LC 200 Snow driving

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Hello everybody new member here

I want to thank the members and moderators of this amazing forum. I’ve been exploring it for the past 2 days, and went through a lot of helpful and great information.

I have a 2015 Landcruiser GXR 4.0. I live in a country were we experience maximum 1-2 cm of snow for just couple of hours per year. Every 5-10 years we get a big storm (last one in February 2015), and according to local forecast this will happen tomorrow night 40-50 cm of snow. So this will be my first time driving my car in real snow.

While doing my research for how to drive my car in snow, thanks again for this form, I got good understanding of how low gear, central differential, rear differential works (My vehicle not equipped with crawl or multi terrain function). I will be driving mainly on roads with 40-50 cm of snow (country is not well equipped to deal with snow as it’s a rare thing to happen so they open highways and main roads, and wait for the rest to melt). When it snows it’s an official holiday

According to my understanding I’ll need to drive with L4 and central differential locked as the terrain in my area is mostly hills and mountains. If My vehicle is stuck I’ll lock my rear differential and try to free it. Correct me if I’m wrong please. I’ll drive in low speeds probably less than 25km/h and make sure not to take sharp turns to avoid transmission wind up.

I have couple of questions that I couldn’t find answers to while reading in this forum or the user manual. I would really appreciate your help guys, and any advise or comment is more than welcome.

According to my understanding when I change from H4 to L4 the central differential will be locked automatically. My question is, in what situation I’ll need to drive with L4 and central differential unlocked? And in what situation I’ll need to drive in H4 with central differential locked. I’m sorry if it’s a stupid question but couldn’t really figure it out.

Thanks in advance for everyone, and hope you’ll have a wonderful day.

I’ll attach a picture of the previous snow storm so you get an idea of how the roads will be. At that time I had a 4X4 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with no low gear and no central differential that didn’t move at all

Thanks again

 

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I’m sorry I forgot to mention, that I have new OEM tyres. Dunlop Grandtrek AT 22 drove on them 10,000 Kms. I know that snow tires is so important but I’m not sure if it’s worth to buy a set and use them once every 5-10 years. Unfortunately didn’t know about KO2 tires till I explored this forum, and would definitely get them next.

 

[Fisher23]

The tires you have are not a tire for snow. The review says "Performance in winter road conditions is below average. Light or deep snow is a problem for this tire, and ice makes it worse. We would definitely advise extra caution if you do any amount of winter driving. "

In snow with ALL 4 tires in the snow you can lock the differential and drive in 4 high or 4 low. Do not drive on pavement with 4 high or low or the differential locked.

I drive a lot in snow and drive with the differential locked and in 4 high. Then when you get to pavement turn off the diff lock.

There are lots of "AT" (All Terrain) tires that are good in snow or are snow rated. They all have this picture on the side of the tire. Next time you get tires I would get some snow rated AT tires.

Here we use tire cables or chains which are a good temporary solution.

اشترِسلاسل الإطارات عبر الإنترنت على يوبايالاردن بأفضل الأسعار

تسوق عبر الإنترنت من أجلسلاسل الإطارات في يوبايالاردن ، وهو متجر رائد للتجارة الإلكترونية يضم مجموعة رائعة منسلاسل الإطارات بأسعار منخفضة. عروض رائعة وكاش باك و خصومات واختيار الشحن السريع متوفر للعديد من المنتجات.

www.ubuy.com.jo

Maybe you could get some tire cables?

 

[4wheelgreg]

Looks like fun , I live in a area that the salt and brime just destroys vehicles , I drive a 4runner in the slop , clean brand new snow looks like fun .
My 2020 LC 200 just sits in it’s warm heated garage !

 

[linuxgod]

If you live in an area where people don't normally drive in snow and aren't used to it, serious just don't go out unless you have to. I live in Chicago now which gets snow semi-regularly over the winter, but I've lived in places that are warm and if people don't know how to drive in the snow the biggest risk to you will be other people who will do really dumb s***. A friend of mine used to say "it's not the flakes on the road that worry me, it's the flakes behind the wheel".

All that said my general advice:

• 4WD, lockers, etc will help you get started and keep forward you moving in snow, but it will not help you stop and it provides limited benefit when turning.
• Give yourself 2-3x the normal stopping distance, possibly more as you really have street tires that will doo poorly in snow. Expect to feel the ABS kick in a lot.
• If you get into unpacked/unplowed snow, you may need 4Lo and you may need to disable traction control and/or lock the center differential. If you stop and are in 50cm of snow you probably will need to push the "2nd start" button to actually start the truck in 2nd gear rather than 1st so you'll be less likely to spin the wheels.
• The CDL does not lock automatically even in 4Lo
• If you're driving where there are already tire tracks that have packed the snow down you'll be better off in 4Hi.
• 4Lo can be helpful when going downhill. 4Lo, 1st gear, and let the engine idle you down if possible
  • If you start to slide in this case, the worst thing you can do is to use the brakes. You won't believe it but straightening the wheel and hitting the gas will gain you traction (but the tradeoff is you'll speed up)
• If you slide when driving normally, "turn in the direction of the skid"

 

[Heckraiser]

Just go slow and be careful. Any input you make (accelerate, brake, turn) may or may not work depending on how much traction you have, so going slow is the key to not running into your neighbor's parked car. Use GENTLE inputs on the the pedals. Pretend there are eggshells on the pedals that you're trying not to break. Also use slower inputs on the steering wheel. Any sudden input is likely to break your traction. I personally wouldn't worry too much about the transfer case, diff locks and traction assists. Only use if you get stuck, but shouldn't be needed for just getting down the road.

If there is an empty parking lot nearby, go straight there and just mess around until you get a feel for it.

:edit: I agree with @linuxgod, don't go out unless you have to. Other drivers are the real hazard on a snow day.

 

[CharlieS]

What @linuxgod said 100%

Stay home unless you need to. If you absolutely have to go out, drive slowly and give lots and lots of extra stopping distance.

Just leave it in 4hi, and don't worry about the buttons and doodads.

 

[cut]

The tires you have are not a tire for snow. The review says "Performance in winter road conditions is below average. Light or deep snow is a problem for this tire, and ice makes it worse. We would definitely advise extra caution if you do any amount of winter driving. "

In snow with ALL 4 tires in the snow you can lock the differential and drive in 4 high or 4 low. Do not drive on pavement with 4 high or low or the differential locked.

I drive a lot in snow and drive with the differential locked and in 4 high. Then when you get to pavement turn off the diff lock.

There are lots of "AT" (All Terrain) tires that are good in snow or are snow rated. They all have this picture on the side of the tire. Next time you get tires I would get some snow rated AT tires.

Here we use tire cables or chains which are a good temporary solution.

اشترِسلاسل الإطارات عبر الإنترنت على يوبايالاردن بأفضل الأسعار

تسوق عبر الإنترنت من أجلسلاسل الإطارات في يوبايالاردن ، وهو متجر رائد للتجارة الإلكترونية يضم مجموعة رائعة منسلاسل الإطارات بأسعار منخفضة. عروض رائعة وكاش باك و خصومات واختيار الشحن السريع متوفر للعديد من المنتجات.

www.ubuy.com.jo

Maybe you could get some tire cables?


View attachment 2904894

Thank you so much for your reply. Unfortunately, I didn’t know how much tires are important in snow till I explored this forum. Gutted, specially that I changed them couple of months ago. I don’t think I’ll be able to find any chains or cables right now ( my friend been looking for them this week and they are sold out everywhere). I read somewhere that it’s a good idea to decrease the pressure of the tires while driving in snow. Do you recommend that?
Thanks again

 

[cut]

Looks like fun , I live in a area that the salt and brime just destroys vehicles , I drive a 4runner in the slop , clean brand new snow looks like fun .
My 2020 LC 200 just sits in it’s warm heated garage !

I hope it will be fun . I think here they only throw salt on highways after removing the snow. I wouldn’t be going far probably just in my area.

 

[cut]

If you live in an area where people don't normally drive in snow and aren't used to it, serious just don't go out unless you have to. I live in Chicago now which gets snow semi-regularly over the winter, but I've lived in places that are warm and if people don't know how to drive in the snow the biggest risk to you will be other people who will do really dumb s***. A friend of mine used to say "it's not the flakes on the road that worry me, it's the flakes behind the wheel".

All that said my general advice:

• 4WD, lockers, etc will help you get started and keep forward you moving in snow, but it will not help you stop and it provides limited benefit when turning.
• Give yourself 2-3x the normal stopping distance, possibly more as you really have street tires that will doo poorly in snow. Expect to feel the ABS kick in a lot.
• If you get into unpacked/unplowed snow, you may need 4Lo and you may need to disable traction control and/or lock the center differential. If you stop and are in 50cm of snow you probably will need to push the "2nd start" button to actually start the truck in 2nd gear rather than 1st so you'll be less likely to spin the wheels.
• The CDL does not lock automatically even in 4Lo
• If you're driving where there are already tire tracks that have packed the snow down you'll be better off in 4Hi.
• 4Lo can be helpful when going downhill. 4Lo, 1st gear, and let the engine idle you down if possible
  • If you start to slide in this case, the worst thing you can do is to use the brakes. You won't believe it but straightening the wheel and hitting the gas will gain you traction (but the tradeoff is you'll speed up)
• If you slide when driving normally, "turn in the direction of the skid"

Thank you so much for the great and helpful information. Really appreciated. You’re definitely right a lot of accidents happen during snow here because of inexperienced drivers or unequipped vehicles. To be honest my plan is to go out after midnight, there will be less cars in the streets enjoy my time for couple of hours and go home.

I have a question if you don’t mind. In what situation I’ll need to disable the traction control?

Thanks alot.

This is a link of an accident that happened last year. It was just couple of hours of snow and then it started raining and everything was gone in the morning. Didn’t risk going out because there were a lot of cars in the streets.

 

[druyang]

I've driven in a Maine snow storm (similar depth of snow) and just left in 4Hi (with stock all season tires too). Didn't need to lock the diff and it was fine. Just be careful of other drivers.

This might be worth reading (basically required to drive in winter where I'm from):

How to Correct a Slide on an Icy Road :: Road Icing Safety

Promoting safe driving in icy road conditions during winter weather.

icyroadsafety.com

Disabling traction control is useful for getting unstuck

Because it's Jordan and I'm guessing temperatures will go back up. Snow isn't your main concern. Ice is.
The snow might melt and refreeze on the road, this is really dangerous. Apart from chains, even the best unstudded snow tires will struggle. 4Hi/Lo won't help you stop in this case (without adequate tires).

If it's very icy, I recommend staying home.



Get tire chains especially because you will only be using a few times a year

 

[cut]

Just go slow and be careful. Any input you make (accelerate, brake, turn) may or may not work depending on how much traction you have, so going slow is the key to not running into your neighbor's parked car. Use GENTLE inputs on the the pedals. Pretend there are eggshells on the pedals that you're trying not to break. Also use slower inputs on the steering wheel. Any sudden input is likely to break your traction. I personally wouldn't worry too much about the transfer case, diff locks and traction assists. Only use if you get stuck, but shouldn't be needed for just getting down the road.

If there is an empty parking lot nearby, go straight there and just mess around until you get a feel for it.

:edit: I agree with @linuxgod, don't go out unless you have to. Other drivers are the real hazard on a snow day.

Thank you for your advices really appreciated it. As you said I’ll try first to drive in an empty parking lot and see how it goes.

Thank you

 

[cut]

What @linuxgod said 100%

Stay home unless you need to. If you absolutely have to go out, drive slowly and give lots and lots of extra stopping distance.

Just leave it in 4hi, and don't worry about the buttons and doodads.

Thank you so much.

 

[cut]

I've driven in a Maine snow storm (similar depth of snow) and just left in 4Hi (with stock all season tires too). Didn't need to lock the diff and it was fine. Just be careful of other drivers.

This might be worth reading (basically required to drive in winter where I'm from):

How to Correct a Slide on an Icy Road :: Road Icing Safety

Promoting safe driving in icy road conditions during winter weather.

icyroadsafety.com

Disabling traction control is useful for getting unstuck

Because it's Jordan and I'm guessing temperatures will go back up. Snow isn't your main concern. Ice is.
The snow might melt and refreeze on the road, this is really dangerous. Apart from chains, even the best unstudded snow tires will struggle. 4Hi/Lo won't help you stop in this case (without adequate tires).

If it's very icy, I recommend staying home.

Thank you so much for your reply. Definitely worth reading. Last week there were icy roads after raining temperature dropped to -3 and I definitely didn’t go out. If there is ice I would’ve be going out at all.

Thank you

 

[CharlieS]

I have a question if you don’t mind. In what situation I’ll need to disable the traction control?

You don't need to disable traction control for on road driving. It is a safety system that will improve traction in slippery conditions.

The only time I ever disable mine is when off-roading.

 

[linuxgod]

Thank you so much for the great and helpful information. Really appreciated. You’re definitely right a lot of accidents happen during snow here because of inexperienced drivers or unequipped vehicles. To be honest my plan is to go out after midnight, there will be less cars in the streets enjoy my time for couple of hours and go home.

I have a question if you don’t mind. In what situation I’ll need to disable the traction control?

Thanks alot.

This is a link of an accident that happened last year. It was just couple of hours of snow and then it started raining and everything was gone in the morning. Didn’t risk going out because there were a lot of cars in the streets.

The guy in the Chevy Avalanche figures out after hitting the LC that the best way to gain control is to actually just drive and NOT try to stop...

 

[linuxgod]

You don't need to disable traction control for on road driving. It is a safety system that will improve traction in slippery conditions.

The only time I ever disable mine is when off-roading.

Yep, only necessary to disable it when you're stuck in deep snow and you want the wheels to spin, not cut power.

 

[cut]

I want to thank you all for the great tips and advices it really helped. First time to drive LC 200 on the snow and I felt complete control of the vehicle.

The L4 and locking the central differential helped a lot with going down steep hills, I felt that the car is stuck to the ground and going down slowly. Going up hills was smooth as well. Drove on maximum 20-25 cm of snow, apparently it will be 50 cm after 12 hours.

I have a question. When I activated the L4, the central differential lock was activated as well. Both lights turned on the dash. I tried to press on CDL button, and I just heard a beeping sound and the light stayed on. Is there a way to disable the CDL while on L4?

Thanks again

 

[linuxgod]

Maybe it’s specific to your region or year. My CDL in my 2013 is separate and does not lock when I enable 4L.

 

[cut]

Maybe it’s specific to your region or year. My CDL in my 2013 is separate and does not lock when I enable 4L.

You’re right it’s probably the region or year. Took this beast for a drive in the morning with more than 50 cm of snow, it was amazing. Got stuck only one time, I activated the rear differential lock and disabled the traction control and I’m back again on track. Highly recommended for driving on snow specially for beginners like me