thanks all

wait - are you saying they made you put chains on a 4WD? Did they actually check the tires for the snowflake marking?

I recommend never turning off DSC when moving. Particularly for an inexperienced winter driver, stability control is very valuable.

You won't burn the brakes unless you are using far too much throttle. The brakes will be applied on one wheel, to allow the other wheel on the same axle to drive. Turning off DSC doesn't stop the brakes from being applied.

I did not recommend he not use DSC. When Stoped or moving around in slow/step areas it will get you stuck. Second, how about this, your brakes will smoke just like a burning clutch if your are shifting drive/reverse and do not realize DSC is working against you. Around 40K miles (in 2002) I did this and had my brakes replaced for free. Ever done it?

One point - even if the main roads going up like 50 and 89 are well plowed, you cannot count on that in the neighborhoods in and around Tahoe. Plus most are up some pretty steep hills and then you still have to get into their driveway many of which are not flat. If there is snow up there you will be in serious trouble with 285 summer tires on there. Trust me. I'm not even sure if you can find chains that big. Chains should go on the back of an X5 since it is RWD biased.

Maybe a quick search on CL for some 17" take-offs with all season tires is in order?

I have a set of X3 18x8 nearly new OEM wheels that I would sell you for $450 if you can find tires, but Im in San Jose so need to figure out how to get them up there if that is of any interest. PM me if so.

Or just rent an SUV, but looking at a few options for rentals and you could probably get a set of wheels / tires for similar cost to a weekly SUV rental around here. They really get you for those this time of year.

For the record the chains go only on the rear. It is primarily a rear drive vehicle.

Yes, EVERY single vehicle had to have chains. If you did not have chains on, you had to turn around and go back.

Must be my mistake, I read "#1 step was to turn off DSC when stopped or not moving down a fairly clear highway/road". If you are moving down a snow covered road I think it should be on.

Turning off DSC does not turn off traction control (DTC), so you still have brake intervention with the button pushed or not. If you are hitting the gas enough to smoke the brakes you can do it with or without DSC on. You can't turn off DTC, there is just a higher threshold for brake intervention.

If you burned out your brakes from rocking it back and forth, it isn't a DTC or DSC problem, you just don't have the right tires.

Yes, I have used DSC and DTC extensively in snow. Yes, I have been able to smell hot brakes. No, I have never burned up my brakes, I knew to stop prior to that.

That is very rare in my experience. There are 3 levels of chain controls, and the most common is 2. The roads have to be pretty bad for them to require chains on all vehicles and at that point they are more likely to just close the road completely. I have been up there literally hundreds of times in the snow and even tho I chase storms for powder days I have never seen a level 3 chain control. But it can happen.

From the CALTRANS website:

Requirement One (R1): Chains, traction devices or snow tires are required on the drive axle of all vehicles except four wheel/ all wheel drive vehicles.

Requirement Two (R2): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four wheel/ all wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels.
(NOTE: Four wheel/all wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.)

Requirement Three (R3): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.

SNOW-TREAD TIRES:
The California vehicle code section 558 defines a snow-tread tire as follows, " A 'Snow-tread tire' is a tire which has a relatively deep and aggressive tread pattern compared with conventional passenger tread pattern". Snow-tread tires can be identified by examining the sidewall of the tire where the letters MS, M/S, M+S or the words MUD AND SNOW have been stamped into the sidewall.

Your academic opinion continues. This is why you have so many posts. You have nothing better to do than sit around and pontificate. Jezz go drive your truck. Everything I said holds true. In essence you are the driving force that drive knowledgeable people away from these boards. For the record at the time yes I did have MXV4 (as stated before) and Snows for years now. Feel free to show me pictures of your X5 (or now X3) where it is buried to the floor pans.

JLW: For the record the chains go only on the rear. It is primarily a rear drive vehicle.

So the truck is a AWD but only if the truck "thinks" is necessary to engage?

Little confused here. Thanks for your help. : )