# Ford Focus swaying leftlem to right snow/ice normal?



## chris20051 (22 Dec 2010)

Hi,

For all you motoring experts could somebody please tell me if its normal for my ford focus 1.4L Petrol Car to sway left to right on parts of the road covered in Ice and Snow?  in wet or dry conditions I don't have this problem, so im just wondering if the car is nackered or its just snow and ice having an effect on the poor old focus? p.s only some parts of the road this happens 80% of a 42 mile journey the car runs fine its all motorway driving.

Thanks for your help
Chris


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## Pique318 (22 Dec 2010)

It's the snow. It's dense & slippery and will move a truck, let alone a car.


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## mayobob (23 Dec 2010)

drive more slowly!


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## TwoWheels (23 Dec 2010)

Oh dear


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## Ceist Beag (23 Dec 2010)

Oh dear is right! The OP may want to read http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?t=148768!!


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## chris20051 (23 Dec 2010)

thanks all


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## chris20051 (23 Dec 2010)

Hi,

Just to add the max speed I was doing is 50kph-60kph, I was not speeding at all, the car sways at low speeds also, so im thinking maybe the tyres are not as good griping the roads there is plenty of tred on them.


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## sse (23 Dec 2010)

chris20051 said:


> Hi,
> 
> Just to add the max speed I was doing is 50kph-60kph, I was not speeding at all, the car sways at low speeds also, so im thinking maybe the tyres are not as good griping the roads there is plenty of tred on them.



Unless this is a wind-up then you need to cop on to yourself about driving in the current conditions, seriously.

I hope to God you don't live anywhere near me!

SSE


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## chris20051 (23 Dec 2010)

sse said:


> unless this is a wind-up then you need to cop on to yourself about driving in the current conditions, seriously.
> 
> I hope to god you don't live anywhere near me!
> 
> Sse


 
please explain? Wind up ? Do you really think I would bother with a wind up I have encoutered problems driving at low speeds on the motorway so I have asked a question, whats wrong with that, your reply is no help at all


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## PaddyBloggit (23 Dec 2010)

*Answer is:*

you are driving too fast!


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## chris20051 (23 Dec 2010)

Thanks Paddy if thats all it is I will slow down more


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## jpd (23 Dec 2010)

definitely too fast


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## Caveat (23 Dec 2010)

50-60kph on a motorway is not exactly booting it ?! 

Assuming there isn't a blizzard and that the road isn't completely iced over etc

Depends on exact conditions obviously but I have found it absolutely fine to travel on my usual N roads at these speeds - a little faster even.


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## Ceist Beag (23 Dec 2010)

As ye said Caveat it depends on the conditions. I travelled a large distance yesterday and some parts of the motorway network (M7 and M50) were very bad and 40kph would have been the max, in other parts as you say it was fine to go faster. But parts of Donegal and the North were so bad that 30kph was more appropriate - which made for one heck of a marathon journey I can tell ye! But the simple rule of thumb should be that if the car is sliding then you're going too fast! Sounds obvious really doesn't it!


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## sse (23 Dec 2010)

chris20051 said:


> please explain? Wind up ? Do you really think I would bother with a wind up I have encoutered problems driving at low speeds on the motorway so I have asked a question, whats wrong with that, your reply is no help at all



Nothing wrong with asking a question but, to me at least, your question seemed to be why your car would sway from left to right when travelling on roads covered in ice and snow. I guess I just thought the answer would be blatantly obvious - you are travelling too fast for the prevailing road conditions and your car is struggling to maintain traction and grip.

Some of the driving I've see recently has been suicidal. I've spent winters in Alpine areas and people there don't drive as fast, with snow tyres and years of experience, in poor road conditions as some of the muppets in this country.

Take it easy and Merry Christmas

SSE


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## werner (24 Dec 2010)

sse said:


> Nothing wrong with asking a question but, to me at least, your question seemed to be why your car would sway from left to right when travelling on roads covered in ice and snow. I guess I just thought the answer would be blatantly obvious - you are travelling too fast for the prevailing road conditions and your car is struggling to maintain traction and grip.
> 
> Some of the driving I've see recently has been suicidal. I've spent winters in Alpine areas and people there don't drive as fast, with snow tyres and years of experience, in poor road conditions as some of the muppets in this country.
> 
> ...


 

Good points and I might add that perhaps the original poster is staying in too low a gear, get into the highest gear a.s.a.p. and keep a very light touch on the accellerator


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## sse (24 Dec 2010)

werner said:


> Good points and I might add that perhaps the original poster is staying in too low a gear, get into the highest gear a.s.a.p. and keep a very light touch on the accellerator



Agree absolutely, my original driving instructor was a big cheese in the UK IAM and he always drummed into me the importance of lightness of touch on all controls and anticipating the worst. It doesn't matter how good a driver you (may think) you are, a loss of control on ice is very often non-recoverable.

Other tips when driving in these conditions are to turn the radio off, a sudden drop in road noise is a dead giveaway that you are on an icy surface, and keep an eye out for shadowed areas and when going over bridges, the wind blowing below the bridge can cool the road above to a lower temp. than the rest of the road and ice can form in that particular spot.

Also remember road salt as used here is pretty much ineffective at temps. below about -5 or -6.

Take it easy all, arrive alive!

SSE


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## TwoWheels (25 Dec 2010)

Hi, 
Everytime I drink lots of booze I seem to sway from side to side.
Am I drinking the wrong kind of booze?
What could be causing this?
I'm confused.


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## bibendum (31 Dec 2010)

swaying at these low speeds can be down to the camber of the road. all roads have camber on them to allow water to flow to the ditch and keep the road from flooding.
In this type of weather, the wind can lay the snow down in a line with the winds direction causing you to drift either way as the tyres drive over the ridges of ice going in that direction. 
check your tyres tread depth and pressures too to be safe.


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## ashambles (4 Jan 2011)

The Focus has a reputation for wooly car review terms such as good handling, driver's car, sharp steering.

What this means, partly, is that there's good feedback via vibrations through the steering wheel from the wheels of the the road conditions. 

As long as your tires are good and other cars are travelling safely at the same speed then it's possible your car is giving a warning that some other drivers aren't getting. 

If a car is really swaying on ice unless you're a Finnish rally driver I'd expect disaster to ensue. It's not something, I think, a driver could keep correcting by luck. So it's more likely it was either just moving minutely out of line or felt like it wanted to go.


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## Purple (5 Jan 2011)

Speed, road conditions, tyre wear, tyre type and/or tracking/wheel alighnment could all cause this problem.


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## chris20051 (5 Jan 2011)

thanks all, my two back tyres are Marshal made by Kumo so maybe thats the problem, the tyres must be crap! thats were I think the issue lies once the back tyres are needed to be changed i'll go for something much better next time...


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## Staples (6 Jan 2011)

All summer tyres are crap on snow and ice - it doesn't matter what make they are.


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## chris20051 (7 Jan 2011)

Hi Staples,

Are you saying the tyres I have are summer tyres and not all weather tyres? are tyres not normally all weather tyres? do you recommend a better tyre for my car? thanks for the info, just to note when the car sways its only the back tyres I have a problem with, the car is a front wheel drive, the back tyres are a different make than the front making me think it was the back tyres that are the issue


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## chris20051 (19 Jan 2011)

Hi All,

I glad I resolved my problem it turns out the back _Wheel alignment_ was way off, but I sold the car anyway and bought a Honda Civic Saloon, 1000% better no problems whatsoever with the car swaying, bring on the snow!! :O)

Thanks for all for your help


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## PaddyBloggit (19 Jan 2011)

Thanks for the feedback Chris .... best of luck with the Civic!


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