Cadillac SRX engines recalled . . .

[Eldorado1]

Here is an article about the recall of certain turbo-charged Cadillac SRX engines for re-setting the computer-engine settings:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/06/regular-gas-ruins-some-cadillac-srx-engines/1

At least it appears that at present, there are not very many vehicles involved.

[Cadillac Jim]

I saw that recall in the news a week or so ago and thought about how some people would 2.8 liter (171 cid) turbocharged engine with 300 hp (1.75 hp/cid or 107 hp/liter) and run regular gas in it, then flog the engine until it failed in spite of severe drivability problems. How could this happen, with someone who bought (or leased) a new Cadillac SRX with the performance package???

Then, I thought more about it

• Wife gives keys to hubby's SRX to 17-year-old son for a date while he's out-of-town.
• Car is borrowed by irresponsible friend or relative.
• Hertz/Avis/Whatever rents one of these to an idiot.
• Dealer sells car to hard-of-hearing elderly woman who is too tight to buy premium gas and is short of patience, who is harassed by Mercedes driver in freeway traffic.
• In a few years, this car will be sold to someone who has no idea of what this car is.

Yeah, I can see Cadillac putting out a BOLO and dealers flashing the EPROM on every SRX in the VIN range that the dealers see. Since the VIN range of cars with the problem is quite short, this was likely a bug, not an intentional omission. The TSB saying that this problem "could cause a crash" is a bit of a reach but the whole situation called for a recall anyway.

[Bruce Nunnally]

I suppose there is a tag next to the fuel fill on the inside of the flap that says 'Premium Fuel Required', but people choose to save $0.20 a gallon and take a chance on blowing their engines. It seems there was some dynamic where-in the engine would compensate for reduced octane by increasing boost (!) so good that they caught it and fixed it, but completely avoidable by following recommended fuel octane.

[Cadillac Jim]

Increasing boost???? Ah-hah! It *was* a bug.