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

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

18687899192129

Comments

  • automoleautomole Member Posts: 154
    I agree with sevenfeet0. I've been using an orbital buffer for years and it's the only way to get a really uniform polish on a black car (also saves elbow grease).

    I use the buffer to apply the wax and buff it off by hand w/ a clean 100% cotton towel.

    Like sevenfeet0 said, be SURE the buffing pad and towels are clean!!!

    The only thing I disagree with him about is the No7 polishing compound. It works great and I've had to use it on several occasions (once when a friends car was absolutely trashed by an automated car wash). I wouldn't classify it as "gentle" though. If you're a novice you could eat right through your paint with that stuff...definitely apply No7 by hand and not orbital buffer and expect to have to follow it up with several coats of less abrasive polish.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Remember the half hour SRX program on SpeedTV tonight at 8:30 pm.
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    I must agree . It's a bit more than "gentle" use it carefully.
     The Corsa exhaust looks pretty good to me . I'm not to crazy about having to cut the rear valance to accommodate the tips . I question if even after cutting carefully it will have a finished look .
  • thebugthebug Member Posts: 294
    wwhite2 - When I had the dual exhaust installed, they replaced the rear portion of the bumper with one that would accommondate the dual tips. Color matching and painting the replaced portion added to installation time.

    I also had them paint the hardwear black so that only the chrome tips would show. The fit and finish is pretty nice. And again, I believe it was money well spent.

    thebug...
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    CTS sales are within 4,000 of matching total last year sales.
    Only 900 CTSs were built this week which is a very low number. It might have something to do with the SRX production finally ramping up.

    SRX show on Speed Channel was good but not great.
    They didn't seem to want to gush over the car.
    It is beautiful though. Better looking than the CTS IMHO.
  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    You shouldn't have any problems with a mess in your garage when you do your wax job. You will end up with a lot of wax on your applicator pads and towels, but very little on the floor. And regarding your garage, doing the wax in your garage away from direct sunlight is the exact place you should be waxing your car.

    Finally, you can use ScratchX on the entire surface of the car's painted areas if you need to (the Meguiar's web site talks aboout this).
  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    I don't really think we disagree at all. Mequiar's #7 product is just a more aggresive version of ScratchX and you can get great success with it and an orbital buffer for removing stubborn swirls. I just wouldn't use the buffer, even a lower speed one, on my black pampered baby without a little experience first. I'd probably try to clean up some defects on a different older family car whose finish you don't care about at much for practice before trying your hand on the expensive luxury car finish.

    For those who don't know what these products do, they use a mild abbrasive to literally grind down the top level of clearcoat paint that contains the scratch to reveal an undamaged layer (assuming the scratch doesn't go all the way to the paint level). Clearcoat paint is the top level of the paint job for all modern cars and is literally paint without pigment. It's used as a shield and protectant for the real colored paint beneath it. But clearcoats tend to show scratches very easily, which is why the need for these scratch repair products exist.
  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    Now is an excellent time to get out in front of potential damage to your car and give it a hand wax job. It used to be that you had to wait for the paint to "cure" before applying wax to a vehicle, but the paint process in modern cars at the factory is a lot better than 20 years ago.

    If you ask most detailers, they usually like either Mother's or Mequiar's products for waxing and detailing your car. I've been using Mequiar's with good results but I'm sure Mother's is excellent too. Both companies have web sites which explain their products in detail including video clips.

    If I were you, I'd gather the following items at your local auto parts store:

    16-20 foam applicator pads (you can never have enough of them, and you should go to new ones often. Never use a pad to apply two different products. Don't bother washing them off to keep...they are disposable.

    A good car wash soap. The key here is to use anything but dishwashing liquid since they are degreasers and it will strip the wax coating off a car. That might not be bad for now, but later when you want to keep your wax job, it's not what you want to use.

    A clean bucket.

    Lambswool washing mitts (2).

    A collection of car wash towels especially for drying and wiping wax products off your car. I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought several white medium sized and small towels that were plain without patterns. Cut the tags off the towels so they won't scratch the car. Forget the cheap terry cloth towels in the auto parts store...they won't last one wash.

    Optional: some people like chamois cloths to dry their car. I don't. "Chammys" are a tanned animal skin product that has its own residue and you must wash and prepare them before you ever use them on your car for the first time. It's too much trouble IMHO when a large terry cloth towel will do fine. They are also very expensive ($25 and up for one towel).

    Optional: some places sell foam tipped wooden sticks and other small detailing instruments. I find that these are good to get applied wax out of tight places and cracks that your wipe towel might miss. Wax generally dries with a white color, and you can see it in the cracks of your car if you miss wipe spots or can't get to them. This is especially a problem trying to wax and remove wax around the area of the CTS logo.

    Optional: Microfiber cloths. These new cloths are the only man-made cloths that are dood on a vehicle since they don't scratch. They have the added benefit of having much small nits in their fabric which really does a superior job of wiping wax products, cleaners and polishers off a car. I highly recommend them since it makes the job of wax removal faster with shinier results. I even use them to dust the piano-black tops of my expensive home theatre speakers in my house (to my wife's amusement). I've recommended the 3M version of these cloths here previously, but I've used the Mequiar's branded ones and liked them (available from their web site). I hear Turtle Wax also makes one that is widely available in stores. I'd buy at least three. They aren't cheap, but they are machine washable and reusable.

    Select a wax system. Either Mother's or Mequiars have two different methods. One is their "all-in-one" product that cleans the old finish, polishes and waxes in one step. This is much better than what most people will ever take the time to do with their vehicle. Usually this product comes in liquid form for easy application.

    The other method is more tedious but gets best results. Buy the individual products and spend three times as long with your car. First, use the "cleaner" product to strip the old wax off the car (and yes, your new car will likely have some). Second, use the polish to bring out the shine of your finish. You'll really like the result of this step since the first step leaves your car very dull (as it should). Finally, use the waxing step to protect the finish of the polish you just used. I use Mequiar's Gold Class for the last step, which is their best non-professional wax product. Mother's has a similar product. You can buy them either in liquid or paste form. I prefer liquid since it's easier to use, but "old-schoolers" still use paste.

    Before you should clean/polish/wax your car, check the finish for any defects. If you see any microfine scratches (and all cars get them eventually), try a product like Mequiar's ScratchX to remove them. Use a foam applicator pad and towel to remove. Don't be afraid to put a little effort into it. Hopefully, you won't need to do this so soon with a new vehicle.

    If you eventually run into situations where you need to get off tar or other road grime that doesn't easily come off, Mequiar's and Mother's both make specific products for this. You need to rewax the area you apply these products to. And sometimes you'll notice stuff that seems embedded in the finish of the car. Over time, particles that your car hits at high speed can literally bury themselves into the finish of a car. Also, you may be victim to paint oversprays (say if you pass a road painting crew) or other junk that sits on the finish of your car. When that happens, use a clay bar to remove these problems. I'm going to do this today with my own car. I'll probably do this after the wax cleaner step when I'm waxing my car.

    Do not apply wax to the black stainless steel b-pillars between your doors. They don't need wax and will look horrible if you try. (You can use the "cleaner" wax products to get wax off of these surfaces if you have a boo-boo). You can apply wax to the plastic surfaces of the car, like the bumpers.

    For the wheels, I use Mequiar's Hot Rims product. It's good because it's safe for all wheels and you pretty much spray it on, wash it off and wipe it dry. You'll want to use specific dry towels just for this step since they will pick up with nasty brake dust and grime you don't want anywhere near the rest of your car. If you like shiner black rubber, Mequiar's makes a product called Endurance which not only dresses your tires, but makes the shine last for days, not hours. It really makes a difference.

    Always remember to never use a towel, washmitt or pad that has hit the ground. You don't want to pick up tiny bits of dirt or stone and then grind them into the car's finish. You can launder the towel or washmitt later, but throw any pads away that have hit the ground.

    I've yet to find a safe glass cleaner I like for the windows, headlamps and tailights. The best glass cleaner is stilll Windex, but you have to be extra extra careful around it with a car. The ammonia will kill a wax job too. I generally will spray it into a paper towel and then use the paper towel to clean the window or lamp.

    Well, time to wax my own car. I'm probably not going to get a better day to do it...
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    I'm a big believer in zaino products. Not wax but easy to apply and polish. There is a whole topic on it in the maintenance topics section of the townhall.
  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    lol!
    Sitting here in Las Vegas...Taking a break from gambling. Tried to crash the big GM convention at the Sands...NO luck!

    Driving by the Caddy dealer I thought I spotted a CTS-V.........Locked em' up and wheeled in !

    BUMMER....A regular CTS with the V air dam and a funky chrome grille insert, Goofy pimp roof and a set of bling-bling wheels...........UGH!

    I would say 80% of the new Caddies on the lot had some ugly pimp roofs, diff. grille, bling-bling stuff. Even the 'Lades 2wd had "dubs", off road brush guards, etc etc............

    Well I picked up some NIFTY chrome license plate surrounds that say Las Vegas Cadillac ! FREE!
    They will look sharp on my Deville !

    BTW: NOT a CTS to rent here! Got a town Car to ride in! Darn thing will only do 117mph ! AC stinks too....sweating ...won't cool car...
    Won't get up and go for shucks either!
    Miss that northstar power !
    Stereo stinks...I miss my Bose !
    At least a Deville will go 125 plus !

    OK ..back to the 21 tables............Geo
  • sonjaabsonjaab Member Posts: 1,057
    Lost your info. !
     Give me a phone call at Binions Horseshoe Hotel
    Ask for George B.....Room 327

    Gotta have a beer!
  • automoleautomole Member Posts: 154
    Zaino products are superior to just about any other product if you want an incredible shine. My only gripe about them is that they are not abrasive enough to remove scratches and not pasty enough to provide a thick lasting protection against the elements. If I lived in California or Arizona I'd use Zaino exclusively...I live in the NW where I have to deal with rain and flying road debris on a daily basis so for me (and others in my region of the US) Zaino is a poor choice.
  • berrycherryberrycherry Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for the excellent review of my first wax process. Will go out this week and buy the works.

    Today is my birthday so yesterday my daughter had a party, and my son, son in law and my grandson all drove the car, thought it was great.

    My son took it up a steep hill and unfortunately took the rpm to 6000, it was so easy. After that said to keep it below 4000 rpm as it has only 400 miles.

    Trying to get a friend to look at the CTS as he wants to buy a big Lexus. Cadillac has a $1500 rebate on the CTS if you have a non GM car, so sent it to him.

    berrycherry
  • tetedepierretetedepierre Member Posts: 62
    Thought I had a good deal to buy a 93 demo here in Canada where I spend my summers. No Go. GM just would not give me the required letter stating car met US standards which made it impossible to get it licensed in FL. So now will buy a 94 sometime during the period OCT to APR when I am in sunny FL. Some of us on this board seem to know a lot about GM policies on rebates, incentives etc. Any chance anything like this would be in effect during my time frame? Any input will be appreciated.
  • cartesiocartesio Member Posts: 36
    A 93 demo would be pretty much worn out by now. Do you possibly refer to '03 and '04 models?
  • tetedepierretetedepierre Member Posts: 62
    you got me. Yep 2003. At least I don't do that when I write a check. Do you have any answer to my question?
  • automoleautomole Member Posts: 154
    First off, that was an excellent post on waxing...you take detail to a whole new level!

    As for the glass cleaner, I've found a good one that's available at Costco. I can't remember the brand name (I think it might be sort-of generic...in a blue spray can that says non-amonia glass cleaner or something). Being Costco you have to buy a 4 pack of the cleaner but it works well and is non-amonia so it's safe for glass AND plastics; it's also relatively inexpensive.
  • rstephrsteph Member Posts: 109
    It's called "Sprayway Glass Cleaner". I agree with mole. Stuff works great.
  • cu95cu95 Member Posts: 96
    Did the wash/ScratchX/wax Sunday (Sevenfeet0, again thanks for the great walk-thru). I think the car looks better for it and that the swirls are reduced (I was sort of timid with the ScratchX, probably should have put some elbow grease behind it), unfortunately, I finished so late on Sunday that the sun had already set and given when I leave for work and return I haven't been able to have the CTS outside in very good sunlight. I did notice that when looking at in the morning glow before the sun had really come up that there is a slight streaky appearance, sort of like seeing a faint ghost of what I imagine is the zigzag pattern from when I applied the wax. I dusted the car and wiped it down again last night to try to remove them, but this morning they were still evident. Any ideas where I went wrong? Do I need to further wipe down the surface? Should I get some of the Meguiar's Quick Detailer and apply that and then wipe it down?
  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    The problem is likely that you didn't polish the surface thoroughly enough when you wiped the wax off. I've noticed that it is really easy to get this wrong. The only way to fix this is more effort and elbow grease with your wipe rag to get the polished shine you were looking for.

    This is also the reason why I like microfiber cloths. They make the polish part *far* easier, IMHO. What I typically do is remove the extra wax that I apply with a normal cotton towel, and then do a serious polish job with the microfiber towel in a second step. That keeps the microfiber towel fairly clean through the process since it doesn't pick up the excess wax you wipe off, allowing it to do its job for the entire car. I had a similar issue (wavy streaks) on the hood of my car when I was polishing and it was because I hadn't used enough effort with the microfiber cloth (I was getting tired). When I went back to polish a second time, I got the streaks out.

    Since your wax job has dried and cured by now, I would probably start over and redo the places on the car that have the streaks (hopefully it's not the entire vehicle). The Quik Detailer product won't likely help since all it does is bring out whatever shine (or streaks) the wax job had in the first place.

    I completed the wax job of my car on Sunday and got excellent results. I even had some swirl marks on my hood that looked like an animal had been sitting there. I had forgotten to take my ScratchX with me to the place I was doing the waxing, but Mequire's cleaner wax formula does remove some scratches as well, and it cleaned up much of the scratch damage without having to go to the other product.
  • cu95cu95 Member Posts: 96
    Unfortunately, I'd say the streaking is widespread. I'm guessing there's no harm other than diminished aesthetics (overall, I think the car is looking better and should be better protected now that it has finally gotten some wax). I did wipe off the wax with a terry towel and follow up with a cotton flannel towel (didn't have any microfiber cloth), but I was probably too gentle with the flannel --I sort of glided it accross the surface rather than giving it a strong polishing. I might try giving the CTS a quicky wash this weekend and then use the the EagleOne Wax As U Dry to see if that improves it. My concern is that I may "seal in" the look, so to speak, if I layer the EagleOne on it. Or maybe I should just suck it up and give it a good waxing in a couple of weeks.

    Edit: By the way, a Swiffer cloth (dry, not the wet ones) did a pretty good job grabbing the dust up and off the diamond pattern dash. I was concerned that any sort of cleaning product would be hard to get out of the diamond pattern, so I went with this dry approach.
  • sevenfeet0sevenfeet0 Member Posts: 486
    You haven't done damage to your car, but you just didn't quite get the finish you had in mind. Using the cotton flannel towel was probably ok for the finish, but flannel is too smooth and doesn't have the "nits" in the fabric you need in order to get a really good polish. You can use a regular terry cloth towel to get the finish right, but it requires quite a bit of effort from your arm. The microfiber cloths just make the job so much easier. I'd order a few from either 3M or Meguiar's before trying again. Lastly, the Eagle product will only add wax on top of what you already did, not change the finish of the previous wax job. You'll most likely still see the streaks.
  • mannytrannymannytranny Member Posts: 175
    Anyone answer this question?
    Can I get the oil changed anywhere other than a GM dealer, the selling dealer or any other, or can I go to Jiffy Lube, or even another non-GM dealer to get the oil changed and not void the warranty?
     I was told by a friend that during the original warranty period the oil must be changed at a GM dealer or the warranty is voided. How true is this?
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    There is an act of Congress that allows you change your oil ( and use aftermarket parts)anywhere including yourself and not void your warranty . Just save your receipts .
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    I think that as long as you keep records (documenting what was done), you should be OK. The receipts should show enough detail for this.
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    You can buy an AC Delco oil filter at the rockauto website they charge 11.07 plus about 6 dollars for shipping. I am ready for a oil change I just ordered a filter there
  • rstephrsteph Member Posts: 109
    Carquest also has the oil filters...around $8-$10 if I recall right (I posted it here sometime back.)

    I did the first one myself (kinda messy since they use the oil bath filters). Wife will be picking the car up from my servicing Cadillac dealer tonight. Had them do the 2nd oil change and a tire rotation. Also had it in to have the cold engine knock/ping/tap/rattle checked. They're reply..it's a normal engine sound, goes away when the engine warms up (it does) and is caused by the sleeveless pistons. They call it piston rattle. Whatever. Doesn't seem to hurt performance any...and at least now it's on record if it were to develop into something serious.
  • automoleautomole Member Posts: 154
    Thanks for the info about the cold engine noise. I've experienced it a couple of times recently and went so far as to pull over and check the oil level (sounded like dry lifter noise). I've also noticed my car idles a little bit rough before warming up but it doesn't seem like too big of a deal...yet.

    I had the first oil change done by the dealer (a free 'courtesy' change) and just about passed out when I saw how expensive it would have been if I had to pay for it. I think they charge $25 for the oil (regular non-synthetic oil), $10 for disposal, $19 for labor, and $12 for the filter.

    The second change was done by a local garage inexpensively but I supplied the Mobil1 synthetic and filter (at the time CTS filters were difficult to find exept at the Cadillac dealer).

    I'm nearing my third change and am debating on whether to have it done or do it myself as I have traditionally done in the past. I just don't know if I want to 'mess' (pun intended) with the CTS's filter.

    One thing I have noticed is that if I go by the DIC's oil change indicator I can drive a LOOOOOONG time between changes. Much more than the traditional 3 month, 3000 mile interval. I think I'm about due for a change now even though the computer says I have 35% oil life left.
  • tornado25tornado25 Member Posts: 267
    OMG, $66 for an oil change? I can't figure out which part of that is the worst, $25 for non-syn oil or $19 for labor...Geez.

    I can't begrudge the filter too much and as far as disposal goes, I can only surmise there is some sort of over-the-top tax or something the dealer must pay to get rid of it. (My dealer on my current car--not CTS, unfortunately--charges something like $3 for disposal).

    That probably would be enough for me to do it myself, messy or not.
  • richw5richw5 Member Posts: 152
    automole - My dealer normally charges $32 for an oil change on a CTS, but always has specials ($24.95). The last time I had the CTS in for service, they returned it dirty (no wash and dirt on the carpet). I guess it was a slip-up on the part of the service consultant, but the dealer always calls the following day to ask if the service was up to Cadillac standards. When I stated that the car was returned dirty, the service manager called later to apologize. Then he offered me a free oil change.

    As for the oil life indicator, it is extremely accurate if reset after every oil change. Still, as others have said here before, you can't go wrong if you change the oil at 3,000 mile intervals.

    One of the reasons I go to the dealer for oil changes is that, like rsteph, I have them rotate the tires at every oil change. It's really increased the tire tread life on the last few cars I've owned. I wish I had rotated tires on all my cars. It would have saved me a lot of money on tire replacement.
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    The Cadillac dealer here charges about $25 for everything. I make an appointment and wait for them to do it.
  • rob35ctsrob35cts Member Posts: 53
    I always do my own oil changes. I don't want those guys in my car. They do not have clean hands or clothes. Plus some of these over size mechanics have to squeeze into the car. I know they will not take as good of care as I will. I use synthetic and buy my filter from the dealer. The last time they gave it to me for 10 which they said is their cost. I also rotate my own tires for the same reasons. It takes me about an hour to rotate with a floor jack and a spare and a torque wrench. The oil change is also very easy. It can be done in under a half our. I get rid of my oil at buisness that burns a oil furnace.
  • tetedepierretetedepierre Member Posts: 62
    While I wait to get back to the US and buy a CTS I am still driving my 1995 Saab 900. Aside from some electrical problems which I had fixed by the dealer the engine runs like a clock and does not burn oil at 105,000 miles. I followed Saab's recommendation and have changed the oil religiously every 10,000 miles since I bought the car new.
  • rstephrsteph Member Posts: 109
    I did the first oil change myself. It's easy and quick. Just kinda messy, like I said. In the usual "on my back in the driveway" work position, I can't see how to avoid the instant 1/2 quart (or so) dump you get when unscrewing the filter cap. (I tried rubber gloves once on another car and as soon as they get oily, you can't hold onto a thing with them.) As for the oil life system, I think it's pretty much set for 7,500 mile intervals but supposedly will adjust depending on the driving conditions, normal, heavy, etc. I'll stick to the every 3k miles...and remember to re-set the oil life system.
    Still not seeing a lot of CTS's around the Portland-Vancouver area, but have seen a few. Couple white ones, couple other silver, one cashmere, and probably 3-4 blacks. Saw a black one with the "blingy" wheels (sorry, couldn't resist..lol) on I-205 towards Orchards 3-4 weeks ago, male driver. Maybe it was Mole???
  • tetedepierretetedepierre Member Posts: 62
    It probably takes just as long, but if you buy your tires from Costco they rotate and balance free for the life of the tires.
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    One doesnt really know a messy oil change until you perform an oil change on a diesel engine
     Having ANY work done elsewhere leaves you at the mercy at the capabilities of the worker . Thinking that the worker must be able to do the job..... or why would they be doing it quite often is a big mistake. Changing oil rotating tires .....installing wiper blades . I have supervised employees that didnt have a clue, and never caught on
  • rstephrsteph Member Posts: 109
    Point very well taken...which is exactly why if I'm not doing it myself I'll pay the extra for a Cadillac (or authorized GM) shop to do it. At least if they screw it up..it's, theoretically, on their nickel.
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    I did my own tire rotation main because I know that the nuts were torqued down gradually all around. That way the rotors will be less likely to warp. So far so good.
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    I was recently at BJ's wholesale with my pickup . I bought the tires there , I thought I would give myself a break and let them do a free rotation and repair a bead leak . Well they fixed the bead leak, I saw them torque the lug nuts, I hope the torque wrench was set correctly , Micrometer reading is tough to teach High School age students, their torque sticks didn't go high enough .
        Well I watched them incorrectly rotate the tires . I told the guy he was doing it wrong ....his answer " This is the way we do it . I said you should look at the owners manual in the glove box . Well I wasn't going to argue with him , he finished, I left and a wheel center cap fell off while driving thru their parking lot.
     When I got home I got my floor jack , jack stands, started the compressor and swapped the rear tires . I did call the store manager he apologized and sent a $ 25 dollar gift certificate . That was nice of him but think about how many people never notice and do not achieve maximum tire wear . Bring my CTS there , never
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    that there haven't been more instrumented magazine road tests of the new 3.6L CTS.

    I have not forgotten about our 0-60 pool for the new engine.

    Also I think I am out of the running for a CTS this year.
    My choices will be to either refinance the Impala
    and have a $192 month payment.
    Or buy a '95-97 Lexus LS 400. Saw a '97 Lexus Coach Edition today w 146K miles that was as solid as a rock and had an engine that was almost inaudible.
    Very Impressive.
    Hideous green color. Not worth the 13.9K the owner wanted.

    Now if i can find one whose owner has taken care of both the paint and interior I will buy one.

    I am a little uncomfortable buying a CTS that has a fairly small interior and comes with a $500 mo payment. I just can't justify it.

    Until then I will be Impala man.
  • rstephrsteph Member Posts: 109
    Nothing wrong with the Impala's at all..IMO. I traded out of one to get the CTS but would've been in another Impala if the CTS deal hadn't worked out. You're right, the monthly on a CTS is gonna be a bit high unless you've got the cash to buy outright (that's why it was important to me to get in on the 0% financing before it went away). Mine is like $618 mo....but it's also paid off in 60 months. So, while the monthly was a bit high for my personal comfort, I figured what I save in finance charges offsets it. To each his own.
  • v8lincolnguyv8lincolnguy Member Posts: 273
    I had to rule the CTS out as well as the resale of my Intrigue was just too low and I just don't want to put down what would have been necessary to get a CTS with a payment I'm comfortable with. Frankly, I'm not sure I'll ever buy new again(I might lease new) as no matter how good a car's resale may be, they just depreciate so much in the first year or so. So for now, I'm enjoying the V8 power of my new(to me that is) 2001 Lincoln LS. I still like the CTS alot and will be interested to see what kind of prices can be found on a 2-3 year old model in a few years. I'm also surprised none of the mags have done a serious test of an 04 with the 3.6. It reminds me of when the Intrigue got the 3.5 liter engine in 99. While the 98 model had been in many reviews and comparison tests, there were not many to be found on the new model with the new engine. Maybe once the excitement of the CTS-V wears off, the magazines will do a good in-depth review of the 04 CTS.
  • tetedepierretetedepierre Member Posts: 62
    Can't say as I have checked if tires were rotated correctly as I thought that was a no brainer. Thanks for the tip though, will watch next time. But at least the torque should be right as at Costco two mechanics check it out.
  • typeamantypeaman Member Posts: 17
    Watch that engine noise! I may be the only one in the country to have this happen to but...My cts knock started to get louder one day then within minutes it was REAL loud. I drove to the dealer...As I pulled up the service manager came out to meet me because of the noise. They ended up replacing the engine. If I remember right, I only had about 500 miles on the car. Feel free to look up my posts on this experience.
  • cartesiocartesio Member Posts: 36
    For me, the mother of all oil changes occurred in 1960. I had just bought a new Olds convertible the previous Fall, and it was time to get the oil changed. I went to a nathional-chain service station and the job was done in about 15 minutes.

    The only problem: He had drained both the transmission oil and the engine oil, but refilled only the engine oil. I had the car taken to a private mechanic who discovered not only the mistakes already made, but also that the plug for the transmission had been stripped...

    Evidently no serious damage was done.
  • wwhite2wwhite2 Member Posts: 535
    label your tires with a tire crayon before dropping it off. then you can inspect their work .
  • tetedepierretetedepierre Member Posts: 62
    The simple ideas are often the best. Of course I'll do that next time but would never have thought of it on my own.
  • fjk57702fjk57702 Member Posts: 539
    If you let someone do the tire rotation, and want it done "by the book", you should probably label each tire as to where it should go. Some tires are not supposed to reverse direction, so the rotation if front to back. One can see why a "tire store" will probably choose a "standard rotation" for everything. Then it becomes a no brainer. If you label the tires so that they can tell where to put them, it's still a no brainer.
  • rstephrsteph Member Posts: 109
    As the story goes (at least the one I've heard time and again), the belts in the tires seat in after short use. If you then rotate them around so the tire spins the opposite direction, the belts can come loose, etc. Seems to me that the true old time rotation would give you the best overall wear on the tire (assuming your alignment and balancing is good, shocks ok, etc.). So the question that comes to mind is: Is this all stuff the tire industry has come up with to cover poor workmanship and ultimately sell more tires, or is there really truth that once a tire is put into service, it should always go-round the same way for it's lifetime?
Sign In or Register to comment.