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And to reply to the dude up there with air coming our one side and heat the other, simply enough, check the temperature for the right side of the car. There is temperature control for both sides, just push the button in to turn it on/off.
1) The transmission acts like it is slipping between 1st and 2nd gear but drives fine once you get past that.
2) The heater only blows on the driver's side of the car. The passenger side always blows cold air (I haven't gotten to see how it blows now that it is summer because of my next issue with the car).
3) When I pour water into the coolant spot (I know, it's not the $10 stuff I'm supposed to use), you can immediately see the water pouring back out the front of the engine. I have parked the car because of this issue because the coolant light immediately comes on and I'm afraid of blowing up the engine.
4) I think the sunroof motor is going out because when I try to open/close it, it takes a really long time.
I really like this car and would love to get it running again to get me back and forth to work so I can leave my minivan with my husband and our kids during the day. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanx!
I also agree with many of the problems here. I have a 1997, top of the line catera. It has a Slow coolant leak (1 bottle about every 3 to 4 months), every now and then the transmission doesn't shift right, I have no heat on the driver side in the winter (a lot of fun to deal with when there is ice on it!), Long back break light went out, Key gets stuck in ignition and I fix it by pushing the shifter around in the park position, and the electrical system seems like its fighting yet still working to open and close the windows! Enough said? Ohh and the dealer wanted about $3-4,000 to fix the coolant leak, I would rather pay the $10 every couple months for the coolant... I’m keeping the car till it runs into the ground! Get my moneys worth.
Check engine light also on, I think that is another problem.
I just pruchased a used 2000 Cadillac Catera with 27,000 miles on it. The oil light comes on and off...its filled with oil. I took it to my mechic and he put a manuel oil pressure gague on it. He found it has low pressure and he very concern that the engine will go....have you heard about this problem...should I be concern??!!! Has anyone had the same problems?!
adosch
I own a 2000 Cadillac Catera; I have two problems:
1. Just recently the oil pressure warning light has decided to start giving me warning. For example: I can be driving in traffic for long period of time – rush hour and when I come to a stop sign or stop signal and make a complete stop; the needle of the gauge will dip into the red zone on the gauge and then the red warning light will come on for a second and go out. A few times the warning light came on and stayed on until I move the car to the shoulder of the road (when I was moving the car to the shoulder; the oil pressure moved out of the red zone), but I turn the car off and restarted and I didn’t have a problem after that.
2. My fog light just stop working, but I live without those lol
Actually, most of the problems that I have read about have never occurred to my car in over 97,000 miles of use. However, the car was recalled in December of 2002 to replace the timing belt and belt tensioner which could malfunction causing sudden engine failure. My car had this failure right after the dealer had performed the recall repair... obviously he didn't know what he was doing.
I am curious if anyone else has had a timing belt failure or has kept a Catera past 100,000 miles and has had the belt replaced??? [I'm thinking of having the dealer do the job for $315 plus another $125 for a new water pump.]
PS: The car is nearly flawless and runs great!!!
The first GM dealer (small dealer} that replaced my belt had never done it before (the recall had just been announced) and the belt lasted only a few k miles...the mechanic did not adjust the belt tensioner correctly. This is key or the belt will fail.
I have learned to talk directly to the mechanics and ask about their experience with any serious problems....typically if the dealer is large and sells alot of cars they have experienced mechanics and can save you $ in the repair work.
I have 2000 also, had to have belt replaced almost two years ago car only had 65000 miles. Then it was a sensor now the car won't start and they think it's the front engine or valves or something. Never will i buy another american car.
Hope this helps....
I just purchased a 2001 Catera in mint shape and as soon as I drove it of the lot .... the lights came on. Dealer found that the EBTCM (electronic brake traction control module) needs to be replaced. My dealer said it would cost $3500! All it is...is a computer module the size of cigarette box. I found a company that sells them for $469 and ships them overnight for $35. You have to give them the part number which your dealer will give you. Buy it and have them ship it to you. Then Take it to a dealer and they will install it for couple hundred dollars. Here is the link: http://www.ebcmdirect.com/finditfast/
Hope this helps....
your choice
A few weeks ago my 2000 Catera just stopped in middle of street. W/N take a jump so I had it towed. After testing and checking my mechanic said the ENGINE was gone. I still had 7 more months of payments. So I decided to let it go. I've put a timing belt, sensors, and just too much money so I called my finance company and told them they can finance me for something else and tack on my balance or I would be forced to do a voluntary reposseion. Waiting to hear back from them. I will never buy another american car again. So now as I spit out money for rental cars I am sad that such a nice looking car was a lemon from birth. I had to unplug the respirator...NO MORE CATERA..OH AND MY MECHANIC HAD THREE OF THESE CARS ON THE SAME DAY. GOOD LUCK TO EACH OF YOU CATERA DRIVERS AND REMEMBER ALWAYS BE PREPARED WITH THAT CAR. THANKS ALL FOR SHARING AND RESPONDING ...MUCH LOVE...SHARR :surprise: I feel so much better for I was really afraid of the car
Thanks for your time, and for the people who say "I'll never buy another american car" you sicken me with your bias attitude, and by the way this car was completely designed and built in Germany as a re-badged Opel. Do your homework.
In a hurry but uyou all are my friends so look who needs the heads or valves? There is a cadillac dealer who will send the parts but I can't get the info untill tomorrow nite. email me back if you want them. and there was a rat in my car that probaly ate a wire that mechanic overlooked. aia already did a voluntary repo on the car so I'll never know. Take Care all catera junk my email is svm0608@scbglobal.net
make sure they didnot force anything and if I were you I would call Walmart Corporate and let them know what happened. Remember the people changing oil at walmart are not always respondsible people.
appropo torx bit as spenny suggests. The plug takes an "o"
ring bye the way. Which may have been nicked by the Wal-mart
space technicians. Hence the oil leak. Also I have found that the larger ( Fram part no. ) 3980 oil filter cartridge
works in that tight space. The small filter is 3387A I think.By that method I can extend my oil change interval to beyond 6,000 miles with the extra capacity(6 qt.) crankcase level. If you want sumtin' done right,..do it yoself .
Don't have my catera anymore but that happen to me once, then the lights. My mechanic always fixed it free of charge by resetting the computor. After we did that about three times I experienced no more problems. Hope this helps.
Good Luck