A little Maintenence

[BodybyFisher]

Since yesterday I did the following:

Front Brakes (used Napa Ceramics)

Turned Rotors

Water Pump Belt (old one 1 1/2 years old cracked from coolant leak at body seal)

Water Pump Body Seal (leaking)

New Water Pump Cover and Seal (just wanted to replace seal but new seal is only for NEW cover, bought new cover)

Replaced the front Engine Mount (old one was separated and cracked)

Replaced Coolant Tank

Replaced Thermostat (old one was an AC DELCO and it was damaged after only 1 1/2 years)

The engine mount was causing vibration on acceleration especially at low speed, I also felt the engine moving entering driveways and going from D to R and R to D. Engine is much smoother now, and I don't feel ANY vibration at all in my seat or steering wheel, it pulls seamlessly now.

I was stunned to see my thermostat damaged as badly as it was, I will post a photo

Ill post photos when I get a chance, this was a hard job, the front engine mount was not fun at all, but I got it done. I am getting a P1406 History code EGR pindle position. I am getting a Service Engine Light, I assume that is why, I got an Emissions Message.

A code I don't know about is the PZ1558 Current, anyone? Could this be my Service Engine Light?

I am off to Philadelphia now, Mike

[Bruce Nunnally]

Have a good trip. Hopefully you have lots of repair photos to share later.

PZM1558 or B1558 mean a checksum error in the body control module:

DTC B1558 BCM EPROM Checksum Error

Circuit Description

The module calibrations are stored in the EPROM. When the ignition is first turned ON, the module performs internal tests on the EPROM in order to determine the integrity of its non-volatile memory. The module compares its previously stored checksum with the checksum calculated when the ignition is first turned ON. If the 2 checksums do not match, the module will set B1558 as current.

Conditions for Setting the DTC

* The stored checksum does not match the calculated checksum.

* The condition must occur when the ignition is first turned ON.

Action Taken When the DTC Sets

* A DTC B1558 is stored in the PZM memory.

* No driver warning message is displayed for this DTC.

* The PZM uses default values for any memory address in the EPROM that is corrupt.

Conditions for Clearing the DTC

* This DTC requires an ignition cycle in order to change from current to history.

* The module no longer detects an internal memory malfunction (checksum error).

* A history DTC clears after 50 consecutive ignition cycles if the condition is no longer present.

[JohnnyG]

MAN! That is a lot of work to cram into a couple of days! I think you should get the CaddyInfo Goodwrench award (yet to be invented of couse)!

Good job!

So, where are you going on your trip? Surely you didn't do all that work just to drive from L.I. NY to Philly!

[Bruce Nunnally]

Here is a self-hosted Mr. Goodwrench Logo if someone wants to use it to make a smilie for the board:

Alternately, feel free to link to that and insert into posts.

[BodybyFisher]

Hey Thanks Guys, I stayed in Philadelphia one night then I drove down to Charlottesville, Virginia.

The car ran flawlessly, well almost.....

All of the codes I mentioned above are gone, once I erased them the hard way. For some reason I am getting about 2 to 3 miles per gallon better gas mileage, not sure why that is, maybe its the Techron having cleaned my injectors and combustion chambers? The engine is WAY more powerful than it has been. I got 25.4 miles per gallon at 65 to 80 mph... I am shocked.. It accelerates like it never has before, smooth silky and seamless

Replacing the front mount has made a huge difference, no more vibration at all, I had not realized how much vibration I was getting from the engine on turns and at speed. No vibration at all. No more BANG when I am coasting at speed when I hit the gas either. ALSO and a shocker, I am not getting the brake shutter any more that I have been trying to fix since I own this car, its gone. The engine must have been oscillating on braking.

Here is a question for all of you thinkers. Could my knock sensor have been retarding my ignition because my engine was shaking because of the mount being cracked loose? And could that have been causing poorer gas mileage and reduced power? Just a thought, maybe it was the Techron..

BUT, I got a flat, the valve stem cracked and I must have rode on a flat or near flat tire for about an hour, thinking it was windy out... luckily, when I pulled off the exit, there was a tire shop sitting there waiting to fix my tire, this problem only slowed me down for 30 minutes, I am lucky I didnt rip the tire off the rim.

The first leg of the trip my coolant temp was 205 to 206 but I had not let it cool down after doing the job, once she cooled down, the next time I was out on the highway, the coolant temp has been 196 to 200, nice.

This was a hard job but it was worth it, my hands have hurt and been swollen for 24 hours, either they are not use to playing surgeon or I am getting old

I have lots of photos to post of these jobs and will do so when I get home tonight, leaving now..

[navion]

Hey Thanks Guys, I stayed in Philadelphia one night then I drove down to Charlottesville, Virginia.

BUT, I got a flat, the valve stem cracked and I must have rode on a flat or near flat tire for about an hour, thinking it was windy out... luckily, when I pulled off the exit, there was a tire shop sitting there waiting to fix my tire, this problem only slowed me down for 30 minutes, I am lucky I didnt rip the tire off the rim.

Mike,

Just curious.

Did they replace the tire or just replace the valve stem?

Usually a tire that has been run nearly flat for any length of time will have damage that is only visible if the tire is dismounted.

I had a cracked rim on my '94 SLS. When I took it in to have the "leak" fixed, they showed me the damage to the interior of the tire. Damage from excessive heat could be readily seen. From the outside, the tire looked just fine.

I'm glad that your "little maintenance" has produced such good results.

I find that when I do some work that requires serious wrenching, my hands cramp later that night.

I guess that I am getting out of shape.

Take Care,

Britt

[BodybyFisher]

Thanks for that Britt, I did not consider that the tire could be damaged, I need to replace all 4 soon. On the way home I was debating going blackwall and getting a Michelin Pilot h-rated tire or a Michelin HydroEdge. The only whitewall available in my size is the Michelin Symmetry, which I am not a big fan of.

Its funny I was getting cramps in my hands while I was in tight spots trying to put nuts on or bolts in. Its as if I am losing my ability to have strength in very awkward positions. I am going to start doing hand exercises, I didn't like the pain and swelling I had for about a day. Whats odd, is that I really didnt do anything strenuous, so maybe its just muscle weakness.

My car feels brand new. Today I reset the MPG at speed and for the next 100 miles of highway driving I got 26.4 miles per gallon. I don't understand the sudden improvement in gas mileage. I recall the guru stating that you could test the knock sensor by watching the ignition timing and tap on the block. The taping imitates spark knock and causes the PCM to retard the ignition, thereby hutting gas mileage. I wonder if the movement of the engine was creating caused noise that the knock sensor picked up, and thinking that it was spark knock retarded the ignition

[Texas Jim]

Thanks for that Britt, I did not consider that the tire could be damaged,

My car feels brand new. Today I reset the MPG at speed and for the next 100 miles of highway driving I got 26.4 miles per gallon. I don't understand the sudden improvement in gas mileage. I recall the guru stating that you could test the knock sensor by watching the ignition timing and tap on the block. The taping imitates spark knock and causes the PCM to retard the ignition, thereby hutting gas mileage. I wonder if the movement of the engine was creating caused noise that the knock sensor picked up, and thinking that it was spark knock retarded the ignition

As Britt noted... if you ran very far AT SPEED, the tire may very well have internal damage from HEAT BUILDUP that you can not see from the outside of the tire.

Excessive heat will make the tire start coming apart from the inside out.

If it is damaged very much, the cords that hold it together will start pulling loose INSIDE the tire. You have to break it down from the wheel to see it.

If you elect to do that... If even ONE CORD is pulled loose... replace it.

There may also be a bunch of little rubber pellets... kinda like little rubber B B's.

That also is NOT GOOD. That is rubber from between the cords that hold the tire together and indicate excessive heat and internal damage even if the cords are not pulling loose... YET.

On the possible spark retard...

I think it might be very possible that the vibration / bumping of the bad engine mount could be misread by the knock sensor and retard the timing.

Think about it... as you drive with the bad mount, there may even be a harmonic vibration picked up by the knock sensor. That along with the bumping at acceleration and deceleration, combined together, could very easily be picked up by the knock sensor. Even the brake shudder... if it was transmitted at the right frequency thru the driveline, could also cause it to retard the timing.

Our vehicles are very complex and sometimes kinda strange.

[BodybyFisher]

Here are some photos of this job:

I used NAPA CERAMIX premium ceramic front pads, so I will be doing the validation. They are billed as low dusting and ultra quiet. My sliders as usual were flozen as usual, I think the 96 design with the two rubber bushings in the caliper is flawed as you can not get enough grease on the sliders and when you shove the sliders in, you push the grease out. That said, I had the rotors turned and a non directional finish put on them. My old brakes as I had mentioned were ruining my wheels with black sediment. I needed to conserve cash, so I went with these Napa pads, and so far, I really like them, I like that as I press the pedal, there is a progressive hauling down of the car, the harder I press the brake pedal, and not a lot of pressure is needed. I have to wash the car and see how the wheels look after a week.

When I removed my air box to get to the water pump, I discovered that my air filter was in bad shape, it is one year old, this is very surprising, the folds contained all kinds of debris and the black is a greasy substance, I have no idea why this happened but I am glad its doing its job, I wonder what I injested?

[BodybyFisher]

The water pump body seal was leaking as you can see here.

You can see it was throwing coolant on the upper hose, I had been smelling coolant, and was leaking here and at the coolant tank nipple. This coolant leak ruined my water pump belt, it was one year old and it was cracked and shredding.

I replaced my thermostat last year at this time. That is why I was surprised to see loose RUBBER when I looked at the thermostat from inside the water pump cover

The bottom had missing rubber, that broke loose from the top where it was injected through the frame, I showed this to my Cadillac Parts counter guy, and he did not seem interested, that a ONE year old thermostat would self destruct like this, he just charged me $37 for a new one. This makes me question why I used AC DELCO last year, because of its poor longevity and outrageous cost of $37 at the dealer. If I was the counter guy, I would have sent this back for analysis, its definately a defective part in my humble opinion.

No doubt this missing rubber will end up stuck in my metering purge bolt, some of you will remember Rollingthunder had RUBBER stuck in his metering bolt (bolt with a hole in it), now we know where it came from

That rubber is connected to the top of the stat here, you can see how the rubber is bubbled up

[BodybyFisher]

Here is the old and the new redesigned water pump cover, I was unable to buy a seal from the dealer for the old cover. Both seals were redesigned also (the cover seal and the thermostat seal)

Here is the new water pump body seal held in place with GM Engine Sealer

Here is the water pump job completed

[BodybyFisher]

I needed to replace my front engine mount. I figured IF I needed to take the radiator out, I already had my coolant out, so I decided to go for the front engine mount. What I did was use a 2x8 by 18 inch piece of wood under the engine and used my garage jack to support and lift the engine and tranny. I immediately was able to feel a crack at the top of the mount when I reached my hand up there. The engine lifted about 2 inches.

The engine mount, is basically two pieces. The rubber hydraulic mount and the steel frame that attaches to the engine. WHY they insist on selling you a NEW frame I have no idea, my old frame was OK, maybe some one can explain to me why. Here is a photo of the new mount:

I removed the right cooling fan. I did not remove my radiator. To get the old mount out, I decided to remove the mount's frame bolts and nuts(2 bolts at the top and two nuts the bottom). Since the mount is basically two pieces I decided to disconnect the rubber mount from steel frame (two nuts on the top of the rubber mount removing and installing these nuts was the hardest part for me). Then I disconnected the rubber mount from the engine carriage (two nuts at bottom). Note: the steel mount frame is connected by two bolts at the top and two nuts at the bottom. To make removal of the steel mount frame easier, it was necessary to remove the two bottom studs from the block, to allow the steel frame to come out easily, a small socket fits the head of the stud. It was a tight fit, but I now I effectively had two pieces in there instead of one big piece. I was able to jocky the metal frame out and up between the radiator and the engine, and it came right out. Then I grabbed the rubber mount and pulled the rubber mount up and out (a little tight but it came out). Here are photos of the old mount:

Cracks

other side

I reversed the order and put the rubber mount in place (no nuts yet), then put the steel frame mount in place. I then put the two lower studs back in place and bolted it up. Putting all of the bolts and nuts back is where my hands cramped up. This was a tricky job, but it went pretty smoothly. I can not stress how much of a difference it made to my drivability, this mount must have been bad for years....my ride is so much better in so many ways...

New mount in place

[BodybyFisher]

THEN, I figured, that since my coolant was already OUT, I might as well remove the coolant tank and get that done. You need to remove the battery, remove the tank bolts, coolant level connector, accumulator bracket and jocky the tank out (tricky but it will come). The hardest part was putting the accumulator bracket back in place but after a lot of curse words, mosquito bites it went back in place, here is new tank in place

It always helps to read, I never saw this before. It states to put in 3 cooling supplement tables whenever cooling system work is done.. Job done, car running like NEW! Next, replace tires and right stabilizer link

[Bruce Nunnally]

yay photoessay

[KHE]

Here is a question for all of you thinkers. Could my knock sensor have been retarding my ignition because my engine was shaking because of the mount being cracked loose? And could that have been causing poorer gas mileage and reduced power? Just a thought, maybe it was the Techron..

Not likely - the frequency of the noise generated by spark knock is much different than what could be generated by a vibrating engine caused by a bad mount. The gas gage on my '96 Seville is starting to act flakey - it is very intermittent but when it acts up, the gas gage will read "Empty" and the DIC will display the "Fuel level very low" message. Maybe the Techron will cure that?

Thanks for that Britt, I did not consider that the tire could be damaged, I need to replace all 4 soon. On the way home I was debating going blackwall and getting a Michelin Pilot h-rated tire or a Michelin HydroEdge. The only whitewall available in my size is the Michelin Symmetry, which I am not a big fan of.

As you know, I'm not a fan of blackwalls on the Deville or Fleetwood Brougham. They are OK on the Sevilles - both of mine have blackwalls but not the Fleetwood. Almost every tire manufacturer has dropped the 235-70-15 whitewall tire (the size my Fleetwood takes). I bought a new set of whitewalls for the Fleetwood last year even though I didn't need tires at the time because I KNEW I'd never find them when I needed them. They are on a rack in my basement.

Why don't you like the Michelin Symmetry tire? Those were on my STS when I bought it and I ran them for a year and a half until they were down to the wear indicators. They were a quiet tire but since I didn't have them as new, I had no idea on how many miles they had on them.

I need to get back out to the garage - my beer is empty... I have one Arnott shock installed and need to get the other one done.

[BodybyFisher]

Here is a question for all of you thinkers. Could my knock sensor have been retarding my ignition because my engine was shaking because of the mount being cracked loose? And could that have been causing poorer gas mileage and reduced power? Just a thought, maybe it was the Techron..

Not likely - the frequency of the noise generated by spark knock is much different than what could be generated by a vibrating engine caused by a bad mount. The gas gage on my '96 Seville is starting to act flakey - it is very intermittent but when it acts up, the gas gage will read "Empty" and the DIC will display the "Fuel level very low" message. Maybe the Techron will cure that?

Thanks for that Britt, I did not consider that the tire could be damaged, I need to replace all 4 soon. On the way home I was debating going blackwall and getting a Michelin Pilot h-rated tire or a Michelin HydroEdge. The only whitewall available in my size is the Michelin Symmetry, which I am not a big fan of.

As you know, I'm not a fan of blackwalls on the Deville or Fleetwood Brougham. They are OK on the Sevilles - both of mine have blackwalls but not the Fleetwood. Almost every tire manufacturer has dropped the 235-70-15 whitewall tire (the size my Fleetwood takes). I bought a new set of whitewalls for the Fleetwood last year even though I didn't need tires at the time because I KNEW I'd never find them when I needed them. They are on a rack in my basement.

Why don't you like the Michelin Symmetry tire? Those were on my STS when I bought it and I ran them for a year and a half until they were down to the wear indicators. They were a quiet tire but since I didn't have them as new, I had no idea on how many miles they had on them.

I need to get back out to the garage - my beer is empty... I have one Arnott shock installed and need to get the other one done.

What do you attribute my sudden improvement in gas mileage to then? Techron?, cleaning out the intake system and combustion chambers?

Yes, I do believe that back to back fill ups with a bottle of TECHRON in each tank will help your gage, mine is bahaving great now.

I just don't consider the Symmetry to be a high performance tire, its OK, and adequate for my Deville, but its NOT a high performance tire. It breaks loose to quickly on acceleration in the rain, meaning to me that it will break loose too fast on BRAKING in the rain for my liking. I am seriously thinking of a high performance all season tire like the HydroEdge or a Pilot. I am nuts about wanting good wet handling having had a serious accident in the rain..

Good luck with the other shock, can't wait to see your impressions.

[JimD]

....I am nuts about wanting good wet handling having had a serious accident in the rain..

Mike, I'm happy with my new Michelin "Primacy mxv" tires. They handle water very well.

A little pricey, though.

[KHE]

Here is a question for all of you thinkers. Could my knock sensor have been retarding my ignition because my engine was shaking because of the mount being cracked loose? And could that have been causing poorer gas mileage and reduced power? Just a thought, maybe it was the Techron..

Not likely - the frequency of the noise generated by spark knock is much different than what could be generated by a vibrating engine caused by a bad mount. The gas gage on my '96 Seville is starting to act flakey - it is very intermittent but when it acts up, the gas gage will read "Empty" and the DIC will display the "Fuel level very low" message. Maybe the Techron will cure that?

Thanks for that Britt, I did not consider that the tire could be damaged, I need to replace all 4 soon. On the way home I was debating going blackwall and getting a Michelin Pilot h-rated tire or a Michelin HydroEdge. The only whitewall available in my size is the Michelin Symmetry, which I am not a big fan of.

As you know, I'm not a fan of blackwalls on the Deville or Fleetwood Brougham. They are OK on the Sevilles - both of mine have blackwalls but not the Fleetwood. Almost every tire manufacturer has dropped the 235-70-15 whitewall tire (the size my Fleetwood takes). I bought a new set of whitewalls for the Fleetwood last year even though I didn't need tires at the time because I KNEW I'd never find them when I needed them. They are on a rack in my basement.

Why don't you like the Michelin Symmetry tire? Those were on my STS when I bought it and I ran them for a year and a half until they were down to the wear indicators. They were a quiet tire but since I didn't have them as new, I had no idea on how many miles they had on them.

I need to get back out to the garage - my beer is empty... I have one Arnott shock installed and need to get the other one done.

What do you attribute my sudden improvement in gas mileage to then? Techron?, cleaning out the intake system and combustion chambers?

Yes, I do believe that back to back fill ups with a bottle of TECHRON in each tank will help your gage, mine is bahaving great now.

I just don't consider the Symmetry to be a high performance tire, its OK, and adequate for my Deville, but its NOT a high performance tire. It breaks loose to quickly on acceleration in the rain, meaning to me that it will break loose too fast on BRAKING in the rain for my liking. I am seriously thinking of a high performance all season tire like the HydroEdge or a Pilot. I am nuts about wanting good wet handling having had a serious accident in the rain..

Good luck with the other shock, can't wait to see your impressions.

OK - The shocks are installed and I have graduated to gin & tonics... I just need to plug in the Arnott resistors and wire them up out of the way.

As far as your increase in MPG - Beats the $#%@* out of me.... it could be the Techron but who knows?? I'll try a can of Techron in the tank to see if it cures the fuel gage issues I've been experiencing.

[Texas Jim]

I am seriously thinking of a high performance all season tire like the HydroEdge or a Pilot. I am nuts about wanting good wet handling having had a serious accident in the rain..

Mike,

I had a set of the HydroEdge.

I liked them real well.

They were good in the rain.

They also last a good long time.

I put close to 60,000 on them.

[BodybyFisher]

Ok I go to the store today after driving 1000 miles since I did all this work, and, I SMELL COOLANT AGAIN!

I lift the hood and coolant is all over the coolant tank. The purge line hose is leaking, and the clamps are tight. I take the hose off, and coolant is leaking from the ends of the hose out of the holes created by the reinforcement. It must be leaking internally.

I go to the auto parts store and he brings out CLEAR 3/8" hose and I thought, HMM, that will be an interesting thing to put there to always see the coolant flowing, especially since I might have rubber flowing around my system from the bottom of the old thermostat. The jury is still out as to whether or not I will keep it, while the counter guy said its heat and pressure resistive, I did not like the feel of it while it was hot. If it looks like it is ballooning when I am very hot, its history, but the idea of a clear hose in that location, is intriguing. So here is what my new clear hose looks like:

[navion]

Here is a question for all of you thinkers. Could my knock sensor have been retarding my ignition because my engine was shaking because of the mount being cracked loose? And could that have been causing poorer gas mileage and reduced power? Just a thought, maybe it was the Techron..

Not likely - the frequency of the noise generated by spark knock is much different than what could be generated by a vibrating engine caused by a bad mount. The gas gage on my '96 Seville is starting to act flakey - it is very intermittent but when it acts up, the gas gage will read "Empty" and the DIC will display the "Fuel level very low" message. Maybe the Techron will cure that?

Thanks for that Britt, I did not consider that the tire could be damaged, I need to replace all 4 soon. On the way home I was debating going blackwall and getting a Michelin Pilot h-rated tire or a Michelin HydroEdge. The only whitewall available in my size is the Michelin Symmetry, which I am not a big fan of.

As you know, I'm not a fan of blackwalls on the Deville or Fleetwood Brougham. They are OK on the Sevilles - both of mine have blackwalls but not the Fleetwood. Almost every tire manufacturer has dropped the 235-70-15 whitewall tire (the size my Fleetwood takes). I bought a new set of whitewalls for the Fleetwood last year even though I didn't need tires at the time because I KNEW I'd never find them when I needed them. They are on a rack in my basement.

Why don't you like the Michelin Symmetry tire? Those were on my STS when I bought it and I ran them for a year and a half until they were down to the wear indicators. They were a quiet tire but since I didn't have them as new, I had no idea on how many miles they had on them.

I need to get back out to the garage - my beer is empty... I have one Arnott shock installed and need to get the other one done.

Kevin,

I ran through two sets of Symmetrys on my 94 SLS. A third set was on the car when I traded it off. They averaged about 50,000 miles before they were worn to the point where I just wanted them changed. Probably 3/32" tread left. Not quite to the wear indicator bars. They gave a smooth ride. I really have no complaints about them.

Britt

[BodybyFisher]

I have no real complaints either, but once you have had a really good wet weather tire on, you never want less, the Pilot H-rated tire was amazing.

[navion]

Ok I go to the store today after driving 1000 miles since I did all this work, and, I SMELL COOLANT AGAIN!

I lift the hood and coolant is all over the coolant tank. The purge line hose is leaking, and the clamps are tight. I take the hose off, and coolant is leaking from the ends of the hose out of the holes created by the reinforcement. It must be leaking internally.

I go to the auto parts store and he brings out CLEAR 3/8" hose and I thought, HMM, that will be an interesting thing to put there to always see the coolant flowing, especially since I might have rubber flowing around my system from the bottom of the old thermostat. The jury is still out as to whether or not I will keep it, while the counter guy said its heat and pressure resistive, I did not like the feel of it while it was hot. If it looks like it is ballooning when I am very hot, its history, but the idea of a clear hose in that location, is intriguing. So here is what my new clear hose looks like:

Mike,

I don't think that I would trust a non reinforced hose in the cooling system. If that thing blows at the wrong time, say, on the Long Island Express Way, it could cost you your engine before you could get it off the road safely.

I would make that counter guy show you the spec sheet on that hose.

Temp & pressure resistive? Well 100 degrees is a temperature. And 14.7 PSI is a pressure. I'm fairly sure that the hose will resist those parameters.

Britt

[BodybyFisher]

You know Britt, I agree, if he wasn't an old timer, I would not have walked out without a reinforced hose. I even told him, its not the overflow, its under pressure! I like that its clear but I didnt like the soft squishy feel of that hose when I got home, and the car was hot. I am sure I will change it tomorrow. Thanks for confirming my thinking, I am SURE you would not use that hose for aviation huh?

[navion]

You know Britt, I agree, if he wasn't an old timer, I would not have walked out without a reinforced hose. I even told him, its not the overflow, its under pressure! I like that its clear but I didnt like the soft squishy feel of that hose when I got home, and the car was hot. I am sure I will change it tomorrow. Thanks for confirming my thinking, I am SURE you would not use that hose for aviation huh?

The only place that I can think of in an aviation situation would be the PRT. (Pilot Relief Tube)

Britt