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Help for a friend and his 1999 Catera

13K views 101 replies 8 participants last post by  Cadillac Catera98 
#1 ·
Hi all, my friend needs help with her Catera. She say's her that Oxgen Sensor has a problem or is broken and that she can sart the car and drive about 3 miles and the car will die!!!!! I'm thinking a dead battery or so but I could be wrong, may you guys help me so I can help her..
 
#47 ·
Sounds more like a fuel filter. Not really enough information. Does it start right back up or do you have to wait a few minutes ? Instant shut off or does it sputter first ? I have not seen an O2 sensor shut one down 3 miles after starting. Usually you notice it runs rough, drinks gas, or a couple of other things, but usually not a shut down problem.
As for it being a battery, does it go dead ? Lights still work ? still turn over ? Need to know things like these to diagnose the problem.
 
#48 · (Edited)
Cadillac Catera98 said:
Is a duralast part going to be ok to place on the Cadillac??????
Duralast parts are ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!

Don't bother with the multi electrode plugs, they're a gimmick. The spark can only jump to ONE at a time.

A fuel filter will not cause stalling after several minutes of driving.

If you're trying to fix this car cheap, throwing parts at it is NOT the way to do it.

Have the basics been checked when the problem occurs? Spark and fuel pressure?

AGAIN... What CODES is the car throwing?

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What is a "MAS sensor"?
 
#49 ·
I had a feeling duralast aren't good.

And no MC we are not just throwing parts at this car to be cheap, we are replacing parts that could be the issue. How we changed the CKS and placed a new battery in the car. We seen that the car was misfiring after we put the CKS and the battery, now could be the issue to the misfiring might be the spark plugs the coils. Which was pose to get done last weekend but the Florida weather stepped in and it didn't get done. So tomorrow he is placing the plugs and the coils , next weekend is the fuel pump if that still does nothing we are taking the car to Volkswagen dealer because of it being a German car and all.

We can't get the car anywhere if it's misfiring..
 
#50 ·
Cadillac Catera98 said:
And no MC we are not just throwing parts at this car to be cheap, we are replacing parts that could be the issue.
That is the definition of throwing parts at a problem. Replacing things that COULD be the problem.

Repairing is replacing parts that ARE the problem.

How we changed the CKS and placed a new battery in the car.
If it needed a battery, it needed a battery, but there was no reason to replace the CKP sensor unless there was a code for it, or it tested bad.

We seen that the car was misfiring after we put the CKS and the battery, now could be the issue to the misfiring might be the spark plugs the coils. Which was pose to get done last weekend but the Florida weather stepped in and it didn't get done. So tomorrow he is placing the plugs and the coils
Plugs are a maintenence item, coils are not. Why are they being replaced, did they test bad? All of them? One? A few? Has anyone even checked which cylinder is misfiring?

next weekend is the fuel pump
What? Why? Was the fuel pressure tested? Is it low?

if that still does nothing we are taking the car to Volkswagen dealer because of it being a German car and all.
The fact that a sister car of the Catera is sold under a German nameplate does not make the car German. Besides that, Opel is a GM owned company anyway, and the engine is built in England... Even if the car was German, taking it to a Volkswagen dealer accomplishes nothing. There are no German voodoo doctors in the shop, just techs, with experience working on, and shop manuals for cars that are completely different from a Catera.

So after this mechanic...no... After this parts changer replaces something, and it doesn't solve the problem, is he giving your friend their money back before he tries something else?
 
#53 ·
So here is an update from what I seen and know...

So the coils and plugs was changed, the coils and plugs that was in the car was bad I mean the worst.

So come to find out its the fuel pump that's not pumping, because we pumped gas into the cooperator it cranked right up for a few seconds and right back off. Now we just need a fuel pump and we have a running car, after that off to a shop for the basic fluid changes and the A/C service. That's till something else happens!!!
 
#61 ·
Vehicle Auto part Engine Car


Does anyone know where I can go and pick those two rubber hose from the two right at the front of the engine, because no one part store seems to have them anymore. The right hose has cracked and we need that part. Went to Massey Cadillac in Orlando and was able to get the right hose, but not the left because GM has discontinued the part..
 
#64 ·
Just use some gasket sealer or something similar to seal the crack. I have used the sealer when there are crack around plastic hoses and hard to find vacuum line parts, so far no problems and works great.

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Also, I have the right side plastic intake ducting which I pulled for the junk yard few months ago. I'm going to the junk yard again this weekend and if you are still looking for that plastic ducting let me know by Saturday afternoon so I can look around and if it's there I can get it for you.


Thanks.
 
#66 ·
The only issue now is that we have to sit and wait.. Waiting on the Fuel Pump from 1A Auto and the Intake Ducting from Gm which I had to get special order from Massey Cadillac, the parts should be here not latter then Thursday the 19 i'll post photos of everything and an update on the car once we get everything replaced..
 
#69 ·
Un huh I see.. I have a question we are having someone replace the fuel pump, Our guy was going to charge us $80 but he is acting like an ass and he doesn't want to do the job anymore. So I have been looking around for an MOBILE MECHANIC and the two guys I have talked to so far want to charge us $200. One of the mechanic said this
"The labor cost to replace the Fuel pump would be $200. This is due to the fact that there's no easy access to the pump itself and the entire fuel tank needs to be dropped to get to it." Please tell me this is true because if it is we will go head and pay the $200 for the replacement if not we will go head and keep looking for someone else.
 
#75 ·
Well that wasn't offensive to anyone...



"Normal price" is whatever the hourly charge is, times however long the guy takes to do it.

Call a dealer and ask what the "book time" is to replace the pump (which is usually longer than the time it actually takes), and assume someone doing it without a lift is going to take longer.

$200 is just under 2 hours dealer time, which sounds about right to me, but you shouldn't be getting charged dealer money by a guy doing the work in a driveway.

It's cheaper than having to get it towed to a garage, so I wouldn't worry about it anyway. As long as the job is done right.
 
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