i7 Winter driving

[TeknDr]

Does anybody have experience from driving in snow?

1. Seems like Headlights get blocked by snow.
In heavy snowfall, the deep ducts seem to get filled with snow rather quickly.

2. Foggy windows
Anybody had this tendency or maybe A/C needs service?
What climate settings do you use to defog in moist winter conditions, around and slightly above zero Celsius?

3. Sensors
Do sensors work well in snowfall and are they well heated to melt snow?
So far, I know that i7 sensors for distance and self driving work really good also in nasty heavy rain. Other cars have given error messages like a flipper game allready in light rain and not worked at all in snow. The iX with its heated grill for sensors and powerful front window heating for cameras works very well in snow. Is the i7 as good or even better?

[sward]

We haven’t had any snow in Stockholm Sweden yet so I can really only comment on the foggy windows, and yes, I have them. I have to turn on the front window defroster every now and then while driving to clear the window. I had the some problem in my ix in the beginning until I found a setting making the heater more agressiv. I haven’t found that setting in 8.5 in my i7.

[TeknDr]

Originally Posted by sward

We haven’t had any snow in Stockholm Sweden yet so I can really only comment on the foggy windows, and yes, I have them. I have to turn on the front window defroster every now and then while driving to clear the window. I had the some problem in my ix in the beginning until I found a setting making the heater more agressiv. I haven’t found that setting in 8.5 in my i7.

On 2: Foggy windows:
Seems like the Climate Auto Seeting does not affect fan speed, only temperature and distribution of air. I´m used to drive in "Very low" or "Low" (to use less A/C in summer and less Heat in winter). So just increasing Fan Speed to "Medium" or "High" might solve the problem.

Lets compare notes on highway winter range between your 21" (that seem unexpected efficient with summer tires) and my skinny 19" that should give more range.

[evanevery]

Hey guys! I see this thread is mostly Sweden-centric at the moment and please excuse me if I blatantly hijack this thread. ...but it is about "Winter driving", right?

I've been doing BMW driving schools for many. many years. Both Internationally (Nurburgring) and domestically (VIR, Road Atlanta, etc), and one of my very favorite schools is the week-long BMW Ice Driving Schools offered in Arjeplog, Sweden. I've done this school 3 times now and I'm going again in Feb 2024. For those who have never tried it, a full week on the ice with M4/M2's and studded tires is absolutely the best way to up your car control skills! It typically results in me wasting more rubber on my first couple of track days which follow, but if you want to really comfortable with car dynamics nothing else comes close! (Call the BMW PDC and ask for Donnie Isley...)

Anyway...

BMW usually starts this class from Munich, and we always enjoy a few days before/after the class hanging out in Germany. ...but the charter flight (from Munich to Arvidjaur) is a real cattle car (and I'm a big guy). Last flight I was in a middle seat and no-one was happy. ;-) (Had a nice conversation with the Audi engineer sitting next to me though...) Additionally, I always enjoyed the bus ride to Arjeplog. Absolutely stunning scenery in the dead of Winter!

So this year I have decided to fly into Stockholm and drive up to Arjeplog (taking two 6 hr days each way). I've arranged (Sixt) for a Volvo XC90 (AWD) and requested studded tires and chains also to be included. I've done the trip between Arvidsjaur and Arjeplog (on the bus) enough to know Sweden keeps the roads very clean with a little bit of snow pack on the top surface. I'm not worried about that but I am curious what to expect when departing from Arlanda with studded tires in a more southern (snowless?) environment. I won't be going into Stockholm proper (I understand there are restrictions on studded tires) but rather staying my first night in Uppsala to get a jump north for my driving departure.

TLDR: Will I be sorry to request the studded tires when driving through the southern regions of Sweden this winter?

(Thanks in advance)

[TeknDr]

Originally Posted by evanevery

Hey guys! I see this thread is mostly Sweden-centric at the moment and please excuse me if I blatantly hijack this thread. ...but it is about "Winter driving", right?

Anyway...

So this year I have decided to fly into Stockholm and drive up to Arjeplog (taking two 6 hr days each way). I've arranged (Sixt) for a Volvo XC90 (AWD) and requested studded tires and chains also to be included. I've done the trip between Arvidsjaur and Arjeplog (on the bus) enough to know Sweden keeps the roads very clean with a little bit of snow pack on the top surface. I'm not worried about that but I am curious what to expect when departing from Arlanda with studded tires in a more southern (snowless?) environment. I won't be going into Stockholm proper (I understand there are restrictions on studded tires) but rather staying my first night in Uppsala to get a jump north for my driving departure.

TLDR: Will I be sorry to request the studded tires when driving through the southern regions of Sweden this winter?

(Thanks in advance)

If you are driving far north of Stockholm in February, I would also choose studded tires. Some also use them in really South Sweden (down close to Denmark and Copenhagen). It can be icy, or suddenly 15cm snow like this morning, but mostly wet tarmac. Good luck with your BMW Ice experience!

[TeknDr]

Originally Posted by TeknDr

Does anybody have experience from driving in snow?

1. Seems like Headlights get blocked by snow.
In heavy snowfall, the deep ducts seem to get filled with snow rather quickly.

2. Foggy windows
Anybody had this tendency or maybe A/C needs service?
What climate settings do you use to defog in moist winter conditions, around and slightly above zero Celsius?

3. Sensors
Do sensors work well in snowfall and are they well heated to melt snow?
So far, I know that i7 sensors for distance and self driving work really good also in nasty heavy rain. Other cars have given error messages like a flipper game allready in light rain and not worked at all in snow. The iX with its heated grill for sensors and powerful front window heating for cameras works very well in snow. Is the i7 as good or even better?

i7 has the best automatic High beam assistant and Headlights I have tried. As I understand its a new very good LED-technology instead of Laser. The recessed mounting looks nice, but not sure how this will work in really nasty wet snow conditions. Photo is after 5 minutes driving.

[ewoody]

Did not see your post... opened a new one...

Had the same problem last week!

Newer X7 should have the same problem.

Quite weird this problem. What does BMW say to this?

[rollingtaser]

switzerland here

i drove while snowing, not too far and not too heav snowing... i didn't experience any blocking of the lights. but this means not much, it was less over all than on the pictures above.

foggy windows: yes, i had this problem a few times!

what i'm surprised is how well the i7 handles on snow, i didn't expect it so drive so well! i'm positivel surprised here

[ppagiga]

Originally Posted by TeknDr

Does anybody have experience from driving in snow?

1. Seems like Headlights get blocked by snow.
In heavy snowfall, the deep ducts seem to get filled with snow rather quickly.

2. Foggy windows
Anybody had this tendency or maybe A/C needs service?
What climate settings do you use to defog in moist winter conditions, around and slightly above zero Celsius?

3. Sensors
Do sensors work well in snowfall and are they well heated to melt snow?
So far, I know that i7 sensors for distance and self driving work really good also in nasty heavy rain. Other cars have given error messages like a flipper game allready in light rain and not worked at all in snow. The iX with its heated grill for sensors and powerful front window heating for cameras works very well in snow. Is the i7 as good or even better?

I had my first drive in really bad snow, slush, sleet, high winds, low visibility.

1. Think this was not a problem for me. I was relatively high rate of speed 45-65mph for this drive. Visibility was low but think more of a function of roads I was travelling on, hard to tell tbh.

2. WHen I do have fogging issues, turning front fogger on immediately rectifies. From that point forward, I go into climate setting and set air to go to windshield and out, combo setting, and wasn't a problem from that ponit forward.

3. Sensors lost functionality for me.

Added context: I have 21" Pirelli winters on and vehicle handled excellent. Drove in B mode, which assisted, as well

[43v3r]

I was wondering why it all started to be dark, after hours of driving, I saw the car and understood the reason. The car is not designed to drive under snow (in the night) - for sure.... See the picture to understand why too
Driving is very nice and smooth, easy to control...

Foggy windows; nope, all good and clear while travelling 5x persons.
Sensors; yes but partly, it is the case with all cars when mud/snow covers.

Rest; perfect car, nothing to complain (yet) after driving 10k.

[rollingtaser]

Originally Posted by 43v3r

Sensors; yes but partly, it is the case with all cars when mud/snow covers.

from the picture this looks like iced - at least the radar seems heated...

what were the outdoor weather conditions?

[43v3r]

Originally Posted by rollingtaser

from the picture this looks like iced - at least the radar seems heated...

what were the outdoor weather conditions?

was snowing in Germany, then I passed to CZ which was colder & icy, then SK even colder... So, it is the result of non-stop driving over different countries (especially passing by high mountains).
Was easy to remove all ice/snow by hand slowly, all came out as one piece.
Until 7 series, I had always SUVs (X7, SQ7, Q7), never needed to pay attention to the lights. Now I have back pain/tailbone pain due to high sitting position at SUVs/vans, had to switch sedan because of better (for me) and spreaded weight position on the seat, but cost of that switching is to clean up the lights
Anyway, driving new 7 is more comfortable and confident for me in the winter comparison to X7 (2022) / Audi SQ7 (2018) and Q7 (2014) that I drive each at least 150k km. Ground clearance would be an issue if I move away from highway or main roads comparison to SUVs, but I believe higher position of 7 series is enough to drive on all highway/main roads in EU.

[ppagiga]

Im just now seeing the pics in this thread lol wow that is inexcusable that this happens. Ridiculous!

I will check my lights out next time I drive. Maybe it wasn't the roads being dark after all!!

[sward]

My trunk keep freezing and since there is no handle on it I have nothing to grab to pull it so it’s a big hazel grabbing my stuff

[bnzvett1]

Originally Posted by 43v3r

I was wondering why it all started to be dark, after hours of driving, I saw the car and understood the reason. The car is not designed to drive under snow (in the night) - for sure.... See the picture to understand why too
Driving is very nice and smooth, easy to control...

Foggy windows; nope, all good and clear while travelling 5x persons.
Sensors; yes but partly, it is the case with all cars when mud/snow covers.

Rest; perfect car, nothing to complain (yet) after driving 10k.

No real experience driving in that much snow, but I wonder if a ceramic coating would help. Maybe the slickness would prevent the snow from sticking.

[TeknDr]

Have now been driving quite a lot in real cold and snowy conditions.
1. Headlights only get blocked in rare wet snow conditions
2. Foggy windows only occur at low fan speed
3. Sensors for assisted driving work amazing well also in quite heavy snowfall and at -18 C!
But range is affected more than I thought when its really cold. When its down at -5 to -10 C its difficult to get under 30kWh/100km (highway, calm driving 110-120km/h), giving 330-370km range. When pre-heating for a DC charge, the i7 consumes 35kWh/100km and starts pre-heating 35 minutes/55km before the charge stop. Interesting that, also in winter, the consumption is high also 20 minutes after a DC charge stop. Probably to cool the battery pack?

In summer time i7 has slightly better range than an iX50, but less in winter. Larger car to heat and more gadgets to power? On the other hand the i7 DC charges very fast also in -18C, better than the pretty good iX50.

Drive off support is amazing good in deep snow.