Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

richerry · July 2004

Have had lousy reception with cell phone on the CTS 2004. Many problems from my drive way which is a block away from a sprint tower.

Ask for a recall to get a dual mode cell phone, they Onstar Support said last fall I would get one last Dec, BUT now it will never happen. Onstar because of my problems gave me 200 minutes for a year, which is up in Sept.

See my posts of 5683, 5684, 5695, 5698.

Ray

richerry · July 2004

I have a 2004 CTS boughjt last Sept. Yes sometimes it feels hot as we have had 90 degree temp here in California. Have been testing it to compare with another car same garage.

Famillar with your problem as we also use a 1988 Bonnevile, bought new, low miles, great car, BUT the last few months it would be hot on the hood and stank up the garage.

Took it to the garage last week and they found that the radiator cap leaked, spraying steam into the insulator under the hood. The insulator was dirty after 15 years.

Replaced the cap and it is now like the CTS when garaged and the door shut.

Maybe your cap os loose!

Ray

tetedepierre · July 2004

This Onstar situation is really obnoxious.It is about as useful as [non-permissible content removed] on a boar. Reminds me of an ATT cellphone that I rented to use primarily when going up and down to Canada. It didn't cost much but on the other hand I could never contact anyone with it. I joked that it was like paying a small sum each month to carry around a block of wood. But it was still better than OnStar. And the service! Its going to take 5 days for them to get back to me. You say to ask for a dual mode phone. But then you indicate that they will do nothing. So why ask? I must not be understanding that part of your message.

Aside from the phone though, I love the car. Have put 500+ miles on and it is even better than I thought it would be. And the dealer here in Vero seems to be really good. Let me know if you get anywhere in solving your problem and I will do the same from here.

tetedepierre · July 2004

Have many contributors to this board actually purchased and are driving Cadillacs? I would be very interested to know what their experience with OnStar has been like. Maybe my experience and Rays are unique.

Peter

luxosport · July 2004

There is a CD that comes with the car that explains the On-Star system. It will be helpful in understanding how to communicate with the phone service since it responds to specific commands only. When you get it right, you should find it to be an excellent addition to the user-friendly technology Cadillac has designed into the car.

wwhite2 · July 2004

My Onstar personal calling is flawless . It has never dropped out and is crystal clear . Better than my Verizon cell phone . Places were verizon has no coverage the Onstar always works . THis is on my 03 CTS Lux Sport all options except the auto trans . Does Canada have a decent cell network ?

richerry · July 2004

I want everybody on this site to ask for a dual mode cell phone. Something changed. It was promised on the 2004. Now may be in 2006/7 models and not in the 2005.

I WANT A recall.On Star support said last Sept/Oct that we ALL would have a recall in Dec 2003 for the 2004 model. I want it to happen! Lets all force it!

The analog technology is 1990, 15 years old. Typically GM .

Your best bet is to talk to Support via the cell phone and say it is useless, say you wamt more time to evaluate it, be a pest. Ask for more time. GET the name of the support personel. Call them back each week. Say you have spent time in the car and using gas.

Tell them to update the software, do it from your driveway. Have another cell phone to talk to them while they update the software. May take an hour and you have to run the car. Tell them to call you in the car and see if that works.

I have spent hours talking to them.

Where are you in Canada? I came from Saskatoon and Toronto 40 years ago to So. Calif OC. Canada now has digital all over.

When is Canada going ALL digital??
Ray

shifty4 · July 2004

My Onstar cellphone has performed flawlessly. I renewed the Onstar contract twice in order to keep the cellphone service. Otherwise the Onstar basic service ($199) is pretty much useless except for emergencies. I cannot remember a single instance of dropped calls or non-service.

psedrish · July 2004

My Onstar ('04 CTS & '04 SRX) is flawless. So too is the A/C, even here on the Louisiana bayou.

b4z · July 2004

Onstar works great in my SRX also, but
It does have a problem with the number "9". It thinks I am saying "5".

mbdale · July 2004

Are there any substantial changes / improvements in the 2005 model vs the 2004 model?

carnaught · July 2004

Did not notice any changes nor were any pointed out by the salesman. I'm sure there are improvements more than skin deep, however.

sevenfeet0 · July 2004

2005 CTS's can be easily identified with the body color plastic license plate frame on the trunk which replaces the much maligned gray version. 2004 CTS-V's have the same new panel, but they have other features that set them apart. :-)

jwbjr · July 2004

HELP. I want to buy a 2005 CTS. One dealer says I'm intitled to a $1,500 Conquest rebate because I own a NON-GM auto. Other dealers say "no its only on 2004's". The dealer giving me the Quest rebate says, beware- other dealers will keep it and not offer it. Does anyone know where I can get the straight dope and find it in print. I have tryed Goggling/Edmunds/KBB etc. for "GM Quest Rebats" and get very little info. Thanks for any help. JWB
JWBC5@aol.com

skuuter · July 2004

If you have a dealer who's willing to apply a Conquest Bonus discount to a 2005, you'd better take them up on it. According to GM, there are only financing and GM Owner Loyalty discounts available right now on Cadillacs.

http://www.gm.com/vc/ownerexclusive/index.htm?vc_redirect=OWNERX

http://www.gmbuypower.com/currentOffers.bp?regionId=w&

hammen2 · July 2004

If you're not already eligible for GMS (GM employee) or GM Supplier pricing, you can find someone GMS-eligible to give you a "GM In The Driveway" coupon - gets you the car at the Supplier pricing.

Hope this helps,

--Robert

boomer1b · July 2004

Have a $2000 loyalty rebate IF you currently own a GM vehicle. 04 only.

Been looking at SRX....They have 2k too !
Also $1500 plus 0% w/o sunroof....only 0%int. w/roof.

tetedepierre · July 2004

Well Ray, it looks like we are just unlucky and in an area with poor service providers. Of the six people who have answered this thread we two are the only ones who have a bad experience. That's 2 bad and 5 good. My dealer here in Vero Beach, Florida has a chap who takes care of new customers and he is following up OnStar on my behalf. I hope he has better luck than you have had. Luxosport thank you for your remarks but my problem is so simple that no amount of knowledge could help me. I press the black button next to the red button on the mirror and I cannot connect.
Ray, I live in Florida and Canada about half the time each. Joined Edmunds while in Canada hence the flag. Right now am in Florida and bought the car here. Drove down I95 for 100 miles last week and out of about 15 tries got an answer 3 times.
But, if the majority of people are happy I don't think there can be much chance of a recall. I had hoped that a lot of disgruntled customers would chime in but so far not one.

tetedepierre · July 2004

I live in London ON. Very nice City. One of the young ladies you talk to when you call OnStar on a land line says that the service works fine in Canada. We shall see.

tetedepierre · July 2004

I have been reading your posts for what seems like years and have greatly enjoyed them. When I read your latest one I ran out to the garage and checked my 2004 CTS and just as I remembered the license plate frame is body color. I think they made that change late in the 2003 production but certainly on all 2004s. By the way in Florida there is now a $1500.00 gas guzzler tax slapped on CTS-Vs.

boomer1b · July 2004

I know there is a federal gas guzzler tax on 04 GTOs and some other cars.

Is it a federal tax or has Fla. been messing around again?

I remember in the early 90s if you brought a car from another state to Fla. they whacked you with some stupid import tax.
I forgot the name of the tax...But my uncle sez it was repealed a couple of year back !!!!!!

scott1 · July 2004

I have Onstar on my 04 CTS, and it works just fine. I'm in southeast Wisconsin. I also had it on my 03 Chevy Silverado and did lots of driving through the sparsely populated Wisconsin northwoods, and never had any trouble with reception there either.

maxhonda99 · July 2004

I read on www.ai-online.com a story out today about the CTS getting a smaller V6 for the base CTS. It said a 2.8L V6 will join the 3.6L V6 in the CTS line-up. The 2.8L VVT V6 produces 210bhp.

Anybody know the validity of this story? And if it is also for the US or just for elsewhere?

eaton53 · July 2004

It's going to have synthetic leather, too... been awaiting pricing, hoping for $28XXX base.

jjm · July 2004

Here's the beginning of the release from the GM website:

GM Adds New 2.8L V-6 VVT Variant to Global V-6 Engine Family

New Engine to Debut in 2005 Cadillac CTS

DETROIT - Created to fulfill GM's strategy calling for sophisticated V-6 engines for global application, GM has developed the all-new 2.8L V-6 VVT engine - the second variant in GM's new global V-6 engine family. The new 2.8L, based on the 3.6L V-6 VVT that debuted in the 2004 Cadillac CTS, will serve as the new base engine in the 2005 CTS.

More info at:
http://media.gm.com/

sevenfeet0 · July 2004

Tetedepierre, thanks for your correction but from my observation, it looks like we're both wrong. I was just at my dealership today for a brake job and oil change. While I was there, I noticed that there were several 2004 CTS's and a few 2005 CTS's that were on the dealerlot. I then noticed that some of the 2004 CTS's had the new license frame, while others did not. So apparently there was a "rolling change" late in the model year that added to new frame. This makes identifying a 2004 from a 2005 more difficult.

But there is a way. The Onstar/XM antenna on the 2005's is a new design. Previously the 2004 XM "puck" was a squarish plastic box that sat near the rear of the roof. The new design integrates the OnStar antenna as well. It looks like the old puck with the addition of a 2-3 inch plastic antenna extension that sticks up and is angled back.

However, upon further examination of the dealer stock, I noticed that this antenna, while exclusive to 2005 CTS's was not exclusive to 2005 SRXs which weren't on the dealer lot yet. The new antenna was on late build 2004 SRXs, which also seemed to solve the initial SRX problem that you couldn't order XM radio with the huge sunroof. Now you can.

There was also a 2005 CTS-V on the lot as well (in addition to the 2004 CTS-V on the showroom floor). It didn't seem like there were any changes to this vehicle outside of the gas guzzler tax on the sticker that you describe. If you want a CTS-V and can live without one of the two new colors, I'd snap up a 2004 and save some money.

wwhite2 · July 2004

Where is there a 04 still available ? what color ? sunroof ?

boomer1b · July 2004

BILL...There is 4 04s w/ roofs in Syracuse NY area.
Black, White, and that green color.

Check zip codes 13074, 13033, 13208 on Buypower

BTW: Gm still has that "GM in the driveway" deal going on!
Bad news is they changed the rules !
I think I can still get ya that deal tho. for GM Supplier price
48k for a 53k V. Shoot me a email over at Plowsite if your gonna
pull the trigger !

sevenfeet0 · July 2004

Andrews Cadillac in Nashville has a '04 CTS-V, black with tan interior w/sunroof on their showroom floor. The '05 CTS-V is silver with a ebony interior and sunroof. It's sitting outside on the lot.

boomer1b · July 2004

Bill lives in Mass. Nice road trip breakin distance tho!

BILL........Me bad....Msg. over at SPC instead....DOH!!!!!

cadillacnh · July 2004

Well, after replacing the head unit of the DVD-NAV system in my 04 CTS, the GPS worked for 24 hours, and then failed again. This infuriated me enough to contact GM Canada Executive Offices, and I was connected to Cadillac Head Office in Ontario. I have been speaking with someone in that office who has been responsive and seems to be trying to help, but wait till you hear this.

Through the Cadillac Head Office, an appointment was made for me at another dealership who promised to *REALLY* look into my problem. I left the car there for a day, had a call about 3PM and was told that the problem was fixed and it was due to a loose cable behind the radio. I seriously questioned how that could affect the fact that the GPS is not recognizing my current location, and it gives incorrect directions, especially considering that this is the second unit to be installed in the vehicle. They assured me it would resolve the issue (they never actually took it out on the road to test it, however, something which boggles my mind). 24 hours later, it failed again. I'd be on Main St. and the display would indicate the street which runs parallel to Main, or even worse, no street at all for about 5-10 minutes into my ride.

So I called the 3rd party company (Mass Electronics) that handles all ACDelco repairs for GM here in Ontario (at least in the Toronto area), and told them I want this fixed, and I want someone to ride in the car with me so I can show them what's going on (I am sure my complaints did not get relayed properly to the technician). Later that day they called to say that they're ordering a new radio/GPS unit from GM factory in Detroit and I should have it in 7-10 days (this was this past Monday, so I'll see if I get it next week).

I am not sure it's the head unit, since 2 of them have been installed and failed within a short time. It must be the antenna or the wiring, or the vehicle itself. In the USA there is a lemon law...3 times in for servicing for the same problem, you get a new car. Not so in Canada, apparently...which is ridiculous.

Does ANYONE who is reading this board have ANY idea as to what the problem could be, and what would you do/recommend I do in this situation?

Thanks. I'm exasperated.

maxhonda99 · August 2004

$28K to $29K sounds about right.

I wonder why they are adding a 2.8L V6 all of a sudden to the CTS.

eaton53 · August 2004

"I wonder why they are adding a 2.8L V6 all of a sudden to the CTS."

Because there is a 325i.

johnnycsk · August 2004

I have an 04 CTs and lately I have been noticing a power steering problem. Whenever I start up my car the steering is stiff. Sometimes it goes away after 5 minutes and sometimes it stays longer. If I turn the car off and on again it becomes stiff. Has this happened to any of you guys?

wwhite2 · August 2004

I think the CTS has Magnasteer . It has given Cadillac problems in the past . Time to go to the stealership

sevenfeet0 · August 2004

No CTS has Magnasteer. The SRX, XLR and the STS (old and new) all have Magnasteer.

pat · August 2004

I don't think it is necessary to use a sarcastic term such as "stealership" - while I understand that there are feelings that we are at the mercy of dealerships, the reality is that there are some very straightforward and honest ones in the world. Specific factual criticisms are welcome of course, but generic slurs don't really help any of us.

Thanks!

scurvy · August 2004

I was on vacation in San Fran and Napa for a week and rented a CTS. You may be saying, CTS aren't sold as fleet cars to rental agencies, but I got this one through Specialty Rentals which rents sports cars and luxury cars. It was three times the price of renting a midsize sedan through a regular agency and about 1.5x the cost of a Lincoln LS from Hertz.

It was an '04 Lux-Package, Silver paint, Black interior. I don't think it had the sport package.

The seats were incredible. After four hours of sleep and 5.5 hours in a coach airplane seat the CTSs seat was perfectly supportive for a two hour scenic trip.

The power was substantial and when I mashed the gas from a dead stop it was a little too much. The handling was precise and the turning radius was terrific. I had a little trouble with the sight lines, especially turning left across two lane highways. I think it was the angle of the A-pillars that bothered me. It had about 6,500 miles on it but still felt spot on solid. There was very little road noise and no internal rattles. I was very happy with all of the driving dynmaics of the car.

I didn't like the black interior. There were far too many different grain patters all in the same color. The use of wood was far too little for the luxury package. Mainly the internal doors and center stack bothered me in terms of the design. I think I will like the tan interior better since it breaks things up being half black half tan. The different grain patterns will probably balance better.

Because it wasn't perfect inside and out I think I quenched my thirst for a new car. Maybe I can hold off a few years, which would be ideal. It's the best thing I've driven, I just wish the interior design were a bit cooler.

wwhite2 · August 2004

I guess it is a good thing the CTS doesnt have the magnasteer . It was a problem on my Eldorado Touring Coupe .

golfnut5 · August 2004

I was on business in Durham, NC this past Monday and saw a Caddy Dealer TV ad offering $5000 off all 2004 CTS's. The dealership was located in Henderson, NC. This is the largest discount I have seen to date on a CTS. Oddly enough I was watching CNBC this morning and heard GM was raising the price of the 2005 CTS 3.4% due to strong demand. $5000 off then up 3.4%, go figure.

sevenfeet0 · August 2004

A correction....the new STS according to its literature does not have Magnasteer.

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

If I am calculating this correctly the price increase is somewhat deceiving. The final 04 base price for a CTS was $31345 and the beginning price for an 05 is $32395 - which is about 3.4% increase. The 04 came with the 3.2 and the 05 comes standard with the 3.6. Without going into to much explaining the price of an 05 with the 3.6 and auto increased by $550. That really is not much. Also, around October there will be a new base CTS with a 2.8 V6 and fake leather that is supposed to start at around $29k.

imidazol97 · August 2004

When does the new STS show up at Cadillac dealers?

bags · August 2004

I'm an owner of an 04 CTS with the 3.8 engine. I love the car, but it worries me when I see that they are introducing a new engine in the 05's. Does this mean they have found something in the 3.8 that they don't like? Are they hurrying to have a different engine in place in case the other one has problems? What do you all think?

bigdaddycoats · August 2004

You most likely have the 3.6. The new 2.8 is basically the same as the 3.6 just a smaller displacement. The base CTS with the 2.8 will compete with the low end BMW 3s and start under $30k. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your engine.

bingoman · August 2004

I just saw a brand new Candy Apple red CTS-v on the road here in SFV. I was surprised as I thought the -v was only available in Black or Silver.

peccles · August 2004

The 2.8L has 210HP/194 ft-lbs. Interestingly it
has a higher HP/L than the 3.6L and it 87 octane
is still the recommended fuel. I wonder how much
better the EPA MPG rating will be.

scurvy · August 2004

There is a CTSv appearance package that is dealer installed, I believe. It's CTSv tires, wheels, exhaust, grill, etc. But, it's the standard package under the hood. In fact, I have seen one without the sports package.

cu95 · August 2004

A little late with this response, but add me to the list of people who have had good service with their OnStar phone (on my '03 CTS). I use it infrequently, but when I have needed it it has worked without a hitch. (I was living in central NJ when I bought the CTS and now I'm in Orange County NY and it has worked great in both areas.)

JNorthstar · August 2004

The 04 V's were available in only the Black and Platinum. The 05's are available in Red, Gray, Platinum and Black. I have the 04 Platinum.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V

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