TeamOGI

Just want to warn everyone that cold tires (even on the non ZO7 package) are more than a little scary. I wish I had been using the PDR so others could see how quickly things went bad.

I was heading home from work, here in Northeast Ohio, in sunny 24 degree weather. It had not rained in two or three days and there was no gravel on the road. I had driven only a few hundred yards when I came to a stop sign on a very slight slope. I needed to turn left onto a two lane road with a center turning lane.

I am still new to the beast, so I do not take risks when there is any traffic around, so I waited until there was plenty of room, took my foot of the brake (enjoying the hill assist), eased the clutch out and throttled to less than 1500 RPMs (just a guess - I definitely was a long, long way from stomping it). The rear end came immediately loose and the nannies kicked in as I backed off - I was now in the middle of the oncoming lane - not stalled but ready again to move on and as I did, the rear end again came immediately loose. Now there were cars rapidly approaching from both directions and I did not really have time to back out completely and regroup so I stayed in it (again no serious revs) and as I turned left into the center turning lane, the rear end stayed loose and fishtailed into a perfectly centered position. I was in sport mode and there was no exhaust bark - a very tame effort throttle wise on my part.

Of course the "idiot" coming from the left decided he needed to turn left onto the street from which I came so now I was right where he needed to be - at the same time the other three "idiots" coming from the right were now slowing down to gaze in wonder at the "true idiot" with cold tires who had just made an amazing stunt car driver slide into the center lane. Of course I could not move out of that lane until the three rubberneckers had passed me (the true idiot) on the right which then allowed me to get out of the first idiot's way.

As I limped ever so slowly out of the center lane, I made sure that I had not soiled myself and started checking everything on the display. I was in fact in sport mode, cold engine temps, tire pressures all around 40 PSI - then I changed the display to tire temp and saw the cold blue tire display warning. It was a good while (after about another 10 minutes later on the highway running around 70 MPH) until the display turned to warm.

The moral of the story is, cold tires are like driving on ice. BE CAREFULL ON COLD TIRES!

CaryBob

40psi is awfully high. Supposed to be 30psi.

lawdogg149

Factory set at 36 psi

soulsea

Mine were set at 32 from the PDI.

And the PSI drops at cold temps, if they're at 40 now they might explode when summer comes around.

Glad you made it without road or underwear accidents.

CaryBob

Mine were at 32 when delivered. The door sticker specifies 30psi cold. 40psi in cold tires in 23* weather seems awfully high. Seems like a possible contributor to handling, but I am often wrong about these car thingys.

Destrukt

Good thing nothing happened to any of the "idiots"! Glad the beast is safe

fly1977

Your Right Door Tag says 30psi all the way around.Mine had 33psi cold at delivery. I reduced to 30psi cold. on 50 to 60 degree day tires increase to 34psi when driven and tire temp indicates warm.FYI

dlparsons

Even the non z07 tires are still summer tires. I've kicked the backend out every time I've driven the car and I'm being very careful. If it's cold, you need to drive like it's wet and icey. Period.

fly1977

After first oil change at 500 miles which I did myself,did not trust dealer,I took car home from my garage . Engine being broke in I wanted to kick it one time. With temp at 55 I pushed gas pedal all the way down in 2nd gear doing about 50mph. It spun some but not bad, at 100 mph I changed to 3rd gear and back end kicked out and tires spun. this really got my attention . Becarefull on cold tires!

TeamOGI

Sorry - I should have explained about the pressure - I pretty much have the car in storage for the winter - have only taken it out a couple of times and the advice given was to put about 45 PSI into the tires while stored. It is likely that the high pressure was a contributing factor, but still - cold tires and cold roads = bad results.

phantasms

In the past I drove my C6Z and C6Z in the winter on summer tires. I lived but it was interesting at times to say the least.

Now I have winter tires on my Z06. The thing hooks and goes. I can't say enough about them. No cold tire skipping. No *** coming around. I can stomp on the gas at 60mph in 2nd gear when it's 30 degrees out. I know it's been deemed insane around here to put winter tires on a car like this but if you're going to drive it at all in very cold temperatures it may just save your life some day. At the very least it makes the torque much more useful.

Stay safe out there!

Best,
Gene

therealviper

Perhaps, early on before tires warm up or in cold weather, Modes ECO, Weather or certainly Touring should at least be used.

Regards,

sunsalem

Here is how to drive a car in cold temps:
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story...ack-ice-123014

FastestBusaAround

Cars don't just kick the back end out on their own...and I wouldn't be so quick to call the other drivers "idiots".

Driving this car on summer tires, inflated to 40 PSI in 24 degree weather, implies that the other guys aren't the idiots here...

ENCT

Why do people not understand the purpose of summer tires, reduced traction in reduced temperature PERIOD. Lower the temperature the less traction. 650 HP in 70 degree weather with heavy right foot will spin tires. My GT500 would spin through 3rd gear no problem in the summer. (hoping this car hooks better with the 335's out back).
Be safe and drive with caution all the time, the car may feel like it is on rails but it is not.
Eric

JoesC5

If you had shifted into 3rd gear at 100 MPH, then you would have spun the engine to 7,000 RPM in 2nd gear, which I doubt, since the fuel cutoff is 6600 RPM.

camirocz

The main reason your rear end kicked out is that your tires are severely over inflated.The fact that they were cold makes it worse and the 24 degree exterior temperature does nothing to make things better.However that being said had your tires been inflated to less than 36 psi your rear end would not have played tricks on you.

Bill Allen jr.

Wondering about the ZO6 museum deliveries through winter. Most will drive their new ZO6 home on winter roads with "summer only" tires.

JoesC5

I disagree. I rode in a C7 Z06 with the tires at 30 psi with the ambient temp at 42 degrees, on dry pavement and the rear end kicked out with just a very slight throttle application in 2nd ear at 40 MPH.

I run my C6 Z06 at 32 psi cold in the winter(so that they will be around 34 psi when at operating temp) and my car will easily kick out under little throttle application when the ambient temp is under 40 degrees.

Granted that 40 psi would make the problem worse, but the 40 psi was not the initial problem...it's the cold temps combined with summer tires and high horsepower/torque.

jsilvz

Why were you in sport mode?