'04 Deville Loosing its Reliabilty?

[Ohio Jim]

JWoods and KHE,

Thanks for the replies. I haven't been to the sight for a few weeks... Working like a dog and raisin' grandkids... No time for me... Yes I agree that Americans pay their bills with Honda money earned doing a good days work... It just pains me to know WE as Americans, closed car plants and allowed out competitors to come here and reopen them with our labor... Sure this has been going on for many years, but it still goes against my grain. This is especially true when I know there are Caddy's out there, looking for a good home, in my driveway! Still haven't found a replacement for the '99 STS, and really I do not want anything but another low mileage Caddy! the current car is going strong with only 167,k, so maybe I can ride out the winter.. we will see.

Thanks for all the good times guys, I really appreciate your thoughts and good wishes...

I plan to replace the brake fluid and tranny fluid on the "Rhonda Modesty". We have driven 2800 miles so far, no issues... just great...

See y'all,

Ohio Jim

[BodybyFisher]

Edit

[James Woods]

Ohio Jim I don't where your at but in Columbus there is a 2005 pearl white Deville DHS with 90k on it. For asking $3,000. I checked it out and drive it for almost an hour.everything seems to work and no warning lights. I scanned it and just a few history codes nothing major. Like a loose gas cap (large evap leak) . I did block test on the coolant reservoir and no sign of head gasket leak. I was thinking of offering $2500. But I just bought a bmw for my daughter and spare funds are tight. I can Pm you the link if your interested

[Ohio Jim]

Jwoods016,

I haven't had time to stop by much, so I did not see your post. Thanks for the offer. Money has gotten a little tight here as well. I am trying to ride out the winter with the STS, however, I just overheated it on Saturday at 80 mph. Let it cool and towed it home. I could not find anything wrong, other than it was probably low on coolant. I have been chasing a leak for a while, and it must have gotten a head of me. I continually smell a faint odor of coolant when I shut it off but cannot determine where it is coming from. Did a pressure test at 15 psi and only lost one psi over three hours. Today I refilled it with fresh coolant and it seemed fine until I got to work and smelled the coolant again. I'm going out now to check the level.

If the link is still available, please pass it on. I realize it has been 12 days, but you never know. The price seems alright for 90k, and since you have already made an evaluation, I am inclined to check it out.

Thanks again for your efforts!

Ohio Jim

[James Woods]

Sorry Jim the car is gone. But there always another.

I just picked up a clean 2002 Deville DHS with 105,000 miles for $800. It needed air shocks and struts which I did 1st day. And a drivers airbag to fix the horn.

If I see any other great deals I'll send you a PM. We get a lot of nice older trade ins at my work.

[Ohio Jim]

Jwoods,

Thanks for the info.. Nice work on the new addition! Can you tell me the difference between a DHS and a DTS?

Thanks,

Ohio Jim

[James Woods]

The base and DHS have front bench seat, column shifter. Dts has bucket seats, center console with shifter, fog lights and higher horsepower by 25 hp but 5 less lb ft of torque. The dts also has electronic adjusting suspension. A few other things like massaging seats on the dts.

[Logan]

The base seats are also...technically....bucket seats.

There is a center arm rest / seat section that can be removed. It creates the bench-like-seat.

Pic shows a base car with a console shifter set-up being added. Note 2 shifters in this pic...but still using the original driver and passenger seats.

[James Woods]

I've thought about getting a junkyard console out of a dts and converting. I just never figured out how hard it its to reconfigure the shifter. I don't mind a dead lever on the column. That looks good in the picture.

Plus I thought I'd have to switch out seats, good to know I can use my seats. I'll

[Logan]

The column shifter in the pic was later removed and the solid floor shifter clam shells for the steering column were installed.

The console uses the same mounting tabs as the center seat / armrest....so almost bolt in.

The shifter assembly is pretty easy to modify....it's just a cable that runs from the shifter to the trans (the column shifter also uses a cable).

You use the original seats.

[James Woods]

I like it, but there might be a new forum member ( my wife) since now I'm getting ideas on how to spend money from you all. 100% I will pass all the blame off here on you all. Especially before the holidays.

[Ohio Jim]

Jwoods,

With me being so attached to the STS, I don't want to downgrade. I'd like another STS, '08 or newer, but I am considering a DTS. I don't want to drive without active suspension. It rocks! the other items you mention are important as well. I get in my car the seat and steering wheel adjust, and I am off. With the new F'in minivan, my wife leaves the seat so high and close to the steering wheel, l literally have to stand outside and move the seat back. Irritating in the rain.

Thanks for your reply.

Ohio Jim

[James Woods]

The newer sts is intriguing to me, I haven't driven one yet with a V-6 so that would have to be the 1st step.

Jim have you driven the newer V-6 sts yet? Opinion please if you have

[Ohio Jim]

Jwoods,

No I have not driven anything new than a 2003. My son still has a '01 and an '03, and really likes them. He bought a '96 Fleetwood LT1 last summer and says he can't stop having fun with it now. He wont even consider a V6. I think it's based on principle. I would absolutely love to drive a '08 STS V8 daily, but now that all has changed at home, (raising the grandkids), it is not likely I will get one. I know there are some low mileage STS top of the line models, (1SG?), out there, but you have to be looking continuously. As I age I am more likely to settle for ANY STS at this point.

I'm here at work right now wondering if I'll be able to do the 20 miles home in one shot this morning. I have to work until 4am. When I went out to the car at 10pm, the coolant I just put in Monday morning was streaming across the parking lot! I got a floor jack and had a look. Looked like it was draining from two areas. The first was just a wet bottom bolt on the lower radiator to thermostat flange. I was able to tighten it a few degrees with a 10 mm open end. Will replace the hose and the square O-Ring just inside the flange tomorrow. Afraid to crack the housing, (more?). Weird but the drips were coming down from that area and running off the antilock brake pump. The second area I can only guess was the coolant tank. I thought it was leaking last weekend when it overheated, but 3 hours @ 15# on the tester did not show a leak from that tank. The cap was looking like it was leaking so I replaced it yesterday and the car was fine. When I left for work the tank was full. When I got to work everything seemed fine. Not sure why it let loose sometime thereafter.

Just another day in paradise!

Enjoy your weekend with the weather coming in today, I know I will!

See ya!

Ohio jim

[KHE]

Jwoods,

No I have not driven anything new than a 2003. My son still has a '01 and an '03, and really likes them. He bought a '96 Fleetwood LT1 last summer and says he can't stop having fun with it now. He wont even consider a V6. I think it's based on principle. I would absolutely love to drive a '08 STS V8 daily, but now that all has changed at home, (raising the grandkids), it is not likely I will get one. I know there are some low mileage STS top of the line models, (1SG?), out there, but you have to be looking continuously. As I age I am more likely to settle for ANY STS at this point.

I'm here at work right now wondering if I'll be able to do the 20 miles home in one shot this morning. I have to work until 4am. When I went out to the car at 10pm, the coolant I just put in Monday morning was streaming across the parking lot! I got a floor jack and had a look. Looked like it was draining from two areas. The first was just a wet bottom bolt on the lower radiator to thermostat flange. I was able to tighten it a few degrees with a 10 mm open end. Will replace the hose and the square O-Ring just inside the flange tomorrow. Afraid to crack the housing, (more?). Weird but the drips were coming down from that area and running off the antilock brake pump. The second area I can only guess was the coolant tank. I thought it was leaking last weekend when it overheated, but 3 hours @ 15# on the tester did not show a leak from that tank. The cap was looking like it was leaking so I replaced it yesterday and the car was fine. When I left for work the tank was full. When I got to work everything seemed fine. Not sure why it let loose sometime thereafter.

Just another day in paradise!

Enjoy your weekend with the weather coming in today, I know I will!

See ya!

Ohio jim

Jim,

I had a leak on my '97 STS where the radiator hose was attached to the thermostat housing and the thermostat housing was all corroded and pitted. It took a radiator pressure tester to find the leak as it would not leak when cold. I just replaced the thermostat housing and the leak was gone. Sometimes the clamps will loosen up too.

[BodybyFisher]

I am experiencing coolant loss right now on a 98, 3/4 gallon every 2 weeks, oddly no coolant smell, headgasket test negative, no obvious leaks. Its freaking the owner out. About to buy a pressure tester myself, its now a required tool for me. Thanks for that Kevin, you da man!

[KHE]

I am experiencing coolant loss right now on a 98, 3/4 gallon every 2 weeks, oddly no coolant smell, headgasket test negative, no obvious leaks. Its freaking the owner out. About to buy a pressure tester myself, its now a required tool for me. Thanks for that Kevin, you da man!

Autozone has a tester in their loan a tool program but sometimes they are beat up - I had one that wouldn't build pressure... I'd rather have the tool in my toolbox and not have to stop a project and make a trip to borrow one.

At that rate of coolant consumption, you'd think there would be a coolant smell.

[BodybyFisher]

Yes, I agree, there should be a coolant smell, maybe I need to take it for a ride, she tells me no smell. My 96 had a coolant smell until I replaced the crossover seals and I didnt use nearly that much coolant

Look at this seal, the 2 bolts were loose, the engine had about 45K on it since rebuild and this seal fell apart in my hand. Lots of cooling supplement tablet debris so it was leaking and the tablet meterial did its best to seal it. But bolts were loose... i believe cheap parts are used by rebuilders as they only need 3 years service out of the part.

[Ohio Jim]

_Gentlemen,

Sorry for the crazy font sizes. I cannot get this thing to work and I'm too tired to re-write it again...

_{I had a crazy weekend. I had studied what it looked like in the parking lot Friday night, when it dumped the coolant after I parked. There was a series of splatters under the antilock break pump, along with a lot of coolant which appeared to come out of the reservoir. The lower hose was dry, but the bottom of the thermostat housing had a drip on it.When I got out of work at 4am, I filled 'er up and went for it! I made it home alright, and let it idle for a while. Eight minutes later it was leaking out the new cap! Gage was still at half. I shut it down and went to bed. My son figured it had to be air in the system, meaning a leak. Saturday was a wash due to the Cub Scouts Regatta and Thanksgiving dinners. Sunday afternoon I pulled the lower radiator hose and Thermostat.}

_{KHE: I had the same result on the thermostat flange. It was really crappy under the hose connection. I tested it with a tester last Sunday for three hours at 15 psi cold. The gage read solid 14 psi after 3 hours so I ruled out a leak. I guess the next stop should have been to test it hot. Right? When I pulled the thermostat, the outer gasket was swelled and part of the rubber 'flap' built into the thermostat was missing. The rest of the flap was in tack but looked wavy and swelled as well. I was unable to locate a flange today, so I had to go with new thermostat and lower hose. I cleaned up the flange, and was worried about the pitting in the hose area. do you think I need to replace the flange? It ran fine on the way to work, so I think I MAY have it, but I'm not convinced. Thanks for your replies. Reading your posts gives me HOPE!}

_Sincerely,

_{Ohio Jim}

[KHE]

Jim,

I could not get mine to stop leaking at the thermostat flange despite wire brushing it so I replaced the flange and that cured the leak on my car.

It shouldn't matter testing the system hot or cold with the pressure tester but it is better to do it cold since any leakage will be easier to spot and will not vaporize. Also, having the engine cold/cool will prevent you from burning yourself as you look for the leak.

You say the leak appeared to be coming from the surge tank - any chance the leak is across the back of the engine? If so, it could be a rotted heater pipe or worse - a water crossover gasket. If the water crossover gaskets are leaking, the leakage will be on top of the trans where it will run down the back side and appear like it is coming from the back of the engine .

[Ohio Jim]

KHE,

This just gets better! Last night car was okay going home. Did 4 runs from 40 to 90 mph in the 20 mile ride. Got home... open hood... steam! I know I had overfilled the overflow before I left for work yesterday, so I figured that might be some of the mess, once again, all over the top of the bucket. The steam kept coming for a while, from the engine side of the bucket, but I am unable to pinpoint. I need to look closer in the back of the engine and over the top of the trans, as you suggest. It idled for tem minutes, the temp gauge moved up to 9/16, the fans came on slow, and it went back to 1/2, the fans shut off. Acted okay on the way to work today. Will try again tonight.

Thanks for the continued help....I plan to solve this eventually. I do not want to give up this car!

Ohio Jim

[KHE]

With the engine cool, jack up the car and support it, then pressurize the cooling system to the pressure listed on the cap. The leak source should be obvious - with the car raised, you can get under it with a creeper and light to pinpoint the leak.

[Ohio Jim]

Kevin,

Okay that will be my next tactic! Man you really think these things through, don't you?

Thanks for the advice...

Ohio Jim

[Ohio Jim]

Kevin,

It just gets better... Today I drove the car 17 miles, idled for 3 minutes, and the temp started to rise, just over half when I pulled back onto the road. Within the next five miles of gentle 55 mph driving, it said 'A/C off', then "coolant hot". I was at a traffic circle, so I had to pull it over. I shut if off and waited 5 minutes. I restarted and headed down the highway, coolant needle at 9/16...It continued to rise slowly to 3/4. Finally it went into the red zone and car said to "idle" it. I tried to coast in neutral but the temp was still creeping up a bit so I pulled over and idled it for ten minutes. Needle stayed in the red. I poured 1 1/2 gallons of water over the radiator and purge tank. Top radiator hose was hot and had a lot of pressure. The small bleeder hose running to the purge tank felt like it was boiling inside. One of the two small "heater" hoses fastened to the top of the transmission, right next to the purge tank was warm, almost cool, while the other was hot. I realize at that point I was not getting heat from the heater in the car, so I shut if off for 10 minutes. Restarted, pulled onto the highway, temp jumped to 9/16, then back down to half immediately. It then stayed at half for the next 6 miles. I varied the speed from 35 to 55, giving it gas but no change in the needle. Just checked the purge tank now, it is about 1" below where it belongs.

Can I reroute the heater core lines to take that out of the equation? Can I disconnect the heater core lines and reverse flush it with clean water to see what comes out? Is it possible for the water pump to internally 'come loose' from the shaft? the pulley and belt look fine. The belt is about 2 years old.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

Ohio Jim

[KHE]

The water pump either pumps or it doesn't so I wouldn't suspect it as being the problem. Did you start off with the cooling system full? Is the purge line floowing coolant? Have you checked?

You can flush the heater core but a restricted heater core won't cause the overheating symptoms you are having. I would get the tester from Autozone and test the coolant for combustion gasses. Keep the car from overheating so you don't have to add coolant and test the system for combustion gasses.

I hate to say it but it sounds like the head gaskets are shot.