuck. I have noticed that the fan comes on alot after switching the engine off even after short journeys, is this common?

2001 1.4 SE TDi, Azure Blue
 
Runboy...

NOT me, a good friend did this thinking TC is all that, it didn't help much when going sideways, the TC can do what it likes but when your sideways your just a passenger till you stop.

It was a vauxhall vectra so no real harm done:)

Lee,
TDI SE,
Dolphin Grey,
6 Disc Changer (Fitted by me)
 
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