[umkc]

Folks,

This will be my first Minnesota winter in my F30. What tips/suggestions can you give me to keep the car healthy, safe and running at sub-zero and icy conditions?

My car is 2014 335i AWD with the default all weather tires

appreciate your help!

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by umkc

Folks,

This will be my first Minnesota winter in my F30. What tips/suggestions can you give me to keep the car healthy, safe and running at sub-zero and icy conditions?

My car is 2014 335i AWD with the default all weather tires

appreciate your help!

Winter tires. AWD wont help you stop. It will be a beast!

[umkc]

Originally Posted by 335BOY

Winter tires. AWD wont help you stop. It will be a beast!

sheeeeeeeeeet!

I live only 4 miles from my work and i am not planning on doing a lot of driving in next 3-4 months. are winter tires absolutely necessary? if so, can you give me some good recommendations?

I am also more concerned about the road salt rusting the car, undercarriage and stuff.

[skw]

Tires always make the biggest difference, esp w/ stopping, turning, etc. Given your short commute and if most of your driving will be after the streets are plowed, you'll probably be ok w/ the awd & all seasons. As for the road salt, just wash or spray it off when you get a chance. A good waxing before the winter season also helps.

[Rick4345]

Originally Posted by umkc

sheeeeeeeeeet!

I live only 4 miles from my work and i am not planning on doing a lot of driving in next 3-4 months. are winter tires absolutely necessary? if so, can you give me some good recommendations?

I am also more concerned about the road salt rusting the car, undercarriage and stuff.

Sometimes four miles can be like an eternity. I put my dedicated set on as soon as the temperature starts staying around 45. I went down an inch in diameter and bought a wheel tire combination from tire rack.

[Dave340]

Only 4 miles one way to work, better get a trickle charger for the battery, you will most likely get low battery level warning, unless you do some long distance drives over the weekend.

[34.50]

Originally Posted by Dave328

Only 4 miles one way to work, better get a trickle charger for the battery, you will most likely get low battery level warning, unless you do some long distance drives over the weekend.

Relax, he'll be fine - my commute is 3 miles. I tend to drive less in winter, use heat seaters/heated steering wheel and I was fine the whole winter. Ironically I did get a battery low warning during summer time.

I would also recommend winter tires, well depending on where you live. We get a lot of snow in upstate NY, so I am definitely getting a dedicated winter setup (tires + wheel + tpms). OP since you're from Minnesota, I'd recommend it. Also, just take your time driving, and give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination.

[umkc]

thanks for all the helpful tips guys!

[bmwuser]

I always ran 4 winter tires and never had a problem in the snow. Salt was always a bigger worry for me. Kept it hosed off best I could. Lucky I have a heated garage, made it easy.

[335BOY]

You will go through 2 sets of tires in the life of the car so why not make one of them winters?Not costing you any more...youre just buying second set early. Endless videos about stopping distances. has a lot to do with temperature, not just snow/ice. Its not close.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by umkc

sheeeeeeeeeet!

I live only 4 miles from my work and i am not planning on doing a lot of driving in next 3-4 months. are winter tires absolutely necessary? if so, can you give me some good recommendations?

I am also more concerned about the road salt rusting the car, undercarriage and stuff.

No particular tire is necessary for winter. However, you should consider your driving style and where you'll be traveling, and how cold your winters typically get. Drive on steep hills? Is your driveway/garage on a hill? Will you be on the highway or back roads more? You can't beat dedicated winter tires in the snow and wet, and as mentioned, AWD, (with the kind of diff used in BMW's xdrive system) isn't going to help you stop any better, at least while the accelerator is disengaged.

If you think you'll be able to avoid hills and poorly paved/traveled roads, an AWD system with all-seasons will serve you well as long as you don't expect to drive as you do the rest of the year. That's been my approach and it's never failed me.

Best of luck.

[S4NoMore]

Make friends with your closest coin-op self-serve car wash bay place(s), and give the car a thorough rinse top to bottom, underneath, and in the wheel wells whenever the temperature permits (35+ or perhaps a tad lower if you have a garage). While you're at it, wash it if you're willing. Some people get away with it, but I believe those who just let the car accumulate dirt all winter are those whose cars will oxidize and push the boundaries towards rust after a few years, undercarriage or otherwise. Washing a car isn't just for vanity, it's preventive maintenance. I've washed with snow on the ground many times.

[335BOY]

I go through "no touch" car washes in the winter to get undercarriage salt cleaned up. heated garages are where salt is hungriest.

[xlover]

I live in Boston and had dedicated snows on my S4 and I thought they were overkill. With AWD and all seasons in an environment where there is at least occasional plowing during a storm you will be able to do everything you need to do. My experience has been that AWD with all seasons is better at climbing hills especially from a stop than RWD with dedicated winters. I get the cornering and braking advantage of the snows but honestly out on the roads i never had an opportunity to take advantage of it with everyone else doing 5-10mph on FWD or RWD with all seasons traffic moved really slow every snow storm. if you are looking to cruise the backcountry then go for the winters, if you are just looking to finish the commute home my opinion is all seasons will be fine. having done on previous vehicles RWD with all seasons, RWD with winters, AWD with all seasons, AWD with winters, I am 100% fine with just using the stock A/S on my 335 xdrive this winter.

Now if you got a vehicle that came with dedicated summers like my S4 did and dont want to drive on all seasons year round so are planning a separate set anyway for winter then getting winter tires is a no brainer. but changing out A/S on an AWD car in most situations is unnecessary

just my thoughts

[335BOY]

there it is again "you'll be fine".

http://www.caranddriver.com/columns/...ur-wheel-drive

http://jalopnik.com/lets-settle-the-...bat-1462180324

You probably won't believe this. These are facts.

[xlover]

Originally Posted by 335BOY

there it is again "you'll be fine".

http://www.caranddriver.com/columns/...ur-wheel-drive

http://jalopnik.com/lets-settle-the-...bat-1462180324

You probably won't believe this. These are facts.

Both of those examples were summer tires not all season..... Summers should never be driven in winter under any circumstance in my opinion

[335BOY]

^ Look at them. They are A/S which would be summer tire on a little suv.

[spuntyb]

The second video pits an AWD against a 2 wheel drive, summers vs snows. The OP has all seasons. I would argue that it's really not a huge difference (snow vs summer and snow vs a/s), but you can get by with all seasons, whereas summers will be worthless.

[Fronzdan]

I'm going to try to get through this Winter as spunty does....on A/S with xDrive. Our LR4 on A/S has never had a problem in snow. I had a RWD with performance snows last year and it was a white knuckle drive whenever there was more than an inch on the ground.

I'm sure if I got Blizzaks on my xDrive, it would be worlds better than summer tires and probably better than the A/S Conti's I have now. I'm just hoping to get through the season so I can spend the money on a new set of 19" wheels/summer tires instead. Eventually I'm hoping to replace the A/S RFTs with dedicated snows on my current set of 18"s.

[S4NoMore]

Originally Posted by Fronzdan

I had a RWD with performance snows last year and it was a white knuckle drive whenever there was more than an inch on the ground.

Out of curiosity, which tires did you go with last year?

[335BOY]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

The second video pits an AWD against a 2 wheel drive, summers vs snows. The OP has all seasons. I would argue that it's really not a huge difference (snow vs summer and snow vs a/s), but you can get by with all seasons, whereas summers will be worthless.

He is calling them summers but look at them...they are a/s. Does any manuf put anything but a/s on an suv? Its about temperature and stopping. "not having a problem" in LR with a/s ? You'll stop way shorter on proper tires. I'm out.

[spuntyb]

Originally Posted by 335BOY

He is calling them summers but look at them...they are a/s. Does any manuf put anything but a/s on an suv? Its about temperature and stopping. "not having a problem" in LR with a/s ? You'll stop way shorter on proper tires. I'm out.

Agreed