When to let go?

minnesotamom · #1 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 11:23 AM

You all have been so helpful over the past few weeks as I've been perplexed by all the codes popping up on my '96 Deville. For the most part, I've ignored them all..although I did have a mechanic look it over. Most of the time the codes just show up as "history"..but every now and then still pop up. Haven't seen the P0420 in a while though..and am wondering if changing gas stations has helped. I used to go to a place that charged the same for premium as it did for regular..but then recently they changed their policy, so I started going to the BP that is more convenient...and , I'm suspecting, has better gas.
Anyway...so last night I was chatting with my boyfriend about Cadillacs (of course) and mentioned to about the stuff I've been reading on this site about the 4.6 Northstar engines. He's really REALLY not knowledgeable about cars. He pretty much always buys them brand new and keeps them for less than 2 years. He suggested that maybe I should sell mine now while it's still operable.
I've been mentally listing pros and cons. The car has almost 169,000 miles on it..will by the end of next week. It is a bit of a gas hog (and the State of Minnesota just passed a gas tax bill..so the price will be going up even more) and, of course, there's those stupid codes that keep popping up.
On the other hand, this car has been super reliable. The repairs that I've had to make may have been more expensive than they would be for another vehicle, but I've had a lot less of them, too. It still looks beautiful, inside and out..with just a tiny bit of rust starting to appear. I also really, really like not having car payments. Oddly, I've become emotionally attached to this car...which isn't something I could say about any of my previous cars.

So..here's my quandary...do I sell it now..or just keep driving it until it becomes a "mechanics special"..or "parts car"?

What would you do?

submariner409 · #2 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 11:36 AM

Drive it until the niggling repairs become too much. Then look for something a couple of years old with some warranty left and maybe dealer "certified", depending on brand and model. A car with 170,000 on it still has some life, but it, unfortunately, isn't worth much. Take a look at www.kbb.com and go to the used cars menu, enter your car and options and a good opinion of the condition, and pull the 3 prices: Retail, private, and trade.

dirt_cheap_fleetwood · #3 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 12:40 PM

Drive it till it don't go no more and then leave it on the side of the highway.

**Ranger** · #4 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 12:46 PM

Tuff call Mom. A '96 with 169K is not worth much. Fixing what may break is probably less than car payments, but if a head gasket goes, it is probably a throw away. I'd tend to agree with Sub.

minnesotamom · #5 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirt_cheap_fleetwood

Drive it till it don't go no more and then leave it on the side of the highway.

Shame on you DCF! Sure, it might've been fine for Grandpa (he would've hated the nursing home) but I could never leave my Cadillac along the highway...especially since I'm not sure how to remove the VIN number to make it untraceable

minnesotamom · #6 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 02:12 PM

Ranger,
I feel like I should've maybe picked a different screenname.."MOM" makes me feel kinda old. Should've been DeVilleDiva or something : )

Will I have warning if the headgaskets are going bad? My last car, embarrassing as it may be, was a Tempo, and I'm pretty sure it had bad headgaskets as it would spit oil everywhere and would overheat instantly if I turned on the air conditioning. Still drove it for a year or so afterwards though...until the transmission went.

One advantage that I forgot to mention is that I know the previous owners and they were all very A/R about vehicle maintenance. This car has been very well cared for...

Brizzal · #7 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 02:39 PM

my cady has gone threw about 3k in repairs since ive had the car, but i still love it! Im looking in to getting a brand new car in about 6 months and keeping the cady for a weekend car

ehall · #8 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 04:34 PM

Go ahead and buy a newer car if you want but if it was me I'd keep it and drive it till the wheels fall off

**Ranger** · #9 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Ranger,
I feel like I should've maybe picked a different screenname.."MOM" makes me feel kinda old. Should've been DeVilleDiva or something : )

Yeah, I hesitated using "mom". Does not fit the mental picture I have. I'll go with Minnesota or MM from now on.

Quote:

Will I have warning if the headgaskets are going bad?

Yes, you'll likely see a "CHECK COOLANT LEVEL" message first. Then eventually some elevated engine temperatures. Followed by coolant overflow and "ENGINE OVERHEATED" messages. It could be a slow process and go on for months. Several people said that they drove it for a year before it got real bad.

Good maintenance is no guarantee, but always helps. Change that coolant when you are supposed to (every 5 yrs or sooner).

minnesotamom · #10 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 10:30 PM

Hmmm....In my owners manual, it said it was normal to have to add coolant at about 150,000 miles..and at about 155,000 miles I did get a "check coolant level" message..and then about 10 months laterI got the message again. is that normal..or something to be worried about? I do occasionally check the coolant temp..and it never seems to go higher than it always has.

And you can call me whatever you want..on account of you being so very helpful : )

ld00deville · #11 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 10:41 PM

Might be time to let the old girl go, Ma. You could find a good car for a couple thousand with less miles, ...like a minivan

nickh · #12 (**permalink**) 03-05-08, 11:31 PM

my first car was a 1992 tempo i put it up to 200k with the ONLY REPAIR being the clutch ( i was in highschool and it would burn em in second) it went from me to a freind for $75 and now another friend for $50. It now has 300k and a new radiator. I miss ole' blue

minnesotamom · #13 (**permalink**) 03-06-08, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ld00deville

Might be time to let the old girl go, Ma. You could find a good car for a couple thousand with less miles, ...like a minivan

Good Lord..A minivan?!!!

My kids don't even play soccer. Plus I'm now a "diva"..diva's don't drive minivans

hueterm · #14 (**permalink**) 03-06-08, 12:55 AM

Usually once they hit her level of mileage, don't the HGs usually hold and the car dies from something else?

dirt_cheap_fleetwood · #15 (**permalink**) 03-06-08, 01:08 AM

It sounds to me like inside you want a new car, but you just can't let the old car go. Like I already said, just drive it 'till it dies or until the repair costs outweigh the cost of getting newer car. Then go on craigslist and find a used caddy for cheap. I have seen late 90's devilles with only 75,000 miles for under $4000. Plus, many of theses low-milage, cheap cars are being sold by the kids after their parents passed away, so they just want to get rid of the car. Plus, with it being senior owned, you know it was taken care of.