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Be Careful Out There

Discuss your latest mods or ideas, and anything to do with the BMW X5 (E70).
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Fireblade1
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Be Careful Out There

Post by Fireblade1 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:34 pm

Dreadful weather in Derbyshire today...was driving in horrible conditions in Auto...creeping down a hill and went into a full slide....car went 180 degrees leaving me still sliding down the hill wrong side of the road backwards

Not sure why but it all went to sh1t when i pressed the hill decent button?

After that flipped from auto to manual and all other hill decents were done in first and second gears with no problems

Also didn't have any problems going up the hills that others were stuck on

Mine is the 330 D Msport...No winter tyres on....think I put to much faith in being in a 4x4

Take care out there all

Dan1502
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by Dan1502 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:42 pm

Forgetting to hit the DSC off button whilst having to turn on some sheet ice has been my only problem.  It was fine once I remembered.
2004 E53 3.0D Sport
2016 F25 X5 35D MSport

Sit
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by Sit » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:27 pm

The X5 is often ridiculed for its supposed lacking when it comes to xDrive/AWD ability, however it’s currently snowing like a good’un here and tomorrow I need to venture out. It’s on 20’s with Duellers fitted so not expecting LR levels of grip, but wondered if any other advice/tips to make best progress?

Read and watched some videos of people claiming it’s better in bad conditions to drive with DSC off?

Any thoughts.

Si
2010 X5 30d M Sport Carbon Black | Camel Leather, 20's | HUD | Shadowline | Privacy | CIC iDrive | Adaptive Drive | Pro Nav | Loudspeaker Audio | High Beam Assist | Enhanced Bluetooth | Media Pack | Bum Warmers!

sid10
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by sid10 » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:45 pm

Winter tyres are a must have option , summer tyres just makes it a 2 ton sledge !

Horizon
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by Horizon » Fri Mar 02, 2018 6:39 am

[quote="sid10"]
Winter tyres are a must have option , summer tyres just makes it a 2 ton sledge !
[/quote]

+1 and guess who has just PX their X3 two weeks ago with a set of Snow tyres fitted
2011 Kia Sorento KX3  2.2D 60 Plate Auto in black ( mine )
BMW E83 X3.  3.0d M Sport, 2008 in black ( now gone )
BMW E93 330i Convertible  Msport  2007.  ( Now sold )
VW Golf 2.0 TDI 140 GT 2010 ( now sold )
Now Sold 55 plate, X5, 3.0 D Sport. Silv

pcdee
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by pcdee » Fri Mar 02, 2018 10:10 am

[quote="Sit"]
The X5 is often ridiculed for its supposed lacking when it comes to xDrive/AWD ability, however it’s currently snowing like a good’un here and tomorrow I need to venture out. It’s on 20’s with Duellers fitted so not expecting LR levels of grip, but wondered if any other advice/tips to make best progress?

Read and watched some videos of people claiming it’s better in bad conditions to drive with DSC off?

Any thoughts.

Si
[/quote]I've got 20's on mine with bridgestone duellers too.
I've been out and about with the dtc on and it's bloody good.
The first day I forgot all about it and it struggled up my steep drive, once it was activated it had no issues.
Clever piece of kit me thinks!

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
X5 E70 3.0D SE

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CondorX5
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by CondorX5 » Fri Mar 02, 2018 11:28 am

I travel a lot in the Derbyshire area too -the snow and ice has been very tricky in some places.  Any 4x4 is unfortunately only as good as the tyres, in such extreme conditions, it does not matter how advanced it is mechanically if sliding around on 20” sleds.  I had winter tyres with my E53 and never had a problem in bad weather conditins and currently have a new set of *rated 18” winters on my E70.  It is a pleasure to drive in the snow and tractin is great, but ice can still cause sliding and sideways skids whatever tyres you have. 

Neither of my X5s has ever been stuck in snow and ice and have also been used to ferry others around in bad conditions.  I have done advanced 4x4handling courses though, which I am sure helps as its not just down to the car in the end.
I have had many 4x4s in my driving life (never had a non 4x4, actually, as a dalily driver!) and the X5 is as solid as any,  but let down by very poor winter tyre choices and lack of winter handling skills by some owners.
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X5Sport
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by X5Sport » Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:37 pm

Kept my X off the road in this weather and used my Škoda Superb instead.  It also has winter tyres fitted and AWD and despite nasty conditions over the last 36 hours has never lost traction or had a twitch.  First time I have used winter rubber in their native environment and am absolutely sold on them.  Watched cars sliding around in the work car park but was able to just drive as if nothing adverse was going on.

If you have the space and the cash, go buy some  :)

The X has behaved perfectly on the ice with winter rubber in too.

Of course we will now not have bad snow for another 20 years..... :(

I was actually sent home because of the conditions.....two minutes after driving 30 miles to get in  :(
Last edited by X5Sport on Fri Mar 02, 2018 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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allanhelen
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Be Careful Out There

Post by allanhelen » Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:42 pm

Well as the X5 is broken I’ve been left driving my wife’s Clio diesel but it has a full set of winter tyres fitted and hasn’t been defeated by anything this winter so far. I’m questioning if it really is worth keeping a problematic 4x4
Last edited by allanhelen on Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Graeme
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by Graeme » Fri Mar 02, 2018 2:40 pm

This is the 4th winter I've had Vredestein Wintracs on - and as an insurance they've been great by preventing much snow - until this year!!!  No problems with traction in snow but like tractor tyres they have next to no grip on ice so care needed with stopping distances and giving others plenty of room.

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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by graemeX5 » Sat Mar 03, 2018 10:00 am

Hi

I was sceptical but if you want convincing winter tyres are good have a look here had email from BMW and there are others by auto express showing the benefits of those

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RUNnJoUyuoM

Graeme
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pvr
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by pvr » Sat Mar 03, 2018 1:33 pm

I am running on Vredesteins as well and last night at the worst of the snow here, the car behaved perfectly. Only skidded when I was trying to as I wanted to feel the breaking point (in a deserted area of course).
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chelsea
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Re: Be Careful Out There

Post by chelsea » Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:29 pm

must admit I have just changed from an e53 2005 to a newer e70 2009 x-drive, both cars are diesel and mechanically sound etc and up to now I am not convinced the e70 is the better car in the snow.

I have found the e70 no where near as planted as the e53, changing the front tyres has helped a little but I am finding that the e70 likes to flick it's back end out when exiting junctions in the snow, this happened the other day and I almost could have lost control.
E53 X5 SE 2005
E70 X5 SE 5S (Shadow package)2009
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