!!!***help***!!! - Page 2

**Vesicant** · #11 (**permalink**) 10-22-04, 11:55 PM

Since you asked, i shall reply (hold your breath)...

Your looking at repairs in the thousands of dollars (including labor). It may be worth getting a new engine or just selling the car.

Heres a story of one fellow's issue: http://www.s10cameo.com/cadillac_catera.htm

Reassuring fact for right now to keep morale: We dont know whats actually happened. It may not even be related to the tensioner/cam system. Also, Cadillac may still be helping to fund repairs for this situation. They have in the past.

y2mjm · #12 (**permalink**) 10-23-04, 12:30 AM

i hope yer wrong....the car isn't paid for & the army doesn't pay me enough for $1000's in repairs.

i'll keep posting as i get more info.

y2mjm · #13 (**permalink**) 10-23-04, 01:13 AM

Just got off the phone with Cadillac customer service. The gentleman says to me that there is 2 open recalls for my specific vehicle which are the following:

1) 01037- secondary air injection system
2) 02041- cam drive & water pump

hopefully these will take care of the problem?

fingers will be crossed.

mastertech · #14 (**permalink**) 10-26-04, 12:10 PM

Your timing belt came off... Cadillac has covered this concern to 100,000 miles due to the crappy design......the water pump leaks directly onto the timing belt(which you cant see without taking cover off)and makes the timing belt fly off...they changed design with one of the idler pulleys also...it is a good possibility that your cylinder heads are damaged now as well due to interference(piston meets valve...go boom).
Make sure you take to a GOOD Cadillac dealer!

y2mjm · #15 (**permalink**) 10-30-04, 11:20 AM

the dealer said that the car will be covered under the recall.

Do you have any advice for what to look for when i pick the car up and what specific questions i should ask the dealer?

**Vesicant** · #16 (**permalink**) 10-30-04, 07:51 PM

Since they will probably drive it out... when it comes out, let it idle and listen to the engine making sure there are no odd noises etc. Rev it a lil to make sure that it has power. Open the hood and inspect the job they did. Look for loose parts, oddities- hoses not connected, oil/coolant leaks, have it running at one point with the hood open and listen up close to any valve/piston noise. The last test will be driving- any irregularities, smells etc. Go directly back to the dealer.

Ask these questions: What they did, what parts were replaced, is there a new belt - the tensioners were replaced right?, were any of the fluids changed.