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Cadillac DeVille oil usage
I own a 2002 deville and my expeiance with oil consumption has been a nightmare. I have 40000 mi. on my caddy and have been using 3 quarts plus in less than 3000 miles. I could write 8 pages of stuff to you all but here is the end results. 2002 and several other caddy's had a test engine installed. No you wont see any oil on your floor nor will you see an blue oil trail out of your exhast unless you floor it. My caddy is at the dealer as I speak getting new pistons and rings. I went through a 3000 mile oil consumption test and finally caddilac said to bring it in. there is a bulletin on this vehicle but not a recall. I might add that I am also out of warrentee and caddilac is installing this for free and gave me a loaner. Do not back down when you are messing with your dealer about this! In my eyes caddilac has owned responsibility and there needs to be a recall for us! besides the stress that I have went through I feel caddy is doing right.
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You referrred to a service bulletin on this excess oil consumption. Can you provide some details on bulletin so I can pass it on to dealer? Did you need to contact GM or Cadallac Division directly to get action?
Did the latest service cure your problem, or just delay it.
Start from a dead stop or when rolling and apply your right foot to the accelerator. When you hit 70 mph, slow down and begin the process a few more times until the carbob stops coming out of the exhaust. Yes, WOT is "wide open throttle" and was recommended by one of the Northstar engineers on a Cadillac information web site.
It worked on my '99 STS and even lowered the oil usage back to specs. Besides that, it's a lot of fun.
I went thru the ringer at the dealer with the consumption
tests and this and that. Never smoked or leaked either.
I learned to live with it especially after reading other
N-star owners posts here or on several Caddy only sites.
That car gave me over 125k miles and 6 years of problem
free ownership when I traded it for my 03 (which is better
and uses 1/2 quart every 3000 miles !
My 90 4.9? 4.5? DeVille never used a drop of oil between
changes and also was troublefree and traded at around
100k plus miles for the 96............
'Puttering around' in a Northstar will carbon up the rings, stick them, and allow oil blowby.
From a rolling start, floor it. I recommend running above 70mph. At 70mph, it's probably just shifting out of second. Run it up and allow to coast down several time. If you have the nerve to glance in the rear view mirror, you will probably see a lot of black smoke the first time or two you open it up.
Do this every month or so. Your oil consumption will drop.
That sounds like my moms 98 Deville with a BIG 50k miles!
I have to take it out and run it hard and watch the
clouds of smoke during the first few WOTs..........
She has been wanting a SUV and more room to haul around
the grandchildren and junk so we have been look ing
at the great deals on a late model SRX.
Me, I will buy her 98 for the little woman as her Escort
is getting long in the tooth................ :P
Northstar's rings get carboned up from being driven 'easy', stick, and use oil. If you take the car out and run it to red-line thru the first 3 gears, this will many times break the carbon loose and significantly reduce the oil usage. Two or three 'runs' will be needed.
You don't have to do a drag-race start. Just do a rolling start in first gear and hold the accelerator to the floor thru 2 or 3 upshifts. Of course, this means you will be going about 80+mph, so any ticket you get 'Don't call me'!
If is also recommended you let the car 'coast down' with no accelerator. This also is supposed to let the rings 'flutter' and break carbon loose.
If the car has been 'babied' all it's life, there is supposed to be a huge cloud of black smoke produced out the exhaust during these runs.
If this helps, you should run the car hard about once a month like this to keep the rings free of carbon.
Report back on your success?
After two previous "carbon" jobs on my 2001 DHS while under warranty, I got the inside scoop from the local Cadillac service mgr:
Run it up to redline about once a month to keep those rings running smoothly and to reduce oil consumption. I now add a quart only after about 3,000 miles - certainly an acceptable rate of consumption for this engine.
Actually, I was once told by a trusted Mercedes mechanic that a good engine needs to consume some oil to keep everything lubricated properly.
Bob Walton
I'm tracking auctions on eBay right now but they don't end for a while and with shipping it could take a few weeks.
I'm wondering where I can find a list of information on my car such as which oil weight to use, how many quarts it takes [on change] as well as the recommended filters and fluids, tire pressure, etc.
Any info is appreciated.
https://www.mygmlink.com/main/US/en/gm/home
If not, google is your friend. There are other places available.
Oil will probably be 10W-30. It will take 7 1/2 quarts with filter change for a Northstar, which is what you have. Do not overfill, put 7 1/2 quarts in it. Stop, even if the dipstick shows about 1/2 quart low!
Every place you can buy a filter has a book which shows what filter you need.
Does the quality of an oil filter vary much from brand to brand? I usually buy FRAM but that's mostly out of price/name recognition.
AC/Delco (GM), Purolator, Wix.
Go back and read all of them. Especially my message number 18.
There are other online sources that will tell you how to put the dash display into a mode where it will display the check engine code/codes. These sites also will give a short description of what these codes mean. Google is your friend to find these sites.
But unless you have some mechanical capibilites, you still will not be 'fixing' what is causing the check engine light to be set.
Some of the aftermarket parts sales houses, such as Autozone, will also 'read' the check engine codes with a diagnoistic tool and give you the general description - for free.
And yes, I do understand you are probably trying to get some indication of what is wrong with your car without taking it to the dealer or a garage. But even if you have the code/codes and descriptions, this in many cases will not give you an indication of what the repair might cost.
2)Read this entire thread, starting at No. 1.
3)Minor point - the oil capacity is 7 1/2 quarts, not 8. If you put 8 in there, it will just quickly pull 1/2 quart out thru PCV circuit. (This isn't the cause of your oil usage, just some added info.)
Many of us Northstar engine drivers have found that this cures the problem. Periodic & regular high-rev treatments should keep the problem from recurring. I like to use Interstate entrance ramps as a good place to do my 0-75 acceleration exercises. If it's an uphill grade, that's even better!
You really can't hurt that Northstar engine with this exercise. The only risk is the attention that it might draw from the highway patrol.
If this treatment doesn't help, a trip to your friendly Caddie dealership might be necessary.
Good Luck & Have Fun!!!
Don't put all 8 quarts in, it will just blow the excess out.
After putting in the 7 1/2 quarts and warming up the car, shut it off and check the oil level. Remember this level, it is the 'Full' level. Many Northstars will show being a little low on oil, even with the 7 1/2 quarts in it. Don't add more. I don't know why the oil dipsticks are not very accurate, but two of the ones I've owned did not come up to the 'Full' mark with 7 1/2 quarts....
If you don't have an owners manual, check eBay, they are sold all the time for many autos. If none there, go to www.helminc.com This place 'publishes' original manuals for many auto manufactors. I'm not sure they still have 1994 ones, but you can check.
Cliff
Just puttered around town, and not over the speed limit on the interstate, right?