'99 STS - overheating engine

[kallsop]

Darn it, recently fixed the VSS and was hoping for a trouble free ride for a while.

Today the car warmed up as usual while driving, but continued to get hotter and hotter. First an AC Off message popped up, then Engine Overheating, the Idle, then Turn Engine Off. The radiator fans are working, I can hear them and feel the air moving. There is coolant in the system. Is it possible for a water pump to totally quit and not make any unusual noise? There was one code, B1324, AC Overpressure. I'll bleed off some R134a to see if that goes away, but doubt that has anything to do with the overheating. Next step - start pulling hoses and check for coolant flow.

Any words of wisdom? Maybe its time to look into the Cash-For-Clunkers program, this car is government combined rated 18 mpg.

EDIT - popped off the top hose to the coolant tank, fluid flows out when the engine is running. I have a Tefba filter and took the top off that, and coolant flows when the engine is running. So it's not the water pump. Maybe the thermostat is stuck and coolant is bypassing the engine? I recall reading that the coolant flow is different on the Northstar than most engines, right?

EDIT - another possibility. When the VSS was replaced, the engine got hot, maybe 75% around the active part of the dial. but no messages popped uo and it didn't overheat. I added some coolant to the tank. Now when the engine overheats, the temperature gauge seems to jump in increments rather than smoothly increasing. Could be air trapped in the system, right? What's the best check and fix for that?

[Ranger]

First get a block test kit from Napa and test the coolant for exhaust gases. If it tests positive, check out this thread.

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...c=22542&hl=

[MadeInAmerica]

Darn it, recently fixed the VSS and was hoping for a trouble free ride for a while.

Today the car warmed up as usual while driving, but continued to get hotter and hotter. First an AC Off message popped up, then Engine Overheating, the Idle, then Turn Engine Off. The radiator fans are working, I can hear them and feel the air moving. There is coolant in the system. Is it possible for a water pump to totally quit and not make any unusual noise? There was one code, B1324, AC Overpressure. I'll bleed off some R134a to see if that goes away, but doubt that has anything to do with the overheating. Next step - start pulling hoses and check for coolant flow.

Any words of wisdom?

Sorry to hear of your problems with the car. Your, "top-of-the-line", Cadillac could be yet another one that has had it's cylinder head gaskets fail in its Northstar engine. Cadillac has a campaign for 1999 Cadillac's to have the engine checked to see if it is suffering from having the cylinder head bolt holes drilled too deeply into the engine block, allowing the the cylinder head bolts to work loose, with the resulting lost clamping force and then whammo, the cylinder head gaskets blow. Go to the below thread for more details and instructions on how to contact Cadillac and have your car checked for this problem -

http://caddyinfo.ipbhost.com/index.php?sho...c=22542&hl=

Good luck with it. Pretty sad that GM's, "best car", has so many cylinder head gaskets failing.

[BodybyFisher]

Attention all malcontents, this car is 10 years old, fix it or buy a new car. Go collect the cash for clunkers NOW, but keep the complaints on a 10 year old car to yourself, we are here to help ENTHUSIASTS, NOT complainers PERIOD.

The MULTI BILLION DOLLAR space shuttle, with NASA scientists/designers is regularly GROUNDED and it BLEW up on re-entry. Mechanical things break, require maintenance, etc...

If you dont appreciate the POWER and excitement of the Northstar, buy a HONDA and you will be set, it will run forever and you can stop complaining, PROBLEM SOLVED

Keep in mind that I CURRENTLY have blown headgaskets, check my posts to see if I COMPLAINED even once!!!!

[MadeInAmerica]

Attention all malcontents, this car is 10 years old, fix it or buy a new car. Go collect the cash for clunkers NOW, but keep the complaints on a 10 year old car to yourself, we are here to help ENTHUSIASTS, NOT complainers PERIOD.

The MULTI BILLION DOLLAR space shuttle, with NASA scientists/designers is regularly GROUNDED and it BLEW up on re-entry. Mechanical things break, require maintenance, etc...

If you dont appreciate the POWER and excitement of the Northstar, buy a HONDA and you will be set, it will run forever and you can stop complaining, PROBLEM SOLVED

Keep in mind that I CURRENTLY have blown headgaskets, check my posts to see if I COMPLAINED even once!!!!

Well apparently you think it's, "okay", for a $50,000 + car to blow its cylinder head gaskets with regularity. Maybe you are loaded with cash and can afford thousands of dollars in repairs for a car that is supposed to be a top-of-the-line car. Personally, I and many others think that's a rip off.

Enthusiasts have a brain and they don't expect to have a vehicle that blows cylinder head gaskets either. That might not be something to be enthusiastic about. It might be difficult to appreciate the, "power and excitiement of the Northstar", when steam is pouring out from under the hood, antifreeze is gushing out onto the ground and the overflow tank is boiling like a pan on a stove. Some people try to help others with these horrible issues and not discourage that help.

$3,000 - $5,000 for a cylinder head gasket repair, on a $50,000 vehicle? "Stop complaining"? "Thank you sir! Can I have another?"....."OUCH!"....."Thank you sir! Can I have another?"..."OUCH!".....Wowwwwwwwwwwwww.

[ted tcb]

I understand your frustration, but I also see where BBF is coming from.

You can get your block studded ... there's a forum member up in Ontario who has studded over 90 blocks

with only 1 failure, at a cost of about $1500 US. The gaskets are about the only weak spot in this powertrain.

Hell, my 04 Lexus LS430 has given me two big repairs .... this on what is widely considered to be the most dependable

luxury car ever made. My auto headlight leveleling sensor blew ($500 part plus labour), and my power folding mirror

just started to rotate outwards ($1000 at the dealer!!!!).

10 years on a high performance motor isn't unreasonable .... and its been said before, we only see the problem owners

seeking advice here. I see a lot of old Deville and Sevilles around my town, and I bet most of them are on the original HG's.

Once fixed, your motor should go for another 10 years ... the bottom ends are very strong.

Good luck.

[MadeInAmerica]

I understand your frustration, but I also see where BBF is coming from.

You can get your block studded ... there's a forum member up in Ontario who has studded over 90 blocks

with only 1 failure, at a cost of about $1500 US. The gaskets are about the only weak spot in this powertrain.

Hell, my 04 Lexus LS430 has given me two big repairs .... this on what is widely considered to be the most dependable

luxury car ever made. My auto headlight leveleling sensor blew ($500 part plus labour), and my power folding mirror

just started to rotate outwards ($1000 at the dealer!!!!).

10 years on a high performance motor isn't unreasonable .... and its been said before, we only see the problem owners

seeking advice here. I see a lot of old Deville and Sevilles around my town, and I bet most of them are on the original HG's.

Once fixed, your motor should go for another 10 years ... the bottom ends are very strong.

Good luck.

Hi tedtcb - I personally feel that a power mirror control failing, an auto headlight leveling sensor, or items similar to that, isn't going to leave the car dead in the water, unable to be driven. But blown cylinder head gaskets will make the car un-drivable and defeat the very purpose of even having the car in the first place. A failed engine is a far more serious issue than mirrors and lights. For supposedly one of the finest cars on the road to have serious, catastrophic, major component/engine failures like this is just not acceptable, in my opinion and many others opinions as well.

[ted tcb]

I don't see a HG failure as a catastrophic engine failure.

The bolts pull out over time on "some" N* motors, but the engine is still very much salvageable.

Jake is the guy who has fixed over 90 of these motors by studding the block.

I don't believe he's seen any engine damage on any of the cars he's worked on.

You almost never hear of a N* seizing or throwing a rod.

My mirror and headlight issue amount to the same repair cost as a blown headgasket on a car

which has provided 10 years of faithful service .... that was the point of the analogy.

Still, its easy for me to sit back .... you're the one stranded by a repair, and I get your frustration level.

If it was me, I'd properly fix the problem and get on with it. For the cost of maybe 4 new car payments.

you can drive your repaired STS into the ground for many years to come.

Maybe I'm old school, but I remember my father's 1974 NewYorker blowing a HG at 50k, 2 years old, on an underpowered

440 block. Back then, you almost expected engine damage at 50k. Problem with the N* is the cost of labour and

poor access in the engine bay, resulting in a high cost. Search out the right technician.

We could go on and on about cars with high failure rates. Toyota has put out hundreds of thousands 3L motors which

gel and sludge, Honda's done the same with transmission failures, Chrysler ... where to start.

At the end of the day, we're lucky that some enterprising individuals have found a reasonable way to fix the issue of

headgasket repairs.

Specialists are starting to pop up everywhere for yor motor. Check out the tech section on the other board.

You should get away with about $1500 US, and the peace of mind knowing the motor is now pretty much bulletproof.

[Texas Jim]

Darn it, recently fixed the VSS and was hoping for a trouble free ride for a while.

EDIT - another possibility. When the VSS was replaced, the engine got hot, maybe 75% around the active part of the dial. but no messages popped uo and it didn't overheat. I added some coolant to the tank. Now when the engine overheats, the temperature gauge seems to jump in increments rather than smoothly increasing. Could be air trapped in the system, right? What's the best check and fix for that?

Check for coolant flow from the hollow bolt to coolant tank.

THAT is the only way it can purge trapped air.

It it can't purge trapped air..."IT WILL GET HOT."

Remove the small hose going to the tank.

Start the engine, check for coolant coming out of the hose.

If no flow...trace it back to the engine and check the hollow bolt that it attaches to.

[MadeInAmerica]

I don't see a HG failure as a catastrophic engine failure.

The bolts pull out over time on "some" N* motors, but the engine is still very much salvageable.

Jake is the guy who has fixed over 90 of these motors by studding the block.

I don't believe he's seen any engine damage on any of the cars he's worked on.

You almost never hear of a N* seizing or throwing a rod.

My mirror and headlight issue amount to the same repair cost as a blown headgasket on a car

which has provided 10 years of faithful service .... that was the point of the analogy.

Still, its easy for me to sit back .... you're the one stranded by a repair, and I get your frustration level.

If it was me, I'd properly fix the problem and get on with it. For the cost of maybe 4 new car payments.

you can drive your repaired STS into the ground for many years to come.

Maybe I'm old school, but I remember my father's 1974 NewYorker blowing a HG at 50k, 2 years old, on an underpowered

440 block. Back then, you almost expected engine damage at 50k. Problem with the N* is the cost of labour and

poor access in the engine bay, resulting in a high cost. Search out the right technician.

We could go on and on about cars with high failure rates. Toyota has put out hundreds of thousands 3L motors which

gel and sludge, Honda's done the same with transmission failures, Chrysler ... where to start.

At the end of the day, we're lucky that some enterprising individuals have found a reasonable way to fix the issue of

headgasket repairs.

Specialists are starting to pop up everywhere for yor motor. Check out the tech section on the other board.

You should get away with about $1500 US, and the peace of mind knowing the motor is now pretty much bulletproof.

Hi TedTCB - A Cadillac is supposed to be one of the finest cars on the road. In my opnion, it shouldn't be having major engine failures, putting the car out of commission and in a state where the thing can't even be sold, except to a JUNKYARD.

$1,500? Sure, no problemo! Have Cadillac pay for it if it's so minimal. Take a guess what they'll tell you?

[Texas Jim]

I don't see a HG failure as a catastrophic engine failure.

The bolts pull out over time on "some" N* motors, but the engine is still very much salvageable.

Jake is the guy who has fixed over 90 of these motors by studding the block.

I don't believe he's seen any engine damage on any of the cars he's worked on.

You almost never hear of a N* seizing or throwing a rod.

My mirror and headlight issue amount to the same repair cost as a blown headgasket on a car

which has provided 10 years of faithful service .... that was the point of the analogy.

Still, its easy for me to sit back .... you're the one stranded by a repair, and I get your frustration level.

If it was me, I'd properly fix the problem and get on with it. For the cost of maybe 4 new car payments.

you can drive your repaired STS into the ground for many years to come.

Maybe I'm old school, but I remember my father's 1974 NewYorker blowing a HG at 50k, 2 years old, on an underpowered

440 block. Back then, you almost expected engine damage at 50k. Problem with the N* is the cost of labour and

poor access in the engine bay, resulting in a high cost. Search out the right technician.

We could go on and on about cars with high failure rates. Toyota has put out hundreds of thousands 3L motors which

gel and sludge, Honda's done the same with transmission failures, Chrysler ... where to start.

At the end of the day, we're lucky that some enterprising individuals have found a reasonable way to fix the issue of

headgasket repairs.

Specialists are starting to pop up everywhere for yor motor. Check out the tech section on the other board.

You should get away with about $1500 US, and the peace of mind knowing the motor is now pretty much bulletproof.

Hi TedTCB - A Cadillac is supposed to be one of the finest cars on the road. In my opnion, it shouldn't be having major engine failures, putting the car out of commission and in a state where the thing can't even be sold, except to a JUNKYARD.

$1,500? Sure, no problemo! Have Cadillac pay for it if it's so minimal. Take a guess what they'll tell you?

We don't even know if he "HAS" a headgasket failure yet....

[kallsop]

Remove the small hose going to the tank.

Start the engine, check for coolant coming out of the hose.

If no flow...trace it back to the engine and check the hollow bolt that it attaches to.

If you mean the smaller hose that attaches high and to the left side of the coolant tank, fluid comes out of there when the engine is run. It's kind of slow, maybe a quarter a gallon a minute, but it is flowing. Didn't get to look at it much more today, the wife is thinking trade it for a new Honda Civic. Hard to argue with that, the engine has been overheated now and who knows what long term damage has been done.

[BodybyFisher]

You need to do more work before assuming its head gaskets

Change your thermostat

Check your water pump belt and tensioner

Check your coolant concentration for minimum 50/50

Check or change your cap to be sure its holding pressure

Have your cooling system pressure tested

Smell coolant in tank to see if it smells like exhaust

All overheating problems are not head gasket related. Many mechanics / GM techs RUSH to judgement without doing proper diagnostics, showing poor mechanical diagnostic ability and a lack of patience. I have seen it OVER AND OVER. ONLY until you have exhausted all diagnotics should you move on to more expensive diagnostics like

Coolant testing for combustion by products, by a radiator shop or buy the NAPA test kit

Have the engine pressure tested to see if the cylinders hold pressure

Do a compression test

[kallsop]

Tonight I took another look at the car. Started and ran for a while, it overheated. Let it cool down. Pulled the dipstick to check the oil and there is thick brown Bars Stop Leak accumulated on the top of the dipstick.

Game over. Cash-For-Clunker here I come. I'll have the car towed to about 1 mile from the dealer, then drive her in