The Cadillac may be dying...

[14Accent]

Backstory:

Northstar spooked a true fan

Ever since then, I've had a cold-start misfire for 30-60 seconds, a very slow loss of coolant, and intermittent hot running. Not overheating, but the gauge will spike before settling down. Oddly enough, this happens when sitting vs. on the highway, whereas most N* head gasket failures manifest with high-speed overheating and coolant boil over. I've had no boiling over and no actual issues, as of yet.

Yesterday I added a 5-pack of GM coolant supplement tabs to the upper radiator hose and topped off the coolant. There's 100% a head gasket failure, the smell in the degas bottle alone gives it away. Is it severe? Who knows. I don't have any exhaust smoke, or coolant in the oil, so there's no harm in experimenting for $5. I've already noted that the cold misfire seems to have lessened to some degree, and that's only after 2 days and maybe 5 warm up cycles. I only notice because I sit and let the idle smooth out before I move the car as a routine, it's definitely smoother.

Are these little tablets going to help? I doubt it. The car is on borrowed time, which is a shame at 139k miles, but it is what it is. I'm less than $2k into it over a years ownership, including purchase price, so I don't feel she owes me anything. In all honesty, I was expecting to take a bath on it in the first place!

 

[supton]

Doah! Well, you went in with full knowledge, and you seem content with the results ($2k for a year's use, not bad really). Going to run it until it blows, or flip with full disclosure?

 

[Lolvoguy]

Considering the reputation of the Northstar, I'm surprised it's still on the road.

 

[Anduril]

Why did the Northstar even exist? GM already had a fine (and much more reliable) V8 offering at the time...

 

[14Accent]

Originally Posted by supton
Doah! Well, you went in with full knowledge, and you seem content with the results ($2k for a year's use, not bad really). Going to run it until it blows, or flip with full disclosure?


I'm not sure yet. I plan on getting the Volt to the body shop next Tuesday to get work started on that, so I realistically need the Caddy to run another 2 months, to be safe. After that, if it's still running, I'll probably just sell it for whatever. It doesn't seem worth scrapping, then again there isn't a ton to be had by throwing a motor in it. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Originally Posted by Anduril
Why did the Northstar even exist? GM already had a fine (and much more reliable) V8 offering at the time...


As far as I know, the N* was developed because the 4.9 was well-aged and not a "performance" engine by any means. Cadillac had no way to compete with the high-end engines coming out of Germany and Japan in the early 90's, and they knew it. Think BMW V8, Infiniti 4.5, Lexus 4.0. In all respect, the N* achieved the performance (or beat) those engines, but were unfortunately rushed to production and therefore problems were had. Also, at the time GM had no other V8 that could fit in the engine bay of a FWD car. Keep in mind, this was pre-LS engine days.

As bad is the N* can be, there's a reason it was used in mostly the same form well after the original luxury V8's from the segment. It was actually reliable, towards the end. Toyota V8 reliable? Not a chance. But it's certainly earned it's place, over the years.

 

[talest]

I am a fan of the L47, but that is a Shortstar. Unsure if that counts. I will probably buy another car with this one in time.. that being a 2001-2003 Aurora 4.0.

 

[Chris142]

The head gaskets blow because the head bolts pull out of the aluminium block. No sealer will fix that. The correct repair is to lower the cradle,remove the heads and time sert the block.

Junk engines and cars for sure.

 

[umungus1122]

The 4.9 and 4.5 were definitely better around town engines, and more reliable. The 0-30 mph time was faster with the 4.9 than the N Star, and the 4.5 the same. It was only at higher speeds that the NorthStar shined.

 

[aquariuscsm]

They should've just used the 3800 in those.

 

[GZRider]

I give you props for every day you manage to keep that car on the road, I had a 96 Olds Aurora with the 4.0 variant and a 01 Caddi STS, they were higher maintenance then a girl named Brandy who works in "entertainment".

 

[caprice_2nv]

Those gm coolant tabs fixed the heater core leak on my caprice back at the start of the winter. They can definitely help in certain situations.

 

[4WD]

At the same miles and fate on a 2007 Chrysler 300 that I passed on to my son … just found a guy who has an engine and wants to buy it for a bit more than trade in value … which still is hardly enough to buy a good set of tires … Sometimes it is time ...

 

[4WD]

+1 … had a couple of the 3800's … did well ...

 

[14Accent]

Originally Posted by GZRider
I give you props for every day you manage to keep that car on the road, I had a 96 Olds Aurora with the 4.0 variant and a 01 Caddi STS, they were higher maintenance then a girl named Brandy who works in "entertainment".


Funny, I had a '96 Aurora as well. My current STS is the only one that's given me any (engine) trouble, though. Here's my last 2, I can't believe I still have pictures of them!

My '99:

And my '94 that I bought way back when I was 20ish with a bad trans but otherwise showroom fresh:

Just for fun, here's the minty '91 Regal GS I picked up years and years ago. I really liked this one....

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted by 14Accent
Originally Posted by GZRider
I give you props for every day you manage to keep that car on the road, I had a 96 Olds Aurora with the 4.0 variant and a 01 Caddi STS, they were higher maintenance then a girl named Brandy who works in "entertainment".


Funny, I had a '96 Aurora as well. My current STS is the only one that's given me any (engine) trouble, though. Here's my last 2, I can't believe I still have pictures of them!

My '99:

And my '94 that I bought way back when I was 20ish with a bad trans but otherwise showroom fresh:

Just for fun, here's the minty '91 Regal GS I picked up years and years ago. I really liked this one....

I just saw a Regal like that yesterday....

 

[LeakySeals]

Think you may need this. Well known fix for the dreaded stripped head bolts. Or more accurately stripped block threads.


http://www.huhnsolutions.com/

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

RIP.

I really liked this Caddy despite its alarming amount of oil it burned and leaked for most of its life. Never had a headgasket failure but Coolant Crossover leaked and torque converter began to throw a code intermittently and wouldn't pass smog. Sold it cheap and it was in a hit and run a few days later. Sad ending.

 

[clinebarger]

Originally Posted by Chris142
The head gaskets blow because the head bolts pull out of the aluminium block. No sealer will fix that. The correct repair is to lower the cradle,remove the heads and time sert the block.

Junk engines and cars for sure.


The Northstar got updated in 2004 & those rarely have issues with the threads pulling out of the block, Then you have the rear wheel drive VVT versions that are flat Awesome.

I've had some customers put some serious boost to the supercharged 4.4L version found in Cadillac XLR-V without blowing headgaskets/Lifting the heads.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

Does the STS have the self destructing front motor mount? GM engineering at its best. It worked fine in earlier years with the top Dogbones, so they removed them. Constantly failing motor mounts so they put them back years later and the problem is gone. The more I think about this motor the less I like it. I guess its nostalgia that had me missing it for a short time. I would buy one of the last years just to see how it was with all the problems fixed 15 years after production started.

 

[GZRider]

You know you are right, the Aurora was the better built car in my experience and the 4.0 with the revised oiling and cooling system which made it less prone to self destruction before 100k miles then early garden variety northstars. I got the Aurora for $3500 bucks with 90k miles back in 2003 when I was still a in junior year of high school and drove it 3 years to about 150-160k before headgasket went, Iand maybe spent $1500-2000 in parts to drive a reasonably powerful and comfortable car, it probably was a pretty good deal. Now the STS was 3 years old with 40k miles when I got it and I had fuel pump alternator, starter, electrical, and random misfire issues from 55k miles until I sold it at 81k miles. Only time I ever kept a car less then 50k because of the obvious depreciation hit but no amount of money was worth that [censored] Caddi leaving me stranded again. Thanks for reminding me how much I liked that Aurora, for 96 it was a pretty awesome car.