My 2005 Northstar died today with 115k

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It's a shame your engine died in gentle use, it can be difficult to source something straight away when you have work and responsibilities.
If the body is good would you consider swapping in something more basic? If the northstar shares architecture or mounting points or both, it should be relatively easy to replace
 
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
$3,500 for a used engine installed?

I'd step back for a second and think long and hard about that one. On a good day the car is worth $3,500 if it didn't have a blown engine. I'd try and sell it for $750 and then you'd have $4,250 to buy something that's known for reliability.

Just my 2 cents
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But then you dont know the service history on the new vehicle. Even if its supposedly reliable if its been abused or suffered from a lack of maintenance it could be a money pit anyways. OP knows his vehicle and presumably takes care of it. If he still likes the car, then repowering it is a viable option. Although, I would agree to check the chain on the new motor, and also, now you know if you see the same set of circumstances occur again, what is going to happen. You can then preemptively repair the engine.

Unless your advocating for putting that 4250 down on a new vehicle and taking on a car note, which there are a myriad why one might not want to do that.



Is "service history" such a big issue? I have bought used cars all my life and seldom had problems. I think when purchasing a car, it's the initial design that determines durability and reliability. Clearly the Northstar is not known for good design. I guess I am saying, good design trumps service history (worthless fluid changes) every time.
 
I may have missed it, but who changed the oil?

Maybe if the shop did it, some 20w50 or Lucas was used to limp it along.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: motor_oil_madman
I thought the northstar was supposed to be a good engine.
no they are know to be garbage.


From what I've heard garbage is putting it way too kind.

OP-$3500 sound high for the engine deal you're getting. I'd look elsewhere.
 
Maybe we should have gone further into it but when you said the oil fixed it I figured that was the end of the story. No P300 code and acting that screwy something other than oil was wrong with it.

Originally Posted By: trav
What is the common denominator between all 4? I don't know off the top of my head except for the timing chain and possible electrical connector but a tensioner/chain issue would probably have a P300 code as well. I will look into it tomorrow.
 
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For $3500 you should be able to get a reman installed. A Jasper reman will often upgrade weak parts in the engine where possible. Other remans probably do the same thing.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
$3,500 for a used engine installed?

I'd step back for a second and think long and hard about that one. On a good day the car is worth $3,500 if it didn't have a blown engine. I'd try and sell it for $750 and then you'd have $4,250 to buy something that's known for reliability.

Just my 2 cents
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+1.

I would be worried the next motor wouldn't last 100k, based on what I'm hearing.

Are you that attached to the car that you must fix it?
 
Originally Posted By: Donald
For $3500 you should be able to get a reman installed. A Jasper reman will often upgrade weak parts in the engine where possible. Other remans probably do the same thing.
the engine is very complicated and a reman is very costly....the labor to drop it out the bottom is also very high.
 
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Every car maker has put out a dud engine. I'm not a GM guy, but I'll admit most of their engines are good. The Northstar, not so much. Reminds me of the Chrysler 2.4 in the PT, Sebring, etc. they're very easy to overheat, blow headgaskets, and warp heads.
 
I was a Cadillac man. That's all I would buy when I was younger. Loved my Caddies.
Last one I had was a 1992 Seville that drove me insane with electronic problems.
Went to Lincoln. Not as nice but much more dependable. I thought many times about buying a Cadillac with the NorthStar , they are everywhere down here in Florida-Super-nice and super cheap.
That engine just has such a bad reputation. It's like a 50/50 bet you get a good one or a bad one. I don't like them odds. They claim the ones after 2007 are better.
 
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Originally Posted By: Crispysea
Every car maker has put out a dud engine. I'm not a GM guy, but I'll admit most of their engines are good. The Northstar, not so much. Reminds me of the Chrysler 2.4 in the PT, Sebring, etc. they're very easy to overheat, blow headgaskets, and warp heads.


I've said it before and I'll say it again. Back in the 90's when GM put out so much junk, the issue was not engineering. It was the bean counters. Engineering KNEW the issues with their product but GM's drive to keep market share did not allow the engineers to go back and fix known problems. I am sure that testing turned up these issue with the Northstar but management would not allow a budget to fix this. To me the whole thing is despicable.
 
Seriously if the car is mint and he likes it shipping the car back and forth may be worth it. If it were mine and I really wanted to keep it long term because its flawless I would put a quality rebuilt tranny in at the same time then you have a car with a min of 5 yrs 100K life in it under warranty. The rest of the car is popcorn to fix.

I did rebuild the whole drive train in one of my cars some years ago because it was a low mile no rust at all/no ding Arizona car that I did a high end paint job on and a nice leather gut and wanted to keep the car.It was like a 20 yr old new car.
I wouldn't do it on any old car, it has to be one I really want to keep long term and the basic shell and frame is in very good to pristine cond.
 
It's no laughing matter but I got the same impression when the OP posted
93K is questionable? Right? Sorry for your woes!

Originally Posted By: HangFire
115k - 93K = 22K

Not enough time to get you're money's worth.

I have a relative with a 2010 Caddy on it's second engine. It's trashed too, he's trying to offload it for $5K "much more than that into it." He's sure it only needs "a little work."

No takers.
 
How come American made cars do not come with a 100k, bumper to bumper warranty,,do not we make the best cars...............
 
Good luck OP, and sorry that happened to you. I have my grandad's 2009 DTS that my 18 year old son drives right now. It's been relatively trouble free so far (it does have a minor version of the typical Northstar oil leak), and we've been good about keeping up on the maintenance. It has about 70K miles on it, but I cringe every time it leaves the driveway due to the temperamental reputation of these engines. He's not taking it with him to college for the first year, so it will get to sit a while starting next month.
 
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