Snowmageddon!!

[Yeeb]

Have enjoyed the usual social media vids of cars with no snow shoes or chains (and probably not even winter tyres either) sliding into each other and into ditches at 5mph on a 1 degree incline , half of those being SUV’s too

I’ve never tried studded tyres before in snow , but shoes do help a lot on small front wheel drive hatchbacks at least.
(Mostly until we got to a deserted industrial carpark by Screwfix where we took them off and did loads of slides and handbrakes turns in our crappy bangers)

[fishfoodie]

There do seem to be a lot of idiots who think their cars & vans are amphibious vehicles ?

[dpedin]

There is a hill next to me, not too steep but enough to be a bit of a problem if it snows and isnt gritted. I love cruising up the outside lane past all the big BMWs and Mercs saloons struggling to negotiate their way up. Rear wheel drive, big tyres, an auto gearbox and an aggressive driver isn't the best combination in the snow!

[Tichtheid]

There is a hill next to me, not too steep but enough to be a bit of a problem if it snows and isnt gritted. I love cruising up the outside lane past all the big BMWs and Mercs saloons struggling to negotiate their way up. Rear wheel drive, big tyres, an auto gearbox and an aggressive driver isn't the best combination in the snow!

There is a long and steep hill in Brighton called South Over Street - lots of pubs either side. One Friday night I watched all sorts of cars sliding back down after failed attempts, the one type of vehicle that made it up was the old style black cabs. I wouldn't have picked it as the winner before hand.

I was on foot and had gotten rid of my Land Rover by then.

[Sandstorm]

There is a hill next to me, not too steep but enough to be a bit of a problem if it snows and isnt gritted. I love cruising up the outside lane past all the big BMWs and Mercs saloons struggling to negotiate their way up. Rear wheel drive, big tyres, an auto gearbox and an aggressive driver isn't the best combination in the snow!

There is a long and steep hill in Brighton called South Over Street - lots of pubs either side. One Friday night I watched all sorts of cars sliding back down after failed attempts, the one type of vehicle that made it up was the old style black cabs. I wouldn't have picked it as the winner before hand.

I was on foot and had gotten rid of my Land Rover by then.

Tall, skinny tyres for the win

[Blackmac]

There is a hill next to me, not too steep but enough to be a bit of a problem if it snows and isnt gritted. I love cruising up the outside lane past all the big BMWs and Mercs saloons struggling to negotiate their way up. Rear wheel drive, big tyres, an auto gearbox and an aggressive driver isn't the best combination in the snow!

There's a ridiculous video of a Tesla driver trying to drive down one of the steep hills in Glasgow city centre with the inevitable outcome. Absolutely clueless about his cars lack of capability.

[tabascoboy]

In the end it's rain rather than snow/ice causing the biggest problems, however it was always going to be marginal as to extent and impact of snowfall.

Major incidents have been declared and dozens of people rescued in Lincolnshire and Leicestershire as heavy rains caused severe flooding in the Midlands on Monday.

Firefighters in Leicestershire received hundreds of calls on Monday, and rescued 59 people, while in Lincolnshire 50 children were taken to safety after their school was cut off by floodwater.

Meanwhile, police in North Yorkshire found the body of a man in floodwaters in Beal, close to Eggborough and Knottingley.

Almost 200 flood warnings have been issued in parts of England including a new severe warning introduced in Leicestershire on Monday evening indicating "large-scale evacuation is needed".

[fishfoodie]

In the end it's rain rather than snow/ice causing the biggest problems, however it was always going to be marginal as to extent and impact of snowfall.

Yep !!!

As recent incidents around Europe have showed, it's flash floods that are killing people, while a bit of snow & ice just gives us all light relief watching idiots lose their no-claims bonuses.

It's one reason why I can forgive the weather forecasters/scientists etc, if they are overly cautious issuing the warnings, because we've already seen cases of citizens going after them & the Politicians with pitchforks after people are killed in part because they didn't get enough warning

[Blackmac]

Have enjoyed the usual social media vids of cars with no snow shoes or chains (and probably not even winter tyres either) sliding into each other and into ditches at 5mph on a 1 degree incline , half of those being SUV’s too

I’ve never tried studded tyres before in snow , but shoes do help a lot on small front wheel drive hatchbacks at least.
(Mostly until we got to a deserted industrial carpark by Screwfix where we took them off and did loads of slides and handbrakes turns in our crappy bangers)

I see people mocking drivers for not having fitted winter tyres all the time, but until it's mandated, like some European countries it just won't happen. Most people can't afford to have £800 to £2000 worth of wheels and tyres sitting around or the space to store them, so unless the tyre replacement companies get their finger out with better options for tyre hotels and quick, easy changeovers it is just not practical.
The car manufacturers don't help. When my wife ordered her new Audi, I requested All Season tyres fitted. Audi didn't just want the difference in price of the All Season and Summer tyres, they wanted the full price of the new set which was also about 50% more than I knew the tyres cost.

As to snow chains, great in the odd bits of road they are actually possible to use but you have to take them off as soon as you hit anything like tarmac. I often need them to get in and out of my estate but that's it and they are a messy, pain in the arse to get on and off.

[inactionman]

Have enjoyed the usual social media vids of cars with no snow shoes or chains (and probably not even winter tyres either) sliding into each other and into ditches at 5mph on a 1 degree incline , half of those being SUV’s too

I’ve never tried studded tyres before in snow , but shoes do help a lot on small front wheel drive hatchbacks at least.
(Mostly until we got to a deserted industrial carpark by Screwfix where we took them off and did loads of slides and handbrakes turns in our crappy bangers)

I see people mocking drivers for not having fitted winter tyres all the time, but until it's mandated, like some European countries it just won't happen. Most people can't afford to have £800 to £2000 worth of wheels and tyres sitting around or the space to store them, so unless the tyre replacement companies get their finger out with better options for tyre hotels and quick, easy changeovers it is just not practical.
The car manufacturers don't help. When my wife ordered her new Audi, I requested All Season tyres fitted. Audi didn't just want the difference in price of the All Season and Summer tyres, they wanted the full price of the new set which was also about 50% more than I knew the tyres cost.

As to snow chains, great in the odd bits of road they are actually possible to use but you have to take them off as soon as you hit anything like tarmac. I often need them to get in and out of my estate but that's it and they are a messy, pain in the arse to get on and off.

A mate of mine lived in Bulgaria for a while and he just kept winter tyres and would pay a garage a few quid to swap the tyres off and on. Not sure what that does to longevity, although he did such high miles that they only lasted a couple of seasons anyway. Also not sure how keen a local kwikfit would be to do this.

I always fitted all-season tyres to my 4x4, the modernt tyres don't suffer excess wear in summer so it just made sense. Never had problems in snow and slush, although of course I didn't try to drive over sheet ice in them.

I've now got an estate that has more sporty tyres - approved used so I didn't get to choose - and I'm not keen to test them out on the sludge and snow. I'll be fitting all-season once these wear. On that note, I wasn't pleased to note the dealer had fitted devanti tyres at the front as the original fits were too worn to be released under approved used, I only noted it after I had the car for a few days and they should have been OEM. Expecting these to wear very quickly so I'll be getting the all-seasons on.

[Uncle fester]

Have enjoyed the usual social media vids of cars with no snow shoes or chains (and probably not even winter tyres either) sliding into each other and into ditches at 5mph on a 1 degree incline , half of those being SUV’s too

I’ve never tried studded tyres before in snow , but shoes do help a lot on small front wheel drive hatchbacks at least.
(Mostly until we got to a deserted industrial carpark by Screwfix where we took them off and did loads of slides and handbrakes turns in our crappy bangers)

I see people mocking drivers for not having fitted winter tyres all the time, but until it's mandated, like some European countries it just won't happen. Most people can't afford to have £800 to £2000 worth of wheels and tyres sitting around or the space to store them, so unless the tyre replacement companies get their finger out with better options for tyre hotels and quick, easy changeovers it is just not practical.
The car manufacturers don't help. When my wife ordered her new Audi, I requested All Season tyres fitted. Audi didn't just want the difference in price of the All Season and Summer tyres, they wanted the full price of the new set which was also about 50% more than I knew the tyres cost.

As to snow chains, great in the odd bits of road they are actually possible to use but you have to take them off as soon as you hit anything like tarmac. I often need them to get in and out of my estate but that's it and they are a messy, pain in the arse to get on and off.

A mate of mine lived in Bulgaria for a while and he just kept winter tyres and would pay a garage a few quid to swap the tyres off and on. Not sure what that does to longevity, although he did such high miles that they only lasted a couple of seasons anyway. Also not sure how keen a local kwikfit would be to do this.

I always fitted all-season tyres to my 4x4, the modernt tyres don't suffer excess wear in summer so it just made sense. Never had problems in snow and slush, although of course I didn't try to drive over sheet ice in them.

I've now got an estate that has more sporty tyres - approved used so I didn't get to choose - and I'm not keen to test them out on the sludge and snow. I'll be fitting all-season once these wear. On that note, I wasn't pleased to note the dealer had fitted devanti tyres at the front as the original fits were too worn to be released under approved used, I only noted it after I had the car for a few days and they should have been OEM. Expecting these to wear very quickly so I'll be getting the all-seasons on.

Britain and Ireland don't really have the sustained cold temps to make winter tyres viable. They get destroyed if you use them on slightly warmer roads.

Loved them in Finland. You could drive on frozen lakes and everything.

[inactionman]

I see people mocking drivers for not having fitted winter tyres all the time, but until it's mandated, like some European countries it just won't happen. Most people can't afford to have £800 to £2000 worth of wheels and tyres sitting around or the space to store them, so unless the tyre replacement companies get their finger out with better options for tyre hotels and quick, easy changeovers it is just not practical.
The car manufacturers don't help. When my wife ordered her new Audi, I requested All Season tyres fitted. Audi didn't just want the difference in price of the All Season and Summer tyres, they wanted the full price of the new set which was also about 50% more than I knew the tyres cost.

As to snow chains, great in the odd bits of road they are actually possible to use but you have to take them off as soon as you hit anything like tarmac. I often need them to get in and out of my estate but that's it and they are a messy, pain in the arse to get on and off.

A mate of mine lived in Bulgaria for a while and he just kept winter tyres and would pay a garage a few quid to swap the tyres off and on. Not sure what that does to longevity, although he did such high miles that they only lasted a couple of seasons anyway. Also not sure how keen a local kwikfit would be to do this.

I always fitted all-season tyres to my 4x4, the modernt tyres don't suffer excess wear in summer so it just made sense. Never had problems in snow and slush, although of course I didn't try to drive over sheet ice in them.

I've now got an estate that has more sporty tyres - approved used so I didn't get to choose - and I'm not keen to test them out on the sludge and snow. I'll be fitting all-season once these wear. On that note, I wasn't pleased to note the dealer had fitted devanti tyres at the front as the original fits were too worn to be released under approved used, I only noted it after I had the car for a few days and they should have been OEM. Expecting these to wear very quickly so I'll be getting the all-seasons on.

Britain and Ireland don't really have the sustained cold temps to make winter tyres viable. They get destroyed if you use them on slightly warmer roads.

Loved them in Finland. You could drive on frozen lakes and everything.

I've not been brave enough to try that, although I have walked on the frozen sea in Helsinki

All-season are a bit of a halfway house, which I found enough to deal with odd snowy days, but I'd not be too comfortable driving on untreated roads. Or after a nighttime re-freeze of thawed snow which gives that horrific glassy ice cover to road surfaces.

[Sandstorm]

All-season are a bit of a halfway house, which I found enough to deal with odd snowy days, but I'd not be too comfortable driving on untreated roads. Or after a nighttime re-freeze of thawed snow which gives that horrific glassy ice cover to road surfaces.

My Dacia Duster came with All Season Contis from the factory and they are pretty poor on icy roads. Feel ok on warm roads.
I got 18k miles out of the fronts (its FWD) over 4 years, but will be swapping them for some normal road tyres next month. Hoping for some more grip in corners.

[Yeeb]

Have enjoyed the usual social media vids of cars with no snow shoes or chains (and probably not even winter tyres either) sliding into each other and into ditches at 5mph on a 1 degree incline , half of those being SUV’s too

I’ve never tried studded tyres before in snow , but shoes do help a lot on small front wheel drive hatchbacks at least.
(Mostly until we got to a deserted industrial carpark by Screwfix where we took them off and did loads of slides and handbrakes turns in our crappy bangers)

I see people mocking drivers for not having fitted winter tyres all the time, but until it's mandated, like some European countries it just won't happen. Most people can't afford to have £800 to £2000 worth of wheels and tyres sitting around or the space to store them, so unless the tyre replacement companies get their finger out with better options for tyre hotels and quick, easy changeovers it is just not practical.
The car manufacturers don't help. When my wife ordered her new Audi, I requested All Season tyres fitted. Audi didn't just want the difference in price of the All Season and Summer tyres, they wanted the full price of the new set which was also about 50% more than I knew the tyres cost.

As to snow chains, great in the odd bits of road they are actually possible to use but you have to take them off as soon as you hit anything like tarmac. I often need them to get in and out of my estate but that's it and they are a messy, pain in the arse to get on and off.

Even a pair of £100 tyre socks would help massively , they are fitted in minutes and should last a few days. You don’t need to go the full route of studded tyres and chains , and socks can go on tarmac (until they are shredded , which will be about 5 mins as no way people will stick ton25moh limit if they come to some clear tarmac)

[Blackmac]

Have enjoyed the usual social media vids of cars with no snow shoes or chains (and probably not even winter tyres either) sliding into each other and into ditches at 5mph on a 1 degree incline , half of those being SUV’s too

I’ve never tried studded tyres before in snow , but shoes do help a lot on small front wheel drive hatchbacks at least.
(Mostly until we got to a deserted industrial carpark by Screwfix where we took them off and did loads of slides and handbrakes turns in our crappy bangers)

I see people mocking drivers for not having fitted winter tyres all the time, but until it's mandated, like some European countries it just won't happen. Most people can't afford to have £800 to £2000 worth of wheels and tyres sitting around or the space to store them, so unless the tyre replacement companies get their finger out with better options for tyre hotels and quick, easy changeovers it is just not practical.
The car manufacturers don't help. When my wife ordered her new Audi, I requested All Season tyres fitted. Audi didn't just want the difference in price of the All Season and Summer tyres, they wanted the full price of the new set which was also about 50% more than I knew the tyres cost.

As to snow chains, great in the odd bits of road they are actually possible to use but you have to take them off as soon as you hit anything like tarmac. I often need them to get in and out of my estate but that's it and they are a messy, pain in the arse to get on and off.

A mate of mine lived in Bulgaria for a while and he just kept winter tyres and would pay a garage a few quid to swap the tyres off and on. Not sure what that does to longevity, although he did such high miles that they only lasted a couple of seasons anyway. Also not sure how keen a local kwikfit would be to do this.

I always fitted all-season tyres to my 4x4, the modernt tyres don't suffer excess wear in summer so it just made sense. Never had problems in snow and slush, although of course I didn't try to drive over sheet ice in them.

I've now got an estate that has more sporty tyres - approved used so I didn't get to choose - and I'm not keen to test them out on the sludge and snow. I'll be fitting all-season once these wear. On that note, I wasn't pleased to note the dealer had fitted devanti tyres at the front as the original fits were too worn to be released under approved used, I only noted it after I had the car for a few days and they should have been OEM. Expecting these to wear very quickly so I'll be getting the all-seasons on.

If you buy winter tyres from Kwik Fit they will swap them over and store them for about £100 a year. The problem is they only have one warehouse fore the whole UK and you have to give them a few weeks notice.

I'll definitely be fitting All seasons in my wife's Audi when it needs them but she only drives about 6000 miles a year and I'll need to be diligent in rotating them so they wear evenly.

[Sandstorm]

Ice everywhere today. Deliveroo scooter just came fishtailing down the street, rider looked terrified!

[dpedin]

It is feckin freezing out there today, sort of cold I usually felt 10,000+ feet up the Alps when I skied, an ideal day for the slopes. Whilst it is sunny, clear and no wind it is bitter and bitingly cold. Heating on full blast.

[inactionman]

I am definitely regretting buying an old house with next to no insulation. The boiler is going flat out and the poor wife has just put her dressing gown on over her coat.

I'm going to invent a big blanket you can throw over houses in cold weather.

[fishfoodie]

The birds are eating me out of house & home keeping the feeders stocked !!

I even had a Red Squirrel doing a trapeze act to have some of the sunflower hearts out of it, & a fox is wandering around the garden scavenging too

[Uncle fester]

The birds are eating me out of house & home keeping the feeders stocked !!

I even had a Red Squirrel doing a trapeze act to have some of the sunflower hearts out of it, & a fox is wandering around the garden scavenging too

You've red squirrels? Nice one.
We've a grey squirrel visitor. Even pops up to the patio door for a peek in at us.

[Slick]

Ice everywhere today. Deliveroo scooter just came fishtailing down the street, rider looked terrified!

I hope your breakfast doner survived?

[Slick]

I am definitely regretting buying an old house with next to no insulation. The boiler is going flat out and the poor wife has just put her dressing gown on over her coat.

I'm going to invent a big blanket you can throw over houses in cold weather.

Reminds me of the Billy Connelly big slipper sketch

[Guy Smiley]

Ice everywhere today. Deliveroo scooter just came fishtailing down the street, rider looked terrified!

I hope your breakfast doner survived?

[fishfoodie]

The birds are eating me out of house & home keeping the feeders stocked !!

I even had a Red Squirrel doing a trapeze act to have some of the sunflower hearts out of it, & a fox is wandering around the garden scavenging too

You've red squirrels? Nice one.
We've a grey squirrel visitor. Even pops up to the patio door for a peek in at us.

Here he/she is, they do love sunflower hearts; I've seen them have fights over their turn at the feeder.

[Uncle fester]

Here's ours.

[Tichtheid]

We have a gray in our back garden. When I was a kid I remember seeing gray squirrel pelts on the fences on farms. I seem to recall that some guys got paid by the squirrel to get rid of them - not the reds of course.

I just re-read that. The squirrels didn't pay anyone, the farmer did. "paid by the pelt" would be more accurate.

[Uncle fester]

Presume they do damage to crops, etc?

[Tichtheid]

Presume they do damage to crops, etc?

Mainly trees, I think, but there was a thing here in Scotland of keeping them out and preserving the reds - it may have been that funds came from the government initially. You'd see all sorts of vermin carcasses tied to fences here as proof of killing

I've shot remaining rabbits after their warrens had been gassed

[fishfoodie]

Presume they do damage to crops, etc?

Non-native species, & thus not welcome, because they compete & out breed the shy, native, reds, & drove them to the brink of extinction.

NUIG have an on-going study about the link in the revival of the pine-marten & the revival of red squirrel numbers; apparently because the grey spends so much time on the ground, it's more vulnerable to the martens, & so when greys have a predator on the case, the reds revive, because they don't have to compete so hard for food.

[Paddington Bear]

Presume they do damage to crops, etc?

Non-native species, & thus not welcome, because they compete & out breed the shy, native, reds, & drove them to the brink of extinction.

NUIG have an on-going study about the link in the revival of the pine-marten & the revival of red squirrel numbers; apparently because the grey spends so much time on the ground, it's more vulnerable to the martens, & so when greys have a predator on the case, the reds revive, because they don't have to compete so hard for food.

Made an enormous difference in Fermanagh IIRC?

[Biffer]

Presume they do damage to crops, etc?

Non-native species, & thus not welcome, because they compete & out breed the shy, native, reds, & drove them to the brink of extinction.

NUIG have an on-going study about the link in the revival of the pine-marten & the revival of red squirrel numbers; apparently because the grey spends so much time on the ground, it's more vulnerable to the martens, & so when greys have a predator on the case, the reds revive, because they don't have to compete so hard for food.

Also because the greys are a bit bigger they can’t get as far away from pine martens in the trees, whereas the reds can get onto thinner branches where the pine martens can’t get them,

[Paddington Bear]

Presume they do damage to crops, etc?

Non-native species, & thus not welcome, because they compete & out breed the shy, native, reds, & drove them to the brink of extinction.

NUIG have an on-going study about the link in the revival of the pine-marten & the revival of red squirrel numbers; apparently because the grey spends so much time on the ground, it's more vulnerable to the martens, & so when greys have a predator on the case, the reds revive, because they don't have to compete so hard for food.

Also because the greys are a bit bigger they can’t get as far away from pine martens in the trees, whereas the reds can get onto thinner branches where the pine martens can’t get them,

AIUI reds have a very healthy in-built fear of pine martens that greys haven’t evolved to have as well. A pine marten reintroduction campaign sounds like a winner, not least because they are cute enough to distract people from their purpose

[Biffer]

Non-native species, & thus not welcome, because they compete & out breed the shy, native, reds, & drove them to the brink of extinction.

NUIG have an on-going study about the link in the revival of the pine-marten & the revival of red squirrel numbers; apparently because the grey spends so much time on the ground, it's more vulnerable to the martens, & so when greys have a predator on the case, the reds revive, because they don't have to compete so hard for food.

Also because the greys are a bit bigger they can’t get as far away from pine martens in the trees, whereas the reds can get onto thinner branches where the pine martens can’t get them,

AIUI reds have a very healthy in-built fear of pine martens that greys haven’t evolved to have as well. A pine marten reintroduction campaign sounds like a winner, not least because they are cute enough to distract people from their purpose

Yeah, they’re beautiful beasts. Population is back up over 3500 in Scotland but still needs protection.

[duke]

Also because the greys are a bit bigger they can’t get as far away from pine martens in the trees, whereas the reds can get onto thinner branches where the pine martens can’t get them,

AIUI reds have a very healthy in-built fear of pine martens that greys haven’t evolved to have as well. A pine marten reintroduction campaign sounds like a winner, not least because they are cute enough to distract people from their purpose

Yeah, they’re beautiful beasts. Population is back up over 3500 in Scotland but still needs protection.

There’s a small population down on the edge of Salisbury Plain. I’m not sure whether they were as a result of reintroduction or not as they’ve been around for at least 15 years

[S/Lt_Phillips]

I see people mocking drivers for not having fitted winter tyres all the time, but until it's mandated, like some European countries it just won't happen. Most people can't afford to have £800 to £2000 worth of wheels and tyres sitting around or the space to store them, so unless the tyre replacement companies get their finger out with better options for tyre hotels and quick, easy changeovers it is just not practical.
The car manufacturers don't help. When my wife ordered her new Audi, I requested All Season tyres fitted. Audi didn't just want the difference in price of the All Season and Summer tyres, they wanted the full price of the new set which was also about 50% more than I knew the tyres cost.

As to snow chains, great in the odd bits of road they are actually possible to use but you have to take them off as soon as you hit anything like tarmac. I often need them to get in and out of my estate but that's it and they are a messy, pain in the arse to get on and off.

A mate of mine lived in Bulgaria for a while and he just kept winter tyres and would pay a garage a few quid to swap the tyres off and on. Not sure what that does to longevity, although he did such high miles that they only lasted a couple of seasons anyway. Also not sure how keen a local kwikfit would be to do this.

I always fitted all-season tyres to my 4x4, the modernt tyres don't suffer excess wear in summer so it just made sense. Never had problems in snow and slush, although of course I didn't try to drive over sheet ice in them.

I've now got an estate that has more sporty tyres - approved used so I didn't get to choose - and I'm not keen to test them out on the sludge and snow. I'll be fitting all-season once these wear. On that note, I wasn't pleased to note the dealer had fitted devanti tyres at the front as the original fits were too worn to be released under approved used, I only noted it after I had the car for a few days and they should have been OEM. Expecting these to wear very quickly so I'll be getting the all-seasons on.

If you buy winter tyres from Kwik Fit they will swap them over and store them for about £100 a year. The problem is they only have one warehouse fore the whole UK and you have to give them a few weeks notice.

I'll definitely be fitting All seasons in my wife's Audi when it needs them but she only drives about 6000 miles a year and I'll need to be diligent in rotating them so they wear evenly.

You can't swap the wheels round on some cars - the tyre pressure monitor is paired with the receiver things for a specific corner. You'd need to check with an Audi but I know I can't with my car (or previous one). Of course, you can move the tyres onto different wheels but that's obviously much more of a pain.

[Sandstorm]

You can't swap the wheels round on some cars - the tyre pressure monitor is paired with the receiver things for a specific corner. You'd need to check with an Audi but I know I can't with my car (or previous one).

I'm sorry, but that sounds like bollocks! Audis are sold all over Europe where by law you have to change to snow tyres every October. No way the tyre pressure monitor in the car would insist you use the exact same wheel 365 days a year.

[Blackmac]

A mate of mine lived in Bulgaria for a while and he just kept winter tyres and would pay a garage a few quid to swap the tyres off and on. Not sure what that does to longevity, although he did such high miles that they only lasted a couple of seasons anyway. Also not sure how keen a local kwikfit would be to do this.

I always fitted all-season tyres to my 4x4, the modernt tyres don't suffer excess wear in summer so it just made sense. Never had problems in snow and slush, although of course I didn't try to drive over sheet ice in them.

I've now got an estate that has more sporty tyres - approved used so I didn't get to choose - and I'm not keen to test them out on the sludge and snow. I'll be fitting all-season once these wear. On that note, I wasn't pleased to note the dealer had fitted devanti tyres at the front as the original fits were too worn to be released under approved used, I only noted it after I had the car for a few days and they should have been OEM. Expecting these to wear very quickly so I'll be getting the all-seasons on.

If you buy winter tyres from Kwik Fit they will swap them over and store them for about £100 a year. The problem is they only have one warehouse fore the whole UK and you have to give them a few weeks notice.

I'll definitely be fitting All seasons in my wife's Audi when it needs them but she only drives about 6000 miles a year and I'll need to be diligent in rotating them so they wear evenly.

You can't swap the wheels round on some cars - the tyre pressure monitor is paired with the receiver things for a specific corner. You'd need to check with an Audi but I know I can't with my car (or previous one). Of course, you can move the tyres onto different wheels but that's obviously much more of a pain.

Really. I didn't know that. I presumed the pressures could just be reset in the system once the wheels were rotated. Tyre pressure monitors must also make it difficult to have a a full set of winter wheels and tyres lying around as they will have to have compatible TPM's.

[inactionman]

A mate of mine lived in Bulgaria for a while and he just kept winter tyres and would pay a garage a few quid to swap the tyres off and on. Not sure what that does to longevity, although he did such high miles that they only lasted a couple of seasons anyway. Also not sure how keen a local kwikfit would be to do this.

I always fitted all-season tyres to my 4x4, the modernt tyres don't suffer excess wear in summer so it just made sense. Never had problems in snow and slush, although of course I didn't try to drive over sheet ice in them.

I've now got an estate that has more sporty tyres - approved used so I didn't get to choose - and I'm not keen to test them out on the sludge and snow. I'll be fitting all-season once these wear. On that note, I wasn't pleased to note the dealer had fitted devanti tyres at the front as the original fits were too worn to be released under approved used, I only noted it after I had the car for a few days and they should have been OEM. Expecting these to wear very quickly so I'll be getting the all-seasons on.

If you buy winter tyres from Kwik Fit they will swap them over and store them for about £100 a year. The problem is they only have one warehouse fore the whole UK and you have to give them a few weeks notice.

I'll definitely be fitting All seasons in my wife's Audi when it needs them but she only drives about 6000 miles a year and I'll need to be diligent in rotating them so they wear evenly.

You can't swap the wheels round on some cars - the tyre pressure monitor is paired with the receiver things for a specific corner. You'd need to check with an Audi but I know I can't with my car (or previous one). Of course, you can move the tyres onto different wheels but that's obviously much more of a pain.

not hugely interesting, but I've just bought a 3 year old Volvo and they don't use TPMs, they rely upon comparison of rotation speeds varying to show the tyre's gone flat. Fewer moving/sensing parts is always good.

The credit they've received in my eyes has been massively slapped down by not providing a spare wheel.

[inactionman]

You can't swap the wheels round on some cars - the tyre pressure monitor is paired with the receiver things for a specific corner. You'd need to check with an Audi but I know I can't with my car (or previous one).

I'm sorry, but that sounds like bollocks! Audis are sold all over Europe where by law you have to change to snow tyres every October. No way the tyre pressure monitor in the car would insist you use the exact same wheel 365 days a year.

As far as I'm aware, it is correct to an extent - I don't know of any cars where it's not possible to re-pair/relearn, only that some will require the garage (or someone with the correct tooling) to manually re-pair whereas others can do this automatically.

It might be that the good Sub-lieutenant used a garage that didn't have facility to do the re-pair.

[S/Lt_Phillips]

You can't swap the wheels round on some cars - the tyre pressure monitor is paired with the receiver things for a specific corner. You'd need to check with an Audi but I know I can't with my car (or previous one).

I'm sorry, but that sounds like bollocks! Audis are sold all over Europe where by law you have to change to snow tyres every October. No way the tyre pressure monitor in the car would insist you use the exact same wheel 365 days a year.

As far as I'm aware, it is correct to an extent - I don't know of any cars where it's not possible to re-pair/relearn, only that some will require the garage (or someone with the correct tooling) to manually re-pair whereas others can do this automatically.

It might be that the good Sub-lieutenant used a garage that didn't have facility to do the re-pair.

To be fair to the garage in question (Kwik-fit if I recall), they told me my Ford Focus wheels couldn't be swapped round, but I probably didn't ask the right question about whether they could be re-paired with the sensor on a different corner. But I certainly couldn't just switch them round on my drive as I used to when I was younger/poorer. As I mentioned, I can't comment on Audis.