Ask the Car People.SM


Cadillac DeVille

2634 messages,  Last post on Apr 28, 2013 at 12:50 PM

You are in the Cadillac DeVille Forum.

What is this discussion about? Cadillac DeVille, Sedan

Messages Page 257 of 264

#2557 of 2634 Re: 2004 Cadillac DeVille [nelson1] by bolivar

Apr 07, 2011 (9:57 pm)

Replying to: nelson1 (Apr 06, 2011 2:54 pm)
Ok, I don't have a direct answer. But I need to pull the entire glove box on my wife's 2005 Deville to put a 6-disc CD changer in there - had to get to the wire that connects the changer, which is in back of the glove box.
 
Anyway, I took out all the screws inside the glove box. It still would not pull out. To get it out, you have to pry off the trim piece that goes all around the glove box. I actually use a dandelion weed digger tool to pry it out.
 
Maybe if you took the entire box out you could get to the latch from the top....

#2558 of 2634 KEY issue? by chrisptown1

May 02, 2011 (10:37 am)

I own a '05 DeVille with 65k on it. recently i have noticed the ign. key is becoming harder and harder to remove. Any one had this issue? I do have back #2 key to use. :

#2559 of 2634 key willnot turn in my 2002 deville by boogieboy

Jul 21, 2011 (12:23 pm)

i can not turn key it just froze and windows down why

#2560 of 2634 2001 Cadillac Deville Head Gasket - $10.000.00 by brokencadillac

Aug 11, 2011 (9:32 am)

Well we are another victim of the famous North Star Head Gasket, 2001 Cadillac Deville in perfect condition until the engine light came on, we need a class action suit now!!!! My Mom bought this car brand "New" & it now has 100,000 miles on it & the engine is now dead..... The dealer/service repair told my Mom it will cost her $10,000.00 for the repair, she left the Dealership in tears, my Mom is 72 years old & called me crying, you can never imagine how I feel, My Dad worked for GM for 28 years & this is the memories we will have for the rest of our lives, you trust GM & now you are left with a $10,000.00 bill, this is heartbreaking for our Family, we all drive GM cars, currently we have 5 of them right now, such a sad ending....
Dealership is Frankel Cadillac in Hunt Valley, Maryland!!!!

#2561 of 2634 Re: 2001 Cadillac Deville Head Gasket - $10.000.00 [brokencadillac] by bolivar

Aug 12, 2011 (1:07 am)

Replying to: brokencadillac (Aug 11, 2011 9:32 am)
Sounds way too high to me. Even if this is a new long block, it sounds too much, by thousands. This dealer probably doesn't want to do the job. Doesn't want to pull the motor and tranny, pull everything off, and try to get it all back together and working.

#2562 of 2634 Re: 2001 Cadillac Deville Head Gasket - $10.000.00 [bolivar] by chrisptown1

Aug 12, 2011 (6:22 am)

Replying to: bolivar (Aug 12, 2011 1:07 am)
Is the head gasget also a problem on the '05 Deville, ?? what tis the primary cause.

#2563 of 2634 Re: 2001 Cadillac Deville Head Gasket - $10.000.00 [bolivar] by chrisptown1

Aug 12, 2011 (6:21 am)

Replying to: bolivar (Aug 12, 2011 1:07 am)
Is the head gasget also a problem on the '05 Deville, ?? what tis the primary cause.

#2564 of 2634 Re: 2001 Cadillac Deville Head Gasket - $10.000.00 [chrisptown1] by bolivar

Aug 13, 2011 (12:48 am)

Replying to: chrisptown1 (Aug 12, 2011 6:22 am)
The head gasket problem is there for all Northstars. In about 2000 or so, Cadillac did some minor redesign, they changed the thread count, and I think increased the length of the head bolts. This supposedly helped the problem. But, this last guy has a 2001, so it is still there.
 
The problem is this is an alumium engine and head. Alumium is soft, compaired to iron, and probably also goes thru expansion and contraction more than iron. So the head bolts basically fail. When doing repairs, mechanics report that thread on the bolts near the place where coolant is blowing by the gasket have metal on them. And also report that bolts that are not 'pulled' usually cannot be re-torqued down correctly, will strip the holes. This is the reason that you cannot just put a new gasket on a Northstar and fix it.
 
Also, unlike some motors with head gasket failures, Northstars do NOT put coolant into the oil. It puts combustion gasses, at huge temperatures, into the coolant. Which will quickly overheat the car. A Cadallic with overheating problems (and not having usual leaking problem) almost always will have a blown head gasket. And a car in the 90's is not worth fixing. Salvage it out.
 
The repair is to pull the motor, to get to the rear head motor surface, overdrill the head bolt holes, rethread these holes and screw in steel 'inserts'. These inserts are threaded inside to the orginial size and threads, then put the head back on with all new bolts. From what I've heard, this solves the problem. Caddy dealers do not have the 'machine shop' equipment or skills to do this. There has to be a motor machine shop that knows how to do this repair. There is a 'kit' sold with a template to drill the holes and the inserts. It isn't expensive, last I heard it was $350, but the cost is labor to pull and reinstall the motor and the machine shop time. The costs for this has been around $3,000.
 
A dealer that says there may be other damage, is usually BSing. Other than the head gaskets, a Northstar is very strong. At 100,000 miles or so there usually is little wear on the cam chains, the cylinder bores look like new, ete, etc. The heads are also in great shape. Cadillac just cannot get this motor to hold the bolts. The design probably does not allow significantly longer or larger head bolts.
 
The Northstar came out in about 1993 or 94, in the Allante (sp). And the problem quickly became known. The real sad thing is Cadillac could build the motor with the steel inserts. In my reading about the problem, I've never heard a reason why they have not done this. No need to do it now, I think the Northstar is no longer used, or this is the last year or so of it.
 
My wife thinks she has to have a Cadillac. I always carry an extended warranty on them. I've not had a head gasket failure, but our current 2005 with 57,000 miles is the highest milage one we've had. When the extended warranty ends, the car is leaving my place. And, we have had quite a lot of other failures on them.
 
I just googled the problem, and there are other people with $10,000 dealer estimates to fix this problem. So, I guess this is the cost for a new motor and dealer labor to install it. Most people try to find a wrecked car and transfer a complete motor. Last I knew, only about one place in US is 'rebuilding' Northstars. Don't know what they want for a motor.

#2565 of 2634 Re: 2001 Cadillac Deville Head Gasket - $10.000.00 [bolivar] by chrisptown1

Aug 13, 2011 (6:13 am)

Replying to: bolivar (Aug 13, 2011 12:48 am)
thanks, my '05 Deville has 70K, ext. war. ends at 75k. i have some thinking to do. it has been trouble free for my 2ys of ownership, i'd hate to get rid of it. but don't want to face head gasket issue either.

#2566 of 2634 Re: 2001 Cadillac Deville Head Gasket - $10.000.00 [chrisptown1] by bolivar

Aug 14, 2011 (4:06 am)

Replying to: chrisptown1 (Aug 13, 2011 6:13 am)
Well, they don't all have gasket problem. But it's a known problem, and reported often in Cadillac forums.
 
Our 2005 has had several problems. Heat did not work until turned up to 80 or higher. Replaced two or three 'servos' (electric motors that open/close flaps) and the dash display/control head (three times in shop). It worked ok for about a year, it's now doing it again. Front impact sensor failed. A tire pressure senor failed. Engine miss, one of two coils replaced.Driver window regulator broke. Direction signal in outside mirror failed. Crossover pipe gasket leak coolant (pretty major, kept car for a couple of days, have to take a lot off to get to it.) The driver's seat is starting to fail, it shutters when moving back and forth. My wife drives the car for lots of short hops around town, so the seat is constantly going to exit position and back. This is going to have to be fixed sometime soon.
 
It's a lease car, we bought it with 38,000 miles in 2007 I think. I would never buy a new one, they lose a ton of depreciation money quickly.
 
Even with all this, I probably haven't gotten my money for the extended warranty back.

Messages Page 257 of 264

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement