Z refuses to budge in sudden snowstorm

[Anneem]

Has anyone had their Z suddenly stop, unable to move in snow? I was driving my 2024 Z Performance when an unexpected snowstorm dumped a couple inches of snow in minutes. I was in it maybe 10 minutes, driving slow but steady on a flat road, the tires weren’t slipping. I’d gone maybe 100 yards when it slowed to an abnormal crawl, refusing to go more than like 5 mph. No strange sounds

My turn was less than a block away where I stopped, waiting to make the left turn. The car wouldn’t move. No spinning tires, no revving engine. No instrument panel messages indicating anything awry. I tried numerous things, put it in park, turned it off, let it sit, turned it on, tried to put it in manual, back to auto. It started kicking the shifter back to neutral when I tried putting it in gear. I called for a tow.

I turned it off, waiting. I wasn’t blocking the main road but I was blocking a well traveled turn lane and desperately wanted to get it off the road. It had been off maybe 10 minutes; I gave it another try, it worked. It didn’t feel normal but it was hard to tell because it had gotten pretty slick. Thankfully I made it the half block into my driveway. Given the weather that evening, and the forecasted snowstorm that hit last night, I’m waiting until this passes before getting it in to service.

I’ve searched for similar experiences and read practically the entire manual to no avail. I think it’s safe to say it’s some computer/sensor glitch, but it was totally disturbing. Thoughts?

 

[greg1199S]

This could have been an electronic throttle error. My 2018 Alfa Giulia 2. 0 has an electronic throttle, and when I accidentally press both gas and brake, the car will go into limp mode. The only fix is to disconnect battery for a couple minutes and re-connect. That has corrected my error, but no idea if the Japanese Nissan error would correlate to the Italian Alfa error. Worth a try.

The Alfa battery has a disconnect on the negative terminal, so super easy, no tools needed.

 

[ZillaZ]

Different manufactures have "limp modes" that can be triggered by many things. Computer issues, Engine issues, Battery issues, gas consumption issues... etc. Cold weather could maybe make it sound battery related but I don't know.

 

[greg1199S]

I still would try a negative terminal disconnect/connect to see if the error clears. Easier when you have a quick disconnect on the terminal, when stranded in traffic-

 

[Anneem]

This could have been an electronic throttle error. My 2018 Alfa Giulia 2. 0 has an electronic throttle, and when I accidentally press both gas and brake, the car will go into limp mode. The only fix is to disconnect battery for a couple minutes and re-connect. That has corrected my error, but no idea if the Japanese Nissan error would correlate to the Italian Alfa error. Worth a try.

The Alfa battery has a disconnect on the negative terminal, so super easy, no tools needed.

Thank you. It's good to know any possibilities. Surely the throttle error you had or whatever caused my situation is not considered an acceptable "sensitivity." Thank goodness this isn't my only car.

 

[5amp5on]

When it finally worked again was it in limp mode or did all seem "normal"?

If it was normal I bet service will not be able to replicate the issue. Weird one for sure.

 

[Anneem]

When it finally worked again was it in limp mode or did all seem "normal"?

If it was normal I bet service will not be able to replicate the issue. Weird one for sure.

I think it was still in limp mode, but given I had less than half a block to go, thank goodness, I’m not sure. It is still snow bound in my driveway so I won’t be going anywhere until snow is gone.

I hope there’s some way they can run computer error diagnostics, but i agree there’s little chance they’ll be able to recreate. I’ll post whatever I find out but it may be awhile.

 

[Koryak]

The dealer's scan tool may still be able to read a stored diagnostic code so worth a try. Most cars drastically reduce power if the wheels really spin and lots of traction/stability sensor input occurs. I've never heard of one refusing to go into drive or move.

I sometimes drive my manual Performance Package Z on snow and it mainly flashes the traction/stability warning symbol while the rear tires spin. The limited slip diff really helps the 3 season tires get some grip but don't try starting off going uphill, LOL. I try to avoid driving below 20 degrees F. even on dry roads because the stock tires are not designed for cold, never mind snow.

 

[Donkeyfarmer]

This is not normal. I have been driving my Z in the Chicago area (on my 2nd winter now), have driven in the snow and in below 0 deg weather.

ive never had this happen to me.

take it to the dealer for sure