Those continentals do not like being cold!

Winter mode?

Do you have summer tyres currently on the vehicle?

etyu said:

Do you have summer tyres currently on the vehicle?

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Yes I've got Continental ContiSportContact on atm

ChrisL said:

Yes I've got Continental ContiSportContact on atm

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This explains the loss of traction.

Description from Tire Rack:
"The ContiSportContact 5 is Continental's Max Performance Summer tire. Initially developed to match the sporty driving characteristics of Mercedes-Benz SLK350 roadsters, the ContiSportContact 5 is designed to combine short braking distances and good cornering traction with reduced fuel consumption and good treadwear. However like all summer tires, they are not intended to be driven in near freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice."

ChrisL said:

I've felt the back twitch a few time after taking corners a little bit too fast early into a journey but got the fright of my life yesterday evening while doing a daring overtake on a learner driver.

The back was definately fighting me to go straight, she obviously liked the look of a parked car and wanted to give it a kiss :x like any good parent I kept her on the straight and narrow lol.

Suppose I should splash out on some winter tyres, or just slow down a bit.... mind you it did snow a bit over night yesterday..

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I'm VERY glad you managed to curtail her amorous habits and although slowing down is one option I think you need to seriously consider shelling out on a set of winters. Unless you have the skills of Sebastian Loeb you almost become a danger to yourself and other road users.

There is a thread on the Audi A6 forums where someone with a BiTDi quattro on summer tyres almost killed himself and his family because he suddenly lost all grip on a snowy hill. As it turned out the biggest shock was when the airbags went off but they all walked away.

I wasn't that confident yesterday out on all season tyres in fresh snow but it was obvious that many, many, drivers were having proper brown trouser moments on their trip. And I blame the unwillingness to put money into a set of winter or all season tyres.

wja96 said:

And I blame the unwillingness to put money into a set of winter or all season tyres.

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I am always unwilling to part with money... there has to be a very good reason.

However, having read a great deal on this forum, I allowed Clive to persuade me to unlock the family vault...

My SLK and his RCZ are now fully kitted out for winter and summer.. Clive can change the wheels when necessary.. so quick.. so much safer... and we both consider it money well spent. :smile::smile::smile:

Stella

ChrisL said:

I've felt the back twitch a few time after taking corners a little bit too fast early into a journey but got the fright of my life yesterday evening while doing a daring overtake on a learner driver.

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Perhaps you should also show a little more consideration for the learner driver.
Your "daring overtake" could not only have resulted in your own accident, you could also have caused the learner to panic brake with disasterous consequences.
I know it can get frustrating at times being stuck behind one but we were all there once...
Russ

russj said:

Perhaps you should also show a little more consideration for the learner driver.
Your "daring overtake" could not only have resulted in your own accident, you could also have caused the learner to panic brake with disasterous consequences.
I know it can get frustrating at times being stuck behind one but we were all there once...
Russ

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I assumed he was being sarcastic. If he was doing a 'daring' overtake then I agree, give the learner drivers some respectful distance. They're usually doing 30/40/50/60 in the appropriate speed limit area anyway.

Got Conti 5s on the CLK320, which is a bit hair raising on the frosty roads unless treated with the utmost respect. The brand new Falcons on the SLK seem a lot better. Not tried either in the snow.

I can work from home if need be, so at the first whiff of snow I just don't drive

I have the 5Ps on mine as well. Recall reading that Conti recommends 45 degrees F as the minimum operating temp. Beyond the cold weather performance losses, the tires can also be severely damaged.

I bought my car new back when I was still in Connecticut. Waited ~six months for it...so of course, it arrived in late November. When I picked it up at the dealer, it was in the 20's. No mention of the summer tire issues. Luckily, I discovered this soon after...and she became a garage queen for the winter. Not much of a sacrifice that year, with the amount of snow we had.

Both my car and I are happy Floridians, now.

In the UK there have been stories floating round in previous years that you may invalidate your car insurance by fitting winter tyres - which may be the reason why many in the UK don't fit them - apart from the actual cost.

For those who are interested a quick search uncovered these articles that address the issue:

HonestJohn from 2011
Association of British Insurers
The AA: Winter Tyres in the UK

Cheers

savcom said:

In the UK there have been stories floating round in previous years that you may invalidate your car insurance by fitting winter tyres - which may be the reason why many in the UK don't fit them - apart from the actual cost.

For those who are interested a quick search uncovered these articles that address the issue:

HonestJohn from 2011
Association of British Insurers
The AA: Winter Tyres in the UK

Cheers

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Yes, it's a valid point. Lots of people remember the scare stories (even though they were nonsense in most cases) and don't do it.

Winter tires can be the cheapest option. I spent $1400 for wheels, tires, TPMS, mounting, balancing and shipping. Hitting anything once because of cold summer tires, even a sign, curb or guardrail, can easily cost that. Letting the car sit can cost that in taxes, insurance and depreciation. Those tires will probably last us at least four years, also extending the life of the summer set. I think it makes a lot more sense than not driving the SLK.

russj said:

Perhaps you should also show a little more consideration for the learner driver.
Your "daring overtake" could not only have resulted in your own accident, you could also have caused the learner to panic brake with disasterous consequences.
I know it can get frustrating at times being stuck behind one but we were all there once...
Russ

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Hey Russ, I was being very exagerative but I take your point. It was about 6AM on a weekend morning on a very quiet main road, we both had plenty of space so hopefully he had no real reason to panic, no doubt his instructor probably just had a good laugh at my expense

Is the public to be so insulted by the premise that tyre technology has taken such massive backwards step in the last 10 years that two sets or tyres are required in order to drive on the UK roads all year?
In the 1950's my old dad did fit knobbly tyres on the rear of his Hillman Minx in the hope of improved traction but he was relatively alone in his fanciful thinking & given that his daily commute was a level one through the suburbs of a south coast town he rarely encountered anything other than light snow or frost.
Wake up! The tyre makers are taking the mickey & laughing all the way to the bank as supposedly know-it-all amateur & professional drivers lap up their every word.

I try not to drive my SLK in the winter months but will take it out occasionally weather permitting. I have a set of winter tyres for my other car and would not be without them now in my 3rd year of use.

Rubber compounding technology is advancing all the time and I for one think they are a very good investment. Premium brand summer tyres suck in cold weather it's true.

Winter tyres out perform summer tyres in wet conditions too from 10 degrees and below, they are not just about driving on snow and ice!

The Finnish brand Nokian are what I have and they're amazing! The Fins know a thing or two about driving in a cold climate.

Get your cash out and you'll never go back!

oldmercman said:

Is the public to be so insulted by the premise that tyre technology has taken such massive backwards step in the last 10 years that two sets or tyres are required in order to drive on the UK roads all year?
In the 1950's my old dad did fit knobbly tyres on the rear of his Hillman Minx in the hope of improved traction but he was relatively alone in his fanciful thinking & given that his daily commute was a level one through the suburbs of a south coast town he rarely encountered anything other than light snow or frost.
Wake up! The tyre makers are taking the mickey & laughing all the way to the bank as supposedly know-it-all amateur & professional drivers lap up their every word.

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You can, of course, buy all-season tyres that are a decent compromise between ultimate grip in the summer with the best water clearing pattern (big blocks and channels) and winter tyres that break up the blocks and have zig-zag shaped sipes to help in low grip situations.

If you want the best summer and winter performance then yes, you do currently need 2 sets of tyres although the latest Michelin all-season tyres are supposedly good enough to match the best summer and winter tyres.

MICHELIN CrossClimate - Arm yourself for every weather condition.

Unfortunately, they don't make it in any size that will fit my cars. So I still have summer and winter sets.

Of course, you could be right, and everyone in Europe that is legally obliged to fit winter tyres when there is snow on the ground may be getting gulled by the big tyre conglomerates.

But I don't think so.

We had all-weather tyres on our cars in the UK...Never thought to have anything else in those days.. Let's face it.. the weather is never that bad there (or is it ?).

Many memories of the A12, snowbound, with me following (at a decent distance) the vehicle ahead..everyone going slowly for a change as the icy surface made braking/stopping very hazardous. Along the route there would be vehicles in the ditch, shunted into one another, angled across the carriageway etc...

I always breathed a huge sigh of relief when I eventually arrived at the Office or Home.

Then, I was not aware of anything that might have made me feel safer....but now I do !! And in my part of France, with our steep hills which are covered in black-ice at the drop of a hat..I am happy to take every precaution. 0

Stella

oldmercman said:

Is the public to be so insulted by the premise that tyre technology has taken such massive backwards step in the last 10 years that two sets or tyres are required in order to drive on the UK roads all year?

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Sure, you can get by with all-seasons but they are a compromise. Winter and summer sets maximize performance and safety, pretty much the whole idea of buying an SLK except for those who just bought the badge.