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Why does my car always seem to 'fishtail' in snowy conditions? 200 1990

posted by  Kuba on  Tue Dec 16 04:42 CST 2003
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Your 'very slight pressure' on the gas is still too much given the traction.

Now, there are two things: one is to improve traction, another is to reduce the power.

Power-wise: Maybe your throttle body might be out of adjustment somehow, and you get too much power as soon as you exit idle. Or your transmissions' clutches may be running tight, thus not allowing enough slip. You have an automatic, right? If you have a manual, release the clutch very slowly (i.e. deliberately let it slip) and never get going off the 1st gear -- always use the 2nd.

Traction-wise: Obviously, before thinking about all this, make sure rear end geometry is not bad for some reason -- that would kill the traction. Your car might be running with overload springs, which don't help if you're underloaded. Or the shocks may be "frozen". Or something. So make sure your rear end's geometry is tip-top before you condemn anything else. Getting the snow tires will improve the traction, but don't bet on it if the geometry (toe in at least) is bad.

Cheers, Kuba






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