Tiny oil leak turns out to be major problem

Alpet · #1 (**permalink**) 04-27-08, 01:24 PM

With 3600 miles on my CTS4 with the base VVT engine, I've noticed a small oil leak on my garage floor.

I brought it to the dealer, they noticed a small drip from the corner of the oil pan, retorqued the bolts, added die to the oil, put a blacklight to check for any leaks, did not see any. To the service advisors credit, he suggested I bring the car back within a week, even if I saw no leak.

I did not see any leak, brought it back anyway. Service rechecked it with the blacklight and DID see a leak where the AWD transmission is bolted to the engine. Now they have to drop the trannie to get to the gasket! I was told it is a 15 hour job!

I'm not panicking yet, but, geez, GM still can't get it right. I've had a Pontiac Trans Am & 2 Olds Intrigues with transmission problems in the past, even though this is not per say a trannie problem, I am upset. I've gone through 4 Toyota Camrys & 1 Solara with ZERO problems. I'm too old for this sh**!

GM------this is your last chance---I'll keep you guys posted. Hopefully, with good news. At least, the dealer service dept. appears good to work with.

928S · #2 (**permalink**) 04-27-08, 03:01 PM

Hope you get a quick and conclusive fix, Alpet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpet

...geez, GM still can't get it right...GM------this is your last chance...

My sentiments, exactly. Quality Control was on vacation the day my CTS was built. Less than 5 months old, it's been in the shop for a total of 4 full weeks for repair or replacement of defective factory parts and labor. So far service techs have logged about 800 of the 3800 miles on my odometer. My worst new car experience ever! I blame GM alone, not my frustrated Cadillac dealer.

On a positive note, my dealer's 2008 Cadillac V-8 loaners (STS, DTS, SRX) have performed flawlessly.

dkozloski · #3 (**permalink**) 04-27-08, 03:06 PM

Why not put a piece of cardboard on your garage floor to catch the drip and wait and see if it gets bigger?

BamaCaddy08 · #4 (**permalink**) 04-28-08, 01:29 AM

Every car company makes lemons, its part of the way it works. It happens to Toyotas as well.

Good luck with your problem.

2laidback · #5 (**permalink**) 04-28-08, 10:37 AM

This kind of thing should not happen. They have been building cars for a long time. A piece of cardboard on the floor would not make me feel better after plunking down a nice piece of change for a set of wheels.

BamaCaddy08 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-29-08, 02:19 AM

They may have been making them for a long time but as far as I know, not a single company has learned to get all 100% perfect.

memoryleak · #7 (**permalink**) 04-29-08, 05:14 AM

My 14 year old beater Corolla leaks ATF where the transmission meets the block, considering its age and miles (125K +), I can cope with that. A leak on a 40some thousand dollar luxury automobile with that low mileage is NOT ACCEPTABLE no matter what the apologists say. You have lemon law in RI ?.

**The Tony Show** · #8 (**permalink**) 04-29-08, 06:06 PM

A lemon is a car with repeated problems that cannot be fixed. A leak is a minor annoyance that your warranty will take care of. If every leak, squeak or rattle warranted a Lemon Law case, there would be no such thing as a warranty and we'd all just exchange our cars every time something broke.

Everyone needs to chill out.

Southern · #9 (**permalink**) 04-29-08, 06:06 PM

Well said.

2laidback · #10 (**permalink**) 04-29-08, 07:59 PM

Maybe that is why GM isn't the car maker it should be. Too many of us accept mediocrity, myself included. There is no reason to not expect perfect!

Mplsspyder · #11 (**permalink**) 04-29-08, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2laidback

Maybe that is why GM isn't the car maker it should be. Too many of us accept mediocrity, myself included. There is no reason to not expect perfect!

Then you shouldn't be buying a car. They are machines and none of them are perfect. Ex- girlfriends early 2000's Toyota, leaked oil. Friends RX-300, oil sludge. Cousin's Audi, leaked like a sieve. Sisters Ford van, where do I start.

Not all "luxury" cars but shows they ALL have some kind of problem.

2laidback · #12 (**permalink**) 04-30-08, 07:27 PM

Mplsspyder: I think you mistook what I'm saying. Not one soul goes out to purchase a car with the thought in their mind that it'sO.K.if I get a problem car, my time is not important, I can screw around with the service dept. I truly believe we all hope we purchased the perfect one. I have been dedicated to buying American for many years. So far my CTS is as good as it gets.

NJRonbo · #13 (**permalink**) 05-05-08, 07:16 AM

I'd like to sneak this question in here....

What brand/type/weight oil should I go out and buy?

Figured that it's time I check the oil but I want to
make sure I fill the CTS with the right stuff.

PJL · #14 (**permalink**) 05-05-08, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJRonbo

I'd like to sneak this question in here....

What brand/type/weight oil should I go out and buy?

Figured that it's time I check the oil but I want to
make sure I fill the CTS with the right stuff.

See page 5-16 of your owner's manual. It's also indicated on the oil fill cap in the vehicle.

1500cc · #15 (**permalink**) 05-05-08, 06:35 PM

I'm getting a little tired of GM's spotty quality too. You keep hearing them brag about how they're supposed to be getting better, but based on my own and my friends' experiences even with the newest models, it sure doesn't seem to be the case. I'm at the point now where I will no longer keep a GM car once it's out of warranty.