From Chicago area, northern Suburb Arlington Heights and I drove my Maxiam SL in its first heavy Snow yesterday. We had gotten 8 inches of snow quick on Saturday . I was driving home on un plowed roads, drove ok up the off ramp of free way. I did get stuck in my drive way, maybe 3 inches of Snow Ice, when I made my approach to get in my garage I had to change my angle and the wheels/ Transmission would lock up ( that's what it felt like?) give it gas and it would not rock/ Move ? Felt weary. I have been driving 40 years in Midwest winters, all normal stuff. And all the side sensors where stuck on when covered with snow and ice, that was loud beeping for no reason.

2016 Maxiam snow review , I give it a 6.5 out of 10 for front wheel Drive car.
Something felt different ?

 

Are you sure you turned off the electronic stability system before approaching your garage? With that system still on, it is controlling your car more than you are, and I have found it usually does not handle snow and ice very well.

As for the sensors, it is not their fault they were covered with snow and ice, so were beeping. I have found that happens with these new sensor systems in other car makes as well.

 

I have no garage- this could get annoying if I have to keep clearing the sensors off. but its worth it...the car i awesome. Cant wait to finally get into a Max! I'm going to miss the 7th gen- but the time is right.

 

Ok I live in maine,and yes we get wet snow to,so clearing off the 4 sensors one in each cornor of the outside of the car,is what you guys are speaking of? So I leave the traction control on,but turn off the stability system,where is the button to turn this device off?

 

If you are talking about the Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) the button is located by the trunk release.

 

Not sure what they were talking about for sure. Yes that switch you are speaking of,was what I would call the traction control,and you call it the VDC,is it the same thing? I would think if I was in sloppy conditions such as snow,i would want the traction control on,not sure why driving up into the garage should be a problem.

 

From the owners manual page 2-45

The vehicle should be driven with the VDC system on for most driving conditions. If the vehicle is stuck in mud or snow, the VDC system reduces the engine output to reduce wheel spin. The engine speed will be reduced even if the accelerator is depressed to the floor. If maximum engine power is needed to free a stuck vehicle, turn the VDC system off. To turn off the VDC system, push the VDC OFF switch. The indicator will come on. Push the VDC OFF switch again or restart the engine to turn on the system. For additional information, refer to “Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system” in the “Starting and driving” section of this manual.

 

Excelent find,thank you,ok I guess I now understand it better,but I am still a little confused to the posters post about driving into a garage with snow,it seemed that his problem was the car would not go in the direction he steered it into,for some odd reason!

 

I agree.

 

I would recommend turning the sensors off for winter driving.

 

Which sensors were they,are they sensors front and back for backing up,or driving foward into a parking spot only sensors,or are they safety ones like side impact alarm etc.

 

We got around 12 inches or so here in MI last weekend. I had to drive the Maxima through the unplowed streets and VDC had to be turned off to do so. Simply put, some induced wheelspin is often necessary to get going after a stop (and to make it up our steep driveway). Before turning the system off, the throttle was reduced upon the wheels spinning and I got nowhere.

I use snow tires (although not this past weekend as there is no sense using them for one storm so early in the season), and last winter I was able to keep VDC on with the increased traction the snow tires give.

 

Ok I understand,my last car a 2012 fusion se,had traction control,much like what this max has,and when to much wheel spin was detected it stops power to the wheels,which sometimes can be a problem.

 

Turning off traction control is needed mainly for removing a vehicle from stuck snow/mud. You wouldn't want the wheels to spin if your simply trying to climb up an the driveway. What it seems you're asking is how to climb up a angled? driveway from a dead stop with a layer of snow. A snow mode button would be nice.... But snow tires would be best for such a task.

 

Funny thing,i have had a fusion for the past 5 years,and never shut off its traction control devise,and it went great thru all sorts of snow,only thing I had to do before driving after it went thru new snow,was kick the wheel wells out,cause snow would build up in them,causing a vibration thru the car from the tires rubbing on snow,and when you were plowing thru more snow than the car had ground clearance,it would build up,and stop you dead.

 

The beeping is caused by the proximity sensors, they beep when they sense something within a foot or so of the car. You can turn this off in the winter if your sensors are covered with snow, this can be done with your settings located in the dash screen.

For your driveway, if it was me I would probably put the car in first "Gear" and turn the VDC off for best results, oh and snow tires definitely.