Cadillac Catera Maintenance & Repair

gnguru

Next thing I would try is to replace the CKS (crankshaft position sensor). If you"re mechanically inclined you can get the part for about $50 and do it yourself. If you have to take it to a Cadillac dealer, it will be somewhere around a $400 to $500 bill or you may know an independent mechanic that would do it for somewhat less.

leevandam1

well, I have replaced the "cps" and all is well. My wife is happy that here "baby cat" is back on all fours. A of thoughts on the replacement..... I don't know when they put the original one in, but it is almost impossible to remove the old one, so plan on a "re route" of the new wire.... and it may be me, but the car seems to have more "zip" now... again, thanks a lot to all of you for a job well done..... Lee

phil2400

Hey, all. I just wanted to let you guys know that I haven't forgotten about you. The service manuals just came in this past Mon, but work has kept me from starting in on the work. I've got Sat free to get into it. I'll have that oil cooler out and checked by evening!

phil2400

Well, we got to it on Saturday. Due to a tight schedule, I couldn't pressure test it until today (Sun). But, Dallasdude1 was right. As soon as I added pressure, oil began to ooze from the plates on one side. I believe we found our culprit. My friend is now tracking down parts to fix this thing. Thanks again, everyone!

lc928

Just bought this car it over heated cuz the fans weren't working(had to tow it home from just down the road from the dealer), got the fans working and car running again. The radiator is not cracked but is leaking , it looses coolant within 10-15 mins, when the car is running the coolant is spraying near the battery (can't figure out which hose its spraying from), white smoke is coming out of the tail pipe and a little right near the battery where the coolant is spraying and also noticed that the passenger side floor board both front and back has water or possibly coolant i can't figure out what it is but its soaked down there constantly and I don't know how to fix it or what to do.

please help and give comment suggestions anything......

gnguru

What state do you live in? Most states have a "lemon law" and it sounds to me like you bought a :lemon: !! You say "just bought" and with all lemon laws time is of the essence as all states have some sort of time limitation. I'd take it back to the dealer tomorrow and get my money back or at least get a different car as it sounds like you could have some major problems that aren't going to be easy or cheap to fix. Let me know your thoughts on this???

phil2400

I agree with gnguru. Some of the things I suspect just from the post, Cracked radiator (water spraying the battery), leaking heater core (coolant on the floor boards), and blown head gasket (white smoke out the tail pipe). This car should have never been on a sales lot in this condition. A lot of the lemon laws don't protect against 'as-is' used cars, but you should return and raise hell. I'd even consider a lawyer and a consumer advocate, like the rip-off reporting guy on the evening news. Selling a car that develops problems is one thing. Selling a car with this extensive a situation is fraud.

lc928

Thanks for letting me know....I'm going today and returning it or at least trying to
See i thought it was a nice car drove fine and everything seemed normal...I just need a car to get to grocery store or the doctors for my son (im a stay at home mom)...nothing out of town but i think i screwed up cuz I don't know anything about cars but I'm going to try to return it and if not than I'm going to try to fix it with help

gnguru

Well, don't tip-toe into their office and ask them if you could pretty please return the car. Walk in there being firm and meaning business. If you tell me what state you're in, I'll let you know what the law is for that state. Even with an "as is" sale, if it is a reputable dealer, he will want to make you happy. Of course they'll try to make even more money on a new deal but you know what the car was marked at and what you paid! You should get something comparable. If nothing else works, take phil2400's advice and contact your local news station for a consumer rip-off story but tell the dealer you're going to do it before you do it. If he's smart he'll take care of you because one bad story on the evening news will make his business plummet!! And GOOD LUCK!!!

mnbound

Hi everyone! I'm looking for a little insight here if anyone can help! I am having some problems with my Catera and I'm not sure where to start with repairs or at least trying to diagnose some of the problem areas. When I start my car it's very noisy and almost shakes... it continues to shake throughout the drive and usually gets worse. It doesn't die, but it sure sounds like it. I have a small radiator leak, which was inspected at a shop and determined that it was a leaky cap of some sort. Also, it has a hard time accelerating, especially after it has been ran for about 15-20 minutes. It's hard getting the RPMs up, but even when I do get them up, it still struggles and it starts to shake even more at times during acceleration. My buddy told me that it could be my serpentine belt and my spark plugs. Anyone have any thoughts? I'm scared to drive this thing to be honest!

calicago

Hi yes they are nice cars and yes some are crap did you take it back today did they promise too fix it if not go somewhere eles that will treat you like a humanbeing and not an easy buck cheers.

ciaradior

Ok here is the deal... I bought a 01 Cadillac Catera in March 08. It has 87k miles on it and runs GREAT. Well, I bought it without knowing that they didn't even make this car any longer. I guess you can't really do much research when your buying something QUICK at the car auction. That was my big and number one mistake. Well, my father and I took my car to his mechanic because the Engine light, ABS, and TC light stays on and sometimes the radiator light would come on. Well I took my car to the mechanic April 13 and it is now August and he still can not take those darn sensors off. He claims he tried almost everything but I don't believe he TRIED everything. Can anyone tell me what the issue might be and does it take this long to get rid of some sensors. And another thing which is minor is My CD player doesn't work. Whenever I try to input a CD it says CD error and pops it out. But the Radio works GREAT. The Bose system has such a great sound to it. But I want to hear my CD's. And suggestions on what the issue might be. Do I have a Lemon for a car? Should I just take it to a cadillac dealership instead of our family mechanic? Will the process be quicker dealing with the dealership? I don't know much about cars especially a catera. So someone help me PLEASE. If you are experiencing the same issue I am as far as the sensors and radiator lights staying on tell me what you did to get them off. Thanks a bunch. :confuse:

speedkraft

Well, I can tell you this....when my did this is ended up being the ABS unit. The TC light is the traction control and the ABS is the antilock feature. they work together.It may be a sensor. it may be the unit. I use to work at a caddy dealer....believe me, you need to pay the the right people to work on the car. Don't be afraid of the dealer. There is no reason it should have taken this long to repair other then the guy doesn't know the car. I saw alot of Catera's come in on the hook from "other" repair shops that "tried" to fix the car. There are certain things on these cars that need the dealer background and information. They can plug a Tech II tool right into the system and test whats going on....just like that. Good luck. And by the way, they are great cars once you get to know them. My #1 rule....drive it like you stole it! I have been around BMW's and Germen cars all my life, the one with the problems are the ones that are babied!! I have had two 97, one with over 150k of hard driven but well cared for miles and the other with 65k and counting....get this...very few problems. I would drive it anywhere!!

Ben

mnbound

It is worse today.... Actually, when I put it in park, it actually died on me. All the electrical was still on, just no engine activity. Does anyone know what might be causing all of this. Could it be my fuel filter? Someone please help me!!!!!

hazel9852

I have an 01 catera we've had several problems with it but recently the worst. When my car sits over night it works fine when first starting and driving somewhere but once i put it in park and it sits there for a few minutes it has trouble driving back. About 2 minutes into driving it back the fuel door light comes on than the rpm jumps down than back up and you can hear the engine struggling. The sport mode button starts blinking and than the acceleration is unresponsive and the car slows like it was just turned off. Once the speed decreases the steering gets very stiff and is almost imposible to turn. After that I usually pull to the side of the road and turn the car off. When I try to restart the car it won't start. The weird part is the engine is still on while this is happening and after I let the car sit for about an hour it starts back up again. This problems occures usually after being stuck at a stop light. We can't find any obvious problems with the engine since the check light engine isn't on. Also the fuel door is closed so why is the light coming on? If anyone knows whats going on please help!

gnguru

A present Edmunds blogger had a problem with his sport light flashing. He replaced the CKS (crankshaft position sensor) and the light stopped flashing and his car had alot more "zip".. Your not starting and running sluggish and no power symptons sounds like it could be the CKS. It is about a $50 part at GMParts Direct and you can easily install it yourself if you have minimal mechanical abilities. Otherwise, it is about a $400 to $500 job at the Cadillac dealer. That's what I would do first to see if it eliminates the problems. Good luck.

lc928

I still have the 01 cadillac catera....I need some help, did the pressure test found out there are 2 cracks in the radiator, I know exactly where they are and this is the only thing left on the car that is holding me back from driving it now
Does anyone know how I can fix this with out replacing the radiator......what could I use to repair the cracks? I already tried that stuff you pour into the radiator doesn't do anything....do anyone know how else I could fix this problem??? Please help!!!

leevandam1

It is starting to sound like what I just went through..... no power, can't hardly make it up a small hill.... just like there is nothing under the gas peddle.... ummmmmmmmm oh yes, and all the lights on the dash doing their thingie....... well I took mine to a GOOD auto computer shop and they put in and programed a new engine computer..... that helped, and then every so often I had the starting problem.... so I replaced the cps and now all is good. I think I had a double dose of problems... so what ever I did put my Cat back on the road... or should I say my wife and her "baby Cat.' but I do love that car.... it is a shame the don't make them anymore.... ( I mean if they, GM, got the problems all worked out) I would start with the cps item first. Lee.

gnguru

Generally, the radiator is drained and then removed from the car and soldered by a good radiator repairman and then they pressure check it for leaks. I've never tried it or heard of it being done, but if you can see the cracks and have access to them, JB Weld is one fantastic product. Just make sure the area around crack is dry and kind of sand it with a medium sandpaper and apply some JB and I'll bet it will fix the leak. Just an idea. Also, you should never put those leak clogging additives into your cooling system. They sometimes plug the leaks but they also impede passages in the cooling system. Good luck.

daniel1811

I have a 98 Catera. I was driving down the road and it the car just shut down. I waited 10 minutes and it started back up but then it died after 5 seconds. I took it to my mechanic and replaced the fuel pump, and the car is still shutting down after being started. The car had a small radiator leak also so i went ahead and put a new radiator in it and also an alternator, and belt since these were easily accesible after removing the radiator. My question is what is causing the car not to stay started? Also it has two bad oxygen sensors could this cause this problem? Thank you in advance for any input. need a lot of it

mnbound

Okay, so just to give anyone who is having the same issues or similar issues as I am a good indication what's going on, I did bring my car into a shop to have them run the computer on it to see what codes it's spitting out at me. This is the main problem, the valve cover gasket is blown and is spilling all over my spark plugs and wires, my manifold gasket (intake) needs to be replaced, and I need new spark plugs and wires. They quoted me at $1400 for everything... WOW!! So just a heads up, don't get have the dealer or shop order the parts for you. Buy them at a parts supply place. I can buy all of these replacement parts for about $250. They labor is a different story, Does anyone know how long this should take or how much I should look at for a labor price?

gnguru

First of all, I hope your mechanic isn't just randomly throwing parts at your car trying to resolve your problem. I mean, granted, if your radiator had a leak, it needed to be repaired or replaced. However, there are ways to check a fuel pump and/or alternator to see if they are functioning properly without just replacing them. With "all" that he's done already, I assume that he had the sense to replace your fuel filter too. The next think I would try is the CKS (crankshaft position sensor). It might and might not be your problem but it's alot less expensive than a fuel pump or alternator.....plus, if you know the car has two bad oxygen sensors, why in the world wouldn't you replace those too??? :confuse:

dtsluvr

I would suggest replacing your crank shaft position sensor. This is nortoious for going wrong in these cars. My car would run maybe 2-3 min and then just shut right down and you wouldn't be able to start it for hours and sometimes the next day. I'm not sure if the oxygen sensors have something to do with it or not, it may I would think because you are depriving your vehicle to get the air that is needed. But when you car shuts down when driving and takes a while to start I know that is the (csp ) as I mentioned above. The problem will just get worse. Now with the CPS. they ran it through the oil coolant lines whiches causes it to heat up and send a short. The part Ibought at auto zone for 75.00 and my husband installed it. alot of people rerout it against the manufuld, that is what we had to do. The only thing that is required to change it was a ratchet. it is only one bolt. under the car next to the oil pan and it runs to the top backside of the moder. At least mine did for a 99 catera. you can look it up on line by putting 98 catera cank shaft position sensor. there will be a link that will tell you what it is and were it is located.
Hope this helps you.

phil2400

I humbly disagree with gnguru. Most radiator shops I talk to will not try to solder a leak in an aluminum radiator core. They can replace the plastic tanks on the end, tho. I also want to encourage you to fix this right, and not rely on JB weld to fix the cracks. It is a wonderful product, but the solution is very temporary. If the plastic end cap has started to crack, other cracks will appear until one breaks wide open. If it is both sides that are cracking, you may want to look into finding a replacement radiator. It may be a cheaper option.

daniel1811

yea we ran a obd2 scan on the car and the crankshaft sensor was malfunctioning thank you for your help

dallasdude1

About how many miles and what year?

dallasdude1

Sounds like that mechanic is puzzled and lost. Gnguru your right the crank position sensor would be an inexpensive start. Otherwise, your going just replacing the car piece by piece. Seems like your chasing your tail.

daniel1811

well the car is fixed and running but there is still a code that we cant figure out it is engine speed input circuit malfunction. Anyone have any clues? Also after i took home it was raining and the TC light came on and stayed on. Pushed the TCS button but still wouldnt go off anyoneknow anything about this?

az_hvy

When I bought my 98 the check engine and the tc light stayed on also the speedometer didn't work The code i got was DCT P0501 ( Speed Sensor Circuit) bottom line is it was the EBTCM ( Electronic Brake Traction Control Modulator) Dealer wanted over a grand to fix it. Below is an address of a place that will rebuild it for 250 (I had a 5 day turn around via UPS) and I found a great shop here in Phx that pulled the codes removed and replaced it and reset comp for about 250 so 500 total
http://www.modulemaster.com/en/Cadillac/process_cadillac.php
You can still drive the car while it is off if you make sure the housing is covered and kept dry(piece of plastic, shop rag, and duct tape)
Good Luck and let us know

az_hvy

I forgot to mention there is 11 steps on that code. When every other shop got to step 5 there was a tool needed (Signal Generator Tester J38522), which they didn't have. I got lucky and one shop pointed to someone who had it. Turned out these guys are the best and most honest mechanic and reasonable priced shop Iv ever been to (except my Uncle Joe, who put a 350 , Chevelle transmission and rearend in my 74 Vega hatchback)
Hope this helps

lc928

Your right gnguru, I tried the jb weld didn't hold at all....so I just ordered a new radiator online should be here in a week....do you have any info on how to take the old radiator out and put a new one in??? I have never done this before but I have to so I can get this car driveable...Please help if you can

lc928

I need help, have never replaced a radiator....just bought a radiator online, waiting for it to ship to me...I have an 01 cadillac catera, need help taking the old radiator out and putting in the new one....does anyone have any information....anything at all i could you to help me do this...Please let me know
thanks

michealg

Try checking the coolant/radiator fluid to start. Try to see if there's any type of hole or tear in the radiator hose that might cause a leak. Reason why the engine died is a safety mechanism if the engine gets to hot. Also find a mechanic that deals in german engines after all you have a german engine not american. And for god sake's do not take it to a Cadillac Dealership they will triple charge you for something that is least expensive.

phil2400

Radiators are not difficult. But, with the way they jammed so much into the engine compartment on these cars, you may find it hard to reach some of the fasteners and bolts.

1) Drain the radiator. There is a drain on the driver's side of the radiator.

2) Undo the lower and upper radiator hoses and the surge tank hose from the radiator. Make sure to use a catch pan under each hose, because fluid will still drip. Check the hoses for hardening, soft spots, cracking, or other signs of distress. Now is the time to replace if questionable.

3) Unbolt the transmission cooling lines. These bolt to the radiator with banjo bolts You may need a large socket or wrench. I think these have 22mm hex heads.

4) Remove the upper radiator supports. Then the radiator should lift right out.

5) Installation is reverse of all the steps above.

lc928

Thank you so much for explaining this to me!!

dallasdude1

Where abouts do you live?

ciaradior

Hey Ben thanks. And yes they are GREAT cars. My parents have a Mercedes and I have to admit it drives smooth just like one. I love all the great features it comes with. My first "luxury" car Ive owned. I just need to get the sensor lights off so I can pass emissions. I am picking the car up on Friday from the shop. Hopefully they did something good to it. If not I will be driving up to the Cadillac dealership. I know it will be cost much more but the car is great and I dont want to get rid of it. So I will keep you updated on what the outcome is. Also, any idea on why the engine light may stay on as well? I forgot to mention that when I drove it one day on the highway all of a sudden the sensor lights(tc, abs, engine) all went off then they went back on after a minute or two. So any idea what that could have been? :confuse: Thanks for any help

Ciara

az_hvy

If you go to post #753 in this form, it might help you. I had similar problems except my speedometer didn't work ether. Also from my experience I would stay away from the Cadillac dealer and try to find a shop that works on BMWs and Benz

calicago

Hello fellow Cateranes Are the head lamp covers removeable for cleaning the inside it's very yellow very drity the inside not out I notice some tabs on it did not screw with them because I wasn't sure. How about it gn guru you seem to be well versed in cateras are anyone else for that matter cheers

lc928

found a mechanic near by who works on cadillac's that will replace the radiator for me for 300 labor and cost of radiator!! thanks again for explaining to me how to do it my self!

gnguru

Well, that's a good question. I have to be honest with you and say I just don't know if they can be cleaned. :confuse: The Service Manuals don't say anything about their disassembly but then there are alot of things the Service Manuals "don't" say.. LOL.. I really don't think they come apart, but I'm just guessing. However, I will say that generally when they turn yellow, it is the plastic itself and that really can't be cleaned and has to be replaced. I would check with your local salvage yards and see if you can locate some decent used ones cheap (should be plenty of Cateras there.. hehe). Then go ahead and remove one of yours and see if it will come apart and if it doesn't, go get the used ones and use them. Sorry I wasn't much help here. Maybe someone else will chime in on this. Let us know what you find out and good luck.

ciaradior

Thank you az_hvy. That actually is useful information. I picked my car up yesterday at the shop. The sensors are still all on I can't believe I forgot to mention that my speedometer also doesnt work. I was more focused on the other issues. You and everyone else stated I should stay away from the dealership. As soon as I find out what the codes are Ill let post it. Thanks. I will also go to that website. Thanks a bunch. This forum is very helpful... :shades:

Ciara Dior

mnbound

It has just under 75,000 miles on it and I live in St. Paul, MN... I'm starting to think I just need to sell this thing! If you know anyone who wants to take it let me know, haha!!

jseer891

Did you get this fixed. I have the same problem with mine. Can you please let me know how hard of a job it was?

phil2400

We purchased an original GM Service Manual for the car we found on Ebay. It included both volumes. It has step-by-step instructions with torque numbers for the various fasteners.

But, yes, we just finished up the job today after I got home from work. The oil cooler was leaking, and we verified it once out by filling with oil, capping one end, and using a custom fitting to add compressed air to the other. We added pressure, and the oil began oozing from the plates.

It took us 3 hours to get the oil cooler out. You will need to invest in some good Torx sockets. Almost all the fasteners use them. We drained to coolant. Then we removed the plenum. We kept the throttle body attached, and disconnected the coolant hoses and vacuum lines. We kept the lines attached to the black plastic vacuum manifold on top of the plenum, and just moved it around to get to other work. We also had to remove the intake manifold, and was able to keep the fuel injectors in place, and just disconnected the fuel lines and the fuel injector connector. Then we removed the black plastic manifold spacer. This exposed the top of the oil cooler. We also had to remove the coolant crossover on the back of the intake valley, between the cylinder heads. The book called for the oil cooler lines to be disconnected at the oil filter housing, and then at the oil cooler. We had problems getting the banjo bolts loose at the oil filter housing due to the tight clearances, so we disconnected them at the oil cooler, and carefully bent them just slightly out of the way. Then we removed the oil cooler cover and finally removed the oil cooler itself. The cover and oil cooler will not come out of the valley together. The cover must be tilted to remove it. Installation is reverse of the above.

We ordered a factory replacement kit that included a new cooler, new cover, and the GM sealant. There is no cover gasket. We also ordered new banjo bolts for the cooler and the crossover, including new seal washers, and new intake manifold gaskets. It took us another 3 hours to replace everything, and about 2 hours of cleaning time. We had the clean off the old sealant on the cover mating surface, and cleaned up the throttle body, plenum, and intake manifolds since they were out.

The hardest part was flushing and cleaning the radiator and surge tank. This was an icky-sticky mess that was an ugly pain. And we still want to take it to a shop to have the cooling system power flushed. The point was to get it clean enough to drive it to the shop. And it was an ugly mess. He's getting it to the shop tomorrow.

joe161

Can someone give me the steps and proceedure for replacing the timing belt and valve cover gaskets for a '97 Catera?

mybestdog

I had the same issue with my 2000 Catera. ABS, Engine Light all on and the Speedometer was working sporadic. I did allot of research and thought it was the Electronic Break Control Unit. The dealer wanted $1400 for the part, so I did my homework and found a site called - www.bba-reman.com. I had my own shop remove the module, I sent it to BBA, and they tested (It was bad) fixed and returned to me all for $150.00. My Shop installed and I am happy to say that the problem is GONE!

elgecko

Does anyone know what vacuum line goes to the small 90 degree hose that is on the underside of the intake plenum. Its on the driver side. About a 1/8" ID.
After having a tune up done, I kept hearing a small hissing. Found it to be this little hose, BUT there is no plastic line going to it.
Thanks
Dave

gnguru

Personally, I would go back to whoever did the tune-up and have them fix it. But then again they may just plug it up. Is it toward the front of the engine or back toward the firewall. Have you checked all vacuum operated items inside the vehicle like AC/Heat (blows from proper ports as adjusted)etc etc?? Does vehicle run rough or idle rough?

mybestdog

I have a 2000 Catera Sport and I think I am having a similiar problem. I have oil in my coolant overflow tank, but NO coolant in my oil. My first fear is that I had a blown head gasket, but my mechanic tested for that and I am fine. He is not familiar with my car so I have to do my own research. I can think of no other source of oil in coolant that the OIL COOLER. Can anyone think of any other source before I purschase the oil cooler kit?