linda80100 Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Well it's been a long dry hot summer here in MI and my Seville has been running like a champ! Got her painted in April, A/C fixed and hubby put new lifters in her in June, and since then she's been trouble free and wonderful to drive! Last winter we lucked out and had a very warm winter with maybe 6" of snow tops, spread out over the months. Usually we get 6 FEET total for the season, and I have a feeling we'll be paying for last winter this year. So my question is, has anyone driven a car like mine in snow? I mean, more than 3" of snow? It is front wheel drive, but then so was my last car and I could never turn that thing in snow....just kept going straight - not a good feeling! We'll be putting new tires on her next month, as the ones I have on now are very old, dry and hard, though the tread is still good. I'm just hoping this car won't be a nightmare to drive in snow. Any fellow Northerners with experience driving a '92 - '97 Seville/Eldo in snow please let me know what I can expect. Thanks much!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjb981 Posted September 17, 2012 Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 I have a -97 DeVille, and my experience is that it drives well in the winter. Since it has a lot of its weight over the front (drive) wheels, it is less likely to get stuck compared to cars with closer to 50/50 weight ratio between front and rear. It also means that the car does not get very tail-heavy even when there are people in the back and stuff in the trunk, which is good from a safety perspective. I drive on 215/65R16 in the winter, 225/60R16 (the standard for my car) in the summer. The slightly narrower tire has better directional stability and turning ability in the snow. It also makes the car less stable on dry pavement, although of course still much more stable than on snow. The circumference is just a tad larger for the winter tire, and it is still small enough to fit in the wheel wells. The directional stability in slush is, in my opinion, excellent -- likely thanks to the weight, long wheel base and not too wide tires. I think that the chassis of the '97 DeVille is similar to that of the '93 SeVille, so there may be similarities. A tip is to put the windshield wipers up on their "little shelves" when you park. That will keep them separated from the windshield and prevent them from freezing onto it if it rains/snows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted September 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2012 Awesome, thanks so much for the tips hjb981! I will look for those tires too. And, I'll have to examine the wiper area for that "little shelf" LOL! Hopefully we will luck out and not have much snow again this year, but that would be very unusual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 I drive my Deville every winter and I feel extremely safe in it. It handles extremely well. If my seville was driven in the winter I would feel just as safe. I feel safer in my cadillac than any other car I have ever owned. I can do the speed limit and not even realize it. The only thing that sucks is the salt and dirt that rusts the undersides GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted September 18, 2012 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 I previously owned a '96 and currently own a '97 Seville and both are very good in the snow. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted September 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 Thanks everyone, i feel a lot better now about winter coming! Yup not looking forward to the salt....I will cringe as I drive her thru it, but I will be sure to keep washing her as much as I can! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted September 19, 2012 Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 Thanks everyone, i feel a lot better now about winter coming! Yup not looking forward to the salt....I will cringe as I drive her thru it, but I will be sure to keep washing her as much as I can! I wash my cars at least once per week and flush out the wheel wells and the inside of the rear bumper. I also wash the insides of the bottoms of the doors. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 19, 2012 Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 Great taking off in the snow, you will notice the ABS kicking in to slow the wheel spin, and if the wheel spin gets too bad the engine management system will drop cylinders We had a member from syracuse here for a while, syracuse if you don't know is known for tons of snow. He used snow tires on all 4 corners and braking was good also. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted September 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 KHE - Yeah I'm pretty anal about wheel wells, always wash and wipe them out, along with all the door jams...can't stand seeing all that dirt in there. Depending on how bad the weather is, it might be a challenge to keep the inside of the door bottoms washed. I usually run my car thru the drive-thru car wash when it's too cold to use the coin car wash or my driveway. Some winters recently were relentlessly frigid-cold, and to wash my car in the coin wash would certainly mean frozen-shut doors and locks! I will do my best, though. BBF, I'm amazed that my "old girl" has that much technology! Pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Now taking a look at your year and engine, the 4.9 platform, it will not drop cylinders, but you will hear the ABS kick in, if you need to spin your wheels, turn off the traction control with the button in the glove box. Sorry about that, the dropping of the cylinders occurred with the NS platform. I had a 91 Seville with a 4.9 and I loved that car, it was also very good with the snow, taking off is good, stopping is not so good with any car in the snow, so don't get over confident with the take offs to the point you dont allow yourself braking room... Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 21, 2012 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 PS do you have the owners manual that comes in the glove box for this car? Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted September 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 BBF - I'm not sure about a traction control button....the only buttons I've seen in my glove box are for the trunk and fuel door. But I'll look again.....and yes I do have an owners manual, got it from eBay. Nice leather cover and came complete with a little calculator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 22, 2012 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 I could be confusing your car with the Northstar platform and I may be mistaken. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted September 22, 2012 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 Traction control wasn't available on the base Seville in 1993. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted September 22, 2012 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 Thanks Kevin for confirming that, I had forgotten Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted September 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 Traction control wasn't available on the base Seville in 1993. Hmmmm, wonder if I should be worried? No, she will probably still do great. I will try to remember to give a report once we get our first big snow. Thanks again guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted May 27, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 Just thought I'd update on this: She drove in the snow last winter like she always drives.....like a dream! We bought all new tires for her in the fall (the old ones had tread but were really old and cracking and very hard). Those tires plus probably the weight of the car with FWD was a great combo. Soooo much better than my last car, a Honda Accord. That car would always go straight when I tried to turn in the snow. My Caddy never even slipped. Looking forward to next winter (wow did I just say that?)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted May 27, 2013 Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 The joy of front wheel drive is the all-season appeal. The solution for RWD cars is actually AWD -- one claim I read was that almost or over 50% of luxury sales are AWD. So the magazines all write about the joy of cutting an apex with RWD cars, but people actually buy AWD cars that can get up/down the driveway in weather. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted May 29, 2013 Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 I'll take the wife's car when it snows. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted May 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Whoa what is going on with the font in my last post LOL! I picked Comic Sans not that frilly looking font. I almost hear a fancy accent when I read it, like I ready to go out on my yacht later, then take in the opera... Haha. I wish I had a winter driver, with Awd or 4WD (miss our old Expedition). But this Caddy is my daily driver, as much as I want to pamper and protect her, she won't look this good for long, not in this part of the country. I sure am enjoying her while I have her, my first ever luxury car. Next one will have to be a smaller "economy" car unfortunately, as I want to retire (no, I'm GOING to retire), so we will need to be as frugal as possible. Thx for replies guys! Cadillac Jim, my cousin has a dark gray (that sparkles, kinda like candy-apple gray?) CTS-V just like yours, wow that is a sweet ride! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda80100 Posted May 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2013 Hmm that must be an iPod thing, the fancy font. Now I'm looking at my post above on my main desktop computer and it looks like Comic Sans which would be correct. Just one of those things I guess...computers can be more persnickety than cars sometimes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted May 30, 2013 Report Share Posted May 30, 2013 Yes, I love my Thunder Gray CTS-V. It's one of those colors that can draw you in on a clear day, but it isn't a bright color to draw the attention of most people. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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