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Car gets problems....sell or fix?


Simi

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I have a 1996 Cadillac SLS, 130k miles, with a few problems on it. Me being a college student i think im at that point where it might be cheaper to sell the car and buy another one, but i want to get some of your guys opinions first. My car has these codes:

PC0730- Incorrect Gear Ration

PC1560- Transaxle not in drive- CC Disabled

IP1911- Battery Not Charge

IR1771-?? cant find it

its also leaking oil pretty badly and this just started happening last week, if i put in 2 quarts, it will all bleed out in 2 days, maybe less. When i start the car it starts shaking for 30 secs or until i drive. Im taking it to the family mechanic tue to get it checked out but i think the time has come to sell it. Do any of you guys have estimates of how much it would cost to fix all of it? Or would i rather be better off selling it?

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Transmission rebuild $2,500. Engine leak repair $1000 (if you could do the work cost for gaskets, timesert, etc)-$6500+ for a used engine R&R.

If by college student you mean limited/no car budget, then I'd say replacement shopping is in order.

Bruce

2016 Cadillac ATS-V gray/black

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Are the codes you show "current" or "history". If they are "current" then I would check them out a little closer. Oil can leak from several places. Have you verified where it is leaking? It could be a oil cooler line or a leak around the oil filter adapter, easy fixes. It does not sound like a case half or an oil pan leak due to it leaking as bad as you say. As far as the engine shaking it could be just a leaky FPR or an arcing plug wire, easy fixes. Have you checked the battery terminals for corrosion? Could be as simple as that. I would do some further research before I give it up. Buying another used car could put you in a worse situation if your not careful.

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P0730 Incorrect Gear Ratio

P1560 Transaxle Not in Drive - Cruise Control Disabled

B1911 Generator L-Terminal Problem

B1771 Cassette tape slow

As Paul T says, there is a big difference between a history code and a current code. The P1560 can be thrown if you pull the transmission down to 3rd to slow down while the cruise control is on, for example. The B1911 code usually means a battery cable is loose or dirty or a bad battery, but can mean that the alternator needs service. The B1771 code means that the cassette drive needs cleaning, which you can do by using a cleaning cassette, which is about $5. The P0730 can be thrown if you pull the shifter gently until it drops into 3rd but it isn't in the detent, so the switch doesn't tell the computer that the transmission isn't still in 4th. These codes, once thrown, remain for anywhere from three driving cycles to 90 driving cycles (trips that include starting the car, warming it up, and driving at least 45 mph). Usually the thing to do if you are diagnosing something without knowing what it is or having a specific complaint is to clear the codes and see if any come back.

The worrisome thing that the car is missing when cold and leaking oil. A quart a day probably means that one of the oil cooler lines to the radiator has a split O ring or is loose. Someone pulling it real tight with a wrench will split the O ring; O-ring fittings aren't supposed to be as tight as metal-to-metal fittings. Another O ring fitting is at the other end of the oil cooler lines, near the oil filter. I believe that the engine oil cooler is on the right (passenger) side of the radiator (the transmission cooler, which looks identical at the radiator, os on the left side). These are inexpensive fixes -- get new O rings from the dealer and put them on.

A miss at idle that does not throw a code means that it doesn't happen when the engine is warm enough for the oxygen sensors to be working. It can be spark or gas related, and may be fixed by something as simple as driving the car at cruise for 15 minutes at 65 mph.

None of these problems seems to be anywhere near as expensive as buying another used car. Fixing them inexpensively will require that you become a bit of a weekend mechanic, which you will probably need to do eventually if you like to keep car costs down.

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Thanks alot for your replies, especially yours Jim, really really helpful. The transmission problem is that it wont go into 4th gear. ive tried it about a dozen times, it can go 1,2,3 gear fine but when it gets to 3000rpm on 3rd gear and time to switch it starts jerking, like it wont switch, this happens usually around 60mph. What i can do is press the accel 3/4 of the way down and make it accelearate so it doesnt stutter and then let it cool down. Thanks for finding the tape code, i had a suspicion it was something like that, and i will be getting a tape cleaner soon. I think the alternator does have a problem, but im taking my car to a mechaninc tue and ill know all about it, i just wanted to know what i was getting myself into. Thanks alot to everyone.

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Thanks alot for your replies, especially yours Jim, really really helpful. The transmission problem is that it wont go into 4th gear. ive tried it about a dozen times, it can go 1,2,3 gear fine but when it gets to 3000rpm on 3rd gear and time to switch it starts jerking, like it wont switch, this happens usually around 60mph. What i can do is press the accel 3/4 of the way down and make it accelearate so it doesnt stutter and then let it cool down. Thanks for finding the tape code, i had a suspicion it was something like that, and i will be getting a tape cleaner soon. I think the alternator does have a problem, but im taking my car to a mechaninc tue and ill know all about it, i just wanted to know what i was getting myself into. Thanks alot to everyone.

Two things will prevent the trans from shifting into 4th gear: A bad shift solenoid or a bad seal on the 4th gear accumulator piston. The accumulator piston seal is a straightforward job and the solenoid job is a little more complex but nothing overly complicated.

Kevin
'93 Fleetwood Brougham
'05 Deville
'04 Deville
2013 Silverado Z71

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Transmission rebuild $2,500. Engine leak repair $1000 (if you could do the work cost for gaskets, timesert, etc)-$6500+ for a used engine R&R.

If by college student you mean limited/no car budget, then I'd say replacement shopping is in order.

This forum is the last place I would expect to see this kind of advice. Maybe we're all getting a little tired. Oil leak=engine rebuild? Since when?

Never underestimate the amount of a persons greed.

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Transmission rebuild $2,500. Engine leak repair $1000 (if you could do the work cost for gaskets, timesert, etc)-$6500+ for a used engine R&R.

If by college student you mean limited/no car budget, then I'd say replacement shopping is in order.

This forum is the last place I would expect to see this kind of advice. Maybe we're all getting a little tired. Oil leak=engine rebuild? Since when?

maybe quick on the gloom, but with only the info given if someone wanted to know worst case...

Bruce

2016 Cadillac ATS-V gray/black

Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube

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One more thing about the spark plugs, and wires if you haven't changed them yet.

I recently changed plugs and wires on my 96 SLS.

Wire were just under $200 (don't cheap out and go with after market wires or you will be doing them again in less than a year) and I think I paid almost $40 for the plugs.

(try "rockauto.com" for the wires)

The job took me less than an hour with no special tools.

I had to remove a lot of stuff, but I didn't have to remove the cross bar.

Good luck and I hope yout family mechanic doesn't give you really bad news.

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