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Winter driving

4K views 19 replies 12 participants last post by  STS LC3 
#1 ·
So this is the second year driving my v through winter. I have been driving it more as I gave my winter beater to my 16 year old daughter to drive and have not replaced it yet. I have dws on Oem rims. It does very well in snow. I've not so much. A very light touch on the throttle and it does very well. Drove it in to work when 2/3rds of the staff stayed home as they claimed it was to slippery. The only thing I don't like with the v is if I give it to much throttle from a stand still it seems to go into a limp home mode. The throttle seems to be disconnected and it is a cycle gets setup that seems to move the car forward at a very low speed, the only way to get out of this mode is to hit the brakes and stop the car. Any one else experience this.
 
#3 ·
I had that happen to me when I was in KC. I learned how to drive her in the winter. Turning off Traction Control helps.
 
#4 ·
Traction control off. Stick to the right. Shift to second gear and it is pretty easy to get started.
IF you take your foot off the gas, it will downshift back to first - only annoying thing about it.
This is my 7th season driving here in Chicago, so I have a little experience in this area :lildevil:.

Bob
 
#6 ·
I put mine up for the winter. I had my mother's old Monte Carlo last winter to get me through on the crappy days, and the Caddy just sat outside. But anything below 50* here in Chicago, wet or dry (with road salt down), this car is a handful to drive. Can you get by? Absolutely. But I've found, even with the new DWS's, that the slightest sudden application of throttle, if the car is not in a straight line, is a dangerous proposition.

So I talked the wife into a used Suburban that is my winter warrior and our family utility vehicle. The Caddy is over in my other garage, up on my lift.
 
#7 ·
The Caddy is over in my other garage, up on my lift.
Show Off!!

I don't have any trouble in the winter now at all..........lol
 
#9 ·
Yeah I have a ~500 mile set of DWS on the car in the greater Chicago area and last week was ummmm interesting.

Anything other than absolutely minimal throttle turned into the sweet sounds of Traction control kicking in.. I even broke the rear end loose....

I was wondering if manual mode in 2nd gear would help and it seems a couple people above me confirmed this. It seemed to me 1st gear is a bad choice, lol.

I am slightly regretting not putting blizzak's on it though.
 
#12 ·
How much snow are you guys trying to drive through? I've never had an issue with 1 or 2 inches of snow. It's not fun, but by no means is it difficult or scary....I just leave an enormous amount of distance between me and every assh*ole in an SUV. Also, what's with the idea of turning off TC? Mine kicks on, but at 5% throttle it's not cutting much power.

After 3 inches....why even try to drive the STS-V?
 
#15 ·
I'm going to try to keep mine out of the snow as much as possible, and even on rainy days I find myself taking the winter beater to work.

Before the STS I had a tiny car, a Saturn Sky, I didn't drive that car in the snow and stopped driving it on rainy days after a few experiences during my commute on I95. Several times over a year in rainy weather I wound up seeing the trucks and SUVs that were tailgating me in the rain, next to me on the shoulder when traffic came to a sudden stop. On the uphill portions of I95 when traffic comes to a stop you can see half a dozen or so vehicles diving onto the shoulder because they can't stop in time. Before I moved to VA I never saw such a phenomena in bad weather driving, it's quite nuts.

I've also been hit a few times by the sheets of ice that people refuse to clean off of their vehicles in the winter. That's enough persuasion for me to drive the beater in snow.

I do plan on putting a good all season, Conti DWS on the STS though for the few times when I do get caught in surprise snow storms.
 
#17 ·
Got stuck today. In about five inches of snow. Took 3 big guys pushing to get me out. So yah the v is no snowmobile. Otherwise it gets around about as we'll as the gmc van we have at work. Added two 60 pound sand tubes to the trunk. Mostly for sand to throw under the rear tires if I get stuck again.
 
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