Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Cadillac CTS Engine Problems

24567…15

Comments

  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    is yours a DI or non-DI engine, AWD or RWD?.....there has been one or two other instances of this mentioned on another cadillac forum....not sure what the solution was as I will have to look it up
  • unhappycanuckunhappycanuck Member Posts: 1
    I have a very similiar problem. I have a 2006 CTS 2.8L with 44k KM's on it. The car was last in for an oil change in Aug of 08, since then I put on 6000 KM's. The middle of February as I was driving the car to work I started to hear a faint clicking noise coming from the engine, at first I thought maybe the air dam had fallen down again. After work I was driving home and about 3 blocks from the house (this is only a 33km trip each way) the clicking got louder and the car stalled so I took it to the dealership right around the corner from the house. No warning lights on the dash lit up, no engine light, nothing. I got a call from the service tech saying that the engine had no oil and that GM hadn't ruled out warranty coverage but they weren't going to cover it out of hand, and that I would have to pay a diagnostic charge to find out what was wrong with the engine, so I agreed, they tore the engine apart and my service tech told me that there was a defect and the engine had significant oil blow by, but GM refused to cover it. Meanwhile No oil low light came on, no engine light came on, and that was the first day that the engine had made any noise. They refused to cover it saying that the car should have been in distress for days prior to me bringing it, and that I obviously wasn't checking the oil each and every fill up. I started dealing with their customer care centre and now the story is changing again, they aren't covering it because there is apparently no defect, and that the engine was out of oil and it was my responsiblity to check it each time I filled up the tank. My service tech also told me they had another 2006 CTS in a couple months earlier with the same problem but GM covered that one. I don't know where to go from here, they want $15,000 to replace the engine. The car isn't even worth that! I'll never own another GM again, maybe they need to go into bankruptcy to come out a better company.
  • phil83phil83 Member Posts: 1
    I have an 09 CTS direct injection AWD that flutters everytime the engine is stated after sitting for a few hours. It is most apparent in gear and goes away about the time the engine comes off high idle, or within 10-15 seconds. The dealer has witnessed the problem and added a can of injection cleaner which has had no affect so far. That was about 400 miles ago.
  • prettypackage2prettypackage2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 CTS with 31,000 miles, and, I did not see oil usage until my 4th oil change, my sensor light never came on and my car felt like transmission problems. I had to make a appointment with the dealer and the mechanic called me and was upset with me like I am a dumb girl, I grew up with mechanics. Told me I had no oil in the car, exp I had an oil change and was not due for another, also asked why the oil sensor did not come on, he stated there was not one. I told him if this new car uses oil like this why would the company not put an oil sensor on the vehicle. He acted like this was an isolated incident. Of course, I had to have my spouse call, I can't deal with Mechanics that think all women are dumb when it comes to cars, especially when he stated oil changes are to be done every 3000 miles and I told him that is not what the manual states. He did an oil change and now I am within a 1000 miles due for another oil change and my oil is low again. He wants me to come in once a month for a consumption oil test, I told them they are nuts some of us work real jobs and everyone who owns a Cadillac is not always available during their work schedule, My dealers hours our 8-5 M-F. This is my first Cadillac and american car, I ask myself many times when I have have a problem with this car why did I get one now!
  • natalia3natalia3 Member Posts: 2
    UNHAPPYCANUCK- I had the SAME THING HAPPEN TO ME!!! With my 2006 CTS about a month ago. I even had a receipt showing my last oil change...LESS then 3k miles on it! They still are denying me. Did you ever get this issue resolved?? PLEASE contact me! Thanks!
  • mymymymymymy Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone had problem with '06 cts over heating--coolant was in the car? Without warning the car over heated, causing problem to the radiator and the transmission. Dealer estimated will costs over $6,000 to replace both.
  • wilsonctswilsoncts Member Posts: 1
    Same thing happened to me today. Exactly. Can you tell me what the diagnosis and repair was?
  • mymymymymymy Member Posts: 7
    wilsoncts: Turns out the over heating caused major damage to the radiator, which caused a crack to the "wall" (my word) between the transmission and radiator. Thus coolant fluids got into the tranmission fluid which caused the car to almost literally stop moving.

    Part of the repair was to replace the radiator and drain the tranmission of the contaminated fluids, which looked like thin mud). A solvant was used in the transmission to help clean out contaminated fluids. Fluids were put in the transmission and the new radiator.

    The recommended mechanic didn't find exactly what caused the car to overheat,
  • stu8mestu8me Member Posts: 2
    Just recently bought an 05 CTS. After a month of owning the car I had to take it to the dealership for engine issues, it was the timing chain. After a month, fixed, I continued on my routine. 2 months later same problem, timing chain. Brought it back even more upset, fixed in a month and now I have it back again. Issues are arising in it again. My guess is an issue with cam shaft or the main berring. The only way this would have been an issue is if the car was flooded prior to me buying, which dealer provided me with clean carfax.....can anyone help me out on this?

    thanks
  • butchman8butchman8 Member Posts: 1
    I, too, am having major problems with oil consuption on my 2005 CTS 3.6L engine. So far my dealership is getting GM to pay for it. Initially, a year ago when I bought the car it was throwing codes for cam followers, which they replaced several times. Then they found that there was no oil (3 weeks after I bought the car). My service manager has been working with GM, who says that the piston rings and valve stems need replaced. My extended warranty won't cover it because it doesn't cover oil consuption issues. GM recommended that the engine be decarboned first. It went back in today because it is 3 qts. low in 1200 miles and GM is recommending another decarboning. Has anyone had the problem corrected and if so, what was the fix.
  • dkm72dkm72 Member Posts: 3
    Tell the dealer to find a creative way to write the service order so that the warranty will cover it. Was there any type of dealer warranty when you bought the car? Since the car is still having the same concern that it had 3 weeks after you bought it that warranty, if there was one, should still be covering all the repairs. Just a thought.
  • mepragmeprag Member Posts: 1
    Please help. I see that there have been many issues with the CTS engine using too much oil and that leading to major engine problems. Last week my car's engine stopped running without any warning. It has 40,000 miles on and is still under factory warranty. I had the oil changed about 4600 miles ago and have a receipt and had it checked about 1,400 miles ago with written proof from my local shop where I get get my gas. I am told that I need a new engine and GM won't cover it because it only had two and a half quarts of oil left in the engine when it was towed in. I wanted to buy American and Cadillac is the flag ship of GM. What good is a warranty if they don't cover it? The service department said the oil should be checked every 2 to 3 thousand miles. I was inside of his recommendations. EVERY time someone gets their oil CHECKED they better have the attendants write it down for proof. You wonder how GM can treat their customers this way. We can't let them get away with this kind of customer service. I will never buy GM again. No wonder they are in BIG TROUBLE. Has anyone with problem got it solved the correct way without an attorney? I will get one if neccesary.
  • badger44badger44 Member Posts: 1
    Im planning on getting a 2005 cts tomorrow...i dont know if i should??? Especially reading all of this!! I love this car..:( what should i do
  • dbrowydbrowy Member Posts: 1
    your story sounds just like my sons except he has only put 9,000 miles on his cts since he bought it with 28,000 miles on the car. The engine blew with no prior warning or indicators and the dealership where he bought it says there was a lot of sluge and low oil but he checked the oil just minutes before it blew cause it knocked loudly at start up. The dealership where he bought it doesn't want to honor the warranty but will pay him $6,000 for the car if he uses that money to put down on another car from them. Sound fishy? I think GM needs to be held accountable for poor product. Did you ever win your battle?
  • ellerbyellerby Member Posts: 1
    Bought an 05 CTS in June 2009 with only 32,000 miles and boy were we in love! Then the first $85 oil change...one month and 3000 miles later another $85 oil change...and so on and so on. This being the only real complaint we were still in love with our baby! Then the beginning of the end--the coolant level was low appeared on my screen. Hubby replaced missing fluids and back to lovefest. Light came on the following week--no possible way we lost that much fluid in under a week and there were no leak spots in my driveway! Not sure what miracle my husband performed but the light quit appearing. Then about two weeks later I grabbed the kids and a girlfriend and headed out shopping--made it to the end of the block before I heard it suddenly start knocking!!! Hubby checked all fluids--no problems! Great --on a Sunday afternoon--no open service center! The next morning my husband had to call in because this being our only car would not be seen til the following day. Tuesday morning took it to service center. That afternoon we were called to pick it up and were given a recommendation- a repair shop who dealt with the Warranty Company we paid extra for! Wow--thank goodness for that small favor! A check diagnostic revealed: Engine has a spun Rod Bearing! I got my car back Dec. 23--Merry Christmas to me!!! I found a new mechanic who is a great man and works wonders with warranty companies! Aren't synthetic blend oils more expensive in part because they last longer--anywhere from 3000-5000 miles between changes? We are adamant about 3000 miles and the one time I let it go a little over 4000 miles my car needs a new engine? Is the honeymoon over? Not yet--had a 2010 Toyota Corolla rental for the two weeks my baby was at the spa and DAMN was that AWFUL!!!! I am spoiled now----Will totally investigate everything for my next Cadillac purchase--but there will be more in our future! ;)
  • jung1210jung1210 Member Posts: 1
    You are not alone. The same exact problem happened to me on Dec 20, 2009 while returning from a Xmas party. I had changed the oil on my 2008 CTS at 25000 miles and at 26,000 miles the engine blew up. GM says it happened because the engine had no oil and they refused to honor the warranty. My car even caught fire at the exhaust pipes and had it not been for a nearby gas station where we parked and put the fire out, the car would have exploded.
    After reading so many problems with oil disappearing from CTS engines I believe there is a basic design problem with them and a class action lawsuit should be discussed among all of us with the same problem.
    Anybody has any other alternatives?
  • ppilsnerppilsner Member Posts: 1
    I can't believe anyone would pay that kind of money for a dream car and then not take care of it. The computer lets you know when to change the oil. That's a no brainer. Maintained my car and had timing chain problem. Ken Batchelor came through and stood behind the car. Take care of your car and it'll take care of you.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    are you saying you did your first oil change at 25K?..09 CTS with 22K on it...and no evidence of oil useage at all....I have the non-DI engine...
  • sdr4sdr4 Member Posts: 1
    Hi,

    I'm sad to say I get to join many others who's engines have failed. After first great mid-Atlantic blizzard last week I started my car (80K mi). Terrible noise from the top of engine. Checked oil, reading was normal. I have it changed every 3K mi.

    Thought it might be head gasket seal that had allowed antifreeze into oil. Got it to my mechanic who did tested oil and antifreeze and said it was fine. He drained oil and changed filter. he said the oil was black, heavy sludge, and carbonized particles. (last change was 2k mi ago) Filter has trace particles of metal, apparently oil is not getting to lifters, he said it might be clogged channels...etc. Anyway engine is shot.

    Never got any indicator/msg. Called my salesman who gave me Caddy number. They've opened a case, want to look at it at dealership...

    Now I wait. Granted product is out of warranty, but catastrophic failure without warning!

    I lost over $15K when GM bondholders were wiped out...

    Mechanic say Honda is best car out there...

    I love the CTS but I might not be able to afford this kinda of 'quality'
  • bigjohn281bigjohn281 Member Posts: 15
    My 2005 CTS with no previous problems and no warning lights on started to hesitate so I pulled into the first gas station once I got off the toll road . The engine was at least three quarts low on oil . the engine oil life still says 25% life left and no oil pressure light was on . I started it up this morning and now its knocking . The mechanic says it needs a rebuild job . this problem sounds like an engine defect that GM knows about but doesn't want to acknowledge .
  • temj12temj12 Member Posts: 450
    I did not had any engine trouble on the 2005 I had, but my friend did. His engine went out at 30,000 miles. He bought it used and it had the certified 100,000 mile warranty. I am wondering, too, if Cadillac has a problem with their engines. I rolled into the dealership with my 2009 CTS with 8,000 miles for the first oil change. I talked to the service advisor and he said that they were now recommending 6,000 mile oil changes; they were having problems with some of the engines at 50,000 miles. He said not to go by the monitor. My monitor would have let me go at least 10,000 miles.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    the question is who is "they" that are recommending the 6K oil change....most of the issues I see here are for low oil/oil consumption by the older MY CTS engines...and lack of warning light indicators......I would ask did the oil pressure guage give any indication of a problem?....

    I too have an 09 CTS with the non-DI engine.....I check oil levels in all my cars monthly, along with tire pressure and air filters.....just part of routine maintenance on my part.....oil changes are all sythnetic, done by the GMOL usually around the 6-7K mark or about 25-30% on the indicator.....have 3 GM vehicle....04 Chevy with 160K, 06 Pontiac with 40K and the 09 Cady with 22K on it.....and follow the above process with all three.....no issues at all with any of them oil related....
  • temj12temj12 Member Posts: 450
    I am certainly not saying that I let my maintenance go. I, too, check the oil on a regular basis. That is just common sense if you want to make an engine last. When I had my 2005 CTS, I went to the Cadillac dealership to get the oil changed at 5,000 miles. He told me that was not necessary because it was synthetic, and that I needed to go by the monitor. I asked the dealership on the last oil change if they were still going by that recommendation. At 8,000 miles, mine was at 40% and I just did not want to go any further. He told me that they, the Cadillac dealership, were now recommending 6,000 miles because what they had found was that, if you went by the monitor and the number of miles it allows, they were beginning to have engine problems at around 50,000 miles on some of the 08's and 09's. They attributed this to people changing their oil in the 8,000 to 10,000 miles range.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    OK so it was your specific dealership that recommended the change......did they specify what kind of engine problems they were encountering.....Im sure some of the 08s and a few 09s are in that mileage range now....just wondering the population size of the dealership's "08/09" engine problems they are basing this recommendation on....and why they directly attribute it to not changing the oil on a more frequent basis...as opposed to a service bulletin released from GM with such a recommendation.

    My driving habits dont allow me that 8-10K range between changes even using the GMOL....which I usually let go to the 25-30% range before I change (6-7K range)...I also wonder if the problem engines have used a synthetic or dino oil?....I beleive the new CTSs come with synthetic in them from the factory now....I run only mobil 1 or pennzoil platinum synthetic in all my cars.....and have no problems at all....

    Im just always leary of a dealership pushing their "own" service schedule vice that of the manufacturer.......all of em do it if you let them.....havent seen a dealership yet that doesnt have a nice little flyer at the service desk with their own specific schedule....which most of the time is far more stricter in frequency and services than listed in the owners manual.....
  • tunatootunatoo Member Posts: 2
    I am looking at an '08 CTS DI AWD and after reading through all these engine issues I am VERY hesitant to continue my Caddy Quest. I currently own a '98 Regal GS Supercharged. Around 60k miles, the car started shutting down while driving, similar to what I'm reading here about the CTS engines. It would restart again after 10-20 attempts and seem to run fine. No mechanic could ever figure it out, and then one day, it just never happened again! The car now has 212k on it and is running like new still (except for slight bearing rattle from Supercharger nose). I would have sworn that they 'program' these problems into the engines. :)

    I may take the CTS for a test drive and just LISTEN to her. Thought about BMW, Infinity, Acura... but have always owned domestic (no real reason) and love the look and power of the CTS, especially with the DI.
  • paopao Member Posts: 1,867
    most of the issues here appear to be engine lock from low oil...as I read the more recent ones....not sure you will see that problem if at all in the new design CTS...08 and beyond.......quite happy with my 09 CTS with 23 k on it now
  • gm_bigotgm_bigot Member Posts: 20
    I have a 2007 CTS (3.6L) with 30K miles on it. I change the oil at around 7500 miles or so. I always check the engine oil level prior to the change just to see if there is an oil consumption issue. Never seen it down even a half quart.
  • building4bribuilding4bri Member Posts: 2
    edited March 2010
    Good afternoon. I am sorry to hear about the problems you have had.
    The main reason why I have decided to reply to your post is souly due to the fact you are ( or were ) thinking the same thing I have been. Class action lawsuit. I normally wouldnt be saying this but GM needs to own up to some of this. I have a 05 CTS 3.8. with 58,xxx miles. I bought mine from a local dealer here is St.Peters Mo. I decided to buy it from a reputable Cadillac dealer ship, come to find out it didnt matter. The Cadillacs all have issues along with the dealer ship and GM. We had our car maybe a month and noticed that it was running wierd, not necessarily knocking but hesitating. After bringing it to the dealership almost 3 times they finally fessed up and said that the water pump was bad. About another month went by and the car started doing the same thing. Thank God I hopped on line and seen all of this. I'm not the most knowledgable about cars but I know enough. At this point the car only had 50,xxx miles on it. Need less to say that I only put 3 or 4,xxx miles on it after I bought it. The dealer said they just changed the oil so I didnt think about that. After I seen all of this I checked the oil to realize it was at least 3 quarts low. I was shocked, I have been checking it regularly and I add about a quart every 2 weeks. This isnt normal, I traded my Honda with 130,xxx miles on it for this. WOW. Thanks GM for screwing us loyal AMERICANS!!! What do I or we do now? How unfare would it be to sell this to someone and dump this in their lap? If you are a cadillac owner with these issues, your stuck. We need to have GM cover this. Lets stick together and get our problem solved. If anyone gets together for a law suit, I want in...Good luck...636-295-5672
  • building4bribuilding4bri Member Posts: 2
    I wanted to take a quick minute and let everyone know who reads this that if there are so many of us Cadillac owners who have had issues, there has to be someone out there who can help get this resloved. Whether it be by hiring a lawyer, everyone of us calling GM or even the most extreme... Picketing !!!! This is just insane. if anything we need to make the public aware of these issues. The typical Cadillac owner wont buy this car with the understanding that they need to check the oil regularly, at least not with in 3 or 4,xxx miles. Its common knowledge that if you run synthetic oil you can go longer than 3,xxx miles. Thats where I believe the problem comes in at. When I bought my used Cadillac the dealership said no worries. You dont need to change the oil but every 8,xxx miles. If your Cadillac burns oil like mine, by the time you hit that 8,xxx mile mark it will be to late. This is not my first post. Come on people, lets stick together and get something resolved. Good luck and God Bless....vincebange@yahoo.com
  • bigjohn281bigjohn281 Member Posts: 15
    Since this happened to my car i have been warning everyone I see driving a CTS . I was telling a lady at the gas station about this problem because she was driving a CTS and we checked her oil which turned out to be about 2 quarts low and that blew her mind . I called an engine rebuilder and he laughed at me and said they have a policy of not rebuilding Cadillac engines period .
  • tammysadtammysad Member Posts: 2
    I purchased a used 2003 Cadillac CTS with approx 59,000 miles in Oct 2009. I was not offered a extended warranty. First thing was the truck brake light had to be replaced. Next it was the engine light on because the dealership did not put the gas cap on correctly after gasing it up for the purchase. I did have my first complementary oil change done at the dealership where I purchased the car. The mechanic did not have any recommendations for the oil change. Then the low level antifreeze light came on.....filled that, light went out. Meanwhile the car would shake a little while idling at a red light....and the car would burn a LOT of gas. Keep in mind the car would operate but it had a slight shake while idling. Once in a while I would smell burning oil through the car's air vents. Then a few minutes later the smell would go away. On March 26, 2010, while driving on the highway without warning, the engine light came on, the car was shaking so bad I thought the car would cut off. The shaking would "calm down" a little if I did not excel over 50 mph. But if I excelled to 60 mph the shaking would get VERY rough as to cut off. When I took it to my mechanic I was advised at first the diagnostic code was misfire on cylinder #3 and #4. Both of the ignition corals had to be replaced. Once I agreed to the repair, he then called back to advise that the valve cover gasket was filled with oil.....causing cylinder #4 to be filled with oil and was dead and cylinder #3 was coming on and off. The recommendation was "car has a dead cylinder #4 has 90 psi will need a motor". I have only had the car at this point for 6 months, I have only put 5,000 miles on the car, and it gets better.....I am still financing it!! HELP!
  • billpaulbillpaul Member Posts: 103
    edited April 2010
    Very sorry about your experience. Did you have the car checked by an independent mechanic before you bought it?

    Also, in a 6-7 year old car, I think that what you needed was a dealer provided warranty rather than an extended warranty.

    In any case, when buying a used car with a very poor reliability record (see Consumer Reports), it is best to be very very careful.

    http://www.consumerreports.org:80/cro/cars/index.htm
  • bigjohn281bigjohn281 Member Posts: 15
    The car I am referring to is a 2005 so it's only 5 years old . I did have a mechanic look at it and we fixed some other issues . If there was any question as to if this is a unique issue talking to the engine rebuild company removes all doubt. The lucky people that had this problem got their dealerships to manipulate their warranties to cover them but I wasn't so lucky. It is still my opinion that this problem is known to GM and they are not going to address it unless forced to .
  • lsk1lsk1 Member Posts: 1
    I'm at a loss. I bought a 2007 CTS 6 months ago. Currently it has ~25,000 miles. Every morning I back out of the driveway, put it in drive, and then start down the road. Consistently the first 100-150 feet the car hesitates like it is having trouble getting up and going, and then it kicks in and I feel the car surge forward. I took it to the dealer a month ago and they said nothing was wrong, but that I needed 2 quarts of oil (onboard computer said I was at 59%). Two weeks later I took it back and they said it was a worn timing belt which was replaced, and they did an oil change. I took it back two days ago b/c it has still been hesitating and I heard a strange knocking noise on Monday morning while it was hesitating, and again they said nothing was wrong. Other than kidnapping one of their mechanics so that they can sit in the car at 530 in the morning when it acts up, I don't know what to do. The 3rd visit was to a different dealer than the other two visits, and he thinks there is nothing wrong. It only does this first thing in the morning after a cold start. I blamed winter at first, but the last couple of weeks it has been 50 degrees or warmer in the morning.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Isk1,
    I am from GM Customer Service. I apologize that you are experiencing some concerns with your vehicle. Is this concern intermittent or everyday? Can you please email me with some more details about your situation with your vehicle? You can get my email address by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah
  • stu8mestu8me Member Posts: 2
    I dont know what the problems are with my car. I have had it for a year now and the same problem seems to persist, it's a rattling noise in the engine compartment. I have had it in the shop 5 times and now my warranty has run out and I am stuck and dont know what to do. first 3 times was the timing chain that had to be replaced after 2 months of my owning the vehicle. then I have gotten the runaround, having them fix some other things, so they say. But it's the same thing, when I go up a hill or I am low in gear, I lose power and it sounds like a big rig. Doesn't help that after 6 months my dealer that I bought it from closed up and can no longer sell GM products, hmmm... I am upside down on the car payments if I trade it in and I have no place to turn.

    please respond if you can help me out

    thank you
  • bigjohn281bigjohn281 Member Posts: 15
    Can I have a little help with the problem I am having with my 2005 CTS ? PLEASE ?
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello stu8me,
    I am from GM Customer Service. Can you please email me with more information regarding your concerns? Was your vehicle only serviced at that dealership that closed? You can access my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Bigjohn281,
    Please email me the details of the concerns on your vehicle so I can look into the situation further. You can find my email by clicking on my name. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • cowboy_1966cowboy_1966 Member Posts: 1
    Hi Mariah,

    I have a 2006 CTS and the identical issues as stu8me...are you able to advise?

    For the life of me, I can't figure out how to email you directly....

    Thanks,

    Rick
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Rick,
    My email is socialmedia@gm.com. I can look into your situation further with some more information from you. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • bigjohn281bigjohn281 Member Posts: 15
    did you get my response yesterday?
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Bigjohn,
    Yes, I did get your message. I am going to email you back today. Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • diesel54diesel54 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 Cadillac CTS that after driving for 30-40 miles it will start bucking in situations where I need to eccellerate going up a hill or passing. It has started to do this when coming away from a stop sign but not as much. Has anyone else had this happen. When taken in for service, they have found no codes in the computer. They have been able to duplicate the situation slightly.
  • deadbugdougdeadbugdoug Member Posts: 1
    2004 CTS 3.6L I have oil in my coolant. Enough to overflow the reservoir when running. I could smell coolant then saw a puddle under the car. Looks like it leaked from the overflow tube. First thought was the oil cooler. I am now being told the 3.6L 2004 does not have one. No water on dip stick or oil cap. Car did not over heat. Seems to run fine for now. Any ideas???
  • gm_bigotgm_bigot Member Posts: 20
    I have a 2007 and it started doing the same thing after about 25K miles. Two things going on. 1) There is a software update for the Transmission Control Module (TCM) that should be applied. If that doesn't fix it, then go to 2) Replace the torque converter.
    There is a TSB out there regarding this issue. Most likely, the torque converter will need to be replaced.
  • gm_bigotgm_bigot Member Posts: 20
    If you truly have oil in your coolant, then you have a blown gasket (head or intake manifold). DO NOT DRIVE THIS CAR! Take it to the dealer or your trusted repair shop. If you continue to drive it, you risk destroying your engine.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello Diesel54,
    I am from GM Customer Service. Has the dealership put a reader in your vehicle so it can look for codes when your vehicle does have an issue? Are they currently working on the vehicle? Thank you,
    Mariah GM Customer Service
  • avguy2avguy2 Member Posts: 7
    edited June 2010
    This thread is very interesting. I bought a 3.6L 2005 CTS brand new off the lot. I kept the oil changed in it at the dealer when the OLM system said until the dealer went out of business and the after that I did the oil changes at a local mechanic using Mobil 1 as suggested in the manual. I started to notice that the car was using about 1 quart of oil every 4 - 5000 miles. I spoke with a Cadillac dealer and they said this was not unusual. Then at around 75000 miles in 2008, and out of warranty it began misfiring on the way home from work and by the time I had made it home the engine was misfiring really bad and knocking really bad but no trouble light. When I was pulling into the driveway the check engine light finally came on and the oil level low warning came up. When checked the oil it was empty. Ihad checked it the previous day and it was full. I had my mechanic tow it to his shop and he found that the timing belt had jumped and bent 11 valves. I contacted Cadillac and they told me that because of the age of the vehicle and the mileage there was noting they would do. Still owing money on the car I spent the $5000 and had the valve train replaced.

    The care ran fine for about 1 year until late last it developed a knock in the lower part of the motor. I was right back to where I started from except this time it needed a new motor and still being in debt up to my eyeballs from the last repair I called around and found a mechanic that put a used motor in it for $3000.

    The bottom line is that my dream car became a nightmare. I will never get my money back on this car. A car that was $32K new has now cost me over $40k. DO NOT BY A CADILLAC!
  • cadman4cadman4 Member Posts: 3
    edited June 2010
    84K miles, changed oil and filter every 6K miles, used mobile 1, never had oil consumption problem between oil changes (yes I checked oil level approximately once a month) oil or engine light never came on, oil life @ 72%. Never any sign of oil leak or fluid on garage floor. Heard slight knock, had recently changed from Chevron to Costco gas, assumed I had water in gas, talked to mechanic said to get additive and run gas tank to near empty. Did this, knock went away. 2 days later car started knocking very loud, had car towed to mechanic, mechanic said there was no oil in car. Engine blown, replacement $8K to $10K. Seems like I am not alone?
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles