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Cadillac DeVille

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  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Car talk show by mechanic in Cincy has discussed force balancing as a method
    of checking for tire involvement in this easy-to-shake chassis. It balances based
    on how the tire rolls and crushes to eliminate the effect of an out-of-round tire.
    The tire appears round on a balancer, but when under weight does not roll round,
    due to different amounts of displacement under the weight.
    He feels that's what's happening with the tires.]
    I pray that the tires on my LeSabre that are Michelin won't have this problem
    as I put a few thousand miles on it...

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    Years back when I worked in a tire shop. They had
    a on the car balance machine. A ring would fit on
    the rim lip and you would put a spinner machine
    in front of the wheel to spin it. The center of the ring had 4 small knobs stacked on it. 2 green,
    2 red (from old memory now). One would add weight
    one would subtract. You put a paper towel on fender and would add or subtract weight to make
    the tire, rim, hub, etc spin SMOOTH ! A mark on the ring would tell you where to put the weight
    and how much. Spin again to make sure of no shake.
    But now I guess with all these FWD cars not to
    mention the fancy wheels if that machine would work on them ! My bud who owns a small shop has
    one. Must be 25 years old ! I think Hunter made it. I used it on my old hot rods to balance out
    my cragar rims and tires !.........geo
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I had used those at one car tire store. They fixed problems back in the 70s that bubble balancing at Sears for Michelins wouldn't fix. They worked really well. The radio car mechanic had a call where that had been used with shaking on a large SUV. It verified that the off-the-car computer balancing was good and the hub and rotors and rotating parts on the car weren't causing the shake felt in the car (truck). The mechanic then suggested finding a shop with the force balance system to check the tires and wheels.

    Ideally the tires shouldn't be a problem as far as crush height if they're good quality and hold up for mileage without changing. That's why I've always liked Michelins (insert brand name here that you've had good service from in the past). But I had a 73 Ford that seemed really soft in the wheel control and was really sensitive to balance at highway speeds -- almost like what is described here.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • g1994stsg1994sts Member Posts: 26
    I blame the ridiculous electric shocks. My point Is that inexpensive cars equipped with conventional shock absorbers dont have this problem, older or newer. I could barrel down a highway in a $12,000 Daewoo and experience a smooth ride. I'm totally disgusted with my '94 R.S.Suspension equipped STS. Ride quality is only marginal when the road surface is absolutely smooth. These just float along, sloppy gello like handling, some not very old Cadillacs are a joke. I want to trade It in for something non GM, I'm afraid their going to laugh at me.
  • oldsman01oldsman01 Member Posts: 1,203
    You might want to check out the elaborate suspension systems on some high end BMWs and MBs. It's called progress my friend. Using your logic, all cars should still have coil springs in the front and live axles in the rear.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    anticipated longevity???...one possibility I am considering is buying a 2 year old DTS, assuming anywhere from 20K to 40K miles...I drive about 30K miles per year, so a large cruiser may be just the thing for me...can I expect a Caddy to reach 100K miles without self destructing???... what about 150K miles???...if I buy it with 40K, will I wear it out in 2 years, still owing big bucks on the loan, or can these cars last as long as Mercedes, et al are reported to last (like 250K miles)...I consider the DTS as it is sporty (bucket seats, floor shifter) yet should place less wear and tear on my lower back (assuming that it has an adjustable lumbar support...does it?)...am I crazy, should I consider this, or move onto a used E-series or something else???
    Thanks for any thoughts.
  • oldsman01oldsman01 Member Posts: 1,203
    I think 100K or even 150K would be no problem for a Deville. I'd be curious to see if a modern day Mercedes will go 250K myself. You should be able to get a pretty good price on a 2 year old Deville, although a DTS may be a bit harder to find as those aren't as common. I'm still toss around the idea of either a new CTS or Saab 9-3 or a 2 year old STS. After spending a week with a rental SLS last summer, I can tell you Northstar power is habit forming:)
  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    YEA.....All my Caddies went to 100k plus without
    a hitch from new ! And I run them hard too! But I guess I have been lucky tho. A 2 yo used Caddy is a good buy ! But I would also get a extended GM
    warranty also! In my 100k miles all I've had to do is change the oil, 2 sets of plugs, 2 sets of
    brakes and tires ! All done very cheaply, unlike my sis and bro-in law who HAVE to have a BMW or
    Benz and CRY about expensive PM costs let alone if anything breaks while outta warranty. But my 96 did need those pricey front electric struts $2500 bucks at the
    end so I traded it and got a new 02 instead....geo
  • herschel53herschel53 Member Posts: 10
    Last month I bought a 99 Deville with the 4.6 Northstar. It had 37K miles when I bought it. I love this car. It handles so much tighter than my old 95 Deville that now has 170K. I've driven it about 2000 miles and the "Check Oil Level" light prompted me to discover that it was down about 2 quarts. The car doesn't drip or smoke. I've read many of the previous posts about higher mileage cars having this problem. Since it was still (barely) under factory warranty, I was able to purchase an extended warranty from my local dealer (I did not buy the car from him), but I am reluctant to take it in just to check this out. In the absence of other symptoms, I guess I should just accept this annoyance, or should I?
    Herschel
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    At all milages.

    Mine used oil at 20,000.

    I've seen messages on here about oil usage under 10,000 miles.
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    My 98 Aurora (which has a 4 liter northstar) did not use oil while I owned it. I traded it for a Seville @52,000 miles. The Seville has not used oil yet (@~4000 miles).
  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    If you Caddy is still under factory warranty...RUN to the Caddy dealer and have them
    do a oil consumption test. Get it on paper so if
    you have problems down the road your covered !
    My 96 used a qt. every 1500 miles or so. My 90
    never used a drop! My 02 I am watching VERY carefully !............geo
  • herschel53herschel53 Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the reassurance...how long did you drive yours, and did you ever have problems related to oil consumption?
    Herschel53
  • herschel53herschel53 Member Posts: 10
    Have you done this or do you have knowledge of others who wished they had? I'm just wondering why you suggest this. Are you a dealer who knows about this, or just a knowledgeable owner? I'm not questioning your response, just trying to balance with other replies without overreacting.
    Herschel53
  • smeltzer1smeltzer1 Member Posts: 1
    My dad owns a 99 Deville. He takes it in for regular maintenance and does everything the manual recommends. When he was in for his last service call the cadillac dealer told him his brake fluid was contaminated and it would have to be drained. Cost over $200.00! They are the only people who work on his car. How can brake fluid be contaminated and did they do it? Was he scammed? Thanks.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    I had a 95 Concours.

    It suddenly started using oil at about 20,000. I mean about a quart in less than 1,000 miles. It also developed a 'ping', that actually sounded like a lifter to me. Cadillac de-carboned the motor. Or something, they might have only taken it out and driven the **** out of it to clean up a stuck lifter. The ping was gone and the oil usage seemed to also get better.

    We don't put much milage on our cars. I only drove it to about 33,000 mile and got rid of it because the extended 6 year warranty ran out.

    We had several other problems with the car. It was bought off a 2-year lease at 12,000 miles. Without a warranty, it scared me to death about what future problems might cost me.
  • mlm4mlm4 Member Posts: 401
    Contaminated with what? Water, dirt, oil? If it really was contaminated, there may be other problems with the brake system that caused this to happen. Although it's tempting to believe that these sorts of things are a "scam" I think it's good to ask lots of questions (the trick is knowing what questions to ask) -- at least you'll feel better or at least more informed having some answers or letting them know that you're keeping an eye on them. If the dealer or shop can't earn your trust then I guess it's time to take the car elsewhere.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Brake fluid is hygroscopic -- it absorbs water from the atmosphere. The fluid absorbs water around the seals in the calipers and absorbs water from the reservoir. Some mechanics recommend bleeding the brakes and putting in new fluid every couple of years; especially for do-it-yourselfers that's a nice project.

    I don't think that's likely a major problem for a 4 year-old car. It might be preventative maintenance or a cash booster for end-of-the month at the service department...

    Changing it slows the sludge buildup at the caliper end, so calipers may last longer... but a good brake job after 40-50K is to just replace calipers and pistons. Moisture is blamed for some antilock brake mechanisms malfunctioning.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    My 96 was a oil hog from day 1. Never realised
    it but the low oil level light came on at 2k miles. Just figured it used oil because of break in. But at like 5k miles and up it still ate oil.
    My 90 never used a drop between changes. I took
    it back to dealer to have it checked and they did
    a oil consumption test and I had to keep track of
    oil used. It was on a GM repair order so I was
    covered down the road. Dealer wouldn't do much more about it. They did replace the PCV valve tho.
    Funny tho. at 80k miles it used less oil ....about
    a qt. between 3000 mile changes....GO figure ?
    It was a great car with no problems besides normal
    PM....Just the front $$$$ struts died before I traded it in on my 02. I did not repair them...geo
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    image

    Join us tonight, 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for another
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    Test your skills (or multiple choice guessing ability)
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    Hope to see you there!
  • redly_oneredly_one Member Posts: 122
    Anyone here have any experience with those years? Seems like the car is rated fairly well, has loads of power and room, and can be had at a great price.

    What are the pitfalls? What "goes out" on this car? Anything to look out for would be appreciated.

    reply here or respond to redly_one@yahoo.com

    Thanks
  • barry45rpmbarry45rpm Member Posts: 98
    Why wouldn't a properly maintained Caddy go at least 100,000 miles? Here in NY, a Chevy Lumina or Impala used as a NYC Taxi Cab or cop car routinely goes 200,000 miles before it is re-sold to be used by a suburban Taxi/Car Service, where it will go another 75,000-125,000 miles. Granted the bodies have more plastic in them than an L.A. chick, but why wouldn't a properly maintained Caddy go almost as long as you want to keep it, especially if it is owner driven?
  • abc246abc246 Member Posts: 305
    They are great cars. I had one and sold it at 135k miles to my mom! The car now has 160k. The major repairs were A/C compressor (guaranteed to go on any Cadillac when climate control is left in Auto all the time) and the A/C evaporator in the dash, both went out at about 75k miles. Total cost was $1500 at the Cadillac dealer.

    These cars are FAST! I could keep up with my friends Impala SS to about 60 and he would very slowly pull away to 100. It was hard not to fry the skinny front tires on full throttle take offs. The engine sounds great too.
  • abc246abc246 Member Posts: 305
    My 97 DeVille has 2 rattles that I have to fix. The front suspension has a rattle that I think is the say bar end links. Does anyone know if a repair kit is available or what is a good price to pay for new ones and where to get them?

    The next rattle is the passenger’s side front door bass speaker. Does anyone know the size of this speaker? The impedance? Is the door panel hard to get off? I see the side air bag is in the door panel. Any deactivation of the air bag needed before removal of the door panel?

    The engine also has a cold start miss for about 1 minute. I replaced the spark plugs with Bosch double platinum and the miss is still there. Not sure if the problem is the plug wires or one of the coils. Anyone had similar problems with a car that has 100k miles?

    I would also like to connect a CD changer to the standard radio. Will any GM 12/6 disc CD changer work with the radio when I hit the “source” button?
  • navigator3740navigator3740 Member Posts: 279
    pre-Northstar. Still don't know about trouble free longevity, back when I was driving them, they were anything but. Took a ride in a friends 2000 today though, and was very impressed with the ride, handling and comfort. Also, surprisingly quiet. I could reconsider one possibly.
  • hydra2hydra2 Member Posts: 114
    Took my 2002 dts back to the dealer to perform the recall on the throtle body. While there dealer also re-inserted driver's outside rear view mirror that had popped loose when it struck a pylon at speed. Dealer also investigated an annoying rattle from the front passenger door/seat area whenever I hit a bump. Tech found and tightened a loose bolt on the power seat motor. No more rattle. Life is sweet again. Love my dts.

    Rented a black type x 3.0 auto. It is fast (almost instant power) and handles well in curves and corners. Great stereo. Averaged 18-19 mpg in 150 miles of spirited driving. The interior is pretty but a bit unrefined and cramped. The ride is firm and quite noisey, especially over low speed bumps, subsiding to a dull roar at expressway speeds. The type x was a blast to drive, but no match for my dts and probably not worth 40 large imho. Probably too noisey and unreliable to be in the running for a new car for dw.
  • oldsman01oldsman01 Member Posts: 1,203
    The X-type is a sharp looking sedan, but knowing that beneath the sharp skin is a plebian european Ford sedan platform makes it seem a bit overpriced. A Jag S-type or the new XJ would be a better match for the DTS.

    navigator3740, alot has changed with Caddies since 1990. The new ones are far superior(and I'm not just talking powertrain) than those old C-body Devilles.
  • mdm4mdm4 Member Posts: 33
    I own a 2000 Deville, sometimes when I slow down from highway speeds and try to accelerate the car hesitates and surges. If I press down harder on the gas pedel it finally kicks down and takes off. The transmission upshifts fine and most of the time it downshifts fine. Has anyone experienced this problem? I do not want to take it back to the dealer until I can tell them what I think that it is. I'm hoping that it is just an adjustment. Thanks for any helpful suggestions.
  • elkoelko Member Posts: 4
    i'm looking at a 94.anyone here ever had 1? its in immaculate shape,83k,i can get it for about $5600.seems like great deal to me,some are going for 8 or 9 on autotrader.but consumer reports doesn't give them to good of a rating.[non-permissible content removed] mag?also why does kbb and nada differ so much.i think edmunds listed it about 6200 or so.i just wanted to get some feedback on the 94 from other caddy lovers.thanks
  • davidinalexdavidinalex Member Posts: 2
    I just purchased a 98 Deville with 34000 miles on it for $13000 (good deal???). I love driving the car. It just sort of effortlessly cruises up to speed with just the slightest noise from the drivetrain. The leather is perfect, and I bought an extended warranty which gives me 3 years or 45,000 miles from now for full coverage (except wear components). I was looking around, and a couple of local dealers around here are selling the 99 Deville for 19 and $20,000. The dealer is fixing one problem: there seems to be an uneven front brake rotor or two. They are going to resurface/replace.

    Colin
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...I purchased new in November 1993 and traded last January for a new 2002 Seville STS. My car had 96K miles and had given me no serious problems and few small ones. About the worst was a water pump replacement @ 85K miles which cost around $500.
  • elkoelko Member Posts: 4
    i'm trying to decide between the 94 deville-83k-mint cond. or 95 con.n-star-76k-needs major detailing to be sharp.$1000 more for the 95.i love the power of the northstar.but the 94 is hard to pass up,any thoughts?also what can be done to give the n-star even more power?
  • barry45rpmbarry45rpm Member Posts: 98
    Tell them exactly what you wrote here. They'll know what to do. Probably reprogram the computer, but I had it too and its gone now. If they can't fix it switch dealers to one that wants to satisfy you! Go!
  • oldsman01oldsman01 Member Posts: 1,203
    I think I'd go with the 95. The Northstar V8 and they old 4.9 liter V8 are two TOTALLY different animals.
  • suburbank2500suburbank2500 Member Posts: 29
    Despite the login name, I own a 97 Sedan Deville; Bought it with 139000, and now has 143700 miles on it; I've expierienced oil usage as many of you have, my only question is has anyone tried different oils? I've used the Valvoline MAX-LIFE, Phillips Trop Artic, and they're ok; Also, I live in the Midwest, so weight wise I'm flexible; 5W or 10W/40? thanks for the time;
  • abc246abc246 Member Posts: 305
    From what I have read piston ring sticking is the most common reason for using oil. I would add a can of Reslone and drive it harder.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    ...Pennzoil 10w30 or 10w40 oil in all my cars.
  • mdm4mdm4 Member Posts: 33
    Barry, Can you tell me exactly what the dealer did to your car to correct this problem? I found a TSB that deals with reprogramming the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). I called a couple of dealers and they were clueless. I would like to be able to tell them what I think the problem might be. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
  • barry45rpmbarry45rpm Member Posts: 98
    Thats exactly what they did. Ask the dealer to reprogram the PCM with the latest program for your car. That will fix it. I have found that sometimes when I pass certain 1020 mile intervals on the odometer the car is less responsive or performs somewhat "off" as in your down shifts. I believe thats because in the programming, the engineers have told the car at that milage to use a different set of parameters, or programming. When enough people reach that milage & complain the car is not right, the engineers look at the program, rewrite some code & come up with an "update" or revised program to restore some former parameter, or something that was missed. I find that "changes in behavior" that are noticeable occurr suddenly and at a given milage interval. Call me crazy, but when I complain & they reprogram, the car runs FINE.
  • mdm4mdm4 Member Posts: 33
    Barry, Just spoke with the dealer, he has had my Deville since Monday to correct three recalls and he said that they found an update to the PCM software. I am picking the car up this afternoon, I will let you know if the 4th to 3rd gear surging is corrected. Thanks for your good advise.
  • mdm4mdm4 Member Posts: 33
    Barry,

    Just got car back from the dealer, they reprogrammed the PCM but it still surges. Do you have any other suggestions?
  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    Don't know if this will help or not. I just recieved a voluntary emission recall on my 02 Deville. Says "These vehicles may exibit an engine misfire and/or surge due to a loss of signal from the PCM to the ignition coils".
    GM dealer will update PCM to correct the problem at NO Charge etc...............
    This involves all 02 and some 03 Caddy 4.6s.
    RECALL #s ? KO 3005 or 00000115306
    Not sure which tho....May apply to your 00
    Ask the dealer I guess. Good Luck.......geo
  • ciaramellaciaramella Member Posts: 1
    I want to buy a 98 Deville. Does anyone know if there are any problems or recalls on this vechile?
    Thanks for the input
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    They manage recalls. There is also an area with general owner complaints.

    www.nhtsb.dot.gov
  • goritchgoritch Member Posts: 1
    I am interested in purchasing a DeVille with some chrome trim. Is there any indication that the 2004 DeVille will have any chrome added to its current design?
  • dan178dan178 Member Posts: 1
    Looking for a 99 De Ville--anyone experiencing any problems with this model and year? Any major recalls??? Thanks..
  • barry45rpmbarry45rpm Member Posts: 98
    Have him look for a bad crank sensor, and/or a bad coil pack. I had both problems at different times. Coil packs fail so often, and are an expensive part for GM to replace that they're coming out with redesigned ones for next year. And if they can't isolate the problem, go to another dealer for a second opinion.
  • barry45rpmbarry45rpm Member Posts: 98
    What the heck is with the wiper refills on cars? The '02 Caddy DeVille takes 22 inch, 8 mm wide refills, sold 1 piece to a box. The refill is held together with two plastic clips that if removed to insert the rubber thru the individual claws, leaves you with 2 thin metal spines and a floppy piece of rubber in your hand....I DARE you to get the right rubber groove thru all the 12 claws on the first 3 tries!

    What the heck is this? The refill part number guides at the store allways list the wrong refill, but the correct length, (& I know how to read parts books, you can imagine those poor dudes that don't...) The universal replacement ISN'T universal, and doesn't fit anything , the wide blade is narrower than the standard size "Universal Refill", The narrow refill is not the old Anco narrow size.... Its gotten to the point where you have to replace the whole blade with the brand they push at the store, and next time buy that brand's 22 inch refill. How many parts manufacturers does GM need to use for wiper blades for god's sake? There used to be only 2. Trico with the clip & Anco with the button. What the heck was wrong with that setup ??????????????????

    Back then you bought 1 set of refills, slid them in, and didn't bleed all over the windshield. Its a wiper blade refill for god's sake, not rocket science! I can understand different lengths for differently raked windshields, but a thousand sku's to accomodate a million size widths & latching mechanisms to hold the rubber to the blade? Tell me, Where's the improvement in performance? There is NONE.

    Hopefully, this rant will make it to somebody's desk, who isn't "On the phone, or away from my desk...so please leave a message..." which most likely will be filed away as "Oh, I never got that message..."

    What is the DEAL?
  • oldsman01oldsman01 Member Posts: 1,203
    The Intrigue has a smiliar wiper blade replacement scenario. Anco blades seem to be the only ones that work the best.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Think I had the same problem with Wipers on 98 LeSabre. Advanced Auto guy said the only refills that would fit were the Bosche. Now a couple years later, they don't carry the Bosche refills only the whole wipe blade...

    So I bought two new Trico blades -- I find they aren't flexible enough to match the curve of the windshield on the passenger side when stroking downward -- they leave water, then wipe it on the upstroke. It only has two main arches holding the blade; the original had four arches.

    Moral: compare the replacement blade before purchase. (no I can't find my PepBoys receipt to take the buggers back and get another brand that's better designed.)

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

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