[Gfallon]

Hello To All,
I own a 2019 XC40 Volvo. Yesterday in New Jersey ,( USA), we had a short snow fall. It started while I was out and for about 1 1/2 hours. When I came home I went to position the car on an incline on my driveway. I usually go up and down twice to position the car because another car is next to me. I backed onto the flat street and parked to help my husband out of the car. When I got back in the car and brought it onto the driveway incline I applied the park and emergency break. The car slid back and didn't stop until I was on the flat street. I tried to stop the car from sliding with the foot break but it continued to slide. I was on ICE with all four wheels and no control. I then too the park off and the emergency break off and tried to go forward. The car would not go forward I tried to go back where there was still fresh loose snow and the car reversed, but again not forward when I put it in drive. I got out and left the car running and put salt around the car . It was all Ice where the tire tracks were. I though of calling On-call but tried one more thing. I turned the car off for several minuets like turning off a computer and turned the car back on. The car and it's brain the computer rebooted and I was able to move the car onto the incline.
My point or fear is if I were on the open road where all four wheels were on ice would the computer lock the wheels into position and the driver would not have control because in my situation my wheels were locked in the forward drive position and I cant stop sliding backwards or if I were on flat road I would slide forward until the speed of the car stopped.slowed down and came to a stop. I felt powerless up against a computer software that has to be rebooted to get it back to normal drive mode.
Has anyone else experienced this situation? I will be bringing the car to dealer but as I know they will not be able to duplicated it. Just check software and breaks.I am seriously thinking of selling this car and buying another brand I know and am sure is reliable.

 

[TurboNeil]

With the car parked and the emergency brake on the car was no doubt sliding on ice, no other car would have performed much differently. This comes down to the connection between the car and the driveway, the only thing that could have made a difference if you don't already have them is winter tires, the difference between winter tires and all season tires is truly incredible. The big difference between all season and winter tires is that winter tires are softer and don't harden in the cold weather, they also have a tread pattern that is much better suited to snow and ice.

Here is video comparing snow tires and all season tires on the identical vehicle.

Cheers,
Neil..

 

[bdalameda]

As stated above by TurboNeil what you encountered had little to do with the car itself but was caused by total lack of traction. I cannot think of any vehicle that could would have done anything differently. I had a very strange think occur a couple of years ago with my company car, a Ford Explorer. I was driving in freshly fallen snow (about an inch or two) on a driveway to a hotel that had ice under the snow. I was going up a very slight incline when all wheels lost traction. The cars traction control stopped the wheels from turning to regain traction but since there was no traction to be gained on any wheels the car just sat there and would not move at all. I had to back down the incline to get going again. The traction control system functions much more reliably with forward momentum while moving forward and adjusts to changing traction conditions. I do not think any modern vehicle with traction control or ABS would have acted any differently.

Dan

 

[Gfallon]

Neil

Thank you very much for sending the video and explaining why my wheels locked and I slid down my driveway. I live in New Jersey and I will have to figure out the winter tires. I don't think I can keep them on all year with the summer months. I have never had a car that slid like my Volvo. My last car was a Honda with the same type of brake feature but maybe not as intuitive as the Volvo. I really though the car was the problem and you have explained it well.

 

[Gfallon]

As stated above by TurboNeil what you encountered had little to do with the car itself but was caused by total lack of traction. I cannot think of any vehicle that could would have done anything differently. I had a very strange think occur a couple of years ago with my company car, a Ford Explorer. I was driving in freshly fallen snow (about an inch or two) on a driveway to a hotel that had ice under the snow. I was going up a very slight incline when all wheels lost traction. The cars traction control stopped the wheels from turning to regain traction but since there was no traction to be gained on any wheels the car just sat there and would not move at all. I had to back down the incline to get going again. The traction control system functions much more reliably with forward momentum while moving forward and adjusts to changing traction conditions. I do not think any modern vehicle with traction control or ABS would have acted any differently.

Dan

Dan,
Thank you for your information about the winter tires also . From your experience with your company car was very similar to what happened to me except my car siding on it's own and not staying in place. . I just want to clear up one thing if I were on a flat road driving and approached ice the car would act differently the wheels would have adjusted? Does it have something to do with the ESP or ABS features? Not sure I know the difference.
Thank you.
Gerry

 

[bdalameda]

The ESP controls how the power is sent to the wheels and adjusts the power to each wheel depending on the traction available. If you were driving down a flat road and encountered a patch of ice and one wheel lost traction the system would reduce the power being sent to that wheel to allow it gain more traction and power would be adjusted to all wheels to maintain stability. The ABS system is (Anti-Lock Braking System) purely designed to adjust the braking depending on if the wheel has enough traction to stop the car. If one wheel slows down more than the remaining wheels because it loses traction the ABS will reduce the braking or pulse the pressure to the brake to allow that wheel to regain what traction it can. A stopped wheel will not slow the car much when it is slipping so the ABS will apply the amount of braking force applied by the driver until it reaches the point of slippage.

This is a simplified description as both systems take into consideration speed, turning radius, g-force and driver inputs etc.

Dan

 

[Gfallon]

Dan,
Thank you for your very detailed explanation of the working of the ESP and ABS systems I am very grateful to you for making it so easy to understand.
Gerry

 

[I_Kent_Spelgud]

Thank you very much for sending the video and explaining why my wheels locked and I slid down my driveway. I live in New Jersey and I will have to figure out the winter tires. I don't think I can keep them on all year with the summer months. I have never had a car that slid like my Volvo. My last car was a Honda with the same type of brake feature but maybe not as intuitive as the Volvo. I really though the car was the problem and you have explained it well.

Take a look at Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires, both at a local dealer and search out reviews by Tire Rack and others on YouTube. I just put them on my Chevy Bolt and will likely buy them again for my upcoming XC40 P8. Awesome tires that work year round In all weather! And they were cheaper than the X-ice I had planned to put on for winter only. I’m in upstate NY so get more snow than you, I bet.

 

[Gfallon]

Thank you I will look at these tires.
Gerry

 

[Jezza]

Great discussion. Thanks everyone.