Madjac Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 I took the plunge and bought a Caddy on Monday May 3. The car is in fantastic shape. It's a 1995 Eldorado, pearl red (I think), with 23,000 miles. Thats right 23.000. They call this kind of of low milage vehicle a "condo car" here in sunny south Florida. Anyway I have some qusetions and concerns that I would like some assistance with from you Caddyinfo guys and gals. The car has four minor problems that it came with: The security system won't activate. I hit the "lock" button on the remote with the door open like the manual says but don't see the "security" light come on and I can't get the horn and lights to beep and flash afterward. The automatic darkening feature of the interior rearview mirror dosen't work. Its stuck in the "darkened" setting and the light on the switch is off. The front ashtray is broken. Cd's stick in the cd player, they only eject about a quater of an inch. I also have one potentially major problem that just popped up today. The "brake" warning light came on for a moment then went off. The driver information center said "check brake fluid" and "traction disabled" (I think). I added about six to eight oz. of DOT 3 to the brake fluid reservior to bring it up to the "full" level at the base of the filler neck. Dose anybody have any suggestions on how to fix any of these things? Can a competent mechanic (ASE certified) take care of my new baby or should I only let a dealer take care of it? Anybody have any tips, tricks, secrets or hard learned lessons regarding the care and feeding of Caddys (or automobiles in general, I'm more of a motorcycle guy myself.)? I intend to keep this ride for 100,000 more miles and I want to keep it looking and running as good as possible. Thanks in advance for all your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Welcom and Congradulations WOW, '95 with 23K. Did you find yourself a creampuff! Not sure about most of your problems. I think you solved the brake problem. No miles but almost 10 yrs., you might want to consider flushing the brake system. Owners manual will explain the brake light. Also coolant change if you don't know the history. It should have green coolant and should be on it's 4th change already. If your gonna do your own maintainance get a factory service manual. A compitent ASE certified mechanic can handle most things but some things are Cadillac specific and he should be familiar with them,I.E. Onboard Diagnostics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Ok, first thing. Run the codes. This will tell us about brakes and possibly theft system. See FAQ section of the site. Post any current or history codes that come up and we can tell you what they are. Second-Ashtray-look at it, can it be repaired? If not get a new one on eBay. CD Player-You need a new head unit. Send it for repair for $100-$150 or take your chances with a used one on eBay for about the same money and sell yours as a Core for about $60. As for repairs, get a service manual, diagnose what you can, and only if you have to-take it to an honest repair place, does not have to be dealer IMHO, but should be somewhat familiar with the NS. Care and Feeding-Keep up regular maintenence and run it flat out once in a while(or frequently if you can). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Brake fluid!! I would want to know why I had to add fluid at that mileage. Pull all four wheels and inspect the brake pads, outboard and inboard. A leak should be obvious. Pad wear can occur at 'low miles' if the driver is/was the cautious type that keeps their left foot on the brake pedal "just in case".... Enjoy your new ride. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Get under the car and look for brake fluid traces to help diagnose where the fluid went. Worn out pads will account for some low fluid level in the reservoir, but the brakes are self adjusting and there should normally be very little lowering of the fluid level. The brakes are very easy to service by any compent brake shop. Due to so many head gasket failures, that are attributed to not changing coolant as required, a coolant change with two tubes of Bars Leak Golden Seal would be the next thing that I would do. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 The security system will need to be diagnosed and repaired by an expert, most likely. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted May 8, 2004 Report Share Posted May 8, 2004 Are you sure the car is equipped with a security system? If the car is an ETC, the security system is standard equipment. It may have been optional on the Eldorado though. I had a friend who had a 1994 SLS that did not have the security system even though it had keyless entry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 9, 2004 Report Share Posted May 9, 2004 A further note. Check your fuses. One block is under the hood, on the left fenderwell. The other is in the trunk, at the left corner. Fuses are labeled on the fuse box lids, as to there function. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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