Helps quite a bit. The AWD Stelvio apparently comes with Pirelli P Zero tires. Those are summer only tires, and are not supposed to be used below 45 degrees F. And in fact on those specific tires you’re not even supposed to store them below 45 degrees (which is ridiculous IMO, but Pirelli does stupid crap like that, which is why I don’t buy their tires, ever).
If they’re exposed to temperatures lower than 45 degrees, Pirelli will not honor the warranty if they develop compound cracking. It goes without saying that they are not tested for performance in near-freezing temperatures because they are not supposed to be used in temperatures anywhere close to freezing.
Further, their tread wear sucks. It’s common for them to be worn down to minimums by 15,000 miles, and in many cases only 10,000 miles, and so if you were driving on them last winter then you have probably, for these specific tires, abused them and gone too far beyond their replace-by date, and they should not be considered safe.
ESC/ABS/Traction Control/etc are tools, but they are not magical and they cannot overcome the laws of physics. If your tires are losing grip because they’re incapable of generating grip, there’s nothing the electronics can do to help you.
My advice would be to get better tires on that thing. Preferably 2 sets, for summer and winter driving.
That’s only for the Quadrifoglio top of the line version, the other ones list ‘all season’ as the available tires on the ‘build it’ section of the Alfa web site. OP, do you know if your tires are all season?
You’ll need to measure the tread on each tire, I use the ‘quarter test’ where you see if the top of Washington’s head is visible when inserted in the tire grooves.
You also might post this on an Alfa forum, lots better chance of finding someone with a Stelvio there.
Thank you, so basically it can be the tires, an electronic malfunction, weather issues, traveling too fast for conditions or all of the above? It’s not the parking brake issue, correct?
Summary:
FCA US LLC “Alfa Romeo” is recalling certain 2018-2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio and 2017-2019 Giulia vehicles. The Brake System Module “BSM” software may prevent the driver from disabling the Adaptive Cruise Control “ACC” after the traction control system detects a specific wheel slip. Consequence:
The driver’s inability to deactivate the ACC can increase the risk of crash. Remedy:
Alfa Romeo has notified owners, and dealers will update the BSM software, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact Alfa Romeo customer service 1-800-853-1403. The Alfa Romeo number for this recall is V27. Report Initiator: MFR V Report Regulation Part Number:Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number: Notes:
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 ‘TTY 1-800-424-9153’, or go to www.safercar.gov.
Thank you, this was actually done on my vehicle and it still happened. I am not sure where to go from here, the issue is obviously still present on these cars.
Prior to this incident, I could by tapping the brakes. During the incident, the car just kept speeding back up after sliding from side to side and I couldn’t control it. It felt like it wanted to keep going, like none of those systems interfered. It all happened very fast.
Apologies for not being clearer, Can you turn off the adaptive part of cruise control and use it like an old fashioned dumb cruise control. Leaping to the conclusion the adaptive means automatically slowing down or resuming set speed as traffic permits. I love the feature, but given your experience if you can do that as a thought.
It sounds like you need to take it in to the dealer and/or make a report to the NTSA.
Even if your tires were bald it doesn’t seem like you should have had the issues you did - it sound ms like it was more like an issue with the stability control system and the cruise failed to disengage.
I agree, with that problem area already noted, I’d report it to corporate if the dealer is not helpful. Again, find an Alfa forum, see who else is having this problem and what they did about it.
It’s not limited to Alfas!
Quite a few years ago, a friend asked me to drive him to the ER because the tires on his Maxima spun–with zero traction–on a wintery surface, and he was unable to move his car. While I had to drive cautiously in my Taurus, I had no problem getting starting traction with that car or its OEM tires.
Until people learn the difference between “summer” tires–with which a lot of performance cars are equipped–and genuine “all season” tires, we will likely see a lot of these problems.
we’d like to think so to, but do not rule that out as a contributing factor.
i agree with getting this back to the dealer for inspection- letting them know that the cruise control did not turn off, and reminding them that this is an issue with Alfa’s.
I am just trying to wrap my brain around what caused this. The road was pretty straight and there was nothing there. Could there have been a tiny patch of black ice? I doubt it but this AWD SUV shouldn’t have fishtailed the way it did even if there was. The only thing I did was switch lanes and then started to slide from side to side. Nothing intervened to assist, the cruise did not shut off and this has never happened before. I am not sure if mine is the same issue as the recall or it’s another one related to it.
This was the recall: The problem: A software glitch may let the adaptive cruise control stay engaged, even if the driver has hit the brakes, which would normally turn off the system. In some cases, the vehicle may accelerate to a speed higher than the one chosen by the driver.