stefank Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Hello all, visited a dealer today who is offering a 03 STS. Data: silver exterior with light grey leather interior (my favourite) one owner 61,000 kms (37,500 mls) original export car, no grey market Fully loaded, incl. HID headlamps, astro roof, Navigation + TV, park distance control, memory seats and so on. Some minor scratches at the bumpers, one door ding. Leather on driver's seat a litle bit worn. Service history incomplete, but mileage verified. Service due. He would take my 96 SLS (138,000 kms / 86,000 mls), I would have to pay about 8,500 EUR (11,000 USD) on top. Some questions: - Could I use my winter wheels from the 96 for the 03? Tire size on the 96 is 225/60 R 16, on the 03 it's 235/60 R16 - Are there any known problems with the 03 model year? - Is the service manual available? - Does the 03 have the same self diagnostic via the heater panel as the 96? Should I do it at all? My 96 is running perfect, no problems at all, and is getting great mileage. Somehow I would really regret selling this car, it has given perfect service so far. On the other hand, it's always fun to shop for a new car, and all the nice features of the 03... Undecided Stefan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fred Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Keep the 1996!! The 1996 looks better anyway.. I have a 1994 STS I'm not driving right now http://affordablecarats.com/newseville/ PS: For 11 grand you could have a brand new motor and transmission in your 1996 and alot of other things it could ever need.. keep the 11 grand and keep the 1996 heck the 03 might need some things probably as much as your 96 will and you know your 96 real well the 03 you don't MerryChristmas Be a Capitalist or work for one. Work for a Capitalist or be one. MerryChristmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 - Is the service manual available? - Does the 03 have the same self diagnostic via the heater panel as the 96? Yes & yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 .... Some questions: - Could I use my winter wheels from the 96 for the 03? Tire size on the 96 is 225/60 R 16, on the 03 it's 235/60 R16 - Are there any known problems with the 03 model year? - Is the service manual available? - Does the 03 have the same self diagnostic via the heater panel as the 96? Stefan Yes on the wheels. No pattern of problems. 2000+ engines had many internal changes Yes This page for 1998 - 2004 Seville code retrieval http://caddyinfo.com/readingcodes.html Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve6 Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Keep the 1996!! The 1996 looks better anyway.. I have a 1994 STS I'm not driving right now [PS: For 11 grand you could have a brand new motor and transmission in your 1996 and alot of other things it could ever need.. keep the 11 grand and keep the 1996 heck the 03 might need some things probably as much as your 96 will and you know your 96 real well the 03 you don't the 98-2004 sts looks way better than its previous sts models..... a 03 with only 37,000 miles should have very little to offer in repairs, they had finally fixed the p0717 trans issues(Tcc soloneid) and other common sensor malfunctions, and quite a few more improvements. 03 also offer GPS navigation, which is nice for long trips. stefank, some user reviews and remarks are availbable at autos.msn.com just look up 2003 seville, and goto reviews, user reviews, give you an idea of what people owning that car actually have to say good or bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 I vote for the 2003 STS. There was no STS in the US in 2004, only the SLS, in preparation for the 2005 redesign. So the 2003 STS is kind of the last shining example of the FWD STS, although of course similar powertrains live on today in the DTS or Lucerne. Can't advise on the pricing reasonableness, as you are in a very different market. GM info on the 03: http://media.gm.com/division/2003_prodinfo...ille/index.html Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fred Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Keep the 1996!! The 1996 looks better anyway.. I have a 1994 STS I'm not driving right now [PS: For 11 grand you could have a brand new motor and transmission in your 1996 and alot of other things it could ever need.. keep the 11 grand and keep the 1996 heck the 03 might need some things probably as much as your 96 will and you know your 96 real well the 03 you don't the 98-2004 sts looks way better than its previous sts models..... a 03 with only 37,000 miles should have very little to offer in repairs, they had finally fixed the p0717 trans issues(Tcc soloneid) and other common sensor malfunctions, and quite a few more improvements. 03 also offer GPS navigation, which is nice for long trips. stefank, some user reviews and remarks are availbable at autos.msn.com just look up 2003 seville, and goto reviews, user reviews, give you an idea of what people owning that car actually have to say good or bad. The 98-04 STS doesn't look better than the 93-97 STS because I like the 93-97 STS look and: I'm The Fred here As I always say "I may be old, but I'm right, and you'll know that when you know it" See. MerryChristmas Be a Capitalist or work for one. Work for a Capitalist or be one. MerryChristmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 With the low mileage, and what I feel is a good price, go for the 03, the 96 is a dinosaur in comparison...and repairs on the 96 are going to accelerate. Given your difficulty in getting parts I think thats another reason to go 03... Once you drive the 03 there will be no looking back even though the 96 has been good to you... I am sure you can sell your 96 for a good price NOW as its running good, etc.. Look at it not with your heart but from the standpoint of potential for cash outlay in repairs. I currently am looking at an Input Speed Sensor problem on my 96 and got a price of $1400 from my dealer today but that price could rise if they find anything else... The dealer is located one mile from me.... Good Luck with your decision.... Mike Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fred Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Can you fix it yourself? Dealers they will rob you blind and that is a shame because they have the guys who know how to fix the car the right way.... the other day they tried to charge my grandparents for a "brake line flush"... ... well, I.. I just don't even know what to say about that - they told them it needed a "brake line flush" without even looking at it and, For goodness sakes a brakeline flush of all things MerryChristmas Be a Capitalist or work for one. Work for a Capitalist or be one. MerryChristmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Is this the sensor on the transmission that relays the speed information to the computer? The sensor is magnetic and over time, picks up junk from the transmission. If so, cleaning it is often the solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Is this the sensor on the transmission that relays the speed information to the computer? The sensor is magnetic and over time, picks up junk from the transmission. If so, cleaning it is often the solution. thats interesting ED.... how is it cleaned? Must you get to it? Can you fix it yourself? Dealers they will rob you blind and that is a shame because they have the guys who know how to fix the car the right way.... the other day they tried to charge my grandparents for a "brake line flush"... ... well, I.. I just don't even know what to say about that - they told them it needed a "brake line flush" without even looking at it and, For goodness sakes a brakeline flush of all things Fred, i dont know if they were BSing or not, but see this link, we have been discussing it recently, Mike http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=9823 Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 For goodness sakes a brakeline flush of all things biggrin.gif I recall this discussion a long time ago with our old Guru. I remember him saying 10 yrs/100K is a good time to bleed out the old stuff. I did my '97 at 100K and it only took one can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Can you fix it yourself? Dealers they will rob you blind and that is a shame because they have the guys who know how to fix the car the right way.... the other day they tried to charge my grandparents for a "brake line flush"... ... well, I.. I just don't even know what to say about that - they told them it needed a "brake line flush" without even looking at it and, For goodness sakes a brakeline flush of all things Not everyone is oriented toward doing the really big jobs on these cars... basic stuff like brakes, tune ups, water pumps, are no big deal, but anything to me that involves dropping the carriage is in a different league. I do believe that in order to own an old car you need to do the work yourself, but not everyone is capable of doing so and repairs can be expensive on a ten year old car... Add to that, that stefank is in Germany and that adds a whole new spin to this...getting parts and finding a mechanic familiar with the NS... Hell with the Autobahn, I would want the 03 with its suspension and engine improvements.. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 stefank, If you decide to get the '03, I'd consider selling the '96 yourself. You'll probably make out better money wise. If you want to find out what they're giving you for your '96, ask them how much they'll give you for it, cash, no trade in. Compare that to what they're selling for in your paper, eBay, book value, etc. Also ask them what their bottom dollar is for the '03, cash and no trade. BS them and tell them you're gonna keep the '96, and see what kind of deal you can work out. Do the math and if they're giving you a fair price, then do the trade. Food for thought anyhow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fred Posted August 24, 2006 Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Absolutely agreed Dealers love playing with numbers.. they really love it alot. MerryChristmas Be a Capitalist or work for one. Work for a Capitalist or be one. MerryChristmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefank Posted August 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2006 Hello all, thanks a lot for your replies. Today I went to the dealer looking again at the car, and discovered that it had been built in 2001, but been registered first time in January 2003! Naturally, it has the CD based smaller screen GPS system instead the DVD system started in 2002. Being a 2001 in reality, the price is too high. And standing around for 1.5 years isn't good for any car, I guess. I think I'll pass on this one. Thanks again for all your help Stefan PS I flush my car's brake fluid every other year. Cheap insurance. PPS Mike, sorry to hear about your tranny problem. You are taking so good care of the car, and then this...hope you can resolve the problem without too much work and cost! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 '03 STS=Magnaride 1996 (more MAN-ly looking, OK Fred?) = old shocks which cost $600 us each! 'Nuf Said. Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caddypete Posted August 25, 2006 Report Share Posted August 25, 2006 If you have noticed lately, Caddys are not holding there value.You seem to be finding them going rather cheaply especially as they get older, I think the price of gas has alot to do with it, in many peoples minds Caddys are gas guzzlers, they would be amazed if they actually realized how fuel effiecient they are.The blue book value is a good way to find the value, but a car is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fred Posted August 27, 2006 Report Share Posted August 27, 2006 '03 STS=Magnaride 1996 (more MAN-ly looking, OK Fred?) = old shocks which cost $600 us each! 'Nuf Said. Agreed, the '96 is alot more of something a man would drive .. that's how it looks to me MerryChristmas Be a Capitalist or work for one. Work for a Capitalist or be one. MerryChristmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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