Bruce Nunnally Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 My 2005 CTS started exhibiting 2nd gear starts and nothing beyond 3rd gear on the highway. The 5 speed auto in the CTS has a separate 'snow' mode that has some similar characteristics, and my 'snow' mode won't turn on/off, although sport mode will turn on/off. Sport mode and snow mode are NOT mutually exclusive however, as you can be in both at the same time, I suppose for when you are doing high performance maneuvers in the snow (not something that I do). Anyway, I drove right on over to the local Cadillac dealer and dropped the CTS off, and got a 09 CTS base model in Red Crystal Tint as a loaner car while they have a look at my transmission. Could be user error of some sort, but was not obvious to me what to do differently. I had test driven the 08 CTS, but generally a higher end DI model with the Sport suspension. The loaner car appears to have NO options, which is perhaps how the rental car agency that provides loaner cars to the Cadillac dealer orders the cars. It is red crystal tint exterior, and black leather interior. Some thing obviously are VERY similar even to my 2005 model, which is also a low-option model. For example, the passenger seat still only has manual adjusts. This 09 CTS does have XM radio, which was an option back in 05 that I do have on my CTS, and surprisingly the XM in the 09 loaner is turned on, so that I could still listen to my 'regular' stations. The 09 has fixed an issue with the entertainment system on the 05: song and artist stay on the radio display by default all the time. On my 05 you can get this info if you press an info button, but then the radio display goes back to showing the time or station and you have to press it again to get the next song info. I prefer the song/artist info be displayed all the time. The 09 shows a digital cardinal-direction compass (N/S/E/W) below the odometer in the center of the dash. That's a nice interface addition. The 09 come stock with nice exhaust chrome pipes. The 04-07 did not. I think a specific year over year improvement from 08 to 09 is that now the combined antenna on the roof is body colored instead of black. My Wife and I both like the new interior design, and I like the exterior improvements very well. The 2009 CTS is very impressive overall. I would love to trade in my 2005 CTS for one, but it's not ready for retirement yet. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Look at how calm you are, I think that is great. Having a warranty, who cares what is wrong, so they'll fix it. You hardly mentioned the tranny problems. The lease must almost be over. What if they make you a good deal? 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...
Bruce Nunnally Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Part of it is I just got back from a quick flight and meetings, so I am still dazed. It is not clear to me if the transmission is broken, or it is just something simple. If it is broken, it is still under warranty, as you say. The CTS is not on a lease. Just to get on my soap box, although a lease seems to give lower payments, it is not a good financial vehicle for purchasing a car. The initial depreciation on a Cadillac is harsh. When you lease a new car, you ensure that you eat the initial depreciation but that you don't keep the car long enough to offset compensate with some years of lower depreciation but rather flip to another lease and another high first year depreciation. As part of my financial responsibility discipline, my current rules are not to replace things until they are worn out, and not to borrow money for anything. For Cadillacs I have decided (so far) to set the bar at 6 years/90k miles (I tend to drive ~15k miles per year). I appreciate that this is not 'worn out' for cars these days, but it seems a good compromise point since I would prefer to have a new car every 2 years or so. I do love having a car under warranty. You drop it off, get a loaner car, and off you go. If NOT under warranty I would be paying for a rental car and upset over how long it might take to diagnose the problem, conflicted over whether to have the dealer repair or an independent mechanic or attempt to repair myself. I had been siding toward not getting an extended warranty, since the CTS is unlikely to have major issues within the first 90K miles. After this episode however I am re-thinking my decision. My car has 46K miles on it, and you have to extend the warranty before it runs out. I have decided / undecided on extending the warranty daily lol. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Bruce, You are in a similar position to myself. My DTS currently has 38,500 on it. I plan to take a couple more trips before years end. That, plus regualr driving, will put the DTS close to the 50,000 miles mark also. I have debated just putting the money in a seperate "Work On The Car" account or getting the GMPP with a low deductable. If nothing happens, I still have my money. If several things happen... I LOSE MONEY. I am conflicted on which to do. I am leaning towards getting the GMPP, because... There is SO DARN MUCH that COULD go wrong. Everything on it is controlled be the computers and the GMLAN. I have been told that there are TWENTY ONE COMPUTERS and over TWO MILES of wiring in the car. ANY LITTLE REPAIR is going to be EXPENSIVE, because I will need to take it to the dealer or a mechanic. I work on computers for a living and I KNOW how quick something major can happen. Plus, I am just not in shape to do the work anymore and with my work hours I don't have the TIME to work on it. If I had the GMPP, I would take it in for almost ANYTHING that went wrong with it and have it fixed. Without the GMPP... I might ignore little things and let them go. By the time it got close to 100,000 miles... there might be several little things wrong with it that had accumalated over time. The trade in value would be decreased accordingly vs having the GMPP and everything be working at 100%... thus I will get more for trade in... thereby offsetting at least SOME of the cost of the GMPP and if I DID have to have it worked on a time or two... I would come out WAY AHEAD. I know there are a lot of IF's and MAYBE's in that... but that is kinda my thinking at this time. Any ideas as to ANY ALTERNATIVES are welcome from ANYBODY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Bruce, I like your away message: A major source of financial woe, is misunderstanding 'want' and 'need'. That statement influenced me so much, I told it to my ten year old daughter the other day.. 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...
Logan Posted July 31, 2008 Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Calm. You should try living on the other side. Niether of my last 2 Cadillacs had any type of warranty. Me fix. Done. Logan Diagnostic LLC www.airbagcrash.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...
Bruce Nunnally Posted July 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2008 Certainly Logan if I were a certified GM tech with a fully equipped shop my position would be different. Heck, if i even lived sort of close to Memphis my position would be different But there are lots of car repairs that are not in my repertoire. Jim - the economics are complex. Since warranty repairs get a different number of hours allowed AND a different rate/hour, what would cost me $1K might cost GM $250. So although GM makes money on the warranty (they would not sell it otherwise), it does not necessarily suggest that I lose money by buying a warranty due to the difference in my costs vs GM's warranty costs. [We have had both sides of this discussion a lot on the forum]. I think if I were GM I would want Bruce to buy the warranty and not spend a lot of ink on Caddyinfo talking about what broke on my CTS and agonizing about what to do, which makes me lean toward grabbing the extended warranty as well. I am looking at the pricing at http://www.gmoutlet.com/home.htm for a discount GMPP warranty. For the CTS a 36month/45K mile extension with $100 deduct is around $1910 (MSRP $2385) The 09 has Nitrogen in the tires, although I am not clear if that is a rental car thing, a dealer thing, or a Cadillac thing. I guess I can get used to the smaller outside mirrors. The vision out the back is also somewhat reduced in the new model. No call back on my 05 yet as to why the transmission is confused. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted August 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 Got my 2005 CTS back. Bad TCM (transmission control module); Dealer removed & replaced the TCM, reprogrammed, all better, covered on warranty. I grabbed it before they could wash it, and waved goodbye to the 09. Took my 05 on a long commute this evening for an open house and it performed just great. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 what do you think a TCM/install goes for? we are leasing a car now and the lease is up in 14months so i am looking around for another car already. i saw a 05 V8 STS with 49k miles for 15k at a dealer. the price keeps dropping on those things. i would prefer one with a warranty though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted August 1, 2008 Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 what do you think a TCM/install goes for? we are leasing a car now and the lease is up in 14months so i am looking around for another car already. i saw a 05 V8 STS with 49k miles for 15k at a dealer. the price keeps dropping on those things. i would prefer one with a warranty though. joeb, If the STS is at a Cadillac dealer... with 49,000 on it... they should be able to certify it for 6 years or 100,000 miles. New price on that '05 V8 STS was probably well over FIFTY GRAND. It is amazing what some vehicles are selling for right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted August 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2008 p/n 24240284, Module, Transmission control. 46366 Code 1834 set, diagnosed and found TCM shorted. K5365 0.90 Replaced TCM and programmed. Tech 573 warranty claim code 18779. MSRP for the module is $414, so I am guessing if I were paying the trip would have cost around $500-550 plus a rental car. The module online from gmpartsdirect.com is $245+S&H. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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