2002 Cadillac Deville run or fix it?

B

Brybo86

Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
3,492
Location
Madiganistan/Chiraq
So someone is giving my dad a 2002 Cadillac Deville...

apparently is runs but has an ABS light and CEL on.

needs new tires.
has 120k

he wants to park it in my driveway so we can fix it up and then he can drive it....

I'm worried if it comes to my house it will never leave my driveway...

Screenshot_20200428-145514.png
 
Last edited:
In some places the ABS does not have to be fixed to pass inspection. The vehicle will just take a little bit more distance to stop if the driver hits the brakes hard enough to lock the tires up.

That said, at that age and millage that year and model of vehicle is an unbelievable money pit. If you keep it two to four times every year you can expect expensive repairs such as:

intake manifold gasket leaking antifreeze and requiring replacement

harmonic balancer drive pulley coming apart and serpentine belt not being able to stay on, requiring replacement of harmonic balancer drive puley

radiator leaking

power steering system breaking and requiring replacement

fuel line rusting out and or break lines rusting out, requiring replacement and parts no longer being available in pre-bent form requiring custom bending (this repair may sound minor, but the parts are expensive) and you have to put it up on a rack to do the job

fuel gauge not working and sender requiring replacement, (you can get the sender cheap at rock auto) but you have to drop the gas tank

seat springs breaking to the extent that you have to take it to an car upholstery shop

antifreeze pump leaking and requiring replacement

exhaust system rusting out and requiring replacement (hope that you do not have to replace the catalytic converter when that happens)

brakes on all 4, expect the aftermarket parts to not fit properly

exhaust gas re-circulation system to clog up requiring dis-assemble and cleaning of passages

exhaust gas re-circulation solenoid to fail

evap system purge solenoid in back of car to fail

evap system solenoid under hood to fail

heater core leaking

heater controls switch failing (good luck finding a junk yard one)

heater fan resistor burning out

heater fan failing

parking brake cables breaking and requiring replacement ( I think that vehicle has 4 of them and all 4 will break sometime at that age)

window switch

window regulator

window metal inside of door rusting out to the point the window will not go up

water leaking into cabin (very hard to find where it is coming in when that happens)

ignition coil going bad (there is one for each cylinder)

wiring under hood going bad intermittently

transmission problems

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are a few other major repairs, but basically for that year and millage if you can expect two to four major repairs every year. It is a money pit, and if you do the work yourself it is a pia every couple of months. The only thing that vehicle is good for is it's scrap weight value.
 
Last edited:
I've got a 2000 Deville my parents bought new that is now driven by my daughter. With 96k on it the last 3 CELs have been camshaft position sensor (easy fix), mass air flow sensor (cleaned it) and crankshaft position sensor (a bit more difficult, but doable). Normally I'd say get an OBD reader but with a few steps you can learn about on a Cadillac forum you can get a dash readout that contains way more information.
I've also had a controller (emergency brake, gas door, trunk, etc.), climate control and 3 of 4 window regulators go out (the 4th will probably break the next time the window is used). A plastic or nylon part wears and breaks at about the 15-20 year point. Transmissions in that generation are a problem. If your dad's hasn't been rebuilt yet I would be surprised. The engine service due at, I believe, 100k is involved. My mechanic scowls at me when I suggest it's coming up. If yours is on original plugs that may be the reason it was given to your dad. That, and the myriad of things that wear out at this point is one of the reasons these cars can be had for a song. I personally haven't had the head bolt and other infamous engine problems this generation of Northstar engines is known for.

I guess I'm saying clearing the CELs and getting the car on the road might not be much of a problem. Keeping it on the road for any length of time might take some effort. I suspect you will get to know Rock Auto, Amazon and ebay intimately.
 
I would not put the money for tires into it. If I already had tires that fit it laying around then maybe try a code reader. But after you did get it fixed something else significant will break, and after that something else. It is an endless line of repairs.
 
You might be on the hook for upwards of $5,000 if you don't have the mechanical ability to fix the headgasket issue that might crop up on the Northstar (a.k.a. Deathstar) engine.
 
For what you will pay to keep that POS on the road you could be making payments on a much newer much more reliable vehicle that would not break down anywhere near as often.
 
Jeeze, you guys are being hard on a FREE car!

If it were me, as long as it didn't overheat WHILE DRIVING (not idling), had all 4 gears, and decent brakes I'd take it. Are you handy with a wrench? Nothing on those cars is difficult to fix, minus the head gasket. Hence the overheat advice. As long as the cooling system is in good order, you'll be fine. I've had 5 N* cars, not a one with cooling issues.

Electrical is going to be your battle with that car. They just weren't screwed together very well. That generation is my least favorite Deville, for some reason they just couldn't get it right. However, if you don't mind tinkering the parts are cheap and plentiful.

Is the engine fun to work on? No. What transverse mounted FWD V8 is? Will it leak oil? Of course, it's a N*. Other than that, go beat the snot out of it. If it blows up, no harm no foul.

Oh, and that looks like it has the 16" tires. 225/60's I believe. Cheap, easy to find.
 
Originally Posted by Barkleymut
take a piece of electrical tape and put it over the CEL and ABS lights and drive it.


^^This! Everyone I know has done this on their GM cars.

Beautiful car btw!
 
I'd consider myself a Northstar "enthusiast" as I drive one and used to have a 1999 Deville. I'm always reading up on these cars and I have never heard of half these problems listed.

You don't need a code reader as the car has one built in.

The only thing I'd be worried about is if it overheats. If it doesn't, make sure you change the coolant and replace the water pump tensioner and pulley. The tensioner is $20 but will save you a lot of money if it breaks.



I have never heard of half these problems listed.

intake manifold gasket leaking antifreeze and requiring replacement

The Northstar intake manifold is dry. No coolant passes through it.

harmonic balancer drive pulley coming apart and serpentine belt not being able to stay on, requiring replacement of harmonic balancer drive puley

I've never heard of this happen

seat springs breaking to the extent that you have to take it to an car upholstery shop

This pretty much never happens. If anything, the back seat cushion pops up in one minute, and you can just replace the seat from a Junkyard.

brakes on all 4, expect the aftermarket parts to not fit properly

They sell AC Delco advantage pads for like $20 and they work fine. Same with the rotors

exhaust gas re-circulation system to clog up requiring dis-assemble and cleaning of passages

I've never heard of this happen. Theres only one egr tube for the engine. Sometimes the EGR valve gets stuck, in which case you can remove it and clean it

heater controls switch failing

The controls are digital and rarely fail.

heater fan resistor burning out

There is no resistor.

wiring under hood going bad intermittently

Never had this happen and never heard of this occurring.


The rest of the things are not unique to this car but because of age.
 
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
Add CV joints to the list.


You forgot the Betty Boop air freshener.
 
Originally Posted by JimPghPA
Add CV joints to the list.


Why, exactly? Those cars use huge CV joints and axles, they never fail unless something cuts the boot. Much better than the junk they're putting on cars today.

See: Every Nissan Rogue EVER made.
 
Wow...as Rodney Dangerfield would say "tough crowd". I owned a 1995 Seville STS and the electrical system was it's biggest weakness in the 5 years I owned it. It was quiet, rode great and would go like stink. Of course it wasn't 18 years old and a freebie.
 
To elaborate, the Deville and and Seville of that era are both problematic which is why they are $500-2500 CL cars all day every day. The Car Wizard video is pretty much accurate, the engine is fundamentally flawed and it costs more to fix it then the car is worth by 2-3x in most cases. IF you can get a super clean running one with low miles and good records dirt cheap (under $1500) then maybe it is worth a roll of the dice. A "free" one that "runs" (notice it didn't say drove) with a CEL is probably free for a reason, I wouldn't want anything to do with it until it is tested for head gasket leaks. IF he can live without the ABS and the transmission isn;t burnt up you might be able to get it running cheaply, but it is a gamble. I've personally owned a 96 Aurora and an 01 Seville STS, they drove well for FWD cars but they both had engine problems as they aged and that was a deal breaker.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
Add oil leaks to the problems with these piles.


Out of curiosity, would you consider a clean, 120k mile LeSabre or Park Avenue a "pile"? Maybe a PA Ultra, perhaps? It's all the same car... just a different wheelbase. People see N* and freak out, when there's really nothing different. The 4T80e is a beast of a transmission, and by '00 (and supposedly again in '05) the head bolt issue had been fixed. Oil leaks are a given, that's just one of those things you deal with on a N*.

The big problem with that platform is water leaks. The trunk and rear door seals like to leak water, and the rear fuse box/battery do not like getting wet.
 
Agreed, tough crowd on a free car. I wouldn't dump a ton of money into it, except tires and brakes assuming the rest is okay and I'd enjoy driving it around.

If it does inevitably start failing catastrophically, I'd send it out in a blaze of mechanical mayhem and glory.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

HemiBenny
Another potential 1st rig for my son
2 3
Replies
47
Views
2K
HemiBenny
Elkins45
Test drove a $2200 one-eyed Buick today.
2 3
Replies
47
Views
3K
Kira
C
can u get a reliable used car for under $3k anymore?
4 5 6
Replies
103
Views
7K
Cheetah-kins
M
Reliable/Low Maintenance or Super Fun Vehicle To Purchase
2 3 4
Replies
65
Views
4K
M1Accord
Graham Piccinini
2003 Lexus GS300
2
Replies
39
Views
3K
Graham Piccinini
Back
Top