Rattling on 2002 Cadillac SLS

[Ed Hall]

My brother in law is reporting that he hears rattling noise coming from the water pump belt area. The car has approximately 70k miles on it. I'm thinking the tensioner could be on its way out. What do you think?

[JimD]

Easy enough to check by releasing the tension (1/4" drive tool) with the engine at idle.

If it is the belt tensioner, you might get lucky and find the bearing (only) at a decent parts house.

[Ranger]

Tensioner would be my guess from that description.

[Ed Hall]

Update:

Turns out that it was the water pump that was rattling. My brother in law reported that it was quite a job to gain access to the water pump. A lot had to be removed just to gain access. This is unlike my 93 Allante which had very little in the way. Later, I talked to a mechanic friend and he said they charge an extra $100 to work on Sevilles over the Devilles because of all the stuff they have to remove. He said it would have been right around $400 to do the job.

I also had my brother in law change the coolant. He replaced it with the green Ethylene Glycol type of antifreeze based on my recommendation and the mechanic friend. He is going to change the coolant every 2 years now.

[KHE]

Ed,

I'm not sure about the '98-'03 Sevilles but the only thing that needed to be removed to access the water pump cover and pump on the '93-'97 Sevilles was the air cleaner box. In 2001, the water pump started leaking on my '96 SLS. Since I didn't have the special tool, I called the local dealer and he quoted quoted me $425. I decided to do the job myself and it was the easiest pump I have ever changed - 45 minute job tops.

Why did you recommend green coolant?

[Ed Hall]

Ed,

I'm not sure about the '98-'03 Sevilles but the only thing that needed to be removed to access the water pump cover and pump on the '93-'97 Sevilles was the air cleaner box. In 2001, the water pump started leaking on my '96 SLS. Since I didn't have the special tool, I called the local dealer and he quoted quoted me $425. I decided to do the job myself and it was the easiest pump I have ever changed - 45 minute job tops.

Why did you recommend green coolant?

I remember it as being very easy to access as well on my 93 Allante. I think the newer style Sevilles are more difficult based on what my brother in law had to remove. There were a bunch a lot of plastic covers/shrouding that had to be removed just to get to the water pump.

I recommended the green coolant based on the recommendation of two of my mechanic friends who work exclusively on GM cars. I am further convinced based on the following thread from a different site. This mechanic is making his living replacing Cadillac headgaskets and claims the worst headgaskets seen are the Northstar engines which used Dexcool coolant. Here's the thread:

Dexcool and headgaskets

[Ranger]

I have read and been involved in that thread and every time I start to believe it and consider switching coolant I keep going back to why does my wife's '96 Bonneville with 150K (or any other GM engine for that matter) not have head gasket problems? I still don't believe the problem is Dex. I think it is the aluminum alloy used that weakened the threads.

[JimD]

Help me understand the point in using a silicated anti-freeze product instead of whatever modern anti-freeze chemistry package is recommended and factory-filled by the vehicle manufacturer?

Why not simply drain and refill using the factory-fill product every two years if there is parnoia in the air?

To give all the independent repair shop owners/employees the benefit of the doubt as to why they would suggest such a change, I have to ask how many of those owners/employees actually own and drive Dex-Cool filled powerplants. Judging by the vehicles I see in the employee parking area at several local independent shops, I am lead to believe the answer is: very few.

I suspect there is bad/false/misleading information floating around the unedited internet which provides the quick-easy short term fix for folks who trade cars every 3 years.

[JimD]

....I think it is the aluminum alloy used that weakened the threads.

Have to disagee (again), Larry.

Gasket failure occurs first. Caused by cooling system neglect.

Head bolt thread corrosion is a result of gasket failure. The head bolt holes are designed to be "dry".

[Ranger]

Jim, there have been many reports of HG failures by guys who HAVE maintained their cooling systems. How do you know that the gaskets go first? That only brings me back to the original question, why only Northstars?

I assume you have seen this thread. Note post #2.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/north...ailure-fix.html

[KHE]

Ed,

I'm not sure about the '98-'03 Sevilles but the only thing that needed to be removed to access the water pump cover and pump on the '93-'97 Sevilles was the air cleaner box. In 2001, the water pump started leaking on my '96 SLS. Since I didn't have the special tool, I called the local dealer and he quoted quoted me $425. I decided to do the job myself and it was the easiest pump I have ever changed - 45 minute job tops.

Why did you recommend green coolant?

I remember it as being very easy to access as well on my 93 Allante. I think the newer style Sevilles are more difficult based on what my brother in law had to remove. There were a bunch a lot of plastic covers/shrouding that had to be removed just to get to the water pump.

I recommended the green coolant based on the recommendation of two of my mechanic friends who work exclusively on GM cars. I am further convinced based on the following thread from a different site. This mechanic is making his living replacing Cadillac headgaskets and claims the worst headgaskets seen are the Northstar engines which used Dexcool coolant. Here's the thread:

Dexcool and headgaskets

The vehicle in the last page of the thread was a '98 that had the original coolant. That coolant should have been changed twice by now and if it was still the 10 year old factory coolant, that might explain why the headgaskets failed.

[Ed Hall]

I don't see any huge advantage of using Dexcool (like better protection against headgasket failures) so this is another reason why I advised my brother in law to fill her up with green Ethylene Glycol and replace it every 2 years. The green stuff has been used for many years and was used in the earlier Northstars like my 93 so I don't see why it would cause any problems in the newer engines.

[Ranger]

It won't cause any problems Ed. I think the worst case is that the silicates are somewhat abrasive and may wear the pump seal a little faster.

[JimD]

I see this silicated vs. non-silicated antifreeze discussion becoming moot in the near future.

Mobil/Havoline and Prestone (and the other minor players) will simply cease production of silicated antifreeze products.

[KHE]

Jim, you bring up a good point. I changed the coolant in my Fleetwood Brougham this summer and couldn't find green silicated coolant anywhere. I would up using Prestone coolant that was yellow. After I changed the coolant, I found it at Sams Club but they only sold it in boxes of 6 one gallon containers for $48.00...

I changed the coolant in my STS also as it had been 2-1/2 years since I Timeserted the engine. I do not know if the car had green coolant in it prior to me buying it so I drain and refill with new Dexcool about every two years. I was only able to get about a gallon and a half out of it so I'm thinking I might need to change it every year.

[Ed Hall]

I found no problems finding the green stuff in my area in S. California. Walmart was selling it for $9 per gallon but I was able to buy 2 gallons at Autozone for $11 after rebate. My guess is they're getting rid of this stuff due to environmental concerns. Maybe I should start stocking up.

[Napoleonesco]

GM Owners Still Steaming Over Dex-Cool

Corrosion, Engine Damage Blamed on Coolant

August 29, 2006

Dex-Cool

Dex-Cool

• Dex-Cool Class Action Deadline Nears

• California Court to Rule on Dex-Cool Settlement

• GM Owners Still Steaming Over Dex-Cool

• Consumer Complaints

Ten years after General Motors began using Dex-Cool as an antifreeze in most of its cars and light trucks, GM car and truck owners continue to complain that the coolant corrodes and clogs radiators and radiator caps, erodes water pumps, rots radiator hoses, causes chronic overheating and engine damage while leading to leaky engine gaskets.

Patricia in Barberton, Ohio, feels cheated by the automaker. "I have had 2 intake gaskets replaced on my 1997 Pontiac Grand Am. The gaskets cost me close to $1,000 and they told me there is no guarantee it won't happen again," she wrote in a complaint to ConsumerAffairs.com.

"I just recently saw about the Dex-Cool problems and that is what I have been using in my vehicle since that is the kind that is required from the automakers," Patricia said.

Dex-Cool is now used in almost 40 million vehicles sold by GM since 1996. On its website, GM claims Dex-Cool will last 5 years or 150,000 miles but a steady stream of consumers insist the product is defective and has damaged their vehicles.

GM is quick to clarify its confidence in the antifreeze by stating that the GM owner's manual recommended 150,000-mile service interval is not a warranty guarantee. On its website, the company now also warns owners to consult their vehicle "owner's manual for the type of coolant right for your vehicle" and never "mix one type of coolant with the other."

Lawsuits Pending

At last count there were 14 lawsuits filed in state and federal courts throughout the country by GM vehicle owners angered over their experience with Dex-Cool.

A Missouri judge may soon grant class-action status to suits in his state -- and that would mean that millions of GM customers could become involved in the lawsuit. The Missouri Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from GM challenging class-action certification.

The Missouri suit was filed in April 2003 alleging GM vehicles with Dex-Cool in their cooling systems developed a rusty sludge.

The plaintiffs claim that GM refused to repair their vehicles or pay for the repairs and the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for breach of warranty under the federal Magnuson-Moss Act and the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.

Samuel in Bellville, Ohio experienced a similar problem with sludge in the cooling system of his car.

"I have sludge in my coolant caused by Dex-Cool,' he wrote. "GM demands that the coolant be used. So far it's just the gasket that has to be replaced. I will see if further damage was caused," he told ConsumerAffairs.com.

GM Is Mum

GM will not comment on the pending lawsuits but continues to claim that Dex-Cool represents an improvement over traditional coolants. Nevertheless, the automaker has alerted mechanics that vehicles operated for 15,000 to 20,000 miles with low coolant levels "may be susceptible to the formation of a rust like material in the cooling system."

Deborah in Hornell, New York faced similar news from her mechanic when she took her 2002 Buick Century in for a maintenance check. Deborah was told the Dex-Cool needed to be flushed and refilled even though the owner's manual stated the coolant ought to be good for 100,000 miles.

"My car has only 48,000 miles," she wrote. "The Dex-Cool had corroded the engine and the mechanic also advised that the plastic manifold would need to be replaced since the Dex-Cool had literally eaten through it."

Deborah blames the costly repairs on GM because in her view the automaker "installed what they knew as faulty equipment, namely a plastic item in an engine unit and Dex-Cool antifreeze that does not work."

In Madison County, Illinois, a lawsuit claims Dex-Cool "began to turn into sludge which then accumulated in the vehicle's engine cooling system and radiator."

Clear As Mud

The bright orange coolant often changes into a muddy colored liquid and when the change occurs automobile mechanics blame Dex-Cool for expensive cooling system flushes, gasket replacements, and even new radiators and heater cores.

"You'll see heater cores leaking. You'll see frost plugs leaking. You'll see water pump failures. You'll see overheating problems. You'll see air conditioners not cooling very good. You'll see transmissions burning up at 100,000 miles if the coolant systems are not working right," said one mechanic who works on GM cars and trucks.

Ronald in Downey, California told ConsumerAffairs.com the Dex-Cool has almost destroyed the engine in his car. "The product in vehicles coolant systems deteriorates aluminum parts in the engine," Ronald said. "The intake manifold, cylinder heads and timing chain cover are all made out of aluminum. My vehicle needs all these parts replaced."

His problems worsened. "The motor has coolant in the oil and oil in coolant," indicating that the head gasket is leaking. "This is the second time this problem has occurred."

The repairs to his damaged engine have now cost Ronald more than $4,000 "because all the aluminum parts have to be replaced."

What To Do

As lawyers continue to collect names for potential class action lawsuits from people claiming Dex-Cool damaged their car or truck, automobile mechanics are advising that if you have Dex-Cool as a coolant in your vehicle, you should not replace it with another form of antifreeze.

If your car or truck came from the factory with Dex-Cool, you should continue to use that coolant both as replacement and to top off the radiator, the mechanics say.

Last but not least, if your car came from the factory with standard "green" antifreeze, don't switch to Dex-Cool.

[OynxSTS]

As lawyers continue to collect names for potential class action lawsuits from people claiming Dex-Cool damaged their car or truck, automobile mechanics are advising that if you have Dex-Cool as a coolant in your vehicle, you should not replace it with another form of antifreeze.

If your car or truck came from the factory with Dex-Cool, you should continue to use that coolant both as replacement and to top off the radiator, the mechanics say.

Last but not least, if your car came from the factory with standard "green" antifreeze, don't switch to Dex-Cool.

The last three points of that press release are the most important...

Those cars all had plastic intake manifolds that failed... It is not clear if the would have failed regardless of the coolant...

As for our NorthStars...

The jury is still out, but considerable evidence is developing that there was/is something wrong with the castings used on 1997/98 & 99 NorthStar blocks... well over 75% of the failures occur in those three tight years and then dramatically decrease to next to nothing in 2000-2003 and drop to Zero in 2004 and after... Some 2004 blocks have been sitting in Dex for over 5 years now and yet the failure rate is zilch... Dex is not the issue, Bad head bolts and bad engine casting are.

If Dex was to blame you would expect the failure rate to move forward as these motors age... This is NOT occuring... The spike of failures of the 97/98/99 engines is remaining constant and fixed...

That was the one question that the Guru was never able to answer, when he was here, How come LS1/2/3 guys can swap heads like they are going out of sytle and yet if we pull the heads off of our cars, we MUST timesert them... Further, the LS1/2/3 engines are also soaking in Dex with minimal headgasker issues... Why?

The answer is NOT in the coolant... The answer is in the headbolts and the blocks.

[KHE]

As lawyers continue to collect names for potential class action lawsuits from people claiming Dex-Cool damaged their car or truck, automobile mechanics are advising that if you have Dex-Cool as a coolant in your vehicle, you should not replace it with another form of antifreeze.

If your car or truck came from the factory with Dex-Cool, you should continue to use that coolant both as replacement and to top off the radiator, the mechanics say.

Last but not least, if your car came from the factory with standard "green" antifreeze, don't switch to Dex-Cool.

The last three points of that press release are the most important...

Those cars all had plastic intake manifolds that failed... It is not clear if the would have failed regardless of the coolant...

As for our NorthStars...

The jury is still out, but considerable evidence is developing that there was/is something wrong with the castings used on 1997/98 & 99 NorthStar blocks... well over 75% of the failures occur in those three tight years and then dramatically decrease to next to nothing in 2000-2003 and drop to Zero in 2004 and after... Some 2004 blocks have been sitting in Dex for over 5 years now and yet the failure rate is zilch... Dex is not the issue, Bad head bolts and bad engine casting are.

If Dex was to blame you would expect the failure rate to move forward as these motors age... This is NOT occuring... The spike of failures of the 97/98/99 engines is remaining constant and fixed...

That was the one question that the Guru was never able to answer, when he was here, How come LS1/2/3 guys can swap heads like they are going out of sytle and yet if we pull the heads off of our cars, we MUST timesert them... Further, the LS1/2/3 engines are also soaking in Dex with minimal headgasker issues... Why?

The answer is NOT in the coolant... The answer is in the headbolts and the blocks.

The head bolts were changed in 2000 and again in 2003 or 2004 so that may explain the reduction in failure rates.

[OynxSTS]

As lawyers continue to collect names for potential class action lawsuits from people claiming Dex-Cool damaged their car or truck, automobile mechanics are advising that if you have Dex-Cool as a coolant in your vehicle, you should not replace it with another form of antifreeze.

If your car or truck came from the factory with Dex-Cool, you should continue to use that coolant both as replacement and to top off the radiator, the mechanics say.

Last but not least, if your car came from the factory with standard "green" antifreeze, don't switch to Dex-Cool.

The last three points of that press release are the most important...

Those cars all had plastic intake manifolds that failed... It is not clear if the would have failed regardless of the coolant...

As for our NorthStars...

The jury is still out, but considerable evidence is developing that there was/is something wrong with the castings used on 1997/98 & 99 NorthStar blocks... well over 75% of the failures occur in those three tight years and then dramatically decrease to next to nothing in 2000-2003 and drop to Zero in 2004 and after... Some 2004 blocks have been sitting in Dex for over 5 years now and yet the failure rate is zilch... Dex is not the issue, Bad head bolts and bad engine casting are.

If Dex was to blame you would expect the failure rate to move forward as these motors age... This is NOT occuring... The spike of failures of the 97/98/99 engines is remaining constant and fixed...

That was the one question that the Guru was never able to answer, when he was here, How come LS1/2/3 guys can swap heads like they are going out of sytle and yet if we pull the heads off of our cars, we MUST timesert them... Further, the LS1/2/3 engines are also soaking in Dex with minimal headgasker issues... Why?

The answer is NOT in the coolant... The answer is in the headbolts and the blocks.

The head bolts were changed in 2000 and again in 2003 or 2004 so that may explain the reduction in failure rates.

Exactly... The engines with better head bolts have less and then no issues with DEX... so was dex the problem or was it the bolts?

The original NorthStar bolts (93-99) are the same as the bolts used in another GM engine... The Quad4... Guess what the Quad4 is famous for? Yup, leaky headgaskets... with most of these engines needing a new headgasket and block inserts at around 80,000 miles...

The original Northstar/Quad4 headbolts are fine thread and short. They are proving to not provide enough bite into the block material... In 2000 GM continued with the "fine threaded" bolts but made them considerably longer... And head gasket issues SIGNIFICANTLY decreased... Then in 2004 GM switch the head bolts again... Again GM reused an existing bolt design.. But this time they picked the same bolt they use in the LS2... Unlike the Quad4 the LS2 is famous for NOT having head gasket issues and this issue has been resolved... The 2004 Northstars are rock solid and have almost ZERO head gasket issues...

If only GM had of fixed this issue in 1994 not 2004... sigh..

I wonder how many Cadillac customers have been lost forever, 'cause some engineer erroneously picked a bazillionth of cent cheaper bolt.

[Jan Olsson]

Jim, you bring up a good point. I changed the coolant in my Fleetwood Brougham this summer and couldn't find green silicated coolant anywhere. I would up using Prestone coolant that was yellow. After I changed the coolant, I found it at Sams Club but they only sold it in boxes of 6 one gallon containers for $48.00...

I changed the coolant in my STS also as it had been 2-1/2 years since I Timeserted the engine. I do not know if the car had green coolant in it prior to me buying it so I drain and refill with new Dexcool about every two years. I was only able to get about a gallon and a half out of it so I'm thinking I might need to change it every year.

The gurus recommendations are simple. If you have the green stuff, change every year. If you have dex change every second year. This is based on a simple drain and refill and the fact that you can only drain about 1/2- 2/3 of all the coolant.

The green stuff is recommened to be changed every 2 years (or at xxx miles) but that is only true if you can get ALL of the coolant out of the engine (2/3x2x12 = 16 months) , thus every year.

Dex-cool is recommended to be changed every 5 years (or at xxx miles) thus every 2 years.

If you have used the green stuff there are no benefits from using dex since the surfaces in the coolant passages and engine itself are "contaminated" with silicates "destroying" dex benefits.

Personally I think that one should stick to what is recommended by the guru and by the FSM. The single biggest reason for blowing the head gaskets is bad maintenance of the cooling system.

There are also obviously problems with well-maintained systems, some vintages worser than other.

Cadillac has changed bolt lengths, thread lengths, thread pitches and are using pressure-casting techniques since 2002 (?) and redesigned the head gasket after 2004. All theese things are helping making the head gasket last longer, but as the guru mentioned the head gaskets are seeing a lot of thermal cycling and as AJ showed in his thread the differences between an ordinary sand-cast block and this die-cast structure (a must if one wants to make it fit for die-casting) makes the head gaskets subjects to a lot of stress from movement between different areas in the block.

It is obvious that a sand-cast ordinary block works better from a head-gasket point of view but I also believe that differences in alloy/casting temperatures/time etc. makes certain vintages more prone to leak than others and that the main reason for leaks besides bad maintenance comes from that.. Seems like -93 to -97 are "ok" -98 to -00 are "bad" -01 to -03 "ok" ?

But the guru also said that the head gaskets on the Nortstar lasts just as good as on any other car.

About the only thing that happens with theese engines are bad head gaskets. That fact and the fact it is FWD (= expensive fix) makes people go wild...

Just my 2 cents

[OynxSTS]

The single biggest reason for blowing the head gaskets is bad maintenance of the cooling system.

Sadly there is mounting evidence that this not the case... and while over maintaining your cooling system isn't going to hurt, there is NO Guarantee that it will prevent a head gasket failure. (my 7 year old '02 is on 4th batch of dex and I will change it again this summer)

There are also obviously problems with well-maintained systems, some vintages worser than other.

Seems like -93 to -97 are "ok" -98 to -00 are "bad" -01 to -03 "ok" ?

Close but not quite; more accurate is:

93-96: Not enough data... reliability unknown

97/98/99: REALLY BAD.. 97 seems to be the worst year of all NorthStars... Stay away.

2000-2003: some issues, the number of problems here are small, but it seems like 2003 are slightly better then 2002, 2002 is slightly better then 2001, and 2001 is slightly better then 2000.. but ALL are considerably better then 97-99

2004-present: no issues.

But the guru also said that the head gaskets on the Nortstar lasts just as good as on any other car.

About the only thing that happens with theese engines are bad head gaskets. That fact and the fact it is FWD (= expensive fix) makes people go wild...

That is "kinda" true... it is now clear that NorthStar head gaskets do last just as well as any other car... The head bolts.. on the other hand.. Not so much.

[Jan Olsson]

The single biggest reason for blowing the head gaskets is bad maintenance of the cooling system.

Sadly there is mounting evidence that this not the case... and while over maintaining your cooling system isn't going to hurt, there is NO Guarantee that it will prevent a head gasket failure. (my 7 year old '02 is on 4th batch of dex and I will change it again this summer)

There are also obviously problems with well-maintained systems, some vintages worser than other.

Seems like -93 to -97 are "ok" -98 to -00 are "bad" -01 to -03 "ok" ?

Close but not quite; more accurate is:

93-96: Not enough data... reliability unknown

97/98/99: REALLY BAD.. 97 seems to be the worst year of all NorthStars... Stay away.

2000-2003: some issues, the number of problems here are small, but it seems like 2003 are slightly better then 2002, 2002 is slightly better then 2001, and 2001 is slightly better then 2000.. but ALL are considerably better then 97-99

2004-present: no issues.

But the guru also said that the head gaskets on the Nortstar lasts just as good as on any other car.

About the only thing that happens with theese engines are bad head gaskets. That fact and the fact it is FWD (= expensive fix) makes people go wild...

That is "kinda" true... it is now clear that NorthStar head gaskets do last just as well as any other car... The head bolts.. on the other hand.. Not so much.

But are there really cases where the bolts are loose? Personally I find it hard to believe if not the headgasket blew and made the heads move as the clamping force on the bolt reduced due to a collapsed gasket. Otherwise it should point towards bad alloy, casting process etc. And if that is true why won't other bolts on the engine come loose? Threadlength and pitch sounds more like the culprit as you mentioned earlier. Perhaps it's time for a 'vette instead

[OynxSTS]

But are there really cases where the bolts are loose? Personally I find it hard to believe if not the headgasket blew and made the heads move as the clamping force on the bolt reduced due to a collapsed gasket. Otherwise it should point towards bad alloy, casting process etc. And if that is true why won't other bolts on the engine come loose? Threadlength and pitch sounds more like the culprit as you mentioned earlier. Perhaps it's time for a 'vette instead

Yes there are several cases where the bolts pulled out of the block... Lots of pictures on the internet with "galled" bolts with block material "stuck" to the bolts treads... even more pictures of 97-99 blocks that require "big serts" (or where the block was unreparable ) because the bolt holes are so beat up that the aluminum has all turned to dust.

Clearly something is very wrong with the 97-99 blocks... Bolt pitch? Casting Process? Metallurgy? Who knows...

Long and the short... I would never buy a NorthStar in one of those three model years. But as I posted... GM engineers did figure this out, and did sorta fix the design in 2000 and finally got it right in 2004..

BTW I checked the replacement head gasket part numbers for 1998, 2002 and 2004... Same gaskets... So we can rule those out too. If dex is attacking the gaskets we should see the failures creep into the 2000-2003 model years and then the 2004-present cars...

[JimD]

Unfortunately, this thread has wandered far off the Title topic and become another example of an urban myth becoming reality; repeat an untruth often enough and it will become the truth.

An internet sample of owner complaints related to Northstar headgaskets will yield "opinions" as to cause ranging from DEX-COOL to poor gasket design to stretched bolts to porous castings being the culprit. Opinions have no weight in this juror's mind.

As far as Northstar owners are concerned, DEX-COOL has not been an issue. The class action business (you have to understand it is a business) does not splash any dirt on Cadillac. I'm having this checked and if I learn otherwise it will be reported here; but my understanding is -- not one of the class action suits against GM & Texaco/Havoline has reached a jury.

I too have read the reported head gasket replacement posts. I have yet to read a post where the "damaged" head bolts where actually measured for stretch. So much for that myth.

Until a metallurgical engineer chimes in with an analysis of a damaged bolt hole, I will keep an open mind.

As a '98 model owner, I'm starting to feel like there is a target on my shirt. The Obama EPA wants my "clunker" off the road and will "give me" a tax credit if I purchase a specific vehicle of their choosing. No thanks.

Now I have fellow Cadillac owners telling the world a '98 model Northstar engine is to be avoided based on some unverified data.

Anyone else got me and my high mileage '98 in their crosshairs?

[sOAPBOX MODE=OFF]