Dloch Posted February 8, 2004 Report Share Posted February 8, 2004 Was or is there a problem with the fuel injector rails on the Northstar engines leaking? I believe the fuel pressure regulator (FPR) is also in that line. Reason I ask is I was somewhere last week that was building machines that bent the SS fuel lines and attached the injector bungs etc. prior to the brazing process. They said that were 4 or 5 different lines for the northstar as well. Dennis Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Nhtsa started looking at them last October. This is the info they have right now. Make: CADILLAC Model: DEVILLE Year: 1997 NHTSA Action Number: PE03050 Summary: THE FUEL RAIL ASSEMBLIES USED IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED BY DANA. THE FUEL RAIL JUMPER TUBES WERE MADE OF MONOLAYER NYLON 12 (PA12). IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998, THE JUMPER TUBE MATERIAL WAS CHANGED FROM PA12 TO M-BOND (A MULTI-LAYER PTFE/PA12). IN ADDITION, ALL SERVICE PARTS PRODUCED SINCE THE END OF PRODUCTION 1997 USE THE M-BOND JUMPER TUBES. MATERIAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED BY DANA ON FAILED FUEL RAILS SHOWED THAT THE MONO-LAYER NYLON 12 JUMPER TUBES ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS CRACKING (ESC). GM BELIEVES THE ESC IS A RESULT OF HEAT, TIME, ALCOHOL BLENDED FUEL, FUEL PRESSURE CYCLING, AND DESIGNED IN STRESS. EIGHT OF THE GM COMPLAINTS ARE DUPLICATIVE OF ODI COMPLAINTS. ODI HAS RECEIVED 77 OF IT'S 123 COMPLAINTS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS. FUEL RAIL PART SALES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS RANGE FROM 3.0 PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR THE MY 1997 CADILLAC VEHICLES TO 13.1 PERCENT FOR THE MY 1995 AURORAS. AT LEAST ONE OF THE FIRE INCIDENTS OCCURED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITHIN A GARAGE ATTACHED TO THE CONSUMERS HOME. THE FIRE RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE DWELLING AS WELL AS THE TOTAL LOSS OF THE VEHICLE. THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS. Logan Diagnostic LLC www.airbagcrash.com www.logandieselusa.com www.ledfix.com www.ledfix.com/yukontaillightrepair.html www.ledfix.com/ledreplacements.html www.ledfix.com/j42385toolrental.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dloch Posted February 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Nhtsa started looking at them last October. This is the info they have right now. Obviously they (GM) are taking this very, very seriously..... They are having a company build the machines to make new SS fuel lines for a whole bunch of Northstar engines...... I was told, but can't confirm, that GM was going to replace the fuel lines on all of them. As to what year or models I wasn't told, but there were 4 different style fuel lines that they were making. I don't nor did my information source know if the different fuel lines were for specific models or years or both. This is going to be very interesting to see how it unfolds ........ Anybody know of anyone that had a burn-down?? Dennis Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 This is going to be very interesting to see how it unfolds ........ Anybody know of anyone that had a burn-down?? Nope, but I'm going to stay tuned! As many times as I've had the dang fuel rail pushed around while cleaning the EGR valve on my '97, I'd think it would have failed by now! Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dloch Posted February 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 [Nope, but I'm going to stay tuned! As many times as I've had the dang fuel rail pushed around while cleaning the EGR valve on my '97, I'd think it would have failed by now! Does the EGR need to be cleaned from time to time?? It looks to be the same as I have on my 4.3 GMC, which has gotten carbon in it and stuck open. Same problem.... different car? Dennis Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 9, 2004 Report Share Posted February 9, 2004 Maybe. I've elected to clean mine every few months for the past while. I'm chasing a P0404 code, which is EGR function. It seems that everytime I go in there to clean the shaft, it's gotten "sticky" just since the last time I was in there. I think the ultimate fix for me is going to be to replace the valve itself. I haven't had the code for a while though, so it may come and go with the weather or brand of fuel I use. I never use any particular brand, but it's always a name brand station I go to (Shell, Amoco, Texaco, etc). Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95SLS Posted February 10, 2004 Report Share Posted February 10, 2004 I scream holly molly a while back about the problem, Mine had like a pin hole leak and I was pissed about it and still am. I just thought there should have been some sort of TSB or recall. But they GM just gaffed me off bigtime, and that is why I am looking at the large FORD SUV's instead of the Escalade. Just because of they way they acted like it was no big deal. I get either make 4% over cost so, If I am going to buy something faulty, it may as well be cheap right? And my question is, If you order a new rail for like a 95 or 96 will you get the new material or the same material that failed in the first place? If so, can you order the rail for a newer car and make it fit? I refuse to fix it with the same crap. If I trade the Car in to GM on a Denali Yukon, they will get the bad rail back! But If I trade it at Ford or sell it (Most likely) I'll have to fix it. MC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dloch Posted February 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2004 And my question is, If you order a new rail for like a 95 or 96 will you get the new material or the same material that failed in the first place? If so, can you order the rail for a newer car and make it fit? I would hold off on ordering a new fuel rail just yet... The machines that are building the new ones aren't quite done yet, although GM is putting a major push on the machine builder to get them done quickly. Again what I was told was that GM was going to do a recall, what years and/or cars... don't know. In any event if you were to order a new rail I would think you would get the same type that you now have. I don't believe GM is mandated by the government to replace them.... just yet.. I believe they are taking a proactive step in case they are. Can you imagine the cost of replacing the fuel rails on all northstar engines. I would imagine that would cost someone in excess of 20 - 25 millon, not to mention the liability for the cars that did burn down. Dennis Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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