Cadillac DeVille

robertem1 · January 2003

I have a 2000 DTS with 22K on it. In the last month it needed a water pump that created other coolant leaks that haven't been fixed yet. I also had a "Speed Limited" message, and they replaced the module. Now, I get the "Check Stabilization System"? message. Is this the same module? It has been trouble-free for 21K, now all of this. Anyone else have these "sudden" problems on similar cars?

barry45rpm · January 2003

It is not related, and is probably the steering sensor. (Its an EZ warranty fix anyway)

rdesman · January 2003

Did anyone have a chance to compare the actual sound output qualities between the standard sedan radio (year 2002 model)and the Bose model which comes on the DHS and the DTS? Are there any differences? I know the OEM Bose model is available on line but I don't know if the upgrade is worth the money or the hassle. Any advise would be helpful.

fjk57702 · January 2003

My Seville has the Bose and the 98 Aurora I traded in had the base radio. The Aurora's radio was not bad. The Bose is not obviously better, but then I have not compared them either. One would have to play some CD's on both systems to really hear any differences I think. My Bose system came with the premium package of goodies.

robertem1 · January 2003

I have driven a few Deville rentals lately with the standard CD system. I own a DTS with the Bose in it. Answer? The Bose is WORLDS better, than the standard in the Deville! The player skipped a lot in 3 different Devilles; one almost new. Unless the DHS has a different standard one, the Bose is tops.

barry45rpm · January 2003

The Bose radio is not substantially better than the base radio at normal listening levels. The higher output amps do sound better at higher listening levels, though. The PTY and The RDS functions don't work properly in the Bose radio, as they do in other GM radios in other models due to a design flaw. The DSP, or digital signal processing (adding ambient effects or spacious effects to the sound) work fairly well, but are very sensitive to changes in signal strength, which can be caused by a building, or a change in the car's travelling direction, so the added effects would decrease or dissappear for a few seconds, untill, say, the truck next to you at the traffic light pulls away... As for the CD skipping, the basic guts of the single slot CD are essentially the same. Slapping the Bose name on the system basically gets you high output amps, different speakers, and the sound effects. It also is the same radio you would get if you ordered XM radio. The XM receiver would be mounted in the trunk & would feed into the head unit, which is why the PTY button doesn't work, its been reassigned to work with XM. There are some RDS display issues on the dial, and the radio doesn't diaplay some call sign/formats for certain radio stations even though they will display on other GM RDS radios. (Mine will only display "WNEW FM TALK" only if I have a cassette in the slot, and I am rewinding the tape. Otherwise it displays "102.7 FM"...so clearely the RDS is screwed up...) Overall, its a better sounding radio only at louder listening levels. If you never heard them side by side, you'd never miss it, but the sound effects (DSP) are "hearable" & somewhat credible... The DHS & up deserve a better radio than this Bose. I currently own an '02 DHS & had previoulsy owned a 2000 Base Deville, and have lived with both. Those who think this radio works as it was conceived do not understand all of the features it is/was capable of. The radio was redesigned for '02, so it could handle XM and other internal communication needs of the car,and some of the features that worked perfectly in the '01 Bose radio were mucked up...And that is the fact.

suburbank2500 · January 2003

Bruce Springsteen was right
My love is bigger na Honda
And it's bigger than a Suburau

I just bought a '97 Sedan De Villed Base with Leather and chrome wheels, no other optios; 139000 miles on it; I got it for $5000; not bad I say; That northstar engine is a screamer, and I get 27 mpg; It's my 1st caddy (look at my logon name) but man I love it!

herschel53 · January 2003

My independent dealer friend is looking for me for a 2000 Deville with less than 50K miles on it. If he finds one, I think it will meet the criteria for certification. My local Cad dealer/jerk is telling me that unless it's purchased through a Cad dealership (him), it can't be certified. Is this true? I suspect that for a fee it could be done, and if the fee is $500 - $1000 to have it certified, this seems like a bargain to me. How can I get a car certified?

bolivar · January 2003

...to get a certified Cadillac, it has to be bought through a Cadillac dealer. That's who 'certifies' it.

A few year ago, the cost to the dealer was $650. Anything above this was profit.

sonjaab · January 2003

Just back from my annual NY to Fla to
Vegas and back road trip......
My 02 Deville was FLAWLESS all the way.
Got about 25 mpg. plus. Not many posts
since i have been gone! Keep postin !
..............geo

fjk57702 · January 2003

I think the key to certification is a history that the car has been maintained properly. This could mean that the dealer has done the maintainence since the car was new or can verify that the maintainence was done since the car was new.

bolivar · January 2003

...was just a checklist of about 100 things the dealership was supposed to have checked. I have no idea if they looked in their computer system to see if they could find maintenance records.

The milage and age has to be under the maximum allowed.

It was a lease car, and the leasee did leave several service receipts that I got, indicating the car had been serviced. But I don't really think this had anything to do with getting the certification.

Basically, you pay the money, you get the certification.

And, it was worth it to me. I had lots of trouble with that Cadillac.

herschel53 · January 2003

I guess my question really was--does it have to be certified by a the Cad dealer I buy it from? If it's already certified when I buy it from a private individual, does it stay certified? If it is not certified, but meets the criteria, can I take it to any Cad dealer to get it certified?

Anyway, it's moot...the service dept at my Cad dealer has jerked me around for the last time on my current Deville...I'm taking my car to trade it at Toyota. I'm thinking of a loaded Avalon.
--Herschel53

bolivar · January 2003

Well,
-I don't know if a 'certified' Cad warranty can be transferred to another owner. I kept it through the end of the certified warranty. That's when I started trying to sell it.

-You can't buy from a non-Cadillac dealer and then take it to a Cad dealer and have it 'certified'. This is a big marketing item to help Cadillac dealers move used cars. They have huge depreciation, and their certified warranties are a big selling point for their used cars.

Well, I looked hard at Toyotas, including Avalons and bought a Honda Accord. Where I live, the Toyota importer (distributor) adds huge 'packs' to ALL the cars. At least $2,000. Stripes, mirrors, wheels, spoilers, etc. They even take cloth interior cars and change to leather! In general, the Toyotas are priced higher than Honda, and with these unwanted (to me) add-ons, Toyota priced themselves out of my market.

I've happy with the Honda. Do kind of wish I had waited for the 2003, with 240hp, with very little increase in the price. But I was very glad to have the Cadillac gone without costing money out of my pocket after the warranty expired.

fjk57702 · January 2003

I think that a "certified" car qualifies for some kind of warranty coverage. Basically, if the car is still under the original factory warranty (4 years/50,000 miles for cadillacs), then a new owner can extend the warranty beyond the original coverage (for a price).

herschel53 · January 2003

As it turns out, my independent dealer-friend called me from an auction where he found me a very clean 99 Deville with 37K miles on it. Original warranty expires in May '03. We bought it.
Now I'm exploring those after-market non-manufacturer warranties. I just found www.warrantiesbynet.com. Anybody have any experience with these guys or their ilk?

pat · January 2003

Also ask that question on our Finance, Warranty & Insurance Board -- chances are someone there can give you good info.

fjk57702 · January 2003

Since the factory warranty has not run out, you can extend it for at least 2 or possibly 3 years and the miles to as much as 100,000.

dgleeks · February 2003

I have a 2001 Cadilac Deville, it uses about 3 quarts of oil between oil changes. I change my oil every 3000 miles. The dealer and GM says that this in normal. Can someone help me with this! I have a 1989 ford bronco that goes oil change to oil change with out adding oil.

sonjaab · February 2003

Oil usage on those Northstars has been a
problem. I got the same old song and dance
about my 96. Ran it hard to 100k miles and
had to dump it cuz of those $2500 front struts!
Not a prob. otherwise !
My 02 I never check the oil anymore ! Change
it every 3k miles or so anyway ! Have your
dealer do the old oil consumption tests and
get it documented ! Just in case ya have a
prob. later down the road ! If it makes ya feel
better my 01 6.0 Chevy truck uses less than 1/2
qt. between changes and I work the heck outta
it towing, snowplowing and hauling !

lemko · February 2003

...the Northstar takes 8 quarts of oil instead of the usual five. I just wonder why. My 1994 DeVille had a 4.9 V-8 and it only took five. Why the extra 3 quarts?

fjk57702 · February 2003

I suspect that part of it may have to do with the coolent loss ability. But the oil monitor feature of changing after extended time intervals may also have required a larger reservoir. But all those overhead cams and valves may require more oil too.

kenknowles · February 2003

I ordered this car new after Cadillac took my STS back due to factory defects. All I can say is that these Caddy's are junk.

hydra2 · February 2003

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the STS and the DTS.

Would you mind sharing some of your problems, mileage and dealer service, with the DTS? How did these compare/contrast to the STS?

roflbo · February 2003

We have been driving a 2000 Ford Taurus. But, we want to move up to the "large car" category to see if my wife will feel more comfortable travelling. Considering comfort as well as depreciation because we turn our cars over each year, which is the best car between the Cad Deville, Buick Park Avenue and Toyota Avalon?
Thanks, Bob

hydra2 · February 2003

All of the cars you mention will be comfortable, the Caddy and Buick have the same size trunks which are larger than the Avalon. But the Avalon will be more reliable and possibly slightly quieter. The Avalon also will probably have slightly smaller interior and exterior and less power.

If you turn your car over every year you are going to take a big hit on depreciation. Generally speaking, the more expensive the car, the bigger the hit. The three cars you mention are considered and priced as luxery or near luxery models. Since it is the cheapest, the Avalon is probably your best bet on depreciation.

You might also want to check out leasing to see how the numbers compare to buying.

The Buick LeSabre, Chevy Impala, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are all comfortable and large (the last two are considered mid-size)and cost thousands less than the trio you mention, so the depreciation will be less after one year.

Check out the total cost of ownership for each car here on Edmunds and you'll get a painful lesson on depreciation.

The DeVille is the best looking,the most powerful and will probably spoil you with its many gadgets and luxery touches just a bit more than the others. You might also want to check out the rwd Caddy CTS.

Be sure to test drive each car and decide for yourself which one best fits your likes and needs. They are all good cars but with different advantages and disadvantages at different price points.

oldsman01 · February 2003

The Park Avenue is nice, but if your considering a Buick, save several grand and get a LeSabre Limited. Those are equipped nearly as well as a Pak. And if your considering an Ultra, for just a bit more, a Deville can be had. Even in base form, I'd take a Deville over a loaded PA Ultra. If your only keeping the car a year, your going to get hosed regardless of what you get. I don't even think the Avalon will save you there as Toyota is discounting them new now so this will hurt resale. If your only keeping a car a year or so, buy a 1-2 year old trade in and save yourself on the depreciation.

lando2 · February 2003

I'm considering another Cadillac (I've owned a 79 Seville, 78 Fleetwood, 74 Fleetwood, 65 Eldorado conv., and a 78 Seville with an 8" stretch) after driving some of everything else. I am considering a 94-97 Cadillac but don't know what to get...
My stepmother had a 95 Seville (it was a lemon *13 visits* and she's a car's tormentor) but I'd like some advice (i.e. what to look (out) for pricing, etc...). Any commentary would be helpful.

carnutpa · February 2003

I am picking up a 2002 DeVille DTS in 2 days. I think I got a good price. 25,000 miles on it but with a 100,000 mile warranty, I am paying 35,500. It has just about every option except the GPS and night vision. Looking forward to posting my comments once I have it.

PAman · February 2003

I have a chance to pick up a very nice '92 Deville. Any suggestions on what it is worth?

I'm asking in here, because with gas going up by the hour, and a possible war starting in days or weeks, I think you can probably throw the traditional price guides out of the window.

Any experiences with the '92 in general or the 4.9 engines? Thanks in advance for your input.

Joe Wiggins

carnutpa · February 2003

According to the owners manual, the DIC on my 2002 DeVille can be programmed to display my name instead of "Driver No 1". The manual does not describe how to do this. It says to see your dealer for assistance. Does anyone know how to do the name programming?

carnutpa · February 2003

The plastic (see-through) plate on my radio is smudged with dirt on the back side. As a result, some of the digits displayed in the radio are not clear. Does anyone know if this plate (about 1.5" x 6") can be snapped out from the front to clean?

mlm4 · February 2003

The owner's manual is correct, you can program a name and you need to have the dealer do it. It requires the Tech2 diagnostic scan tool. You may have to explain this to the service writer if you get a funny look from them.

Hope you are enjoying your new DTS; let us know your impressions.

BTW, if you do get your name programmed, make sure you check it before you leave the dealer. Sometimes they don't do it right and the name is not centered or has extra garbage characters (like "||||") after it.

Henry · February 2003

Hello guys, I am just poping in from the Auora board to ask a quick question.

It has come to our attention that there is an issue with the dipstick on the caddie not reading full unless you put between 8.5 and 9.0 quarts of oil in the car. This is true, even though the manual says that it only takes 7.5 quarts of oil.

Does anyone know if there is a TSB on this issue and, if so, what the reference number is??

Thanks you,

Henri

sonjaab · February 2003

You are correct ....the V-8 Northstar takes almost 8.5? qts. of oil WITH filter. Don't
have my owners manual handy tho.
There was a issue sometime back about the dip
stick being wrong. You will prob. have to search
back thru this thread to find it !
Not sure how much the Olds Shortstar holds tho !

Its FUNNY tho my last 2 Northstars I have to remind the oil change place 8 qts. with filter !
Dummies a few times only put in 5.........

Henry · February 2003

I have the Baby Northstar v8 4.0, not the v6 shortstar.

Your owners manual will tell you that the car takes 7.5 quarts of oil. If you put in 8.0 even , no big deal. The only reason you are puting in 8.5 is because the dipstick is off.

katznjamer · March 2003

I noticed a small spot of oil on the garage floor that turned out to be caused by the halfcase leaking. My Cadillac dealer also advises that the front motor mount is busted. The cost for repair is $1767.77 plus tax. The vehicle was bought new and only has 51000 miles. According to the dealer this is a common problem on the Northstar engine. Not a glaring testimonial for Cadillac. Has anyone else had this problem?

katznjamer · March 2003

I failed to list the model year is 1997. Sorry

carnutpa · March 2003

I bet your warranty ran out at 50,000 miles. Here is a good case for paying a few extra bucks when you buy the car for the 7 year / 100,000 mile warranty.

truesdaildoc · March 2003

I have a 1990 Cadillac Deville. Experiencing the following problem:

Car begins to start, turns over, then cuts out after 2-3 seconds. Sometimes security light comes on, sometimes not. Sometimes car runs fine. Service engine/vehicle light(s) not on. Just replaced the ignition. Car is equipped with anti-theft ignition system (chip in key).

Can anyone help? Thank you in advance.

sonjaab · March 2003

Are the keys the original ones that came with the
car? If so the chip may be worn also or not
making good contact inside the new ignition
switch. Or did they give you new keys ? If
you using old keys in a new switch I guess it
may be your problem . You will prob.
will have to bite the bullet and get a new key
too. They are quite pricey....My girl lost a
few sets ! Good luck and keep us posted
or post over too http://www.gmforums.com
A Caddy tech named Dan-O hangs there and prob.
can help ya out ...geo

lemko · March 2003

...about $30. I had a parking lot attendant mess up the chip on the ignition key for my 1994 DeVille and they were unable to start the car. Fortunately, I had a second one with me.

sonjaab · March 2003

30 bucks ? Man when I went to Caddy for my 90
keys they wanted 70 bucks ! Goood thing i knew
a guy who worked in the body shop....I got a discount and paid about that much ! They were
for my 90...Don't think my 96 had a chip in key.
MY 02 is running fine ! How about your Seville ?
........geo

bj1ss · March 2003

Hello All,

The Cadillac Deville is quite a car! Last night in the snow while I was driving to college the car in front of me spun around, there was ice and snow on the road. But I felt the tail of the Deville come out a little then it said "Stability system active" or something like that and I got control back and didn't spin! I'm 19 and the Deville is my mom's car, I don't use my '96 Caprice LT1 in the snow, RWD. I also like the back-up system. It's quite a car!

oldsman01 · March 2003

What year and model Deville are you driving?

fjb3486 · March 2003

My 02 DeVille vibrates on smooth roads at speeds above 45mph. Dealer has replaced 6 tires, 2 of which were pre-screened at factory, balanced the tires more times than I can count, turned the brake rotors, and replaced the front control arms. It still vibrates, but GM says this is within normal performance. The dealer is of no help. Purchased new in Oct 02, now have 4300 mi. Anyone have this problem or a solution. I'm ready to sell and buy foreign.

bj1ss · March 2003

2002 Deville.

mlm4 · March 2003

Owners of various late-model Aurora and Bonneville have had similar vibration problems, including me with a 2000 Bonneville. Your story is familiar. It's hard to say what the problem is, other than the fact that the suspension is extremely sensitive to any imbalances (GM has admitted as much). Those imbalances could be caused by the tires, wheels, control arms, tie-rod ends, brake disks, debris, hubs, etc. I've had the dealer re-balance twice as well as match mount the tires to the wheels, but still have the problem. The tires have not yet been replaced, although I'm not sure replacing them with the same make and model of tire will ensure the problem is corrected. Some owners have tried other brands of tires and had success. One owner reported that the wheel stud runout was out of spec (but not by much) and replacing the hubs fixed the problem. A few hearty folks have been successful in having their vehicles repurchased by GM under the lemon laws. It is frustrating but there does not seem to be an easy fix.

hydra2 · March 2003

No vibration in my 02 dts. 6700 miles with no problems, rides fine at all speeds, but it is a little thirsty at the gas pump.

You might want to have the dealer check to see if your wheels (the alloys, not the tires) are within spec. Maybe your dealer will swap the wheels off of a demo deville temporarily to help rule out a defective wheel as a possible cause. You might also try changing the air pressure in your tires up and down between 28 and 34 psi. to see if you notice a difference. Also buy an accurate (read expensive)tire gauge to make sure you have equal tire pressure all around. Don't just rely on the tire monitor in the car.

Hope some of this helps. Keep us posted on your results.

sonjaab · March 2003

Hydra 2 is right !.....Have the dealer swap the tires and wheels off a new one to see if thats the problem. Insist if necessary but be nice!
My 01 GM truck had the "Shakerado" problem before I signed my name on paper! Told dealer SWAP wheels
off another truck. They did...Shake and vibes. GONE! Signed papers...Drove home HAPPY !
My 02 Deville is just fine with no problems either.....................geo

BTW: My truck had Firestone tires....Looked at the spare it was a
Goodyear! They swapped a FULL set of stones off another truck!
Seems they were on another truck with shake and vibe. probs. !!
It PAYS to fully test drive before you buy.......

Cadillac DeVille

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