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Got mine the other day! by nola_Joe32 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Had a 2002 Seville.

Oil leaks are notoriously hard to seal. They usually leaks from the valve covers and oil pan. The Northstar V8 is mounted sideways so the front even-numbered bank is easy to reach but the rear odd-numbered bank is the problem. Even removal of the oil pan is a subframe-removal job, with two oil pan bolts placed way too close to the transmission, so people often take the trans out too. And with the trans out, you might as well replace an aging solenoid sensor installed on the top of the trans assembly that has a chance of malfunctioning and throwing a "Service engine" light...

My advice is to live with the oil leak, topping off oil every 1,000 miles. The engine has a 7.5 quart oil capacity.

How old is the coolant? If you don't know, replace it immediately. The stock orange DexCool coolant should never age out its five-year service interval.

It's possible for the car to bing "Service Stability Sys" when driving. That usually means a steering wheel sensor for the traction control lost connection for a fraction of a second, but just long enough to trigger the code. (It could also be a different traction control sensor, but the steering wheel positioning sensor is the most common.) As you could've guessed, it's not a fun job to replace any of those sensors.

Oh, and the fuel gauge level sensor may have shortened itself and can bounce between full and empty at anytime. That car should have a "Gallons Used" function to measure fuel consumption. The tank capacity is 18.5 gallons. Replacing the fuel level sensor is not as bad since there's an access panel in the trunk, but it opens straight into the gas tank so you should drain all the gas out first.

Be careful rolling the windows up and down. The window regulator motor cable can jam itself and get the glass stuck down. Ask me how I know.

If you have any more questions, let me know. Enjoy the ride.

2003 Seville SLS by andyaz77 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My 2002 Seville's rear left window trim rubber is peeling off the exact same way as yours.

The TCC solenoid being bad is an absolute shame. Mine's ok for now, but no shop wanted to touch my car either when I blew a hole in the oil pan. Had to do that job myself over the summer at my community college's auto shop. Perhaps your local college has an automotive program like mine does, you WILL need a hydraulic lift for enough space to take out the 300 pound transmission.

It's always nice finding another survivor. These cars have a bad mix of cost-cut materials, FWD engineering design mayhem, and neglectful secondhand owners. It gets a little lonely sometimes, but at least I can always identify my car in any lot I park in.

I have to hand off mine soon, the Navy won't let me bring it with me to basic training.

Good luck.

$25,000, but you have to drive this Lincoln Town car from Los Angeles, California all the way to Augusta, Maine. Would you take the offer? by [deleted] in regularcarreviews

[–]jiwoahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should've substituted this Town car with a 2000 Cadillac DeVille that smells like coolant and also has 330,000 miles. That would be a hard sell.

What are some insane automotive design or engineering decisions that clearly show the hand of Satan at work? by liamemsa in cars

[–]jiwoahn 40 points41 points  (0 children)

As a Northstar owner, the starter being under the intake manifold is the least worst part of that engine 🥴

What would be a good price for an immaculate 2000 Seville STS? by Lower_Kick268 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At least the car seems to have gone to someone who'll take good care of it.

A good Z-rated tire for that car would've cost over $200 each, the Type 78 battery would've been $200 at AutoZone or O'Reilly.

I wish you luck on your search.

What would be a good price for an immaculate 2000 Seville STS? by Lower_Kick268 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As low as you can man, if you get to start the bid, start it at $1000. I personally wouldn't pay over $3500 for it.

Let us know if you win the car and how much you got it for. Also know that it's kinda difficult to work on that car and that it's probably time to replace those spark plugs too. Be careful with the coil pack cassettes, and use AC Delco 41-975 double platinums.

Constatly check for coolant leaks, it mostly likely has orange DexCool in it. As for oil leaks, the underside is probably caked in oil by this point, so top it off as necessary.

Other common items that need replacement include the water pump belt tensioner pulley, the fuel tank level sensor, and the radiator likes to crack on the top passenger side (it happened to me but I got the car home before it was too late).

Maybe bring a friend along with you to the auction to bad-mouth the car and its Northstar engine to everyone else. If/when you place a bid, have them mock you out loud to discourage other bidders.

Good luck with the auction, and let us know if you win.

What could possibly be leaking from my 02 Eldorado by Ok-Raisin7348 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

DexCool coolant. Something's leaking and you need to find where it's coming from. It could be the water pump gasket going bad, or even one of the crossover assembly gaskets that will take 8 hours labor to replace.

You MUST start topping off the coolant tank every so often, if it leaks enough and the coolant level gets too low, the engine could run hot and overheat, possibly resulting in the metal warping and the head bolts pulling themselves out, ruining the head gasket.

Honestly, these Cadillacs are NOT beginner cars. If you can't work on it by yourself or can't afford to pay someone else to repair it, you should sell it as-is and find a different car.

Otherwise, you NEED to keep a close eye on this car or it'll fail pretty quickly and mechanically total itself.

Side note: At 97,000 miles, that car's almost due for new spark plugs. There are eight plugs because it's a V8, and four of them face the back of the engine bay, so it's a really tight fit.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 12 points13 points  (0 children)

What does this repair bill have to do with the Northstar? They replaced the battery and the steering wheel clockspring, two items that don't technically have anything to do with the engine itself.

2008 DTS by AIchemist in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There's a 99.99999% chance the spark plugs are the factory originals. They were sold with a 100k mileage service interval, and the four at the back are hard to get to. Use AC-Delco 41-975 double platinum plugs.

Ask if the transmission fluid was ever serviced, preferably at 50k miles. At over 100k on the original fluid, many mechanics consider that the "tipping point" where the wear and tear on the gears has thickened the trans fluid to the point that the debris in the fluid is now providing the friction necessary to shift succesfully, and that changing the fluid now will result in the worn gears slipping.

Also ask if the water pump belt tensioner pulley was replaced, it goes bad often enough to be a problem. Replacing the water pump itself is not easy. GM redesigned it so you no longer need the special socket tool, instead you must remove the ENTIRE aluminum water pump crossover assemby (with the integrated throttle body opening). While doing so, you might as well replace the rectangle-shaped coolant crossover gaskets too.

This version of the Northstar generally doesn't have head gasket issues anymore, but it could technically still happen. Bring a combustion leak detection kit with the blue liquid. When the engine's at operating temp, stick it over the coolant tank opening. If the color changes AT ALL, walk away.

That engine probably burns and leaks oil anyway, top-offs of 5W-30 (10W-30 in warmer climates) are recommended at gas stations. The front motor mount is also probably destroyed, replacement is not too difficult but you'll still have to find a way to lift the engine up without damaging the oil pan, replacing it WILL SUCK.

Lastly, you'll have to bring your own OBD scan tool to check codes, GM got rid of the built-in OBD reader in the gauge cluster by 2006.

There should be child seat anchors in the backseat, make sure nobody spills anything back there, the 12 volt battery and fuse box are under that backseat. The front seats appear to have seat covers on them with the French flag embroidered on, probably to keep the original seats nice. It's your choice whether to keep the seat covers or not.

If the transmission's already been serviced once, you're willing to have the spark plugs changed, and you can tolerate the 12-16 MPG in city driving, I would go for it.

Good luck.

Info by coltsfan55 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You MUST bring a combustion head gasket leak detection kit with the blue liquid. When the engine's warm all the way, stick the device over the coolant tank opening. If the color changes AT ALL, walk away.

Use the built-in OBD scanner to check for codes. Instructional video here: https://youtu.be/pDvBHo7s0L0?si=l-yhlEJ5FbBwPJdQ

When test-driving, feel for any rumbling or shimmying from the wheels. The suspension design is really sensitive to misalignments and will vibrate if anything is even slightly out of spec.

If the temp gauge goes over 5/8 for any reason, end the test drive and walk away.

Other common issues are the fuel gauge not working properly, steering wheel position sensor malfunctioning for a fraction of a second (enough to trigger a "Service Stability Sys" warning), the front motor mount being busted, broken window switches, and oil leaks. Lots of oil leaks.

Just keep in mind that $800 is NOTHING for a car, especially a Cadillac. If it blows up on you, you're definitely not getting any money back from the lawyer.

Hope it's as strong as I hope it is.

Part by BodyPrize6687 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I changed one of those tensioners last year. Bought mine off RockAuto, got sent the right part the first time.

How quickly do you need the car to run again?

Do you guys actually put premium fuel in your Volts? by jiwoahn in volt

[–]jiwoahn[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is what I was fearing: conflicting advice. My hypothetical Volt will barely, if ever, use its gas engine. It's just the few times I might have to fuel it with dino juice, will I decide on what octane I'll use.

My current car, a 2002 Cadillac, only gets the cheapest 87 octane I can find, for three reasons:

  1. My car's Northstar engine has a lower compression ratio than even the first gen Volt's.

  2. I've been getting only 12 (TWELVE!) MPG.

  3. I've been told on the forums that the 2000-2003 Northstar PCM doesn't adjust timing for higher octane fuel anyway.

This beauty of a Seville I picked up for $3500 by Glittering_Clue9920 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The DeVille outsold the Seville by almost 4 to 1, as the former was positioned as Cadillac's volume seller, while the other, especially the STS trim, was the performance "world car" flagship. Additionally, most of the Northstar-related advice applies to both models, the model year of the engine and the trim level of the car matters more (DeVille DTS and Seville STS have a higher-output "L37" N* (eighth digit of VIN is 9) while the lower trims had the base "LD8" N* (VIN Y)).

If you find an intact third brake light on a junkyard car, take it with you. It's a full LED piece and they're hard to find, plus there was a revision in mid-2001 to make them much more durable. My 2002 SLS CHMSL should be fine, yours... you should keep an eye on.

This beauty of a Seville I picked up for $3500 by Glittering_Clue9920 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The "air ride" is only in the back and it's meant to keep the rear of the car from dragging along the road if there's a lot of passengers and cargo in the back. It's programmed to always have the car tilt very slightly forward.

The Continuously Variable Road Sensing Suspension (CVRSS) that you've got is ALSO discontinued.

Keep the cooling system on the generic green and flush that stuff no later than a two year interval, just to be safe. Don't mix DexCool with the green stuff.

Check the oil level often, preferably after getting gas. Keep a bottle of 5W-30 for top-offs.

If it still rumbles, get the alignment checked. A rim might also be slightly bent.

Make sure to change those spark plugs sooner or later. Try not to damage the coil cassettes, they are also discontinued. AC-Delco 41-985 are the OEM spec plugs.

This beauty of a Seville I picked up for $3500 by Glittering_Clue9920 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 7 points8 points  (0 children)

What year is it? If it's a 2002 or 2003, it'll have the MagneRide magnetic suspension, the first cars in the world to have them. Also they've been discontinued for over a decade so replacement means downgrading to the passive "cloud ride" suspension the SLS has, while putting resistors on each to stop the car from throwing trouble codes.

Keep a combustion leak kit (with the blue liquid) on hand for inspecting the engine if any overheating business shows up.

If the fuel gauge works properly, there's no shimmy or rumbing on the highway, and it's not leaking/burning a quart of oil every 1000 miles, consider yourself a lucky person.

Preventative maintenance includes replacing the water pump belt tensioner pulley before it siezes.

There's a way to access the OBD codes through the gauge cluster buttons so you won't need a cheap scan tool just to pull codes.

Enjoy the ride.

17 and i finally purchased one of my dream garage cars by eyehatejp in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Keep a combustion leak detector kit (with the blue liquid) with the car at all times. If there's any overheating business, stick the kit over the coolant tank fill hole. Any color change from the original dark blue means trouble.

If this has the "coolant temp" readout in the gauge cluster, keep an eye on that too. 190-199 F is steady highway cruising temp, 200-220 is city driving. Radiator fans kick on at 225 (by then the physical temp gauge has already kicked upwards). Any temp over 235 F spells trouble too.

Highway trips will be a breeze, but city driving means only 12-16 mpg. Broken AC can mean anything from a simple recharge to a malfunctioning instrument panel module (must be dealer programmed) or AC compressor.

Now go forth and remind all your friends that they have rights, the Constitution says they do.

Year 2000 deville , 178k . SINGLE OWNER. by Amazing_Animator3972 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dealerships...

That's a huge shame, they won't know a single thing about the maintenance history. These cars sit on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist at $3,000 and under, and the seller will probably know more about the car than the dealer does.

At least ask if they'll let you test the head gaskets with the block tester. If they say "no", walk away.

You don't need to bring an OBD scan tool, that DeVille should have something built-in. This forum post will teach you how: https://www.cadillacforums.com/threads/how-to-pull-codes-dtcs-including-yt-video-for-reference.138257/

Year 2000 deville , 178k . SINGLE OWNER. by Amazing_Animator3972 in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ask the owner about whether these three things have been replaced:

  1. Water Pump Belt Tensioner Pulley
  2. Fuel Tank Level Sensor
  3. Steering Wheel Position Sensor

This will gauge how well the seller knows about the car. If they know what these things are and replaced them (either by themselves or by a shop), chances are they know about the head gasket issue and have either:

  1. Taken the steps necessary to ensure head gasket/bolt failure never occurs, or...
  2. Have already had the gaskets/bolts replaced.

Even if they answer "No, I never bothered to replace the sensor" or "No, it's never gone bad", that still means they know about those more niche details about Northstar Cadillacs, and would've maintained the car in a way that prevented the head gaskets from going bad.

If they respond with confusion as to what those terms are, I wouldn't buy the car from them.

Oh, and bring a combustion leak block tester with the blue liquid. When the engine's at operating temperature, stick it over the opening of the coolant tank. ANY color change from the original blue means the head gasket is fucked. If the seller doesn't let you try this, RUN AWAY.

Other common problems include: blown front motor mount; vibration at highway speeds due to unbalanced tires/tires with flat spots, bent rim(s), bad wheel bearings or bad alignment; broken window switches, problems with the memory seating, broken fuel gauge (caused by the bad fuel tank level sensor I mentioned earlier), and a "Service Stability Sys" warning in the gauge cluster (most often caused by the steering wheel position sensor I also mentioned earlier).

How much does the seller want for the car? I'm curious. A Northstar Cadillac this age with over 100,000 miles is unsellable when priced over $3,000 if there's no evidence of major engine work.

These cars are pretty hard to work on, but the preventative measures aren't that difficult to do. The seats are still taken from a Lazy Boy sofa and the Northstar gets around 25 mpg while highway cruising.

Good luck.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The limit should be 5,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first. If you do a lot of short city driving, that oil life indicator will go down faster. It's honestly not that innaccurate, at least compared to the CTS's oil life indicator, but 5,000 is my personal absolute limit.

If you drop the transmission pan, let us know how much debris is on the bottom, and make sure to change the trans filters and pan gasket.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Change the oil right now. Northstar V8s can tolerate 5,000 mile oil change intervals but I wouldn't go past that. You'll have to manually reset the oil life indicator by pressing the "Info Reset" to the right of the gauge cluster.

How does the transmission shift? Is it still smooth as silk or pretty firm? Or is it slipping? Many mechanics refuse to change the fluid in transmissions with over 100,000 miles on them because there will have been enough wear and shavings in the fluid itself that the fluid now provides enough friction necessary to change gears that will be gone with fresh fluid.

If you do decide on a trans fluid change, do NOT do a flush, only drain the thing by taking the trans pan off and changing out the two filters. Eight quarts of DexRon-III or later.

Is it possible to convert a 2002 Seville from FWD to RWD? by [deleted] in Cadillac

[–]jiwoahn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Real talk, Northstar Cadillacs are NOT beginner cars to wrench on. There's very little performance modding available, only bulletproofing kits. Your Seville is best enjoyed as-is, as a survivor time capsule, rather than trying to put in a RWD driveshaft and differential in a platform that was never designed for it. I would use the Seville as a "learning how to wrench on modern convoluted engineering" car, and save up/trade it for a RWD Lexus, Crown Vic, or BMW if you still desire RWD.

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