rockfangd Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hi all. I am going to be honest when I say I know almost nothing about the Cadillac Catera but one of my coworkers recently bought one that was not taken care of. I dont remember if it is 2001 or 2000. It think 01. So anyway She told me it is pouring oil out very badly. Also there appears to have been either a fire or extremely high temperature on the driver side underhood. I looked at the car briefly tonight and noted that everything on the driver side between the engine and strut tower near the power steering reservoir is charred and gone. Vacumn lines, conduit, seems everything but the wiring that used to be in a conduit. I also noted that when the car iis running oil is dumping out of the engine at the driver side lower toward the back. it is underneath the manifold whatever it is. I wonder if the oil pressure sender is located around that area. It pumped out probably a quart in 5 minutes. I also noted the entire underside of the car is coated in oil past the rear wheels. She is going to have it towed to me tomorrow. I absolutely dont recommend her running the engine at all. I am really curious to what I am going to see when I look the car over when I see it. Thought I would post this because maybe there is something I dont know that may be common on the Catera. It is too bad because I absolutely love Cadillacs and hate seeing one in such poor shape lol. Bbut like I always say, and I stick to it. No matter how messed up it is, it will still ride like a Cadillac GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Let me know what you mean, I have the service manual for it 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...
rockfangd Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Ok got the car this morning. Looked at it and noted that when you start the engine it doesnt seem to start leaking until it is just starts to warm up. then as it warms it goes from a drip to almost a stream of oil. It is coming from just over the driver side exhaust manifold but below the valve cover. It is pouring directly on the exhaust manifold and down. I was thinking maybe the oil pressure sensor, but the dealer said it is on the front of the engine near the water pump. I was hoping oil filter housing but it is higher than it, very close though. I cannot see anything yet from the top or bottom. GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 wanted to update. May have found something. I was curious tonight so I cleaned everything up top with cleaner and found something interesting. The valve cover on the driver side (where everything is charred) is melted and bowed, just forward of the filler tube toward the front of the engine. I really need to post a pic in the morning so it makes more sense. I figured I would let it sit overnight and try to confirm the leak location in the morning. I stuck my flashlight in the filler tube hole but no light shined out. I feel I am missing something here. That being what caused all the charred things on the driver side. I do note the power steering lies and reservoir in the same area and wonder if power steering fluid dripped on the hot manifold GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Well confirmed what I thought from last night. With everything clean it was oobvious when I started the engine that is was coming out where the valve(cam) cover is melted. it is leaking from between the head and the cover and running on the manifold. The fill tube is also partially melted. So that answers the oil leak problem, but am still baffled on the charred parts. It seems thats what caused the oil leak GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Sounds like quite a project. The person that bought the car must not have looked under the hood... Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted January 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2012 it wasnt like that when she bought the car. She bought it a few months ago and the worst problem was the constant check engine light for a bad coil. which is still yet to be changed. This car clearly has not beem taken care of and has alot of issues. I called the dealers who told me fnding parts is nearly impossible. I found the cam cover kit but everywhere I call the fill tube is long discontinued. The current one is melted to the cover GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted February 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2012 UPDATE 2/4/12 So far so good. I must say this car has not been run like a cadillac. The throttle body(s) were plugged so bad that they barely budged, The coating even covered the hole in the bottom where the vacumn hose goes. all 6 plugs were coated in oil and 4 were disgusting, apparently havent been firing in awhile. Both coils were oil soaked. So far I have replaced the left valve cover, plugs, coils. completely serviced plenum. I hope this car will run like new once it is done. I sm still baffled on one thing. There is a rubber hose at the rear of the engine behind the right head. the hose routs toward the plenum center with the other 4 lines but there is already 4 lines to the plenum. I am completely baffled. I cannot find a home for this hose. It wasnt connected wen she bought the car and I couldnt figure it out then. It is about 1/4 ID 3/8od. Maybe it doesnt go to anything but I doubt that. Wish I had a diagram or a donor car to look at because this engine is completely new to me. Had to break out my reverse torx set for it lol. Maybe I can post a pic tomorrow. hoping to get it running in the morning. I have no idea what will happen when I start it. My hope is that it will run 100 times better GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 great news. Finished the car this morning and it runs and drives like new. I am very pleased and am glad to get to know the catera engine. It was very snappy but sounds funny with a V6 in a caddy GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the gold2 Posted February 8, 2012 Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 Congrats on a brave project. Seems like the wiring harnesses were not charred thru eh? What became of the lone rubber hose? curious. I haven't seen a Catera in a junk yard yet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted February 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2012 nothing on the hose. I dont know but it runs great. Maybe it is a vent. Dealer said they knew nothing about it. Oh well. lol I have seen many in the junkyards but not recently. most every one I have seen in a yard either had a engine fire, timing belt failure. one or both of the front seats has a pretty decent burn hole in it. Usuallly lower cushion by belt buckle. Glove compartment latch broken, seems they all have the same problems. I used to see them all the time, Silver was the color I saw the most, then black. Got real lucky on the wires somehow. I am shocked on that one as it was a mess. GM FAN FOREVER Nice, clean, luxury= fine automobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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