I wish the Car Wizard was my mechanic. He's always so calm and collected. Not pushy like most mechanics. He's like the Mister Rogers of auto mechanics.
So that must be why a guy I know left the oil cap off his civic, well I guess the pools of oil above his shocks should stop rust there, and well everywhere else.
@@nnnf467 hahah I had a 1970 dodge dart with the 225 slant six. Someone asked me once: how often do you do an oil change? I said "every 3 weeks or so" lol.....it leaks and burns so much oil it is completely replaced by the third week. When I pull into a gas station I tell them to check the gas and fill it with oil lol (this was back when most stations were full service)
It's great to see honest mechanics like you expose the high costs of dealers even when a repair isn't needed. My dad's a mechanic himself and he's always maintained the cars at home running strong, and I remember a few years ago, he replaced the front struts on his car and the next day he took it to the dealer for an alignment and one of the mechanics there took a quick look inside the front fenders and said that the suspension needed replacing! 😂 You could just imagine how embarassed he got when dad told him, "Replace what? These struts are brand new, I installed them yesterday! I'm only here for an alignment."
Cadillac made changes to the Northstar over the years, and eventually made a fairly dependable engine. My sister bought a used low mileage DTS with a Northstar, super nice car at a very good price. About 3 years after she purchased the car the hot light came on. She immediately stopped the engine and had it towed to her regular shop. In a few minutes they quoted her $4000 to repair the car. They said "blown head gasket" and they would just put a used engine in it. She immediately called me and I went right over. She told me she never smelled anything, the car ran fine before, that the temp gage went up like a rocket. I went out and started the car ( check oil and water first). The car ran fine of 20 minutes with normal temp. Drove the car to my sons garage and replaced the temp sensor. No more problems. Moral of the story: some shops are crooks. My father made an excellent living in HVAC and his motto was: if you can't make an honest living in repair business, then you need to find another line of work. There is too much stuff broken for you to have to lie.
Wow, the production quality keeps getting better and better! The audio is amazing and that light on the camera is absolutely perfect. Thank you for improving this content even though it isn't your main source of income.
My uncle bought one of these new in 93... Drove it for 9 years 115k miles with zero issues, just one set of tires, brakes, oil changes and a battery. We saw it about 5 years ago with almost 200k on it still running great. Never had headgaskets done
JJ HRRSN I park my car outside in harsh Colorado and Arizona. I just replaced my tires after 5 years and 90,000 miles. 115k and 9 years isn’t that unobtainable.
I ride my "97" Caddy Eldorado and still running strong after 105,000 plus miles driving it from southern California to Vegas and back. Another key notes that I do is every7-9 months annual check up for the car to keep it in good standard.
I've had problems with some dealers and some independent shops. Some honest, some dishonest. I was an auto mechanic for 15 years and moved into a different profession. These youtube videos are great for people without much mechanical knowledge. If you find an honest dealer or shop stick with them. I was always honest with people. It's hard work and when the day is done you've got tools to clean and also yourself.
You and South Main Auto are the two most honest and reliable mechanics I've ever seen, would love to give either my business if I didn't live so far out in GA!
if i remember correctly, his diagnosis of a Chevrolet impala that had a P0446 helped me diagnose the exact same code in my Chevrolet Aveo (it was the Fuel Tank Pressure Sensor)
I always loved those cars. I was going to be a next gen Cadillac guy but gave up on Cadillac. Such a shame that they never chose to improve or fix their issues. I feel like they sold us out. I gave up waiting for them and moved on to Lexus. BTW, I picked up a low miles Buick 3.8 v6 for $2500 thanks to you. Changed the plenum and lower manifold gasket. Great daily driver with no car payment 😁I'm saving up for a nice lexus to drive mom during her last years. Much thanks to you and Mrs wizard. If you ever get rid of that bad boy, let me know 😉
I had a 96 El Dorado and I never had any serious problems and gave it to a friend who was very kind to me in 2010. Only ever needed a starting motor and solenoid B came out of place. Fortunately, I didn't have any head gasket issues nor overheating. I used it for midwest city and highway driving around Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa mainly. The Northstar was pretty reliable and the torque was great for me. The paint was beautiful throughout. I guess I dodged a bullet.
The video and audio is high quality and the content is just as good your honesty is making you look like the most reliable mechanic. It's true if you can do it yourself the car is worth it nice car. I wish you could service my vehicles I would trust you. I'm doing a oil change on my wife's car today. You look good bald👍your wife is good with the camera 📹
We purchased a 1985 VW Vanagon Westfalia. It has needed about 5k in a completely rebuilt transmission and exhaust and other wear and tear repairs. She has been absolutely reliable, which as Vanagons go, is a minor miracle. Our family loves it so much and we are fortunate the Previous owner Michael and Kay were such loving previous owners. Unfortunately, Kay was terminally ill and wanted it sold to a loving family. Guess we fit the bill. We are so lucky to be the second owners. Bless you Kay and your wonderful soul, and Michael you are an incredible and wonderful man.
@@mattbrawner7888 Same for my 94 SLS. It went to 150k miles and the Viscous Torque converter clutch started to let go over the period of 1k miles.Loved that car tho.
@@StruggleGarage 1994 eldorado, got it from my father at 160,000. Went to 198,000 when my wife took on a giant curb at the school. Almost ripped the subframe out. She still ran and drove.
I love the late 90's like 98 and up STS but I'm so sad it has the Northstar V8. I'm not a car mechanic but train mechanic without a garage so I drive a Volvo V70 2.5T 98. I highly recommend first gen V70 with Turbo.
@@Salpeteroxid Why are you so sad they have the Northstar V8, you should be happy about it that its not the HT4100! By the way the Volvo's are good cars and just as good as the Cadillac's.
@@starxlr7863 Northstar V8 have issues with headbolt separations and it's basically not worth repairing. I regard Volvo the highest when it comes to mileage. 500 000km is not really rare to find here in Sweden.
@@Salpeteroxid Head bolt separations is directly caused by the coolant used in the cooling system. That's always been the case with Cadillac's going back to the 50s when new coolants were being introduced. When the cooling system is properly maintained there is no problems to worry about. I own several Northstar V8 Cadillac's and none of them ever had an issue or were ever rebuilt. Two of them are very high mileage. Unfortunately in the United States, people get too wasteful and dump cars before the 100k mark. In Europe it is opposite, but the europeans do know how to properly maintain cars like they all should be over here.
Same thing a few years ago. 1988 Benz 420 SEL, 78,000 miles in the champagne gold exterior/palomino interior color combo. Bought it sight unseen from a widow in Palm Beach, FL for $7600. Still had the factory R12 in the a/c system & all I ever did was redo all the idle air hoses & vacuum lines & replaced 1 vacuum tee to the central locking system. I've redone the zebrano wood trim pieces to get rid of that fake plastic look, put a set of turbine style 18" rims & did the euro lamps front & back. Finest car I've ever owned. Far more character than the new ones & gets just as many looks. W126 for life!!!
Wow. I just binged on Wizard's magic. Good stuff. I appreciate an honest, down to earth wrenching channel. Keep it up! Watching from College Station, TX
If well cared for, Northstar Caddys are fabulous cars. My son had an STS, and it rode smooth, handled like a race car, and was quiet as a bank vault on the road. Other than motor mounts and serpentine belt and tensioner he never had a single worry with it. Don't touch a thing on that engine, just maintain it and enjoy the ride.
Wizard, I appreciate your honesty and yet candid approach. I am truly lucky to have a mechanic of your same stature here. Been going to him for 25 yrs. I look forward to your videos especially "buy this, not that" segments. Keep up the great work. I hope junior mint appreciates his apprenticeship with you. Hopefully habits formed with you will stick with him.
Yep, and what seems to be have been a decently climate controlled garage at that, as I'm not too far from FLA up here in western central SC, and I've got an elder neighbor who just a couple of years ago got ride of an 05 Cadillac Deville for a then new 2017 Toyota Camry, that was always kept in her garage, and it had way more rust then this thing from what I saw the time I helped her out a few months before she got rid of it putting her spare tire on.
The rain and sun annihilate roof paint here too in just a couple of years, frequent rain and rain droplets become a magnifying glass for the sun. Grandma's church cars are a dime a dozen here. If you like 3800 v6 GM cars, they're all over the place here cheap,with low miles.
@@johnp556 I have a feeling in another decade SC will be the same way with it becoming the next retirement boom state after Fla. I work for a non profit for seniors for a living, and have done as such for the last 15 years, and have many clients who have moved from up north here due to the weather being overall nicer, and the state just being overall cheaper to live in. So Grandma's church cars will for sure be flooding the market here, but I have a feeling it will be more Toyota's than Caddies, Ford's, or Lincolns.
@@johnp556 Yep don't drive them hard, keep the maintenancem up on them, and most Toyota's will last a good long time for sure. My elder aunt has a 99 corolla, and the only reason she is replacing it is because she wants something newer, drives/rides fine except a few minor things like a broken door handle from age, and front light out again from age.
Why don't you repair the motor with the NorthStar Performance kit before it blows and it would make good video content. I would like to see you do the repair.
The Northstar performance kit is only for when the engine needs rebuilt. The 93-95 engines here are excellent when running the green coolant as opposed to Dexcool that came out in 1996. That is when all the problems started.
This is the nicest 90s car I think I've ever seen. My truck is a 1994 Isuzu pickup truck, with most of its factory parts. I got it from the original owner, and he pretty nice too it, kept it well maintained. It makes this Catalac look like it just came out of the factory🤣
I'm happy that you bought this car to give it the life it deserves - it's a beautiful car and it's in such good condition that it would be a shame to total it when the head bolts eventually let loose.
Oil seeping? I've had good luck just snugging the bolts up. Gaskets dry out, causing the seep. Snug 'em and that will fix it......most of the time. I think you got a gem there; good luck with it, Wee-zard!!
My Dad gave me some of the best advice - find a good mechanic and stick with him through thick and thin. He was right. Brilliant video, great attitude on how to appraise an older car. It's definitely a keeper.
GM was stupid with the gaskets and the orange coolant.. just change them out, I did with my pontiac before they even went.. it's 22 yrs old and so what if it has rust, still peppy and everything still works, just regular maintenance, boots go, and like breaks, they are to keep you safe.. now you have a fresh alignment and it handles like a dream!!!
Car Wizard , “YOU ARE THE BEST”!!!!!! please keep us updated on this Cadillac , how it rides,and if you are going to put undercoating rust protection now that it’s up north in the snow. Thank you
7:06 this reminds me of a time i took my car to a dealership to get the oil changed...they told me I had a freon leak and that I "better fix it". I said no, not for the cost they wanted to charge me. They said "you need to fix it. Freon is bad for the environment and that if you don't fix it, we're going to have to report you to the EPA". LOL
Coworker had one with starter problems... found the ground cable from frame to block below AC was loose/corroded. He fixed that then it started to overheat before he sold it.... 80k miles
Hello wizard! I'm very sick and you have really helped my mood with your awesome content! I'm proud of you for living your dreams! I hope for you and yours health and happiness! Love the caddy. She's a time capsule. Good call to purchase it in my opinion
I'm one of the few that love these Northstar engines. Back in the nineties they were the ultimate engines for a sand rail or buggy. All aluminum and pretty easy to get plenty of power from. Plus being from a front wheel drive vehicle mounting it between the rear wheels worked great. You were the man back then rolling up at the dunes with one of these strapped between the tires. Watching this makes me wanna build another buggy. Only thing stopping me is Polaris and other manufacturers are doing such a great job building high performance side by sides now. It would be near impossible to build a buggy that could perform as good as my current XP turbo or Yamaha XYZ. At least not for an all around toy, for sand only it would be a blast. Too bad it's almost a 12 hour drive to the nearest decent dunes from me and we only get out there once a year.
Kinda how I am with my car rn. Pretty sure my rear main seal is starting to go bad but the car drips so minimal oil (and only when I drive the car hard will it actually drip, cruising around will not make it leak) that I have decided to live with it until it pours quarts off. Till then, pop the dipstick out every few weeks and keep an eye where it's at. Thankfully when I do the oil change it still holds all 6 quarts that it takes in
Great choice, got one, 1999 Seville STS, Tropical Green, 90K km, runs so smooth, no mechanical problem, have power when needed, fuel efficient (on highway), just need regular service and some love. She will last forever.
That’s the beauty of Florida cars! As long as they weren’t kept by the beach they tend to be very rot free! This one was probably kept in a garage as well to keep the sun damage down. As far as the little issues are concerned, when a car is this age, “Perfection is the Enemy of Good Enough!” 😸
Sometimes GM gets it right as with the 3800 and the LS family V8s but sometimes they do something just brain dead the head bolts on the Northstar and the Vega engine.
God I hope to see him do more videos. I have a 99 Eldorado and try to do work by myself, but it's my first car and I can't find many resources to help out. This might be a godsend!
If you ever do take apart the engine to replace the valve gaskets, will you make a full video about it? I honesty won't mind if its an hour or so long.
I have the SLS 2000 version with 190000 miles on it & it runs like a scalded dog! A few small leaks down below but the plugs stay looking like new. I have already done a total rebuild on an Allante Northstar engine using the stud kit from Northstar Performance & the results are worth it. Definitely NOT for the weekend driveway mechanic & you cannot rush through this job. Still overall results are very pleasing & when done you have a nice car to drive for another 100,000 miles. A few upgrades are a good idea & rewarding to own.
I bet the deal went like this- Tyler: what will it cost to have you go over my Northstar? Wizard: no charge, you'll just have to give me the car. It's a money-pit liability waiting to happen. Tyler: deal
The Car Wizard IS the Bob Ross of auto mechanics ... Many of these cars would have simply been junked in days gone by ... but as 'The Wizard' said, if you can do many of the repairs yourself then it's definitely worth keeping them going. Thanks to online forums, TH-cam & especially a channel like 'The Wizards', many of us are confident enough to maintain our vehicles ourselves ... I still have a good mechanic as a backup when advice is needed of I simply haven't got the tools, skills or knowledge ... My mechanic always says ... "what can't you fix?" when I turn up at his work shop ...
Although in a year, or so I have feeling we will be seeing a video update of him having to pull the engine to do all the work they normally need done, but then again maybe I'm wrong, and this is one of the lucky few who have very few issues.
Well certainly do the head stud upgrade that you already have and whatever other improvements are included with the kit when it starts to get sketchy and you'll never have to worry about it again. You'll be doing the valve cover gaskets at that point anyway and you can decide if you want to pull the engine out to freshen everything else up. It's so much easier when you have lifts and air tools and everything else you have as a pro shop. I paid to have the rear main seal done on my Neon because it would be so much worse trying to do it in my driveway in January years ago. Best 300 bucks I ever spent even if the part was less than 30 bucks. When you leave a large puddle every time you sit at a light it's time fix it.
This video makes me want to go out and find one of these beauties myself…then I remember that I'm not an experienced mechanic with my own fully-equipped shop…
Hey Wizard! As a Florida resident I can confirm that we still have plenty of "Grandma's church cars" for sale. Just about everyone I know has had a car with that story, myself included.
Wizard, you are spot-on about dealerships trying to sell you services which you don’t necessarily need. It’s a shame that consumers are taken advantage of like this. That said, finding a reputable, honest shop/mechanic can be difficult. I went to a well-known local dealership months ago for an oil change, informing the techs that it had a coolant leak which I wanted diagnosed. Their pitiful “multi-point inspection” made no mention of where the leak was coming from. They also tried to make me pay $500 for new brake pads and rotors (which weren’t even OEM) for the rear axle on a different occasion, even though the services sign in their shop clearly states that new pads and rotors cost $250 per axle. I told them I was not going to pay that much, pointing out the sign. Eventually we agreed on $300 total, and I will never have my car serviced there again. I went to another shop for the coolant issue, and they replaced the heater bypass valve which fixed the issue...for whatever reason, it took them 5 weeks to do this! Their excuse was that they had difficulty sourcing parts. They also switched out a hose clamp on the upper rad hose with a non OEM type, and torqued it down so hard that it broke the pipe on the radiator, causing coolant to burst everywhere. Luckily I was driving a nearby town when this happened, and only a mile or two from an auto parts store. Had to pull over a few times and turn off the car to avoid overheating the engine. Their mistake cost me the radiator, and in frustration I decided to buy parts myself from reputable distributors. The sad part is that this shop has a 5 star google and yelp rating. Not knowing if the thermostat was damaged by this event, I purchased an OEM replacement, along with a new radiator and several hoses and clamps. I called various local shops for quotes and received estimates ranging from $750 to $1300...seems absurd to me for labor cost. Finally, I found a decent mechanic who did the work for $261 (he quoted me $275), and I have not had any issues since. Lessons learnt: dealerships are usually stealerships; internet reviews mean nothing; become familiar with the mechanical functions of your vehicle; learn how to do simple maintenance so that you save money; and finding a reputable, honest mechanic can be a daunting task.
I agree as I love these myself. I was super jealous finding out when I saw Hoover's video when he bough it in Orlando FL. What I can't believe is that this '93 STS wasn't too far away from where I live here in Florida. And I am currently looking to buy a 90's STS to match my 2000 STS.
I wrote this for Tyler's video , then I relized he sold it to you.... FWIW, my take about my '97. Part numbers might be of intrest..... Got a 97 SLS (my fathers old car) it's at 150K; I've put 110K myself. Drive it like it was designed to be run....fast, with an occasional WOT. Fastest car I've ever owned, even faster than my old '68 440 Charger RT. I'll admit it has it's flaws: The head gasket issue is primarily due to 1)Dex-cool, get that slimy sheet out of it. (I've used only Zerex G50) 2) Allowing the coolant to get acidic with infrequent coolant charges. Test your coolant frequently with both litmus test strips and a voltmeter with one lead on ground and another dipped in the reservoir tank ; anything over .3V (300mV) indicates acidic enough coolant to start eating the alum threads in block. Another issue being the unavailable (or un-affordable shocks and struts): Solution there is to convert to a passive suspension with AC Delco 505-525/-526 front struts, OEM strut mounts (do use Monroe) with Moog 81086 coil springs if needed in the front and in the rear keeping the ELC(elec level control) active using Monroe 40046 air shocks and Moog 81005 rear springs to fix common rear end sag. Bypassing the computer suspension is easy with resistors at each wheel. DO THIS before you dump it: Look up Northstar oil consumption issue/fix via WOT (wide open throttle) and implement........and hang on to yer hat (seat belts req). Think you'll find the NS beast is by design! Opps, see you sold her to your mechanic.......well, that speaks of the real truth
My two suggestions are ask around others experiences with who ever is in your area. You will either find a ton of horror stories or praise. No place is without some disgruntled person, no one likes to take a vehicle in and find something you through was minor or benign costs 4k to fix. Also get two quotes most good places won't charge you to quote, some will charge that 65 or 100 diagnostic fee, but who tries to do just the job and who tries to up-sell you on tons of crap like valve cover gaskets you might not need. Mine did point out on my POS all the stuff soon to fail, said didn't need to be done now but start planning on saving up to have X,Y, and Z done.
Get second opinions on everything. My former 'regular' mechanic for instance started to miss some critical things. He told me they "adjusted" my steering rack ends and that they'd need to be replace eventually. When the knocking grew louder, I took it to a place that specalises in steering - turned out the driver's side rack end was missing its lock nut, and also had a wrongly sized tie rod end installed. They said one fair whack would've possibly caused it to lose tracking/steering. They also sent me away with worn rear brake pads - later requiring a set of rotors and obviously pads. I had been going to them because a family member recommended them... but you can tell good from bad if they're patronising, or seem disinterested in you. Google reviews is also a thing now, that can help a lot.
I've been taking my old tdi to the dealership and they have been very reasonable with the few minor repairs it's needed. It leaks oil, tans fluid, and has JB weld holding the AC compressor in. The speedo also doesn't work. They haven't bugged me at all when I went to get the oil changed. They also replaced the shifter linkage, it wouldn't go into first gear most of the time. The said "hey it leaks oil" and I said "yeah I know" and they said "ok it's not a big deal". I guess it varies from dealer to dealer.
What a gorgeous car, and completely mint, I can’t believe your luck/hoovies , knock on wood the engine will be ok if you do put those performance parts
I enjoy watching. My wife talked me into buying a 2006 GMC F250 Duramax with 315K miles. It was 3 years old at the time (2009). We put 75K miles on it over four years, so we took it to 400K. Then we sold it to her brother who is now over the 500K mark and is still driving it in 2020.
I was a little confused myself but I feel like most mechanics have a weird love for Northstar cars! Do you wizard! Love those cars. I wish I could fix a Northstar just so I could buy these Cadillacs
@Randy Travis I'm not too mechanically inclined to be fair. I've only worked on a handful of engines. Chevy 350, 1.6 ecoboost, 7mge, and multiple old 7.3 idi diesels. (mechanical diesels(
I'm glad you bought this car.. I almost bought one many years ago but didn't want to risk costly repairs. Test drive was great, though--solid, smooth, comfortable, quiet, and powerful, even with 130k miles of mediocre care. I used to think these looked bland, but now they have an understated elegance that you can't find in today's market. Not many $3k cars command this much respect. These and the 1st gen Oldsmobile Aurora continue to be very interesting cars.
i like how you indeirectly called out the big dealerships well done and i completely agree i never take mine to a dealership unless its a recall or warranty thing always take mine to a shop like yours
Based on the timing and story of this I think this is my grandparents old Cadillac. He loved that car. Fun fact I scratched the bumper when I was younger by running their golf cart into it when I was visiting as a kid.
I highly doubt it. There is no benefit for the service department to get the trade in for the sales department. More likely is Tyler asked to be informed about everything that's needed, and they did just that.
For the dealership as a whole, quoting high repair prices for low mileage luxury cars encourages the owner to trade the car in for little or nothing; then the car is cleaned up, with minimal repairs, and sold for a high price that ensures a hefty profit for the owner of the dealership. Many people, particularly those who are older or who drive on a lot of long trips, prefer the quietness, comfort and ride quality of the older Cadillacs and Lincolns.
William Crawford you’ve clearly never worked at a dealership. There is no reason for the service department to give a high estimate so they’ll trade it in. They want the customer to buy the work. That is the only way they make money.
Hi Wizard. Congrats on the very clean STS. As for my greatest risk, I am thinking it is my current 2013 BMW 328i that had 35K miles on it. Over 60K miles later, and my 3 has proved to be a great car.
I used to work as a mechanic at a new car dealership and we had what we referred to as the 5K Policy. What the 5K Policy was that we wouldn't let any vehicle brought to us for a repair out the door without it racking up at least $5,000 in repairs, regardless why the vehicle was brought in. This was accomplished by flat-out lying to these people that their vehicles had all kinds of repairs needed on top of why they brought in their vehicles. If this didn't work we would loosen belts, bolts or screws, or drain fluids before we sent these people home after their initial repair. So, this would result in the vehicles being brought back within usually three days and then the problems would be "fixed" and lo and behold the total repairs would be right around $5,000. Keep in mind this 5K Policy was an unwritten directive from the top brass of this dealership becuase it accomplished several things: 1) It made a lot of money for the repair portion of the dealership; 2) This 5K Policy had a 50 percent chance of the people who owned the vehicles being conned into thinking their cars were not worth repairing; 3) These people were then offered virtually nothing for these vehicles as trade-ins, so the dealerhship got these vehicles for a song and the owners got conned into letting them go for nothing; 4) The dealership always had a fresh influx of used cars for their lot that they got for virtually nothing; 5) It falsely created repeat new vehicle customers.
i got an brand new 2009 STS V8 Northstar with only 9000km runned so far, no rain seen yet! Kinda happy to hear they fixed it after 2005 models in your last video about it, i hope i will have a looong happy life with my caddi!
I worked on one at a shop recently. Beautiful car, quite a bit more power than the I4's I'm used to working on. Only problem was the battery placement, which made it very difficult to jump after it sat for a month
These cars ride incredibly well. The ride, steering, braking and handling is great and much improved from previous Cadillac's from before the new Seville for 1992.
_What's the biggest risk you've taken purchasing a car?_ Well, when I was 16 I had only my moped license and so drove a 50cc scooter (I live in the Netherlands by-the-way) It started to become winter, and I wasn't liking it to drive my moped in trough the cold. So I went looking for a microcar (a car that only goes 45 km/h that you can drive with a moped license). Most of them I found in my price range where pretty ragged out (badly repainted, smashed up by teens). Then I found a pretty interesting one for really cheap. It had an electrical malfunction. (it didn't start or did after cranking it for way to long) Lights didn't work. If you slammed the door hard enough the engine died. Interior was bad, bumpers were messed up, one control arm was shot, tires where bad. *So if I couldn't solve it then I was screwed.* The previous owner already replaced the new battery, alternator and check for fuses and relays. I found the same car at the junkyard and took the glow (plug) relay with me (it was a 500cc 2 cylinder diesel). That didn't work. Then I needed to remove the battery because it was low and I wanted to charge it inside. After pulling it out I realized that the negative battery terminal was all corroded. Clean it up and stuck the recharged battery in it. This solved it, the guy how sold it to me said that I needed to give him a call if I would solve the malfunction. He was giving himself a hard time when he realized he messed up with replacing the battery....
My first car was a 97 Cadillac El Dorado with a north star engine with a battery drain issue. Still got me around and was the most comfortable car I’ve ever owned. One day i started the car and a Sound of a grill igniting came from under the dash. I Popped the hood and there were flames. Burnt the intake and a couple wires. Luckily I was in the market for a new car around that time. Decided to junk it. I still have the gold keys for the car. I miss it.
I noticed your clamp for the hood strut in this video. What a great idea. I just ordered a set to keep weak struts from allowing the hood to come crashing down on my head.
I’d change the coolant, transmission and brake fluid and ride on the tires for at least 2 more years. I’d also use a leather cleaner and conditioner on the interior. Nice score.
Same thing that I would say. Just do the basic maintenance which he knows how to do, and simple care for the rest of the car with leather conditioner and lots of wax. This was a great score of a car. I only wish I would have seen it first because this Seville wasn't very far from where I live here in Florida!
![[UNCUT] เก็บ "สจ.โต้ง" เอี่ยวมาเฟีย รู้ตัวคนบงการ ก่อนสั่งลั่นไก I คนดังนั่งเคลียร์ I 13 ธ.ค.67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/o-J_p62D40w/mqdefault.jpg)
I wish the Car Wizard was my mechanic. He's always so calm and collected. Not pushy like most mechanics. He's like the Mister Rogers of auto mechanics.
Or Bob Ross of mechanics
He should wear a sweater
@@ChoPi-Eww "ooh, tiny leak there, just needs a happy little gasket to make it all better" lol
@@wickedmuffin76 lmfao
Yeah but I bet his labor hours are dealership high or more
one thing about oil leaks: if they are bad enough they constantly coat the bottom of your car in oil to prevent rust lol.....
also prevents stuck bolts in the engine bay. Made changing a battery a lot easier.
So that must be why a guy I know left the oil cap off his civic, well I guess the pools of oil above his shocks should stop rust there, and well everywhere else.
Zachary Szypica loo
And has a self changing oil system as you remember to top it off every week.
@@nnnf467 hahah I had a 1970 dodge dart with the 225 slant six. Someone asked me once: how often do you do an oil change? I said "every 3 weeks or so" lol.....it leaks and burns so much oil it is completely replaced by the third week. When I pull into a gas station I tell them to check the gas and fill it with oil lol (this was back when most stations were full service)
It's great to see honest mechanics like you expose the high costs of dealers even when a repair isn't needed.
My dad's a mechanic himself and he's always maintained the cars at home running strong, and I remember a few years ago, he replaced the front struts on his car and the next day he took it to the dealer for an alignment and one of the mechanics there took a quick look inside the front fenders and said that the suspension needed replacing! 😂
You could just imagine how embarassed he got when dad told him, "Replace what? These struts are brand new, I installed them yesterday! I'm only here for an alignment."
damn crooks 😢
Cadillac made changes to the Northstar over the years, and eventually made a fairly dependable engine. My sister bought a used low mileage DTS with a Northstar, super nice car at a very good price. About 3 years after she purchased the car the hot light came on. She immediately stopped the engine and had it towed to her regular shop. In a few minutes they quoted her $4000 to repair the car. They said "blown head gasket" and they would just put a used engine in it. She immediately called me and I went right over. She told me she never smelled anything, the car ran fine before, that the temp gage went up like a rocket. I went out and started the car ( check oil and water first). The car ran fine of 20 minutes with normal temp. Drove the car to my sons garage and replaced the temp sensor. No more problems.
Moral of the story: some shops are crooks.
My father made an excellent living in HVAC and his motto was: if you can't make an honest living in repair business, then you need to find another line of work. There is too much stuff broken for you to have to lie.
Wow, the production quality keeps getting better and better!
The audio is amazing and that light on the camera is absolutely perfect. Thank you for improving this content even though it isn't your main source of income.
Tyler's production values have rubbed off.
While I'm not a huge fan of the Northstar, I have to admit they drive pretty damn smooth when they are maintained properly!
My uncle bought one of these new in 93... Drove it for 9 years 115k miles with zero issues, just one set of tires, brakes, oil changes and a battery. We saw it about 5 years ago with almost 200k on it still running great. Never had headgaskets done
Only one set of tires with 115k and 9 years? Yikes
JJ HRRSN I think he meant he only changed them once which if youre conservative makes sense
JJ HRRSN I park my car outside in harsh Colorado and Arizona. I just replaced my tires after 5 years and 90,000 miles. 115k and 9 years isn’t that unobtainable.
@@jjhrrsn7951 One set of additional tires.... so 2 sets total
I ride my "97" Caddy Eldorado and still running strong after 105,000 plus miles driving it from southern California to Vegas and back. Another key notes that I do is every7-9 months annual check up for the car to keep it in good standard.
I've had problems with some dealers and some independent shops. Some honest, some dishonest. I was an auto mechanic for 15 years and moved into a different profession. These youtube videos are great for people without much mechanical knowledge. If you find an honest dealer or shop stick with them. I was always honest with people. It's hard work and when the day is done you've got tools to clean and also yourself.
You and South Main Auto are the two most honest and reliable mechanics I've ever seen, would love to give either my business if I didn't live so far out in GA!
Most informative at showing how to diagnose too.
Love South Main Auto channel as well!!!
if i remember correctly, his diagnosis of a Chevrolet impala that had a P0446 helped me diagnose the exact same code in my Chevrolet Aveo (it was the Fuel Tank Pressure Sensor)
My favorite two also.
Motor city Mechanic is also very honest in his videos but he only does Mopar.
"Dont buy this Caddy...I dont want prices to go up" Shrewd, Wizard. Shrewd ;)
Really enjoyed that you included working on the car in this video
I always loved those cars. I was going to be a next gen Cadillac guy but gave up on Cadillac. Such a shame that they never chose to improve or fix their issues. I feel like they sold us out. I gave up waiting for them and moved on to Lexus. BTW, I picked up a low miles Buick 3.8 v6 for $2500 thanks to you. Changed the plenum and lower manifold gasket. Great daily driver with no car payment 😁I'm saving up for a nice lexus to drive mom during her last years. Much thanks to you and Mrs wizard. If you ever get rid of that bad boy, let me know 😉
I kept my '04 Seville since most of the bugs had been worked out, but still drive an '01 Lexus LS430...nothing like that on the road. :)
Its a gorgeous car that still looks good 26 years later.
Caddy's are pretty pieces of shit for sure.
I had a 96 El Dorado and I never had any serious problems and gave it to a friend who was very kind to me in 2010. Only ever needed a starting motor and solenoid B came out of place. Fortunately, I didn't have any head gasket issues nor overheating. I used it for midwest city and highway driving around Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa mainly. The Northstar was pretty reliable and the torque was great for me. The paint was beautiful throughout. I guess I dodged a bullet.
The video and audio is high quality and the content is just as good your honesty is making you look like the most reliable mechanic. It's true if you can do it yourself the car is worth it nice car. I wish you could service my vehicles I would trust you. I'm doing a oil change on my wife's car today. You look good bald👍your wife is good with the camera 📹
HE'LL YEAH BORTHER!!1
We purchased a 1985 VW Vanagon Westfalia. It has needed about 5k in a completely rebuilt transmission and exhaust and other wear and tear repairs. She has been absolutely reliable, which as Vanagons go, is a minor miracle. Our family loves it so much and we are fortunate the Previous owner Michael and Kay were such loving previous owners. Unfortunately, Kay was terminally ill and wanted it sold to a loving family. Guess we fit the bill. We are so lucky to be the second owners. Bless you Kay and your wonderful soul, and Michael you are an incredible and wonderful man.
My mechanic refers to these as “deathstar” engines
I got 170k out of my 95 sts. The transmission is what failed.
@@mattbrawner7888 Same for my 94 SLS. It went to 150k miles and the Viscous Torque converter clutch started to let go over the period of 1k miles.Loved that car tho.
@@StruggleGarage 1994 eldorado, got it from my father at 160,000. Went to 198,000 when my wife took on a giant curb at the school. Almost ripped the subframe out. She still ran and drove.
The LH2 which was the last Northstar had none of these problems.
these early alloy engines were not forgiving if overheated. I suspect many of these issues were from lack of care.
Glad you are recycling this beautiful car, I look forward to seeing you give us updates on how it performs as your daily ride.
As an auto enthusiast I rarely own cars I'd recommend. That explains my ownership of:
Range Rover
Several Northstar Cadillacs
Modern BMWs
I love the late 90's like 98 and up STS but I'm so sad it has the Northstar V8. I'm not a car mechanic but train mechanic without a garage so I drive a Volvo V70 2.5T 98. I highly recommend first gen V70 with Turbo.
@@Salpeteroxid Why are you so sad they have the Northstar V8, you should be happy about it that its not the HT4100! By the way the Volvo's are good cars and just as good as the Cadillac's.
@@starxlr7863 Northstar V8 have issues with headbolt separations and it's basically not worth repairing. I regard Volvo the highest when it comes to mileage. 500 000km is not really rare to find here in Sweden.
@@Salpeteroxid Head bolt separations is directly caused by the coolant used in the cooling system. That's always been the case with Cadillac's going back to the 50s when new coolants were being introduced. When the cooling system is properly maintained there is no problems to worry about. I own several Northstar V8 Cadillac's and none of them ever had an issue or were ever rebuilt. Two of them are very high mileage. Unfortunately in the United States, people get too wasteful and dump cars before the 100k mark. In Europe it is opposite, but the europeans do know how to properly maintain cars like they all should be over here.
@@starxlr7863 Yeah, I'm Swedish and here a 100k mile car or 160k km car isn't even considered old and most of them in mint condition.
Same thing a few years ago. 1988 Benz 420 SEL, 78,000 miles in the champagne gold exterior/palomino interior color combo. Bought it sight unseen from a widow in Palm Beach, FL for $7600. Still had the factory R12 in the a/c system & all I ever did was redo all the idle air hoses & vacuum lines & replaced 1 vacuum tee to the central locking system. I've redone the zebrano wood trim pieces to get rid of that fake plastic look, put a set of turbine style 18" rims & did the euro lamps front & back. Finest car I've ever owned. Far more character than the new ones & gets just as many looks.
W126 for life!!!
I love the 93-97 Seville STS as well. My 96 went 265k before the HG's leaked. I will be studding it once I get a lift.
That's not an oil pan leak that's a self-extruded rust inhibitive coating.
Brilliant 😅
That extra camera light is a really great improvement !! Well done Mrs. Wizard. Greetings from Praha, CZ
Wow. I just binged on Wizard's magic. Good stuff. I appreciate an honest, down to earth wrenching channel. Keep it up! Watching from College Station, TX
Car Wizard: Just bought a Cadillac Seville.
Scotty Kilmer: Ennnndless Money Pit!
(Just imagine those two presenting a show together!)
I like your calm and settled way of talking. Very comforting and makes people trust you.
Give the car an undercoating but on a wax basis
Beautiful car. Great deal for a master mechanic. Tyler had your back on this one!
If well cared for, Northstar Caddys are fabulous cars. My son had an STS, and it rode smooth, handled like a race car, and was quiet as a bank vault on the road. Other than motor mounts and serpentine belt and tensioner he never had a single worry with it. Don't touch a thing on that engine, just maintain it and enjoy the ride.
That's good to hear, I just bought a mint condition one & then am getting scared looking online at all these videos!
@@whitephillip6997ur driving a ticking time bomb
That diamond white was always a great color, hard to beat even today.
Wizard, I appreciate your honesty and yet candid approach. I am truly lucky to have a mechanic of your same stature here. Been going to him for 25 yrs. I look forward to your videos especially "buy this, not that" segments. Keep up the great work. I hope junior mint appreciates his apprenticeship with you. Hopefully habits formed with you will stick with him.
Best of all it was garaged or the Florida sun would’ve turned that interior to dust a long time ago .
Yep, and what seems to be have been a decently climate controlled garage at that, as I'm not too far from FLA up here in western central SC, and I've got an elder neighbor who just a couple of years ago got ride of an 05 Cadillac Deville for a then new 2017 Toyota Camry, that was always kept in her garage, and it had way more rust then this thing from what I saw the time I helped her out a few months before she got rid of it putting her spare tire on.
The rain and sun annihilate roof paint here too in just a couple of years, frequent rain and rain droplets become a magnifying glass for the sun. Grandma's church cars are a dime a dozen here. If you like 3800 v6 GM cars, they're all over the place here cheap,with low miles.
@@johnp556 I have a feeling in another decade SC will be the same way with it becoming the next retirement boom state after Fla. I work for a non profit for seniors for a living, and have done as such for the last 15 years, and have many clients who have moved from up north here due to the weather being overall nicer, and the state just being overall cheaper to live in. So Grandma's church cars will for sure be flooding the market here, but I have a feeling it will be more Toyota's than Caddies, Ford's, or Lincolns.
They're available, saw a little old lady driving a 2000ish corolla the other day, paint was perfect, that thing was mint.
@@johnp556 Yep don't drive them hard, keep the maintenancem up on them, and most Toyota's will last a good long time for sure. My elder aunt has a 99 corolla, and the only reason she is replacing it is because she wants something newer, drives/rides fine except a few minor things like a broken door handle from age, and front light out again from age.
Why don't you repair the motor with the NorthStar Performance kit before it blows and it would make good video content. I would like to see you do the repair.
@Mr. TA Alot of the time though the head or block does get warped in the process.
@Markus Patients not on our daily drivers, wife's car gets fixed immediately.
He doesn't do repairs. He just talks shit.
The Northstar performance kit is only for when the engine needs rebuilt. The 93-95 engines here are excellent when running the green coolant as opposed to Dexcool that came out in 1996. That is when all the problems started.
>Kenneth: It might not have head gasket issues til 150,000mi. It's only got 66,000 on it now.
Nice Video, great Cadillac save. I am sure the previous owner would approve of your care of the Church Cadillac.
This is the nicest 90s car I think I've ever seen. My truck is a 1994 Isuzu pickup truck, with most of its factory parts. I got it from the original owner, and he pretty nice too it, kept it well maintained. It makes this Catalac look like it just came out of the factory🤣
I remember when I had to start shaving my head. I felt the same way about comb overs. As Long as Mrs. Wizard likes it, you are just fine
I'm happy that you bought this car to give it the life it deserves - it's a beautiful car and it's in such good condition that it would be a shame to total it when the head bolts eventually let loose.
Oil seeping? I've had good luck just snugging the bolts up. Gaskets dry out, causing the seep. Snug 'em and that will fix it......most of the time. I think you got a gem there; good luck with it, Wee-zard!!
My Dad gave me some of the best advice - find a good mechanic and stick with him through thick and thin. He was right. Brilliant video, great attitude on how to appraise an older car. It's definitely a keeper.
Great buy for the $2500 you paid Tyler! Could be one of the nicest old Caddies I've seen. You'll really enjoy driving this.
I bought a 99 Deville with 116k for 450$. Nothing wrong with it except a burned out cluster, 40$ fix.
@@mattg7952 Damn, those deals don't come along every day. Way to go.
GM was stupid with the gaskets and the orange coolant.. just change them out, I did with my pontiac before they even went..
it's 22 yrs old and so what if it has rust, still peppy and everything still works, just regular maintenance, boots go, and like breaks, they are to keep you safe.. now you have a fresh alignment and it handles like a dream!!!
Good find! I prefer the Eldorado from this generation, but the Sevilles are always neat to see as well.
Car Wizard , “YOU ARE THE BEST”!!!!!! please keep us updated on this Cadillac , how it rides,and if you are going to put undercoating rust protection now that it’s up north in the snow. Thank you
Moral of the story. Got Tyler to give you a perfectly good car under the assumption it would need repairs that it won't actually need :P
Cleanest Florida car I've seen. My mom had a Buick Century from about the same '90s era from a coastal area and you could tell. 😱
7:06 this reminds me of a time i took my car to a dealership to get the oil changed...they told me I had a freon leak and that I "better fix it". I said no, not for the cost they wanted to charge me. They said "you need to fix it. Freon is bad for the environment and that if you don't fix it, we're going to have to report you to the EPA". LOL
So... Did they ever report you? XD
Did the freon police come arrest you ?
I hear that in Cartmans voice lol!
@@ramaporiver803 He was arrested, but is now freon bail
A small leak is normal. Otherwise the pressure builds up in the compressor and it will blow.
Coworker had one with starter problems... found the ground cable from frame to block below AC was loose/corroded. He fixed that then it started to overheat before he sold it.... 80k miles
Could have been as simple as either the purge line or the water pump tensioner which I've gone through a few times in the past.
Hello wizard! I'm very sick and you have really helped my mood with your awesome content! I'm proud of you for living your dreams! I hope for you and yours health and happiness! Love the caddy. She's a time capsule. Good call to purchase it in my opinion
NicholasTranscends With whatever it is that ails you, I wish you a speedy recovery if its possible. Many thanks and prayers for you.
Hope you get well soon! More happy car videos are always a great booster!
I'm better now! Your wizard Ness is salvaltion! Hahah
I'm one of the few that love these Northstar engines. Back in the nineties they were the ultimate engines for a sand rail or buggy. All aluminum and pretty easy to get plenty of power from. Plus being from a front wheel drive vehicle mounting it between the rear wheels worked great. You were the man back then rolling up at the dunes with one of these strapped between the tires. Watching this makes me wanna build another buggy. Only thing stopping me is Polaris and other manufacturers are doing such a great job building high performance side by sides now. It would be near impossible to build a buggy that could perform as good as my current XP turbo or Yamaha XYZ. At least not for an all around toy, for sand only it would be a blast. Too bad it's almost a 12 hour drive to the nearest decent dunes from me and we only get out there once a year.
Absolute. You can always tell a "Northie" out on the dunes....whaaaaa.....whaaaaaaaaaaa! :)
I would think you might do more harm than good fixing all those "leaks". Most i'd do is clean off the oil.
I'm sure he'll do the permanent fix for the studs which will require him to remove the engine. Fix the leaks then. Until then, you're right, clean.
Kinda how I am with my car rn. Pretty sure my rear main seal is starting to go bad but the car drips so minimal oil (and only when I drive the car hard will it actually drip, cruising around will not make it leak) that I have decided to live with it until it pours quarts off. Till then, pop the dipstick out every few weeks and keep an eye where it's at. Thankfully when I do the oil change it still holds all 6 quarts that it takes in
Just run a different oil
@@nakian5316 Oil is for lubrication and cooling.
Seals and Gaskets are for keeping oil in the engine.
Great choice, got one, 1999 Seville STS, Tropical Green, 90K km, runs so smooth, no mechanical problem, have power when needed, fuel efficient (on highway), just need regular service and some love. She will last forever.
7:00 that seepage might go away if you switch to a high-mileage formulation engine oil. Solved my slight drips with a 1996 Jeep XJ, 352,000 miles.
All Jeeps mark their territory.
Northstars use 5-20 if I remember correctly. The gaskets are moulded like o rings not flat with an upper and lower. They leak no matter what.
@@mattg7952 5W-30. Later ones require synthetic (Mobil 1 factory fill just like a Corvette).
@@kevin9c1 That's right, I didn't keep my caddy long enough to remember.
That’s the beauty of Florida cars! As long as they weren’t kept by the beach they tend to be very rot free! This one was probably kept in a garage as well to keep the sun damage down. As far as the little issues are concerned, when a car is this age, “Perfection is the Enemy of Good Enough!” 😸
Those head bolts should have been a recall. This is typical GM cheaping out.
Yup it's a 100%GM move
@Say less FWD
Sometimes GM gets it right as with the 3800 and the LS family V8s but sometimes they do something just brain dead the head bolts on the Northstar and the Vega engine.
GM=Genuinely Mediocre.
Did GM extended the engine warranty to 100,000 miles? Isn't what we all want, a car that will last for 100,000 miles?
God I hope to see him do more videos. I have a 99 Eldorado and try to do work by myself, but it's my first car and I can't find many resources to help out. This might be a godsend!
Especially if the head bolts pull. I had it fixed already, but I would love to see the process!
@@Breadts1cks I also have a 1999 Eldorado ETC that I bought earlier this year. They are great cars. I do all maintenance myself just like he wizard.
If you ever do take apart the engine to replace the valve gaskets, will you make a full video about it? I honesty won't mind if its an hour or so long.
Yes please do
I have the SLS 2000 version with 190000 miles on it & it runs like a scalded dog! A few small leaks down below but the plugs stay looking like new. I have already done a total rebuild on an Allante Northstar engine using the stud kit from Northstar Performance & the results are worth it. Definitely NOT for the weekend driveway mechanic & you cannot rush through this job. Still overall results are very pleasing & when done you have a nice car to drive for another 100,000 miles. A few upgrades are a good idea & rewarding to own.
I bet the deal went like this-
Tyler: what will it cost to have you go over my Northstar?
Wizard: no charge, you'll just have to give me the car. It's a money-pit liability waiting to happen.
Tyler: deal
The Car Wizard IS the Bob Ross of auto mechanics ...
Many of these cars would have simply been junked in days gone by ... but as 'The Wizard' said, if you can do many of the repairs yourself then it's definitely worth keeping them going.
Thanks to online forums, TH-cam & especially a channel like 'The Wizards', many of us are confident enough to maintain our vehicles ourselves ...
I still have a good mechanic as a backup when advice is needed of I simply haven't got the tools, skills or knowledge ...
My mechanic always says ... "what can't you fix?" when I turn up at his work shop ...
You keep that car in good condition and I'd say it will be valuable one day since most of them get scrapped.
Although in a year, or so I have feeling we will be seeing a video update of him having to pull the engine to do all the work they normally need done, but then again maybe I'm wrong, and this is one of the lucky few who have very few issues.
Well certainly do the head stud upgrade that you already have and whatever other improvements are included with the kit when it starts to get sketchy and you'll never have to worry about it again. You'll be doing the valve cover gaskets at that point anyway and you can decide if you want to pull the engine out to freshen everything else up. It's so much easier when you have lifts and air tools and everything else you have as a pro shop. I paid to have the rear main seal done on my Neon because it would be so much worse trying to do it in my driveway in January years ago. Best 300 bucks I ever spent even if the part was less than 30 bucks. When you leave a large puddle every time you sit at a light it's time fix it.
This video makes me want to go out and find one of these beauties myself…then I remember that I'm not an experienced mechanic with my own fully-equipped shop…
I'm getting one rn regardless... pray for me 🙏!
Hey Wizard! As a Florida resident I can confirm that we still have plenty of "Grandma's church cars" for sale. Just about everyone I know has had a car with that story, myself included.
I did my sway bar links in the driveway! I used a 18mm wrench on the flats.
James Last
Right. $200 bucks, yikes!
Wizard, you are spot-on about dealerships trying to sell you services which you don’t necessarily need. It’s a shame that consumers are taken advantage of like this. That said, finding a reputable, honest shop/mechanic can be difficult. I went to a well-known local dealership months ago for an oil change, informing the techs that it had a coolant leak which I wanted diagnosed. Their pitiful “multi-point inspection” made no mention of where the leak was coming from. They also tried to make me pay $500 for new brake pads and rotors (which weren’t even OEM) for the rear axle on a different occasion, even though the services sign in their shop clearly states that new pads and rotors cost $250 per axle. I told them I was not going to pay that much, pointing out the sign. Eventually we agreed on $300 total, and I will never have my car serviced there again.
I went to another shop for the coolant issue, and they replaced the heater bypass valve which fixed the issue...for whatever reason, it took them 5 weeks to do this! Their excuse was that they had difficulty sourcing parts. They also switched out a hose clamp on the upper rad hose with a non OEM type, and torqued it down so hard that it broke the pipe on the radiator, causing coolant to burst everywhere. Luckily I was driving a nearby town when this happened, and only a mile or two from an auto parts store. Had to pull over a few times and turn off the car to avoid overheating the engine. Their mistake cost me the radiator, and in frustration I decided to buy parts myself from reputable distributors. The sad part is that this shop has a 5 star google and yelp rating.
Not knowing if the thermostat was damaged by this event, I purchased an OEM replacement, along with a new radiator and several hoses and clamps. I called various local shops for quotes and received estimates ranging from $750 to $1300...seems absurd to me for labor cost. Finally, I found a decent mechanic who did the work for $261 (he quoted me $275), and I have not had any issues since.
Lessons learnt: dealerships are usually stealerships; internet reviews mean nothing; become familiar with the mechanical functions of your vehicle; learn how to do simple maintenance so that you save money; and finding a reputable, honest mechanic can be a daunting task.
OMG I needed that tool so bad when i was replacing the turbo in my Passat.
Yea garaged makes the difference no doubt, even for the tires, no heat, no uv, life outside is harsh.
Put some anti rust treatment on the underside of that and enjoy.
you always give solid great advice, late NorthStar engines fixed most of the problems and always fun to drive and comfortable an excellent review
Love those mid 90s Cadillacs they're absolutely stunning I'm super jealous that one is beautiful I have a 94 myself n love it to death
I agree as I love these myself. I was super jealous finding out when I saw Hoover's video when he bough it in Orlando FL. What I can't believe is that this '93 STS wasn't too far away from where I live here in Florida. And I am currently looking to buy a 90's STS to match my 2000 STS.
I wrote this for Tyler's video , then I relized he sold it to you....
FWIW, my take about my '97. Part numbers might be of intrest.....
Got a 97 SLS (my fathers old car) it's at 150K; I've put 110K myself. Drive it like it was designed to be run....fast, with an occasional WOT. Fastest car I've ever owned, even faster than my old '68 440 Charger RT. I'll admit it has it's flaws: The head gasket issue is primarily due to 1)Dex-cool, get that slimy sheet out of it. (I've used only Zerex G50) 2) Allowing the coolant to get acidic with infrequent coolant charges. Test your coolant frequently with both litmus test strips and a voltmeter with one lead on ground and another dipped in the reservoir tank ; anything over .3V (300mV) indicates acidic enough coolant to start eating the alum threads in block. Another issue being the unavailable (or un-affordable shocks and struts): Solution there is to convert to a passive suspension with AC Delco 505-525/-526 front struts, OEM strut mounts (do use Monroe) with Moog 81086 coil springs if needed in the front and in the rear keeping the ELC(elec level control) active using Monroe 40046 air shocks and Moog 81005 rear springs to fix common rear end sag. Bypassing the computer suspension is easy with resistors at each wheel.
DO THIS before you dump it: Look up Northstar oil consumption issue/fix via WOT (wide open throttle) and implement........and hang on to yer hat (seat belts req). Think you'll find the NS beast is by design!
Opps, see you sold her to your mechanic.......well, that speaks of the real truth
Hey wizard, would you consider making a video on how to find a reputable mechanic?
Sgt Whiskers Great Idea!
Become your own reliable mechanic.
My two suggestions are ask around others experiences with who ever is in your area. You will either find a ton of horror stories or praise. No place is without some disgruntled person, no one likes to take a vehicle in and find something you through was minor or benign costs 4k to fix. Also get two quotes most good places won't charge you to quote, some will charge that 65 or 100 diagnostic fee, but who tries to do just the job and who tries to up-sell you on tons of crap like valve cover gaskets you might not need. Mine did point out on my POS all the stuff soon to fail, said didn't need to be done now but start planning on saving up to have X,Y, and Z done.
Tool0GT92 not everyone has the time to repair their daily driver.
Get second opinions on everything. My former 'regular' mechanic for instance started to miss some critical things. He told me they "adjusted" my steering rack ends and that they'd need to be replace eventually. When the knocking grew louder, I took it to a place that specalises in steering - turned out the driver's side rack end was missing its lock nut, and also had a wrongly sized tie rod end installed. They said one fair whack would've possibly caused it to lose tracking/steering. They also sent me away with worn rear brake pads - later requiring a set of rotors and obviously pads. I had been going to them because a family member recommended them... but you can tell good from bad if they're patronising, or seem disinterested in you. Google reviews is also a thing now, that can help a lot.
My uncle has one line this and 200k miles. No leak and no bolt issues.
This is a beautifully preserved Seville; hopefully it will provide years of faithful service as the new WizardMobile!
Thumbs up , because it's the hitch hiker sign, something most older Caddy owners might find handy.
So a nice car went to a good home. That's nice when it works out that way.
I've been taking my old tdi to the dealership and they have been very reasonable with the few minor repairs it's needed. It leaks oil, tans fluid, and has JB weld holding the AC compressor in. The speedo also doesn't work. They haven't bugged me at all when I went to get the oil changed. They also replaced the shifter linkage, it wouldn't go into first gear most of the time. The said "hey it leaks oil" and I said "yeah I know" and they said "ok it's not a big deal". I guess it varies from dealer to dealer.
What a gorgeous car, and completely mint, I can’t believe your luck/hoovies , knock on wood the engine will be ok if you do put those performance parts
I enjoy watching. My wife talked me into buying a 2006 GMC F250 Duramax with 315K miles. It was 3 years old at the time (2009). We put 75K miles on it over four years, so we took it to 400K. Then we sold it to her brother who is now over the 500K mark and is still driving it in 2020.
I was a little confused myself but I feel like most mechanics have a weird love for Northstar cars! Do you wizard! Love those cars. I wish I could fix a Northstar just so I could buy these Cadillacs
Skilled mechanics are the ideal and most qualified owners of Northstar Cadillacs.
@Randy Travis I'm not too mechanically inclined to be fair. I've only worked on a handful of engines. Chevy 350, 1.6 ecoboost, 7mge, and multiple old 7.3 idi diesels. (mechanical diesels(
I'm glad you bought this car.. I almost bought one many years ago but didn't want to risk costly repairs. Test drive was great, though--solid, smooth, comfortable, quiet, and powerful, even with 130k miles of mediocre care.
I used to think these looked bland, but now they have an understated elegance that you can't find in today's market. Not many $3k cars command this much respect.
These and the 1st gen Oldsmobile Aurora continue to be very interesting cars.
Had one with blowed head gasket put stop leak it was fine drove it for 2 more yrs
Lighting was great in the video Misses Car Wizard!
i like how you indeirectly called out the big dealerships well done and i completely agree i never take mine to a dealership unless its a recall or warranty thing always take mine to a shop like yours
Hey i have one of these less than 40k miles on the motor. Lol literally bought it from a old lady too
Based on the timing and story of this I think this is my grandparents old Cadillac. He loved that car. Fun fact I scratched the bumper when I was younger by running their golf cart into it when I was visiting as a kid.
Quoted high price because they wanted him to trade it in.
I highly doubt it. There is no benefit for the service department to get the trade in for the sales department. More likely is Tyler asked to be informed about everything that's needed, and they did just that.
For the dealership as a whole, quoting high repair prices for low mileage luxury cars encourages the owner to trade the car in for little or nothing; then the car is cleaned up, with minimal repairs, and sold for a high price that ensures a hefty profit for the owner of the dealership. Many people, particularly those who are older or who drive on a lot of long trips, prefer the quietness, comfort and ride quality of the older Cadillacs and Lincolns.
Absurd. The service department doesn't see a dime unless they perform repairs.
William Crawford you’ve clearly never worked at a dealership. There is no reason for the service department to give a high estimate so they’ll trade it in. They want the customer to buy the work. That is the only way they make money.
Then the give him $500 as a trade in, pressure wash the leaks away, and sell for $12,500
Hi Wizard. Congrats on the very clean STS. As for my greatest risk, I am thinking it is my current 2013 BMW 328i that had 35K miles on it. Over 60K miles later, and my 3 has proved to be a great car.
The Cadillac paid for the Mercedes' repair bill
I used to work as a mechanic at a new car dealership and we had what we referred to as the 5K Policy. What the 5K Policy was that we wouldn't let any vehicle brought to us for a repair out the door without it racking up at least $5,000 in repairs, regardless why the vehicle was brought in. This was accomplished by flat-out lying to these people that their vehicles had all kinds of repairs needed on top of why they brought in their vehicles. If this didn't work we would loosen belts, bolts or screws, or drain fluids before we sent these people home after their initial repair. So, this would result in the vehicles being brought back within usually three days and then the problems would be "fixed" and lo and behold the total repairs would be right around $5,000. Keep in mind this 5K Policy was an unwritten directive from the top brass of this dealership becuase it accomplished several things: 1) It made a lot of money for the repair portion of the dealership; 2) This 5K Policy had a 50 percent chance of the people who owned the vehicles being conned into thinking their cars were not worth repairing; 3) These people were then offered virtually nothing for these vehicles as trade-ins, so the dealerhship got these vehicles for a song and the owners got conned into letting them go for nothing; 4) The dealership always had a fresh influx of used cars for their lot that they got for virtually nothing; 5) It falsely created repeat new vehicle customers.
Ive had 2 2000 Cadillac dts. Loved those cars. absolutely timeless look
i got an brand new 2009 STS V8 Northstar with only 9000km runned so far, no rain seen yet! Kinda happy to hear they fixed it after 2005 models in your last video about it, i hope i will have a looong happy life with my caddi!
I worked on one at a shop recently. Beautiful car, quite a bit more power than the I4's I'm used to working on. Only problem was the battery placement, which made it very difficult to jump after it sat for a month
I love videos like this one - you inspect a car and then you fix an item that needs addressing. Basically, you gave us a 2 for 1 offering. Thanks!
9:10 Only a *wizard* could rock wizard eyes! 8-D
I have never driven one of these, but if the suspension feels like your driving on pillows then hell yes that's a good buy!
These cars ride incredibly well. The ride, steering, braking and handling is great and much improved from previous Cadillac's from before the new Seville for 1992.
The STS rides alot stiffer than you would think. The regular Seville has a softer ride.
_What's the biggest risk you've taken purchasing a car?_
Well, when I was 16 I had only my moped license and so drove a 50cc scooter (I live in the Netherlands by-the-way)
It started to become winter, and I wasn't liking it to drive my moped in trough the cold. So I went looking for a microcar (a car that only goes 45 km/h that you can drive with a moped license). Most of them I found in my price range where pretty ragged out (badly repainted, smashed up by teens). Then I found a pretty interesting one for really cheap. It had an electrical malfunction. (it didn't start or did after cranking it for way to long) Lights didn't work. If you slammed the door hard enough the engine died. Interior was bad, bumpers were messed up, one control arm was shot, tires where bad. *So if I couldn't solve it then I was screwed.* The previous owner already replaced the new battery, alternator and check for fuses and relays. I found the same car at the junkyard and took the glow (plug) relay with me (it was a 500cc 2 cylinder diesel). That didn't work. Then I needed to remove the battery because it was low and I wanted to charge it inside. After pulling it out I realized that the negative battery terminal was all corroded. Clean it up and stuck the recharged battery in it. This solved it, the guy how sold it to me said that I needed to give him a call if I would solve the malfunction. He was giving himself a hard time when he realized he messed up with replacing the battery....
My first car was a 97 Cadillac El Dorado with a north star engine with a battery drain issue. Still got me around and was the most comfortable car I’ve ever owned. One day i started the car and a Sound of a grill igniting came from under the dash. I Popped the hood and there were flames. Burnt the intake and a couple wires. Luckily I was in the market for a new car around that time. Decided to junk it. I still have the gold keys for the car. I miss it.
I lusted after that car when it first came out.
Me too. Especially knowing how close it was to where I live!!
I noticed your clamp for the hood strut in this video. What a great idea. I just ordered a set to keep weak struts from allowing the hood to come crashing down on my head.
I’d change the coolant, transmission and brake fluid and ride on the tires for at least 2 more years. I’d also use a leather cleaner and conditioner on the interior. Nice score.
5 year old tyres for some people is like new 😆 I know guys who use 15 sometimes 20 year old if they still have tread 😉
Same thing that I would say. Just do the basic maintenance which he knows how to do, and simple care for the rest of the car with leather conditioner and lots of wax. This was a great score of a car. I only wish I would have seen it first because this Seville wasn't very far from where I live here in Florida!
Thank you for your honesty. I wish your shop was closer