Cadillac DeVille

jadedog · March 2001

I just purchased my 2nd Caddy, a 95 Concours w/ 48012 mi on it. My 1st was a 85 that went thru 2 motors and 2 trannies. I love Caddy's, my family has always had one. I'm only 30 and looking for some advice on what I should look for in the car as to have it brought to my local Caddy dealer. The car was a one owner and he was 68yrs old. Also, the color of the car is called montana blue, what is your opinion of this color, alot of people are saying it looks like it is dark purple, personnaly, I do not think so. It also has the gold package which I think enhances it alot. As far as options go, the car has every one available. Thanks in advance for your response to this inquire. Look forward to speaking to anyone that has the same interests.

kemp8 · March 2001

I have had a 97 Concours for a year or so and once in a while the traction cont. light will come on and the trans will only down shift to 2nd gear. Shut off engin and restart and it usually goes away. Why???
Also the rear end jumps or kicks out when I hit a bump on the highway. Bad shocks???
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks....

philly7 · March 2001

The full name is Medium Montana Blue and it is a pretty rare color on Concours'. It was available only in 94-96.

As for the mid-eighties, that was Cadillac's Darkest Hour, so to speak. I had an '85 Biarritz which went through 3 HT4100 motors before it finally got an Olds 307. Cadillac has come a long way since then.

As for your age, you are never to young to own a Cadillac as I see it. I am 35 and on my 5th new Cadillac, an '01 DTS fully equipped!

So sport that Concours with pride. Enjoy.

etharmon · March 2001

Actually, I think there was Medium Montana Blue and then Montana(or dark) blue offered from 1994-1996. The Medium was lighter and the dark is the one that is kind of purple looking. Actually, I think Dark Adriatic blue replaced the Dark Montana Blue in 95 or 96. I'll have to dig out my brochures to confirm.

mdm4 · March 2001

I purchased a new 2000 DeVille in Nov/2000, got a great deal (dealer incentive of $3,000 on top of getting the car for invoice). It is red with the saddle interior. I just recently started to drive it (have approx. 1,000 miles), was trying to sell my '95 Buck Roadmaster. I have been reading all the comments about the poor idle situation and have noticed that sometimes at a stop light the revs drop from 675 to 650 and there is a slight loop but then it corrects itself. Has GM started to offer the software correction for this problem yet or since my car was built May/2000 was the idle problem corrected at the factory? For that matter, have all the initial problems with the early 2000 Devilles been corrected before my car was built? Also I noticed that the sun visors are very sub-standard. I read in a previous message that a dealer offered to replace the visors, is this correct and do you get the same type of visors and has GM improved them? My last issue is the seat position, my driver's seat does not go as far back as I would like it, is there a stop on the seat track and can the dealer adjust it to go back farther? Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

ksterner1 · March 2001

Comment ref: Msg #401

I have a 1991 Eldorado which has the same problem; a bad odor of gasoline at various (non-identifiable) times. If anyone has found the fix I would also like to hear about it.

carnaught · March 2001

The car is going in on Monday for:
- right rear view mirror which overcorrects and makes loud clicking when throwing the car into reverse
- temp. button on left steering wheel lights much lighter than other steering wheel buttons
- "service airbag" light is on

My car has 7900 mi. on it....anybody have similar problem? By-the-way, the sun visors do suck!

Bushwack · March 2001

It has been a while since I've visited this forum and I'm perplexed as to why *I* don't have the problems many of you have discussed. I bought a DTS within a month after they were introduced and with the exception of being locked out of the car (an electrical issue) and experiencing a premature flat tire, we (the li'l woman and me) have had had no problems with over 10,000 miles on the odometer. The car idles quietly with no 'spikes', the radio...steering...ride...all is as expected and the car has been an exceptional value (paid $51,000).

Now on the flip side, the car is no longer practical for our needs. I just bought a new Regal GS that fits me like a glove and the wife no longer needs a car this big. So, anyone have a clue as to the realistic resale value of a 2000 White DTS loaded to the hilt?

bnunnally · March 2001

>I'm perplexed as to why *I* don't have the >problems many of you have discussed...

Remember that on forums like this you hear a lot from people who are experiencing problems with their cars and looking for help or solutions. People don't feel the need to post "my car is going great and I love it messages", although that is the vast majority.

bruce
Contemporary Cadillac Info & Discussion www.caddyinfo.com
Cadillac Moderator, www.gmforums.com

robh3 · March 2001

A Regal GS...I thought you were going to get yourself a new Lexus LS430.

If I weren't in the middle of my lease on my '99 STS I would definitely be interested in your DTS with only 10,000 miles on it. If I am not mistaken, you put some nice aftermarket wheels in it too, right?

andrew47 · March 2001

Well, thank you for welcoming me to this discussion. I am seriously considering the purchase of a 98 or 99 Deville, but I've heard so much about reliablility differences between the two, I need some advice. Quite simply, which is better? Also, please let me know what kind of problems I can expect with either. I've heard about rough idle and electrical problems. Give it to me straight, 'cause that 300 horse power engine is calling me. Thanks.

harleybill · March 2001

I have a 95 and 98 Concours. The 95 has l42K and the 98 40K. I understand the 99's have electrical problems. I have enjoyed my 98 without any upsetting problems. However, I bought the 5 yr/l00,000 mile warranty extension. Parts for these things are enormous. I believe the labor rate on a earth mover is less than a Cadillac dealer charges to work on their cars.

HARLEYBILL
Knoxville, Tennessee

andrew47 · March 2001

Thanks for the info, harleybill. Any further specifics about your '98 Caddy would be very much appreciated, like engine idle or whatever. Positive comments, of course, are also welcome, but when I look at just about every car on the road and compare it to a Deville, nothing matches up when it comes to style and the stunning look of sheer power, so I don't need much convincing on the positives.

sonjaab · March 2001

Hello all
Are you running premium gas ?
My boss lol was complaning about hers stalling
and rough idle with A/C on.
When i GET to drive it i always HAVE to put
gas in it and always put Sunoco 94 in. It runs
like a scalded dog..A week later shes complaning
its stalling again...So i ask what kind of gas
are u using ? She sez brand X regular..Sure
enough. She sez $2.10 a gallon is TOO MUCH !
Its a 1996 56 k problem free..This is in
Northern NY Resort area..... Geo

sonjaab · March 2001

Are the cams in the Northstar run by chains
or belts ?? If belts when should they be
changed...can't see anything about them
in caddy maint. or owner manual.. Geo

etharmon · March 2001

If it is a 96 Northstar then you MUST use premium, not regular unleaded. This would explain the rough idle if she is using regular. My father has a 95 Aurora which has the 4.0 liter version of the Northstar and it too requires premium and once my mom put regular in it not knowing and while it didn't stall, the engine did run rather harshly. BTW, Northstar engines use chains not belts to drive the camshafts. To my knowledge, no current domestic GM engine uses belts.

sonjaab · March 2001

Thanks i thought so..But just to be sure.
Do those lexus v-8 use belts don't they ?
I know to use premium but ...you know how
it goes with the boss LOL......Geo

etharmon · March 2001

I think the Lexus V8 uses belts to drive the camshafts. I did read that the new 2002 Infiniti Q45's V8 uses chains, I'm not sure about the current model.

mg4113 · March 2001

I purchase a 92 cadillac 2 yr ago from a dealership. It drives fine until it gets down to about 6 gallon in the tank. It stalls whenever I make a right turn or right looping turn when entering or exiting off the express way. I almost got killed in the thing. I try to keep 10 gallons in it at all times. Now that is a pain. I love my caddy but it got to go. I have also talked with other owners of caddy 91-93 who have experience the same problems. Shame on GM.

harleybill · March 2001

I now have l42K on my 95 and 40K on my 98 and both idle smoothly. I have used premium in them both. I figure it like this. The cost of premium over regular is usually 20 cents per gallon. That is $4.00 per tank. I will spend $4.00 to blow the doors off of some trucker trying to pull out in front of me when I am hauling my self down the road. I believe these truckers see a cad hauling in the passing lane and just serve out to block for a while. I like to kick the 300 horses and blow by the rumbling bohemeths leaving them in "da dust."

harleybill
knoxville, tennessee

andrew47 · March 2001

I can't wait to do the same thing. What kind of repairs has your 98 needed? I know they can be expensive for the caddy. My main concern with these otherwise awesome cars is the issue of reliability and cost of repairs. Thanks again.

harleybill · March 2001

I purchased the 98 in January of 2000 as it came off lease with 30k. The generator was replaced so far under warranty, but nothing else.

I did replace the torque converter on the 95 at about 72k. That was $800.00 .

I had a real surprise at l20k. The four struts were worn out . GM has a patent on them and the 4 struts replaced was $2200.00.

I am definitely going to get out of my caddys now before replacing struts.

harleybill
knoxville, tennessee

andrew47 · March 2001

Thanks. Overall, it seems as though the pros still outweigh the cons. Do you think the struts on the '98 will have a problem, too? Still, this happened after 120k for the '95. That's not ridiculous or anything. Today, I saw what I think was a '96 Fleetwood. Holy cow, what a monster! It was beautiful in a scary kind of way. Would you recommed this car? Also, I was reading about the standard stereo equipment for the '98 Concours and d'Elegance. Jesus! 11 speakers. Tell me about yours. Thanks again.

etharmon · March 2001

Unless you like land yauchts, stick with the Deville over the Fleetwood. The Fleetwood is 100% old school Caddy which is not all a bad thing, but I personlly would prefer the Northstar V8 and better handling.

andrew47 · April 2001

I think you're right. Do you know anything about the reports of extreme complications modifying the stereos for Caddys? I heard the entire electrical system is tied to the stereo, so any changes are nearly impossible.

etharmon · April 2001

I don't know much about modifying Cadillac radios. I wouldn't think it would involve the entire electrical system.

jgmilberg · April 2001

The northstar uses belts. No need to change for a good long time. Motor should not need any maint. other than oil and belts for 100K.

ccraighe · April 2001

I purchased a 2000 DHS new last April. Get a roaring noise usually at highway speed. Sounds like tire noise that you hear if you drift off the expressway, but much softer. Seems to be temperature related because it was noticed last summer, then went away but returned when I was in Florida in February. Has anyone experienced a similar problem? My dealer has not been able to diagnosis the problem.

etharmon · April 2001

The Northstar V8's overhead cams are driven by chains, not belts. The only thing that is belt driven are the accessories like the A/C compressor, alternator, P/S pump, and water pump.

b4z · April 2001

My olds/caddy dealer just got in 35 Devilles, STSs, Escalades and Auroras. I asked the Gm if they were a fleet purchase and he told me that they were going to the Hootie and the Blowfish after the Masters charity tournament at Kiawah Island.
After that they are going to to the Heritage at Hilton Head, then they will be sold.
I looked at the Escalade and the gauges look incredible. Didn't like the front end though.

ashur1 · April 2001

Hey, Just an update on my Cadillac experience. I have been speaking with someone who I believe works for GM's (contracted out to Sitel) customer assistance 'program'. They answer the phone 'GM executive offices'. He indicates that the field representative wants to talk to me about my car. I want the idle fixed! I want someone at GM to care that I have had a real bad experience with this car. I want some token gesture. Well, I have been waiting to speak with the field rep for a couple of weeks now. I am getting worked up again. I know that letters sent to the Chairman will end up at the same location the calls are answered. So, I'm still telling everyone about me experience. Just yesterday I had a colleauge ride with me. He loved my car but thought the quality issues were terrible. Said he would never buy a Cadillac. Of course he is predisposed to Lexus. I have been driving the DHS for just over a year and I am still waiting for that new car good feeling. Of course I did get that calendar... Oh yes, and the grill badge. I envy all of you who have had a good experience... Thanks for reading.

lemko · April 2001

I have purchased two new Cadillacs and my experience with the dealer had a lot to do with my decision. I purchased my first new Cadillac at the age of 24 - a 1989 Cadillac Brougham. I know it's unusual for a 24-year old to buy a new Cadillac, but I've always dreamed of having a new Cadillac since I saw a neighbor's black 1963 Sedan de Ville when I was three years-old.

The salesman at the first dealer I visited had a very snooty attitude like "who is this kid and why is he wasting my time." I had a perfectly good 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Classic for a trade and a substantial down-payment but this man's demeanor really turned me off. Not all young people are skateboarding slackers who watch MTV all day, but this sure had that attitude.

A second dealer was very accomodating, but I didn't think he was offering me a fair trade on my Caprice.

At the third dealer, the salesperson was a young woman who just started that month. She really went out of her way to sell me the car and offered me a very generous trade. She wasn't prejudiced against me because of my age and treated me with respect and dignity. This young lady got the sale. That first guy could've learned a lot from her. I came back 5 years later and got my second Cadillac - a 1994 base Deville which I use today as my daily driver, (I still have the Brougham in mint condition). I will probably go back there again if I consider another Cadillac, though Oldsmobile's incentives on the Aurora are very tempting.

What's the point of all this? I just hope all of Cadillac's dealers are learning to treat younger people with dignity and respect and discarding their prejudices. They can't keep serving the same elderly clientele forever. Cadillac builds some truly impressive cars, but the dealer experience may have left a lot of younger people cold.

harleybill · April 2001

I been on the road for a while. I believe the struts will wear out on any of these cars eventually. I think trading before l20K will be my next target. My wife loves the 95 because it is a white diamond. I might look for a white diamond again next time. I had a choice between a silver/ gray 98 and a white diamond. I drove the white diamond and it just felt like I was buying the same car I was driving. I just need a color change every now and then.

lemko · April 2001

I have a Carmine Red Metallic '94 Deville that is about the sharpest looking red you've ever seen. You don't see too many red Cadillacs because red is a color usually associated with sports cars. I sure hope Cadillac still offers this color when I buy my next Deville.

etharmon · April 2001

I think the Carmine Red is a very sharp color as well. Unfortunately Cadillac no longer offers it. However, Crimson Pearl is pretty close and is very sharp and if you like a darker red, the Cabernet on the Deville looks nice. I'm 26 now and I've always liked Cadillacs as well. I currently have a 98 Oldsmobile Intrigue which is a great driver's car, but it's no Cadillac. It's a lease and the lease is up in a few months and I can't decide whether I want to take advantage of the excellent incentives and buy another Intrigue brand new or get a 3-4 year old Cadillac.

pat · April 2001

Pardon the interruption - I want to explain the name change of this discussion.

Since we have moved to our new platform, we no longer have the requirement to stop and restart discussions after the numbers of posts exceed a certain limit. Since this discussion can continue as long as anyone has anything to say about DeVilles, there is no longer a need for the "2" that has been included in the discussion name. Down the road, that could confuse our newer members so I have removed it.

I've altered the name slightly of the original DeVille discussion in the Archives to differentiate it from this active one.

Please continue...

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

pathy57 · April 2001

I'm on my third Cadillac a 95 Deville just turning 69,000 miles. Have had two Devilles and an Eldorado. Been looking to trade and have been considering either a Seville SLS or possibly an Aurora,( with the incentives going on now), but I have a question to someone with the experience of having owned a Seville and a Deville, what is the real difference, size, ride. power, money or what?

carnaught · April 2001

Well I just got my car back after a week at the dealer's. I had a service light on for the traction control & warning message to check the differential. When I called the service manager, he said, in no uncertain terms NOT to drive the car and promptly had it flatbedded in. Please note that I only had it back for a week following a previous five days in for a "service airbag" warning and replacement of a steering wheel indicator light. Today when my salesman saw me picking it up, he asked how I liked the car. I responded the truth...I like it when it's not in the service dept.! My second and probable last Cadillac!

rwc669 · April 2001

I have had my 1995 Deville for about three years. It had 42K miles on it when I bought it. Now with 75k miles on it and I am well pleased with it. I am getting 22.6 mpg mixed driving. I like to keep my car clean and shinny. I am pleased with the paint and body hardware. I am disappointed that it only uses premium gas and the range estimation is usually overly optimistic. I had a message appear on the bottom of the dash controls that alerted me that ride controls were failing. I asked the local Caddy dealer about it . The service attendant said that it was not an actual problem but an error in the sensors and for about $300.00 they would disable that part of the computer. If I ever had a real problem in that area after it was disabled, I would now be warned.

I am somewhat disabled having lost my left arm in the service. My pelvis and legs were damaged but I can still walk. I was disappointed that there was no comfortable place to rest my left foot while driving.
My wife has a Honda Accord. The left foot can rest on a comfortable plate. I went to a salvage yard and bought two different foot plates from Hondas and had one of them fitted to the floorboard below the emergency brake petal. I would recommend that solution to anyone needing left foot comfort. Why Caddy did not design the left foot area to be more comfortable is beyond me.

dongill · April 2001

My 1998 Cadillac Deville with 11,000 miles burns excessive oil.......about a quart every 1,000
miles. My car has had regular service using the factory recommended oil. The Cadillac service manager says the Northstar engines burn a lot of oil and that they will not repair the engine unless it uses a quart of oil every 800 miles. Is this true? What is your experience? Thank you for your help!

tpken · April 2001

Are any of you DeVille owners located in or near Rockaway NJ?

Some of us over in the Bonneville forum are meeting there on Sunday the 22nd at the Rockaway Mall (exit 35 off Rt 80) anytime after noon to say hello to each other and hopefully some other Edmunds posters (particularly large GM model owners). We would certainly love to see some DeVilles show up that day.

Please send me an email (see my profile) or drop on by the Bonneville forum and say Hi.

Hoping to meet some DeVille owners Sunday

Ken

lemko · April 2001

My 1994 Deville has a faint bumping noise coming from the front of the car. The tires are all brand new and have been balanced and a four-wheel alignment has been performed. Can anybody tell me what this may be?

tamco · April 2001

I have 12000 miles on our 2001 DHS Most of miles at 77 mph why to and from Ill to Wisc and round trip from Florida though parts of NC, Tenn.,Ky. and Virginia .... total oil usage...3 Quarts. ... did drive the first 500 miles at various speeds not exceeding 50 mph. And I did change the oil the first time at 1500 miles. Second oil change at 5800 miles and next change schedule at 15000 miles. That's the fact, Jack. I am quite pleased. I drive this mother HARD too! This is best car I've ever driven . Had 12 Cads, 2 Lincoln, 2 Pontiac's, 2 500SEL Mercede's and 1998 BMW 750il. After almost 50 years of owning cars this 20001 DHS is THE BEST CARyet. Fantastic road handling, quick(6.6 sec to 60mph), and the Nagivational System and Night Vision is truly cutting edge. Quess what, I am a very happy owner. No problems! TAMCO

etharmon · April 2001

After 12 Caddies and various other marques, it sounds like you really know your cars and know which is the best value. Glad your liking the DHS.

robh3 · April 2001

Last Sunday I went to the Motor Trend/Cadillac World Challenge in Irvine, CA.

They had the DTS pitted against the Mercedes S430 and Lexus LS430. I had never driven the big Mercedes, so I started there.

As soon as I got in the S430 I was reminded of how I had noticed from sitting in Mercedes' at auto shows that the seats are very hard and relatively uncomfortable. When I got in, the airconditioning was on at a high fan speed. I wanted to turn it down, but I quickly found out the the controls on the Mercedes have got to be the most non-intuitive/non-user friendly controls I have ever experienced in a car. I could not find the fan speed control (didn't know where the hell on the dash the HVAC was...there are so many darn buttons!). That was two negatives and I hadn't even put the car in drive yet. The S430 drove "OK", but there was certainly nothing special about it, and the steering definitely felt very disconnected from the road. I was left wondering what all the hoopla is over Mercedes Benz cars.

Next I drove the Lexus LS430, since I had never driven the big Lexus before. The car is very old fashioned in appearance,including the big boxy looking front seats (I noticed it was one of the favorites of the older people there. More than one of them said "It looks like a Mercedes".), The LS430 drove and handled much better than the Mercedes, with a tighter, more connected to the road steering feel, but it seemed to wallow through the curves and lean over a lot. I noticed that it had the 17" (larger) wheel/tire option, but I don't know for sure whether or not it had what Lexus calls the "Euro" tuned suspension option.

I then decided to drive the Caddy DTS, actually thinking to myself that it would be a disappointing experience after having just driven the world's most coveted and vaulted cars from Germany and Japan. Well, was I surprised. The seats were the most comfortable (in my opinion of course), but most of all, the handling on this car made the Mercedes and the Lexus seem like wallowing land yachts. The DTS felt the most sure-footed in the S curves and sharp turns and at high speeds. It didn't feel like the tires were rolling up onto the sidewalls when taking hard turns like the other two felt. I was, frankly, amazed.

I would say that, at least from a performance standpoint (which was the focus of this challenge) that the Cadillacs most definitely held their own, and then some, against all of the competitors there.

ludacris · April 2001

im 15 and i dont think the LS430 looks "old fashioned", looks good to me. arguably better than the DTS. the DTS looks like a hyundai sonata, i think they should change the grille design to something like the billet grilles that some people put on their caddys and suburbans. that plastic looking grille doesnt work on a $50,000 + car....but of course styling is subjective, the performance side i dont know..cause i cant drive! lol

jimeuclid · April 2001

My northstar has had numerous coolant problems. The dealer finally decided, after mumerous fixes, it was head gaskets. When they attempted to remove the heads, they found the head bolts epoxyed in. The threads cames out of the aluminum block with the bolts. Cadillac's answer is that the epoxy is to seal the fluids, they are Wet Bolts". They effectively made my engine non-servicable, and now are backing away from this problem, because of milage. The block is ruined, and my choice is a used or new crate engine, either being much more expensive than the head gasket repair. Anyone else have a factory induced problem that they won't stand behind???

lemko · April 2001

My brother has a 2000 Hyundai Sonata and I think its' an attractive little car.

cd96ns · April 2001

jimeuclid-----If it makes you feel any better, Cadillac has 1500 01s Northstars in cars that are at dealers; but can't be sold because of mis-machined crankshafts.. Some cars have been at the dealer for 4 months w/o factory picking up the cars for retrofit..

Is there any warranty involved???If not, you are screwed!!! never drive a Northstar w/o a factory warranty.. There are many stories on the engine, some owners are lucky, and some are not. My son sold his 94STS with 137k miles a couple months ago for 7500 cash, he was original owner and really suffered no problems..Car wasn't driven hard..

He bought a 7k mile 01 SLS for a good deal..

I have a 96 Sedan Deville, original owner, wife's car,54k miles, and is covered with extended warranty, same as my Shortstar 40k mile 3.5L 99 Intrigue.

The Cadillac name does not carry too much honor after warranty expires, for all the dealer wants to see is the "color of green". Let's be realistic; the dealer has a family to feed, clothe, and house. If anyone buying a Caddy thinks they have purchased a lifetime, trouble free machine; quess again!! You have fun--you pay. There is no free lunch.

etharmon · April 2001

And a BMW carries "honor" after the warrnaty has expired? BMW service will make Cadillac service look like a blue light special when it comes time to write the check.

Cadillac DeVille

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