Shift Solenoids

[BodybyFisher]

Thank you Paul for taking the time to school this member, I feel the same way

[BodybyFisher]

bodybyfisher dont get mad cuz u only have one cadillac.lol and what did i say that hurt your feelings.lol. i dont own anny hondas ,dogdes, fords, so i think if i own somthing i am givin a right to say what i feel about somthing. did u make the north star? no. do you own cadillac.lol hell no. do u work for cadillac? who cares. i own three i like my other 2 just not this peace of *smurf* north star

With a name like Brandon and your grammar and spelling, I can only imagine that your are a youngster.

You have just earned another warning to 40%... I like this game, lets keep playing

You are just not getting it..... go to the top and read "Forum for the Cadillac Enthusiast"

[Texas Jim]

Brandon,

If I may interject a few comments here...

As Body By Fisher said... this board is for Cadillac "ENTHUSIASTS"... not Cadillac "DETRACTORS".

I have a NorthStar and absolutely love it.

I don't care how many Cadillacs you own or don't own... that makes no difference whatsoever on this forum.

I currently own only 1...but if you total up how many I have owned in the past 25 years...just off the top of my head...probably around 15... I would have to sit down and do some thinking to list them all.

But, that being said... it has no bearing at all on why I am a member of the forum

I LOVE CADILLACS.

On this board...99 percent of us do.

If you don't... this is the wrong place for you.

I really have no say in the matter of what is permissible or not permissible on this forum...

I am not a moderator, but as far as I am concerned, if you want help... I, and most of us here, will try our best to help you.

If you just want to talk bad about Cadillacs and say the NorthSTar is no good... I am done with you.

Thats just my opinion and my feeling about it.

[MAC]

bodybyfisher. i think the north star sucks . i own 3 cadillacs ,93 sedan de ville ,94 cadillac seville sls , 95 sedan de ville, and the other 2 i had done electrical work changed transmissions and one the motor. i have never seen such a hard car to work on till i bought a north star. by the way i put all check balls in corect place. if u look at the gasket where each ball goes their is an oval shaped white marking with a pit for the ball to set in. and if u look on the inside of the valve body u can see a bevel where they go. and i used the bracket to hold the screen in place. IF I RECAL I POSTED I USED THE BRACKET TO HOLD THE SCREEN

Based on your post #16 I think the problem you're having MAY be that Solenoid B (E029) is not working?

Also, properly torquing the Control Valve and Housing Assembly (#903) bolts by working in progression starting from the middle is important so as to not warp the Housing Assembly? I don't know the exact specs as to which bolt to begin from, but as a general rule (unless specified otherwise) bolts should be torqued incrementally staring at the middle. Also, I trust you made sure all parts were clean.

By the way, running at 220 degrees is not a problem though you should see temps dip to about 203 to 212 during normal distance driving with a healthy transaxle running in 4th. Running at 4000 rpm will certainly raise engine temp. The electric fan won't kick on until 225. Based on what you said in your post #16 regarding the E029 code, your Seville is stuck in 2nd, which is the default gear. Apparently, solenoid B is not working. If you replaced this solenoid, then replace it again. Then again, maybe you didn't reconnect the harness to it property? I would buy an ACDelco solenoid which can be purchased from Rockauto.com for about $20. If you have the money then buy two and do the job over with ACDelco.

[CarlaValentine]

First of all, WOW!

Second of all, Mike and Jim, I couldn't agree with you more. It does not matter how many Cadillacs you have/have had.

I bought my FIRST and so far ONLY Cadillac in late summer of last year. It's a 1994 Eldorado with, yup, you guessed it, a NORTHSTAR engine. I absolutely LOVE my car and wouldn't trade it for anything. It has caused me some grief and problems yes, but I don't get frustrated about it because I realize that it is a 16 YEAR OLD CAR and it is going to have some issues. I can honestly say that I love working on my car. I love troubleshooting problems (with help from everyone here when needed), and I love the simple yet so complex engineering that went into the NorthStar and this car. I don't understand how anyone can justifiably put down such a great engine. I mean come on... a 300 hp V8 engine that gets over 22mpg. How can you beat that? ESPECIALLY in 1994?

I'm no expert on Cadillacs or the Northstar, but the more I learn about it and the more I work on it, the more I appreciate everything that went into building the amazing piece of machinery that is the Northstar engine.

And Brandon, I wouldn't spit in Mike's cornflakes if I were you. He's a VERY knowledgeable person.

We are ALL easy to get along with people, until you start treating us and this forum like ****.

If YOU don't like the Northstar, then that's your opinion, and you could have found a MUCH better way of stating it. There's no reason for you to come on here putting everyone down and acting like you are superior to us.

I am NOT trying to put you down, but if you expect help from us then you need to be respectful.

[brandon254]

im not against cadillacs i drive 3 of them just am not impressed with the 94 i own . i love my cadillacs. u can see them on car domain look up 1993 cadillac deville. u should see my profile under street dreams. i got a replacement solenoid coming tomarow. the car is still running hot. i let the car run it takes about 10 minuts to get to 220 and the water pump does not seem to work because the hoses do not pressure up like on my 93 and 95 deville. the only reason i dont like the north star is because u cant change head gaskets without stripping out the block . the 94 sls is a beutiful car this car has 60,000 miles on it, the car had alott of problems the cluster and computer have been replaced i had a few electrical shorts. fixed them . now the shifting problems came and also the problem with the over heating . i checked the thermostat and it starts opening at 180 degress. im thinking the water pump is bad. the fans only kick on at 220 degrees. i talked to a helpfull guy at electrical advantage he said the clips that hold the solenoids are probly worn out. i dont think i was the first person in the transmission pan. the pan was bent all up. so i rplaced it. and it does not leak anny more . but the car should shift . is thair anny way to test for a damaged block or head gasket?

[brandon254]

you got a good point carlavelentine. it is 16 years old i know its gonna have problems. i was looking into geting the head gaskets fixed the cadillac delership quoted me $4,500 to do the job. called a junk yard thay want $1800 for a used motor. dealership wanted $6,000 for a new one . i paid $1800 for the car. the car is valued at only $4,000 so i didnt see anny point of fixing it anny more. also a transmission shop wated 2,800 to rebuild it. so i did 4,500 + 2,800= 7,300 so i was talking to dealer ship about me doing the head gaskets and thay said i would strip out the block then i would have to pay to time sert it? so if i have a bad head gasket how would i know. thay also want to charge me 100 an hour to look at it and 600 to test shift solenoids. i think thay scam people . so im stuck working on this car . this car runns real good just gets up to 230 degress. so my wife is scared to drive it. and i have workd only on my 4.9l motors with no problems. im sure its an easy car to work on once people tell me how to do somthing. im just disapionted that i will have to get rid of the car if its the motor. i cannot afford a 4,500 job just for changing head gaskets and then i would still have the transmission problem. so my attitude is not nessisaraly the north star motor its the whole issue with the car . sorry for offending anny one on the forums. i love cadillacs so much every thang i wear is cadillac . thay got shoes on ebay for 59.99 im gonna have to order some friday. so im sorry for the bad mouthing of the northstar. and MAC thnks for the suport

[adallak]

i have a 94 seville sls i replaced shift solinoids and the gasket and pan . the car still shifts like *smurf*. the car also runns 220 degrees . the car drived 60mph at 4000 rpms. i am beginning to hate this car. ive spent to much time messing with this car to get no where. i have 2 other cadillacs with the 4.9l and are great. but this northstar is a pieace of *smurf*. gm should of recalled all the cars with this sorry *smurf* motor. i love cadillacs just not this one. is thair anny tricks to this car i should know its a 1994 cadillac seville sls with 4t80e transmission and 4.6l northstar

solinoids....drived... runns....to much...no where...is thair anny...

Brandon,

Of course, you can spell carelessly while text-messaging to your buddies who are on the same page English grammar-wise, but it would be greatly appreciated if you put some effort into composing your posts on this forum. Do use capitals and punctuation - they were created for reason! Please understand that this type of posts are nothing but annoyance. Why should one even care to help you when you show no respect at all? Why won't you keep only those Cadillacs which you like???

If you were here for a couple of months you would have figured out that you had been making fun of one of most knowledgeable and helpful people. I do not believe you are evil, just a young and probably nice kid who have not learned some basics. Hopefully BBF will give you a chance to improve.

[BodybyFisher]

im not against cadillacs i drive 3 of them just am not impressed with the 94 i own . i love my cadillacs. u can see them on car domain look up 1993 cadillac deville. u should see my profile under street dreams. i got a replacement solenoid coming tomarow. the car is still running hot. i let the car run it takes about 10 minuts to get to 220 and the water pump does not seem to work because the hoses do not pressure up like on my 93 and 95 deville. the only reason i dont like the north star is because u cant change head gaskets without stripping out the block . the 94 sls is a beutiful car this car has 60,000 miles on it, the car had alott of problems the cluster and computer have been replaced i had a few electrical shorts. fixed them . now the shifting problems came and also the problem with the over heating . i checked the thermostat and it starts opening at 180 degress. im thinking the water pump is bad. the fans only kick on at 220 degrees. i talked to a helpfull guy at electrical advantage he said the clips that hold the solenoids are probly worn out. i dont think i was the first person in the transmission pan. the pan was bent all up. so i rplaced it. and it does not leak anny more . but the car should shift . is thair anny way to test for a damaged block or head gasket?

Do not assume you have a head gasket problem

Do you smell exhaust fumes in the coolant tank?

Does the engine run rough or mis when first started?

Do you get steam or coolant smell from the exhaust?

Water pumps don't go bad, check the water pump belt and tensioner

Do the cooling fans come on?

Replace the cap or test it, and make sure that you have the correct cap, it is different than the one on the 4.9

Have the cooling system pressure tested, it must hold pressure

Go to NAPA and buy their cooling system tester, it tests for combustion by products

How did you determine the thermostat is beginning to open at 180 degrees? Does it open all the way?, is it binding? Any question about it just replace it with an AC DELCO

Have you checked to make sure that the purge line is clear? If it is clogged you WILL overheat, this is VERY important, if you dont know how to check it ask.

[BodybyFisher]

you got a good point carlavelentine. it is 16 years old i know its gonna have problems. i was looking into geting the head gaskets fixed the cadillac delership quoted me $4,500 to do the job. called a junk yard thay want $1800 for a used motor. dealership wanted $6,000 for a new one . i paid $1800 for the car. the car is valued at only $4,000 so i didnt see anny point of fixing it anny more. also a transmission shop wated 2,800 to rebuild it. so i did 4,500 + 2,800= 7,300 so i was talking to dealer ship about me doing the head gaskets and thay said i would strip out the block then i would have to pay to time sert it? so if i have a bad head gasket how would i know. thay also want to charge me 100 an hour to look at it and 600 to test shift solenoids. i think thay scam people . so im stuck working on this car . this car runns real good just gets up to 230 degress. so my wife is scared to drive it. and i have workd only on my 4.9l motors with no problems. im sure its an easy car to work on once people tell me how to do somthing. im just disapionted that i will have to get rid of the car if its the motor. i cannot afford a 4,500 job just for changing head gaskets and then i would still have the transmission problem. so my attitude is not nessisaraly the north star motor its the whole issue with the car . sorry for offending anny one on the forums. i love cadillacs so much every thang i wear is cadillac . thay got shoes on ebay for 59.99 im gonna have to order some friday. so im sorry for the bad mouthing of the northstar. and MAC thnks for the suport

How did you determine you needed a head gasket? Stop assuming its a head gasket until testing is done, see my list above and do the diagnostics

STOP doing the tranny work until the head gasket problem is diagnosed, why waste time and money.

Dealers DO charge a hefty hourly sum to work on cars but so do garage mechanics. That charge of $600 to test the solenoids sounds excessive unless that includes replacing them, six hours to test them with a TECH 2, it should take about 20 minutes.

Time-serting is the correct repair, at least the dealer knows how to repair the block, www.timesert.com

[KHE]

Any radiator shop worth its salt should be able to test your coolant for combustion gasses for a reasonable fee. Otherwise, you could buy a kit from Napa for $50.00.

Check to make sure the radiator fans come on - the issue may be as simple as a bad cooling fan relay. If you do not have a factory service manual for your car, that would be a good purchase. You can find them on ebay at reasonable prices. Stay away from Chiltons, Haynes, etc. They are not detailed enough. You want the GM Service Manual.

Disconnect the 1/2" diameter hose from the surge tank - it is the hose that comes from the throttle body area. Have a helper start the engine while you watch the hose. Does coolant clow from the hose? If not, the line is restricted - most likely where the coolant line connects to the water pump housing area. There is a fitting that is a hollow bolt that can get clogged. If it clogs, the engine will run hot.

As others have said, check the waterpump belt tensioner to make sure the waterpump belt is properly tensioned.

After you rule out the headgaskets, order a new AC Delco shift solenoid kit from Rockauto and install it along with new retaining clips.

Even if the headgaskets are starting to go, you could fix them yourself for about $800.00 in misc. parts and have a very nice car for $2400.00 that will last another 250,000 miles. Four years ago, I bought my '97 STS knowing it had bad headgaskets - I got it cheap, repaired the engine myself and wound up with a very nice car for not a lot of money.

Pulling the engine is not that difficult of a job - easily done in a day in your garage with an engine hoist and an engine stand.

[brandon254]

i tested the thermostat buy slowly bringing a quart of water to a boil in a small pot with the thermostat and meat thermomitor . when it reached 180 degrees it started to open at 200 degrees it was about as far as i think it could open. i took the overflow cap off and let it run for about 10 min till it reached 220 and the over flow did not seem to be moving any coolant. also the fans never kick on till it reaches 225 degrees. when i turned the car off it sounds like it is boiling inside the radiator. the upper radiator hose has no pressure. to me it seems that the car is not curculating the coolant properly . the water pump does not seem to be loose as far as slack in the belt. the radiator does not leak . also white smoke comes from the bottom of the car after being driven a few miles . a guy was telling me a way to see if i had a bad head gasket would be to bring the car up to operating temp and open the resivor and see if it has air bubbles from the exaust coming thru the resivor . nothing like any bubbling going on in their. i am going to probly have to buy a block tester and the dye and use that just to make sure.

[BodybyFisher]

You are NOT listening. YOU are talking at us.

DO the diagnostics that KHE and I said to do

The first stop should be checking the purge line, NOW!

Then a pressure test, then check the cap, then check the coolant concentration it MUST be at least 50% coolant to 50% distilled water, you need a tester for that, buy one

See this thread that I posted about a week ago

http://caddyinfo.ipb...showtopic=27989

[CarlaValentine]

i tested the thermostat buy slowly bringing a quart of water to a boil in a small pot with the thermostat and meat thermomitor . when it reached 180 degrees it started to open at 200 degrees it was about as far as i think it could open. i took the overflow cap off and let it run for about 10 min till it reached 220 and the over flow did not seem to be moving any coolant. also the fans never kick on till it reaches 225 degrees. when i turned the car off it sounds like it is boiling inside the radiator. the upper radiator hose has no pressure. to me it seems that the car is not curculating the coolant properly . the water pump does not seem to be loose as far as slack in the belt. the radiator does not leak . also white smoke comes from the bottom of the car after being driven a few miles . a guy was telling me a way to see if i had a bad head gasket would be to bring the car up to operating temp and open the resivor and see if it has air bubbles from the exaust coming thru the resivor . nothing like any bubbling going on in their. i am going to probly have to buy a block tester and the dye and use that just to make sure.

You have the EXACT same symptoms I had when I though I had an overheating problem. In my case it turned out that coolant cap simply wasn't on all the way. I tightened it properly and haven't had a problem since. There are 2 arrows on the cap. One of them MUST be lined up with the purge hose that comes out right below the cap in order for the system to pressurize completely. Be sure to check that out as well.

As for the fans not coming on until it hits 225 degrees, that is perfectly normal. Does the temperature drop once the fans kick on?

[brandon254]

the line connected to the expansion tank at the very top i removed the hose and coolant came out as a steady stream with motor running. the temp only seems to drop if the car is being driven. the radiator cap i think is on correctly. what were you talking about a hollow bolt? where is this located at? could this maybe be my problem?

If you are flowing coolant, the bolt with a hole in it is fine

[brandon254]

i aligned the cap arrow to point at the hose that is not connected to any thing. it hangs off the side of the expansion tank. the cluster has also been replaced it came out of a 93 sls seville. and the computer came out of a 94 de ville. could this have any effect?

[PAUL T]

Brandon you are NOT listening to what we are telling you. Unless you get advice from someone who has a Northstar, the advice you get from anyone on the street will NOT work. I told you the Northstar is a different animal and what is normal for a regular combustion engine will be different on a Northstar. The overflow tank you keep talking about is a pressurized surge tank and is an essential part of the cooling system. Do you see a cap on your radiator? There is none, it is on the surge tank. You have to think out of the box. 220 degrees is NOT too hot. Cooling fans kick on at 225 degrees that IS NORMAL. Check what we have been telling you. Check the purge line if you are concerned, it should pee coolant if the car is running. BBF just saved a Northstar because this line was plugged up and the owner thought the headgaskets were bad. The white smoke might be oil burning off the exhaust from a leak. Northstar was designed as a racing engine it takes 8 quarts of oil so when you take a 1G turn the pump will have oil to pump. Pay attention!!!

[BodybyFisher]

the line connected to the expansion tank at the very top i removed the hose and coolant came out as a steady stream with motor running. the temp only seems to drop if the car is being driven. the radiator cap i think is on correctly. what were you talking about a hollow bolt? where is this located at? could this maybe be my problem?

You have said a couple of times that you don't feel any pressure, in this engine, you SHOULD feel pressure in the upper hose it should get hard. So as a result, you have a large pressure loss in your cooling system. You appear to be HOLDING coolant as its not leaking out, unless I missed that. Therefore, you have a vacuum leak at the top of the system, that would point me to the CAP.

If we go back to basic science, water in a pot at 1 atmosphere will boil at 212 degrees. Put the water in a sealed container contain pressure and it will boil at a much higher temperature, add coolant and it will boil at even a higher temp. It would seem to me that you are not containing pressure.

It is not a matter of whether or not the cap is on, it is a matter of whether the cap 1) holds pressure, they can be defective and NOT hold pressure, 2) it can be the wrong cap, the cap on the 4.9 and NS are TOTALLY different designs, it MUST be the correct cap, 3) the cap can release to too low of a pressure allowing the coolant boil at a lower temp.

I would replace the cap with a STANT, NOW

Also, check the tank, unlike the 4.9 that is an overflow tank, and coolant is drawn from it as the engine cools, the NS tank holds PRESSURE at cooling system pressures (16 to 18 PSI or the capacity of the cap). If there is a crack in the tank, the system will not hold pressure. The tank must be replaced. I am replacing one on a 97 Eldorado right now, the thread I linked you too.

So replace the cap

Check coolant concentration, is it at least 50/50?, if not fix it. NEVER add just water to the cooling system, NEVER, always a 50/50 mix, if you have less than a 50/50, you need to drain the system and start from scratch with 50/50.

Drive it

Same problems?

Hose still soft?, you need to find the pressure leak, do pressure test identify leak, check tank, hoses, hose clamps, heater pipes, radiator end tanks, water pump seal, crossover seals for leaks

Should hold pressure

[BodybyFisher]

i aligned the cap arrow to point at the hose that is not connected to any thing. it hangs off the side of the expansion tank. the cluster has also been replaced it came out of a 93 sls seville. and the computer came out of a 94 de ville. could this have any effect?

Hard to know if the parts you installed can cause a problem, a computer from a 94 Deville, a 94 Deville has 4.9, NO?, you put that in a 94 Seville?

My mind is spinning, Ill be back later

[BodybyFisher]

I lowered your warning level and took the moderator approval off your posts

Have patience we will get through this, we have some great people here

By the way I or my family have owned the following Cadillacs, my Dad taught me how to do everthing on all of them, I was on my own by the 1964, I loved them all, but the Northstar is the most different to work on, the most innovative and has the feel of the 429 at a fraction of the size but it revs to 6000 rpm

1955 Fleetwood 265

1959 SDV 390

1962 Calais 390

1964 CDV 429

1965 SDV 429

1966 Coupe Conv 429

1968 Coupe Conv 472

1974 Coupe Conv 500

1991 Seville 4.9

1996 Deville 4.6 (279 cu in)

[brandon254]

i will buy a new cap. i understand the difrence between the expansion tank and the over flow. i have changed radiators for other people with a northstar so i know that it does not have a cap on it. what im saying is i removed the hose and the coolant ran out of the hose located on the expansion tank. if this was the wrong hose please let me know. if i done that correctly i will now go get the radiator cap. ALSO I HAVE A NOTHER ? IS THAER ANNY WAY TO SAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO GET THE FLUID OUT IS TO DROP THE PAN. IS THAIR A WAY TO TAKE ONE OF THE COOLER LINES OFF AND LET IT DRAIN INTO A BUCKET?

[BodybyFisher]

If you are talking about the 3/8 inch hose at the top of the tank yes

You can drain most of the fluid by attaching a fitting with a hose connected to it to the top cooler line, attach it to the radiator side, when you start the car coolant will flow, the instant it stops turn the car off, dont get burned create a same fitting and drain system with say a 5 gallon bucket.

They sell brass fittings that will screw into your radiator that you can slip a 3/8" hose onto, that is what you want. Attach a 4 foot hose and direct it into a bucket

[CarlaValentine]

If you are talking about the 3/8 inch hose at the top of the tank yes

You can drain most of the fluid by attaching a fitting with a hose connected to it to the top cooler line, attach it to the radiator side, when you start the car coolant will flow, the instant it stops turn the car off, dont get burned create a same fitting and drain system with say a 5 gallon bucket.

They sell brass fittings that will screw into your radiator that you can slip a 3/8" hose onto, that is what you want. Attach a 4 foot hose and direct it into a bucket

I'm not one to try to correct anyone normally, Especially not you Mike, but wouldn't you want to turn the car off when the fluid starts to spit rather than when it stops?

I've never actually done this before. I'm going by how I was told to do it.

[BodybyFisher]

yes, that is true, thanks for the clarification. the second it begin to sputter and spit turn it off.

That is what I do, it sputters and I shut it off, sometimes what you DO, is not clear when you write it down, thanks for catching that, by the time I got to this point today my brain was fried

[CarlaValentine]

yes, that is true, thanks for the clarification. the second it begin to sputter and spit turn it off.

That is what I do, it sputters and I shut it off, sometimes what you DO, is not clear when you write it down, thanks for catching that, by the time I got to this point today my brain was fried

I know how that is. I have days like that...pretty much every day.