VegasRudeBoy Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Hi y'all I'm new to the whole Cadillac thing but I've just bought a 1981 Cadillac El Dorado. I'm hoping I haven't made a Really Bad Decision with this... can anyone help me out and let me know what the issues are with this model? Regards VRB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmarinov Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Hi y'all I'm new to the whole Cadillac thing but I've just bought a 1981 Cadillac El Dorado. I'm hoping I haven't made a Really Bad Decision with this... can anyone help me out and let me know what the issues are with this model? Regards VRB Congratulations and welcome aboard. From what I understand of this model/vintage ('79-85 Eldos) they are solid cars. I don't know of anything model-specific to look out for, others on this board may. With that being said, a car's condition is highly specific, and with a good maintenance history you can hope to avoid common problems. How many miles/what type of engine? If I'm correct, this type of car belongs to the CCC (Computer Command Control) generation of on-board diagnostics. Do you have any Check Engine codes? What do you know about the maintenance history of the vehicle? MM <!--fonto:Arial--><span style="font-family:Arial"><!--/fonto-->2007 DTS Performance - 50K <!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc--> As a matter of fact, I <i>am</i> driving 70 MPH in a phone booth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarrenJ Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 I'm hoping I haven't made a Really Bad Decision with this... I noticed you capitalized "Really Bad Decision." Why do you say that? Do you have problems? Oh yeah, WELCOME! Regards, Warren There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion. The alternative is only whether the crisis should come sooner as the result of a voluntary abandonment of further credit expansion, or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. - Ludwig von Mises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 I had a buddy who had one of those older Eldos, not sure the exact year. He had engine woes and put a Chevy 350 in it's place. Nice cars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Hi and welcome. No real issues with the car but '81 was not Cadillacs best year for engines. As I recall you had 3 choices, V8-6-4, HT4100 or Diesel. Check Bodybyfisher's post "Cadillac 4100" for some comments on it. Which engine do you have BTW? I had an '81, '83 & '85. Loved that body style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasRudeBoy Posted November 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Well, I picked it up for next to nothing for a cheap daily driver, it runs good, but I was wondering what I should be doing for a basic tune-up and troubleshoot. Are there certain things that I should be looking for? I've never owned an American car before (more used to things like Mini 1275 GT's and spiffy Mk 2 Escorts), so this is a whole new ball game for me. /on edit: it has the 4100 8/6/4 engine... is this a bad engine? //feels good to own a proper pimpmobile though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Well depending on milage and last service, plugs, wires, cap & rotor for the tune up. I'd also change the coolant and be sure to add the GM cooling system suppliment (sealant tabs). Trans fluid change (no flush) would probably be due as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Well, I picked it up for next to nothing for a cheap daily driver, it runs good, but I was wondering what I should be doing for a basic tune-up and troubleshoot. Are there certain things that I should be looking for? I've never owned an American car before (more used to things like Mini 1275 GT's and spiffy Mk 2 Escorts), so this is a whole new ball game for me. /on edit: it has the 4100 8/6/4 engine... is this a bad engine? //feels good to own a proper pimpmobile though The V8-6-4 engine is not the HT-4100... It is the 368 cu-in Cadillac big block engine with digital fuel injection and the modulated displacement feature. There were some issues with the ECM connections - but other than that, the engine was rock solid. In my opinion, the '79-'85 Eldorados were one of the nicest looking Cadillacs. Keep in mind that you have purchased a 25 year old car - it will have some issues as would any car that old. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 The 1981 model year was the first year that GM had OBD. Eventually OBD was required by the Federal Government and is an international standard. The standard engine for the 1981 Eldorado is the 368 cid V8 with 8-6-4 variable displacement, digital fuel injection, and a four-speed overdrive transmission. Optional were the Buick 4.1 V6 with three-speed automatic and the Oldsmobile Diesel V8. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 Here is some general historical information on your car, click History of the 1981 Cadillac Eldorado at the bottom of the page for more info: http://100megsfree4.com/cadillac/cad1980/cad81.htm 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...
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