Guys hear my story frist:

This took place in my 2008 V6 on Feb 25 2011 coming back from church, I was on the right lane going 24 mph, automatic tranny, the road was slushy, just snowed. Up ahead few cars were slowing down from the right turners so i decided to manually down shift to 3rd, BAAAAD idea, my right rear wheel "choked/halted/jolted"whatever word there is that describes the wheel suddenly turning much slower in a jolt to slow down the car, and i spun me 90 sideways on the snowy surface on 2 lanes watching cars coming towards me. I slowly steered in my lane and made it home. I have no TCS button on the dash, no stability control, Im on my own out there.

That is what the ESC and traction control PLUS brembo's brake package is what sold me on the 2012 Ford orderedI I want to know if these things combined give good control on the rainy roads?? ive seen many videos of guys trying to drift but cant when TC is on. how much can I rely on this system can you guys share some thoughts?

 

I can't chime in with too much help and insight into specifics but don't expect this thing to be an explorer in the snow. The advancetrac will help but by no means is it gonna be working wonders.....

 

Also, if you got the brembo package you should invest in some winter rubber on an extra set of wheels....because summer tires, advancetrac or not, will be no bueno in the conditions you described above.

 

from what I gather, those summer compound tires turn to stones in the cold and offer no grip, becoming dangerous

here's a clip from the tires product description;

The P Zero, like all summer tires, is not intended to be driven in near-freezing temperatures, through snow or on ice.

 

The advice they gave you about tires are correct, I live in Buffalo,NY we get record amounts of snow.
My wife had a 2010 v6 mustang with snow tires and the car was actually awesome in the snow,the traction control light would turn on and off by itself .
I showed my wife the difference, I turned tracion control off and she was amazed how bad the car was without it...you should have no troubles with the car when equipped with correct tires.

 

Nothing will truly help with the issue except getting an Explorer or a winter better to avoid the headache. Lived in the extreme upstate NY and tried DD a GT and was no fun. I have an Explorer also as a result of it.

 

In addition to what was said about the tires, your car probably experienced weight transfer when you downshifted your automatic transmission, which unloads the rear tires.

The tires and stability/traction control will definitely help when you try to accelerate, but when you are slowing down, the deceleration should be more controlled and less abrupt (if that is what happened when you experienced this before).

If I encounter low traction conditions, I generally try to let the momentum slow me down before I downshift or brake.

 

What year did you have.?

 

Well im old enough that when I started driving everything was pretty much rear wheel drive. With the new Advanced Trac and tires, along with driving with the conditions shoulndt be a problem.
Slush and heavy wet snow is dangerous the thinner the tires the better.

 

I drove my new GT last winter with the stock, Pirelli all-seasons on it, including a fair amount of practice in a big, snowy parking lot. Those tires did "okay" in the snow, with proper technique. I did just order a set of Blizzak's for this year, though.

As for the traction control, with it fully "on" I've had the car nearly sideways several times on wet roads (completely on-purpose in safe conditions!), and the ESC light didn't even blink. Doesn't exactly give me a warm, fuzzy feeling, but I have a good feel for it now and know how it handles. I also learned how to drive in RWD cars.

 

These electronic "nannies" are fine, but too many people depend on them without having the proper tires on the cars. Several people have advised you to get winter tires and I second that. I just took my 19's off yesterday and put on the 18" Blizzaks. I also have them on my wife's Passat wagon. It is well worth the piece of mind.

 

IMHO, too many people in my region depend on their 4WD to the exclusion of caution and situational awareness. Just sayin'.

I put on Blizzak LM 60's last fall and drove my Mustang almost exclusively all winter. I got around just fine, adjusting my driving in response to the prevailing conditions.

Just leave the Mustang at home for the first big snow. Let everyone else do their whoop-de-dos without you.

 

I had the same tires on my charger(and I have my set for the mustang) and they HELPED, but at the end of the day you have to look at what you are driving.

If it snows SO much that traction/navigation is my issue, I sit in my house or take my dads truck.

Unless its at the empty parking lot down the street

 

Thanks for the quick replies guys!!

yes it was a weight transfer and a sudden one too, i have bfgoodrich all season KDWS. came stock on the premium v6. piece of sht tires.

with the gt coupe brembo there wont be a spare tire so it will be even lighter in the back, Im relying on the ESC and advancetrac, but thinking I have to get winter tires because I see that they're summer tires only.

anybody know what happens to the TPMS when you do a winter tire swap?

 

2000 then

 

The tire pressure light will come on. Just ignore it....

 

You can always check with the local wrecking yard for a 2010 or 2011 GT that has been wrecked, and buy the spare tire and jack. If the weight gain is a problem, only use it when travelling or during the winter.

I am still not sure about the corporate thinking on leaving a spare tire out of a car. It might be fine when you are in a Metro area, but believe me, when you are on a two lane 100 miles from the nearest town, with no cell phone coverage, you really, really want a spare tire.

 

The added mechanical grip of winter tires might help, but you can definitely exceed the traction limit of those when the car gets unbalanced.

Hopefully you will have the opportunity to try snow driving out in a safe area. Good luck!

 

The Mustang drives just fine in the snow providing you have a proper set of winter tires. Don't waste your time or money on a set of all-season. They don't do neither very well. Keep in mind it's winter and there is snow and ice on the ground. You can't drive it like you are trying to win a pole position at Talladega no matter what tires you have. If your daily driver is a 4WD/AWD with summer tires on it thats not worth a quarter either. Just because it has 4WD/AWD doesn't make it a tracked vehicle (tank). I've seen a many 4WD/AWD, cars and trucks in a ditch. Whenever and whatever you are driving adjust for conditions of the weather, traffic, and the vehicle. Most importantly NO TEXTING!

 

+1 and that is why I stuck with the standard brakes, to get the spare tire.