I love the fact that 97 to 99 Northstar 'ENGINES' blow head gaskets and tear out 'HEAD' bolts! I buy them boiling for $500, install Northstar performance head studs and sell them for a nice little profit!! One man's loss is another man's gain. :-D
@@nemtyptahtabaaamun5129 Did you ever figure it out?? I have a 98 STS Northstar and so far so good, but I would like to get in front of this known issue of possible.
I have a 1997 Cadillac Deville...right at 300k miles.....had it since 60k miles.....never had no problems... I just keep oil changed every 3k miles...keep radiator flushed and filled once a year.....and take care of it. Thnx.
It's worth mentioning that the 97-99 models were NOT bad if you were lucky enough to get one that the headbolts weren't overtorqued during assembly. For whatever it's worth, I DID get lucky... I have a '99 Deville that runs like brand new at 195K.
I had a 98 with less than 78k miles but I was offered 18k for it and I only needed tires but I couldn’t pass the price up. It was a southern car, and I had it garage kept in Michigan. I was not going to take it out in the winter. But I loved the car but 4 times the blue book value 8 years ago I couldn’t say no.
Thanks Bro Stone ! I didn't know about the '97, '98 & the 1999 models. I have a 2000 Caddy Eldorado. It's been a good performing car overall, but it's gotten a little warm over the years from time to time. I didn't know about those header bolts until you told us in this video. The older Cadillac engines, before 1992, were good engines and had great cooling systems. The North star engines, most were good, but all had those paper thin radiators and of course those water pump pulleys and overflow tank issues. I appreciate the heads-up on which models were the best to buy & ones not to.
I had the water pump tensioner issue with my 2002 Eldorado ETC, it did in fact lead to the water pump also needing to be replaced, happened at roughly 115,000 miles. Did not blow the heads when overheating thankfully enough. Nice vid! Thanks for the informative content!
Thanks Bro Stone for this video. I bought a 2002 Deville last year for $5200, here in South Florida. It has 61K one conscientious owner miles. I use the car for I-95 travel as well as leisurely rides up A1A from Miami to Jupiter.. It has bigger nuts than an African Elephant! It cruises nicely at 92 mph and get's on pass 18 wheel trucks with ease. I hope to get at least several more years out of it. It really fits in out on Palm Beach Island. Looks very impressive on Worth Ave. I feel good driving it.
Currently have a 1999 Deville and everything you said in this video is completely 100% correct. The main issue of why my car overheated is because of the damn reservoir. Normal resting temperature of the Northstar engine is between 190° and 220° and no more than 240° when idle but if it goes beyond 220° you may have some fan issues. The engine usually shuts off at 260°.
(1) its a engine not a motor/ a engine runs on gas a motor runs on electricity.(2) I have a 1999 Eldo with 378,792 very well taken care of still runs great, never rebuilt, never goes over 190 degree or half way. (3) When I worked for Cadillac and have taken apart and rebuilt my share of many Cadillac engines only 97 and 98 engines had this problem, the problem with the 99s was that the ones built in Oct to march had the 1998 engines in them, in April 1999 is when we went to the longer head bolt. (4) if people would change there anti freeze to O.E.M. specs they would not have the problems they have. thank you and have a nice day
Very well said! Ive also been around many different Cadillac's all my life. Mostly the ones that were not properly maintained were the only ones with problems. But the cars that were maintained had no issues including my own Cadillac's.
@@antrongilbert225 Personally I love the STS cars. the older Seville STS or the newer STS are great. If the cars are maintained correctly and its not that much to do, you shouldn't have any mechanical problems. Its the same with any car you buy.
A Toyota electric capacitor Engine runs on electric and it is in deed a true Engine. Not all Engines are internal carbon based combustion powerd... read.
Wow.. ! Great feedback! I love my 2003 North Star DeVille... fresh oil and filter every 3500. And a well,, very well maintained cooling system !! Go Orange coolant is everything I think ... I use one Gunout injector cleaner every 6 months. I get 28.0 to 31.5 mpg at 70mph with Cruise control on. In stop and wait traffic as low as 17.0 ... average intown driving about 19/23.... Great video!
Northstar was such an advanced engine. Look at this one from 2000. Notice the coil packs directly on the spark plugs!! No ignition wires to leak a d go bad. I just want to add that another cause of overheating is a clogged purge line. At the top of that surge tank is another hose. Follow it back to the engine block, and remove the hose, and the "bolt with a hole in it". That bolt sometimes gets plugged up with bits of gasket material, or globs of stop leak someone might have added. Make sure there is coolant flow at that hose. Great video. I have a 96 with 112k, and never had any problems with it.
David James I have a 2005 Deville myself I got as my first car few years back. I have always loved these Northstar engines as I never had any major problems ever. The only thing I've had to replace were the spark plugs with new Acdelco plugs, one coolant flush with fresh Dexcool, one transmission flush and regular oil changes. My parents had a 1995 Seville SLS and they had it for several years. It was one of the best cars we had ever owned. Very reliable and never any major problems. Sold it to someone who was looking for one and still driving it to this day. Even if I did have a major problem with my car, I will fix it and keep driving it. I am very happy with everything about it and would not trade it for anything else. I will always be driving a Cadillac!
+AMCNorthstar 93 use your oil life monitor for oil changes. It I can say, 3000mi changes is old school. Use that money to refresh your brake fluid at every brake change. Hope you upgraded to GM approved Dexron vi transmission fluid - it gives GM cars a much smoother shift when cold, and is beneficial to the internal clutches. HAPPY MOTORING! Be carefull how mechanics maintain these, they are not like any other engine.
David James I do maintain my cars very well and everybody that owns a Cadillac should do the same thing. I drive a 05 Deville as my daily driver and have other Northstar Cadillac's and they are by far some of the best built and engineered Cadillac's out there. They are exactly what Cadillac built them to be and that is low maintenance! I maintain my own cars which is really not that hard to do and I just dont trust mechanics and shops as to what I have seen them do and still do to people I know today. I run Dexron III in my transmission and it gets flushed every 25,000 miles and my coolant gets flushed every 2 years with new Dexcool. These are great cars if maintained properly as I tell everyone. But same to you....Happy Motoring in your Cadillac. :)
AMCNorthstar 93 hello Amc, I just re-read your comment, and saw you using Dexron iii. Gm recommends Dexron vi, and I switched about 3 years ago on my 1996 deville, and it is fine. Gm says the clutches will last longer, and it'll have better cold shifts. They recommend all gm automatics should change to vi at the next trans service interval. I think it's been around since 2008.
My 1996 had the short head bolts. At about 180,000 miles it blew the head gasket. Overheated four times on me before then. Got a 2004 now. Seems to be much more stable in that area. The problems with mine were 1) the water pump (they wear out and leak) and 2) the radiator.
Just picked up a '95 ElDog (Eldorado) and LOVE IT!!! Had 99k on it. 1 owner and they kept impeccable maintenance. This video helped with my purchase. 'Preciate ya!👍🏾
I just bought a 97 in prestige condition it has 124 thousand miles on it , the motor in this car is strong , the Transmission is strong no erratic shifting . I look up what North Star engines to stay away from and the 97 weren't the ones too , so I don't know if you have had a bad experience or you where mislead , but we will see from this day forward with in 6 months to a year I'll come back to this video and give you my thoughts and reviews on this 97 I have and see if any changes needed to be needed .
Well since the time of this post so far the 2 things I have had to replace is the battery and 1 coil back , the battery needed replacing 2months after i bought the car ,due to lack of usage from previous owner passing and being storage, and just recently In January of 2024 I had to replace 1 coil pack due to sputtering and lack of power , so far no leaks , or erratic shifting , or hard shift, the car been smooth other than the 2 I had mentioned and replace. Car 127,000 as of now .
I bought a beautiful 1999 DeVille last week. Wish I had seen these videos sooner! I will definitely make sure the engine cooling fans are running properly and confirm that coolant is flowing correctly from the reservoir. Wish me luck!🍀
So far, I have had to change the battery 2 because I have a system in it, so I'm going stronger and more expensive battery , so this will be my 3rd battery . My tensioner broke along with my belt that controls the water pump and my heater core to a dump mind you this happens all in one day 🙃 and I had to replace coil pack cylinder 5 do to me getting it wet when I wash the engine . Other than that, she still pursed, and the engine showed no life of getting weak and the transmission still smooth .
Had a 98 Seville SLS. Head gasket failure at 87,000 miles. Cost $7000 to have a new (not remanufactured) engine installed at the Cadillac dealer. Now I have a 2001 STS with 185,000 miles. No head gasket problems yet. Thanks for making the video.
+Tim Hanna That was most likely acidic coolant that caused that problem on your 98 Seville. It must have had Dexcool and it was never changed out when needed and thus turning acidic and eating away at the gasket itself. When they are properly maintained and mostly the cooling system, you will not have a problem. I have a 2000 STS myself and its a great car.
+AMCNorthstar 93 How did you measure the acidity of the coolant? How do you know it is acidic? Could you see the corrosion of the head gasket? What did it look like? Just curious where you got your data from.
tfhanna Yes with Dexcool antifreeze, if its not changed out when needed or properly handled, the coolant itself will turn acidic which then eats away at any gasket material. It is hard to tell when coolant has turned acidic as you cannot see just by looking at it or seeing internally on any engine. However when in doubt, it is best to flush the system and add fresh Dexcool coolant and replace it every 2 years or 50,000 as preventative maintenance. This is what I do on my own Cadillac's especially after model year 2000. Before 2000 most GM vehicles used the regular Green coolant that is completely different than Dexcool. This is where many people went wrong and have also seen my fair share of GM vehicles with having both coolants mixed together which is a very big no-no! I have seen a few of these engines as well as other GM engines opened up and saw the damage that acidic coolant will do. It will dissolve away at the head gasket on the Northstar V8 being a DOHC engine and also both head and intake gaskets on the regular GM OHV engines. My data comes from past and current experience with GM vehicles and its a very well known issue and is mostly related to GM vehicles with the cooling systems not properly maintained.
I thought any year after 2005, this problem had been fixed because GM made the head bolts of a better material that wasnt susceptible to the rotted gaskets. I'll have to do more research I guess, looking to buy well-cared for 2006-2010 DTS models but now I will have to make sure they've had their coolant changed every two years. Also read somewhere that DexCool changed its formula to lessen the conversion to an acid mixture. Thanks for the info AMC
I’m having the overheating problem on my ‘97 Deville. When you went to reservoir on the driver’s side I was thinking dang “this guy is right on point.” I’m about to go pray again but, before I take her to the Deville doctor. I don’t know jack about cars so maybe you’ll understand my position. I just had sensor check at O’Reilly’s that indicated the Deville’s possible problems are MAP and knock sensors. What I do know is that the area near the reservoir had light smoke when the engine overheated even on very short distances. Thanks for the video my friend.
Nice 2000 Seville STS. Not a fan of RWD STS, V6 or V8. I never knew anything about the length of head bolts in Northstar engines. But I've seen 30k-50k (mileage) early 2000s Deville/Sevilles/Eldos to late 2000s DTSs with head gasket failures. I attributed a majority of those cases to poor maintenance or neglect. I have owned several FWD Northstars. 1996 Aurora. 1998, 1999 Seville STSs, 2004 Bonneville GXP. 2004 Seville SLS. They are great V8 engines. Thankfully, I never experienced overheating or head gasket failures. Only common Northstar engine issues Ive experienced were oil leaks. Either between the 2 piece engine block or the rear main seal. I believe these are the most common issues that has nothing to do with maintenance. Bottomline, If you buy any FWD vehicle with a Northstar engine, make sure prior ownership has a documented history of proper maintenance.
Awesome video and awesome advice. He's right. I have an 03 Deville and it runs like a dream. Oil still burns but that is a notorious fact with the Northstar. Watch your oil and watch your coolant. Buy America stay America.... Unless it s 97.... Then bail.
I’m rebuilding my 2001 Deville now. It was over heating because one head bolt thread was stripped out from the factory. I drilled out and replaced them. I use new Felpro head bolts and I torque them to 50 lbs.-ft.
I have a 2004 Deville with 120000 miles. It has had regular maintenance. Only problem I've had with it is the water pump started making noise and had to be changed due to bearing failure. I don't have an exceptionally a lot of mechanical experience but was able to change the water pump myself with no problem. I have found this year Cadillac Northstar to be reliable. Only problem I have with it now is one leaking shock in the back which I will be replacing shortly. The air system is still working fine. I've been happy with this car even though interior quality is poor. I agree with everything this man says.
Yes proper maintenance goes a long way especially being a GM. I have seen many different GM vehicles over the years develop problems due to being imporperly maintained. You really cannot get much better than these Cadillac's. Not sure exactly what you mean by interior quality is poor. If you think this is bad than you better not step foot into any of the 70's and 80's Cadillac's because those were the years of cheap plastics and materials. Believe me these cars are greatly improved. You may have the base Deville. The Deville DHS and Deville DTS do have higher grade materials used.
It's pretty plasticky inside but mine is a base model. I still have it. I replace the rear shocks without any issue I just love the way this car rides. I certainly love sporty cars but sometimes I'm just in the mood to just float down the road!
Another thing that so amazing about this car that for such a soft suspension there's no dive when you slam on the brakes. Compared to the older models that you referred to it's amazing this car rides so smooth but doesn't dive.
Geordo1960 Yes I agree. These newer Deville's do ride excellent and still offer that old school floaty ride but without the diving that many older models did. They are very stable and controlled cars to drive. I love my Deville. I have more of an upper trim level Deville. My Deville is also a final year edition Deville with some extra options and materials used throughout which is different from the base Deville. But even a base Deville still has much better quality plastics used than many older models that last much better.
I got a 1999 Cadillac STS, had it for a little over a year now. No issues at all for a while, save for an oil leak. IN the last few weeks I noticed a grinding noise coming from the front, and I traced it to that pulley you pointed out thats part of the water pump belt. I dont know If i will need to replace the pump itself or just that main pulley, but in the process of looking at it, I also might have found my oil leak- oil seems to also be leaking from that pulley and there's oil all up in that little belt system right there , it even threw some oil out onto the areas around it. Trying to get it fixed (or fix it myself if i can) soon, hopefully now that I also found the oil the oil leak might be fixed too. Minus this more recent issue Ive had the cars been pretty good to me, I really want to fix it.
My 1998 DeVille D’Elegance runs flawlessly at 190-197 degrees. Head bolts on mine must be just fine. My mother in law has a 1999 DeVille runs cool. Glad I didn’t “stay away from” because they are top notch northstar motors 20 years later.
I have a 2002 SLS with 86000 miles. I've had it for almost 3 years now. I haven't had an overheating problem nor a coolant issue. My biggest complaint with the NorthStar is the oil leaks. If you can accept putting in a quart of oil once a week then you have a pretty good engine.
+Levon Collins Remember these are high performance engines and all high performance engines will use some oil, just some more than others and its not a bad thing at all. The oil consumption was designed that way to help lubricate the internals of the engine and its longevity.
Nice job, Brother Stone... Learned a lot... I have a 98 DeVille with about 98,000 on it... Starting to leak... Now I know what else to check besides the head bolts... Thanks...
I have the 99 deville which had an overheating issue. I found the reason for the issue was the coolant. It had the normally used green antifreeze in it which was not recommended by the dealership. I changed out my coolant with dex cool its orange in color and i also changed my thermostat and bloated hoses. Needless to say my engine runs somewhere between 198 and 215 degrees before it ran between 215 and 239 degrees. Try it it worked for me.
Yes this was a problem for many GM vehicles during these years when GM introduced Dexcool in late 96 for all 1997 GM vehicles. The cooling system itself is very simple and I have serviced many over the years. Coolant flushes are very important being a GM and checking to make sure everything like the cooling fans and heater are working properly. Glad to see you fixed the problem. Yes your car should be running between 200 and 220 and no over 230.
daniel labrada Even of you use Dexcool, it must be changed out when needed and must not be mixed with any other coolants as this is the problem many GM owners have made and still make.
Yes! Major issue with short head bolts. I found running a can of Block Seal does the trick! Yes, these motors burn oil but if you keep eye on it you will be fine. Also the STS has interior leaks, (when it rains) that will flood brake light area and trunk
My 1997 Cadillac Sedan Deville runs just fine. I bought mine for $1600.00. I replaced my radiator, thermostat, overflow resivour, heater core, all coolant hoses, did a coolant flush, replaced the Dexcool antifreeze the orange type, with the 50/50 prestone green, added one container of liquid steel block seal. My car had 121,000 it now has 159,000 the highest the temperatures go 206, usually it reads right at 192 to 198. It hasn't ever overheated since the changes. I will say this update your overflow resivour to the plastic one with the stainless steel inner tank. Run 50/50 green antifreeze, year round do not add absolutely do not add regular tap water. If you do it corrodes the inner blocks and all of the aluminum. If you use water, make sure it's distilled water only. However, switching to prestone 50/50 green which has the corrosion fighting agents in it will protect your Northstar Engines. I use it in both my 1997 Cadillac Sedan Deville and my 2006 Cadillac DTS. Both are in great running condition.
I'm adding this because I didn't see it in the comment section. But the years this guy mentioned about the "Header bolts" (aka head bolts in the automotive community) can be replaced and while it costs some money, you won't have to worry about headbolts stripping out in the block.
Had a 96 Concours for about 4 year. Sold it at 80,000 miles when the transmission wouldn't go it to 4th gear. $1200 was the estimate. Ran a little hot when going up hills, otherwise a great car!
the 2005 cadillac sts is a all completely different car including the motor. I have all wheel drive, custom musle car exhaust and 22s on it. its fully loaded including on star, xm radio dvd in dash touch screen, radar and push start etc.... its great, love this cadillac.
Northstar performance make a special header stud to replace the factory head bolts. Prevents the issue of easily blown head gaskets and subsequently cracked blocks from exhaust getting into the cooling system and oiling system.
Its also very expensive to repair. I was quoted between 3-5 grand depending on what needs to be fixed. Cadillac should have been sued, and forced to recall and fix every last one of them! They've cost their customers huge amounts of money in repairs.
Hi I really liked your video I have a 2001 Deville and the coolant reservoir boils and the engine overheats I checked the fans an they work . I chenged the thermostat . Do you think the problem is the coolant tank ? Thanks
hey thanks bro stone I have a 99 aurora north star my tensioner just went out today I replaced everything water pump, thermostat and as for my fans I rewired them so they both run on high they have 2 speeds low and high. but I did not know about the head bolts I guess you learn something everyday thanks Bro and if your a father Happy Father's Day.
I just wanted to say that the bolts you were talking about are not called “header bolts.” They are head bolts. They fasten the cylinder head to the block. That’s why they are called head bolts.
You just shot my spirit a little because I just got a 1997 Cadillac Deville and it has over a 160K mi. on it. Keep me in your prayers because I am keeping it for a while and do all that I can to keep her running. Thanks for the video bro.
i have a pearl white 98 sts that just started overheating. My brother took the thermostat out but it wouldnt seal without it. (there goes ANOTHER bottle of Dex Cool) We replaced the thermostat & i didnt even get two blocks away & my gague was all the way in the red (& im in michigan so it's 5 below tonight while i waited for it to cool) i love this car... we're going to replace the water pump tomorrow. wish me luck!!!
+Detroit$nowBunny The problem I had was that air is trapped in the upper radiator hose preventing the proper coolant circuit. Air never gets pushed down coolant will not flow and engine will overheat. Poor design since there is no proper bleeding into expansion tank which is also sealed. So, what I did, I cut the upper radiator hose and installed a 30mm temperature gauge adapter, used on race cars also on Mini cars. then you mount a shradder valve on it instead of sensor, fill the system, bleed the valve and you will be surprised how much air comes out and how much more coolant you have to use !!! Don't forget to use the sealant pills as instructed by the label on the black shroud and leave the thermostat in. I bought mine with no thermostat and was also overheating. The explanation is simple: coolant moves too fast to properly capture and transfer the heat to radiator. Let us know !!! here is the link for the adapter good luck..... www.ebay.com/itm/Gold-32mm-Water-Temperature-Sensor-Adapter-Radiator-Hose-TEMP-Gauge-Joint-Pipe-/251753728579?hash=item3a9db10a43
@@vindiesel9345 Hey, thank you for the tip. I have a 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora and have a new Thermostat, Radiator, Reservior Cap, and Hoses. It runs too hot. Hoping it is not the Head gasket!!! Your trapped air theory makes a lot of sense. I ordered the adapter last night. Hopefully this will help. If it does, I owe you big time. Thanks in advance.
After watching this video I consider myself lucky - I had a 1998 (a friend totaled it) and then I bought a 2002 Cadi STS - so far so good but, I only have 65K miles on it.
Very good video Bro Stone, and I have a 4.0 litre Northstar engine in my 2001 Aurora, which only has 50,000 miles on it, and mint shape. I understand these engines are great, but need regular maintenance especially to the cooling system. I have 2 questions for you Bro ? 1) Do you use Dex Cool coolant in your Cadillac ? and if yes, how often do you flush and change the coolant- every 2 or 3 years ? or what ? 2) when you do "change" the coolant, do you add those GM sealing pellets ? and if yes- how many pellets - 3,4, 6 ? or do you feel those pellets will clog up the circulation system ? and should not be used ? I'd love to get your advice, as you've had a Northstar with 200,000 miles on it, so you must know how to get the longest life out of this engine. A reply would be appreciated --thanks Bro- from Grant ( in Canada)
How's that STS running now? I got a '98 STS that was just starting the overheat issue A can of Block Seal took care of it, that was 3yr ago. My sts runs great but when it rains it leaks like a sive
@@reverendmysticfogg 98 is probably the worst. New seekers, do not buy 98-2001 models. All will eventually fail. However, we now have shops that specialize in fixing the issue for roughly 1500-2000 dollars. Think of how cheap you get the car, that really has no other issues other than the eventual headgasket failure. These cars are beasts powerwise, true muscle cars, but you must "treat" the engine before you start running it like one.
Just picked up one for myself in a little need of little TLC no more than two weeks ago! Got it real cheap so I'm hoping it'll turn out to be worth it after a couple of part replacements.
great vid just picked up 97 with 128 on the dash 510 bucks towing included clean car so when I was looking at it be for I bought it I noticed the pulley that u clearly pointed out seem to spin real slow and stoped at one point picked back up this was at idle .... water pump tensioners is 1st to do on the list GREAT VID MAN
ive had a 99 eldorado touring coupe for 2 years and it has never overheated ive replaced the fan sensor fuel pump and a leak in antifreeze but thats about it the car devours gas and oil but its a g ride keep up the maintenance and you should be fine you cant beat american muscle
I have a 97 Seville STS, go figure, previous owner blew the engine, but not to blame on the engine, its to blame on the owner not taking care of the oil, or the coolant, or even to immediately stop when it begins to overheat. Anyway, its been repaired by a GM Mech with some form of new bolts to help it be more stable, 168,983 miles today, running just fine. They aren't really bad engines, they're just ones that need to be maintained.
Cpcool3 Yeah I inherited my families 97 STS, made in Canada, so my family couldn't sell the car. No wonder its has so many problems, its leaks more then old man's bladder. Although I have to say its a great car to drive especially when first learning how to drive, and it turns on a dime. Also its was on of the few cars in the 90's that was built like a tank. More then likely the car will go to my little sister once she earns her license, but I'll always remember it as my first car, but not the first car that I purchased.
About to buy this particular model which is 2001 , the seller says it overheats while driving but will idle all day without overheating. Please your advice would go along way.
My 2001 Deville ran almost hot 5 days ago. This time I noticed there was no flow from the purge pipe going to the tank. The metering tube was plugged up. I uploaded a video showing how I unplugged the tube.
@@depravedpuppet There's several things to check for from an overheating condition. I'm going through the same thing on a 1961 Cadillac sedan with 55k.
Ive got 248,000 on my 98 eldo... It still runs strong . You have to make sure to use the correct coolint and your fine . Most people don't know how to maintaine these cars . The ones with longer head studs aint any better... They just last a lil longer for idiots who dont know noting about the car they own !!!
Thanks for your information. This month of March 2024 I just bought 1996 Deville from original old lady, she is low miles, 72K miles. I definitely will replace all suspension parts, brakes/rotors/calibers for safe side. 🥂 believe it or not I park the Deville in garage side by side with my Corvette C8. My first Cadillac was 2007 Escalade bought brand new but it went south after 78k miles.
I have a '99 Eldorado ETC. So it has a L37 Northstar. Never had an overheating issue, but I got a crap ton of other things wrong with it. Not saying your information is wrong, just thought I'd share. Good video and thanks for the info.
My 02 has 150k so I glad to know other people's have gone far beyond 250k. It may be overkill but I change the oil every 2k or at the most 3k with Pennzoil pure platinum. I just wish the spark plugs weren't so challenging to change.
I bought a 1998 And it is a nightmare: coolant issue and over heating engine issue Been to several mechanics And they can't fix it right thank you for the information I wish I saw your video before I bought this nitemare car 😢
My 96 Deville I love that car it kept getting hot and shutting off. Coolant would boil out of that coolant reservoir. What do u think it was? I sold it for $200. The person still drives it around town. It makes me sick to my stomach
Ok what you are saying if I got the 2001 25k with a good motor I could keep it good the few miles I’d drive it ?? Or should I choose the 91 with the same miles ??? Thanks , I’ve heard one should use a special coolant and do some other things ....
well i wish I would have watch this before i bought what I thought was an immaculate 1999 sts. 103k flawless interior.. new radiator , thermostat. but guess what I guess i got taken
The factory service manual calls for the GM Seal Tabs to be crushed up and installed in the lower radiator hose when changing the coolant - at least it does for my 1999 Cadillac Seville STS. Installing a thermostat that opens at a lower temperature seems to be a very good idea for this engine. I will look into that with mine. Never had any of those engine problems with mine, but I bought it with 36,000 miles on it and immediately serviced the coolant to be safe.I used the seal tabs and Red Line water wetter in addition to the Havoline Dex Cool and distilled water. The seal tabs are to stop the small leaks before they become big ones.I think most of the low-mileage failures in this engine are caused by owner neglect / ignorance regarding the proper care of the cooling system. It might go 100,000 miles before a tune-up, but the coolant sure as hell won't. I wouldn't dare go the 50,000 miles or 5 years it says it can go.
These are beautiful cars, and yours is amazing. It is such a shame about those engine issues, would be proud to own and drive one. Styling that will always look good. What do you mean by shorter "header bolts"? Shorter cylinder head bolts? If so, could you use the longer head bolts in the affected engine? Cadillac was trying to be on the cutting edge of technology, but failed to test and refine these things before releasing them to the public... Thanks for the info...
+Mike Sparks Don't be afraid!!!! If they are maintained properly, you will not have any problems. The main problem on any of the Cadillac and GM cars were the coolants becoming acidic. When the coolant becomes acidic it eats away at the head gasket and then starts corroding the head bolts and mainly the lower head bolts. I work on these cars and I know then pretty well. This was a problem with other GM cars and trucks and it can be prevented.
How did you find out about this change in the Head Bolts for years 1997-1999?? Just curious. The cars that I came across that had problems were the ones that were not maintained properly. I have seen many 1997-1999 Cadillac's with very high mileage with no engine rebuilds or anything. My friend has a 1997 Deville with over 360k all original and well maintained. His mother bought the car brand new and then gave it to her son. It also should be known that GM came out with Dexcool in late 1996. Prior to Dexcool, the green coolant was used and required a supplement added to it. Not everybody followed this using Dexcool in their cars. Its unbelievable how many GM vehicles that have both green and Dexcool coolants MIXED together. That's never good for any car. Unfortunately the cooling system is the most Neglected when it comes to vehicle maintenance. This same problem happened with other GM cars and trucks as well and not only Cadillac.
Michael Shannon I mean I worked on a few of these cars at Cadillac for a short time. On a couple cars, I remember what I found out is that the coolant had become acidic and ate away at the head gasket and then causing corrosion around the head bolts making them weak. These engines are very strong and well built. Its just when the coolant becomes acidic when it causes problems internally. Or using the wrong coolant causing bad corrosion. The same thing happened on many other GM engines around the same years. The problem is is that many people don't bother to see what coolant there cars take and assume all coolants are the same. They are not!! A big problem for any engine.
Michael Shannon I really enjoy my 05 Deville. There is no other car that I would want more. I have been in some other luxury cars before and the Cadillac and Lincoln are my two most favorite!!
I’ve recently bought a 03 Seville SLS 119k miles , really clean inside and out , I’ve recently changed the battery and bought to install new radiator fans , it doesn’t over heat when I’m driving thankfully but when I come to a complete stop with the ac she will rise a little bit and jump back down when I drive again , any tips I’d really appreciate it thank you
The only reason these engines have an overheating issue is because those owners did not take care of these vehicles properly. If a car is in an overheating condition it can not continue to be driven because damage will occur. COMMON SENSE. When you spend over $30000 for a vehicle take care of it. Follow the recommended maintenance routine. These vehicle's were designed by intelligent people not perfect people.
3500 $ Engines are built to last,Add proper ingredients,"Well" check up at your fav capable Mechanic Shop And all.DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR WHILE IT IS OVERHEATING THIS IS WHAT CAUSE THE MELTING AND WARPING OF THE HEADS AND GASKET...HEAT Melts Things, Captain Obvious
@@hunterblassingame945 Sorry for the very, very late reply. Nope, Its been reliable for me with no head gaskets issues. Just the basic maintenance such changing radiator hose, new tension pulley which lasted over 15 years, but other then that, no head gaskets issues.
They overheat because they dont change the antifreeze. I have a 1997 with 197K on it. It is impeccably maintained. Cadillac service advisor for twenty years. Thanks!
I have a 2002 Seville and I believe head gaskets are blown. my question is will I have to rethread the block on this 2002? I heard the reason Northstar engines go is because the bolts stretch
I have a 99 eldo with 244,000 always ran fine no issues with overheating until the over flow tank got a crack on the line coming from the top replaced it now I have issues with the coolent leaking can't figure where it coming from hopeing to find a good tip on what I should do to find it
Ok, the info.from sheldon grace is me bro stone, had to sign in with this name. 2005 cadillac sts info is from me. I prefer this one to all my prior cadillacs ive owned over the years.
Owned a 98 STS and a 99 SLS was advised early on to make sure to run premium fuel and often shift out of overdrive at freeway speeds bringing up rpm's for a few miles to burn off the carbon build up. The carbon build up will end up raising the compression in turn aiding to head gasket and head stud failures, ring its neck often they will live longer.
Does the water pump tensioner sound like it squeaks when it’s going bad? My 02 dhs just overheated without any telltale signs like steam or coolant coming out of the exhaust
The only Thing someone with a 1997-1999 can do is drain the old Coolant and fill with fresh 50/50 Dexcool every 4 years. Personally, I still like using the bars stop leak in my upper radiator hose too. Keep the surge tank about 2" fill from the top. Also, any car with Dexcool should have maintenance every 4 years.
Hey Brother, my Sts is a 2002 north star. You seemed to know more about these Beautiful Cars that see in the Net. If you can tell me where the HID Ballast is located? Or is it better if I'd just convert to LED...
I'm in a position where I need a car and a friends 97 cadillac deville is all o can afford, is there anything I can do when I get it to help it not overheat? Was told it's been well taken care of and I know to use premium in it. Is there any other tips that I can do to help the header bolts? (Dont know much about cars lol I'm trying really hard)
I don't believe premium gas helps you at all. It does burn a little cooler, not that it makes more power or gets better gas mileage.. save money . Clean you entire Coolant system...
@@robbob5973 that's just what the guy who sold me the car said, his grandpa or uncle (dont remember) said to put mostly premium in it to prevent engine knocking.
Jason, check for other areas of concern first. Does it leak, check that water pump, termostate, fast does it heat up, are both fans working etc. I just replaced the water pump. The cars cooling system is very simple however it must be a priority.
your car looks great, looks like its right out of the showroom. The usual GM recommended repair is a TIME SERT b/c what has happened is the head bolts have pulled the threads out of the block. Time serts are a great product, but not for this repair , they too will eventually pull the threads too. There is a guy on you tube that replaces the bolts with studs with beefy threads that go into the block. The studs come up through the head. Sort of the same way as motorcycles. If some one wants to repair using a Time sert for this repair ask what the warranty is. Usually they will say no warranty and this is why.
Good info. honestly the north star motor was not design for this type of repair. it is best to replace the motor than to attempt this type of repair. in the event of it ever happens, i would not even replace the motor i would sell the car as is, and then buy another one if i was still interested in purchasing the same type of vehicle. all information about this type vehicle is welcomed and needed. Be Blessed.
Bro Stone Im about to buy a 2000 deville and my cousin said it runs hot but he drove it 24 miles to me. He onky wants 1,000. I need to know when i take it to a dealer what do i need to tell them to fix? Also sir can u guve me a list if oarts to buy that can counteract the problem?
Dont buy that car unless you are planning to replace the motor. No short cuts. Motor is 800.00 on ebay from case motors and having someone put it in is about 400 to 600
