Hello. I am new here and considering a 1992-93 Sedan DeVille- perhaps even a 1990-91 model. Are there any trouble spots that I should be aware of when inspecting one of these cars? I have located a very nice 1993 Sedan DeVille- dark red for $2295 at a local car lot, as well as a white 1992 Sedan DeVille for $2395. I have also found a very nice local 97' Sedan DeVille for $5200. Thanks in advance.

if you are getting an early 90's style... go with '91-'93... it looks alot better IMO, you get the 4.9 (more powerful then the 4.5) and other goodies like air bag, ABS etc.. in 1992 alot of things were updated.. mostly things you can't see, and '93 got the best.. but it is also the last year... I would go with a '92 atleast... me being to partial to '93 though, that would be my pick... form the early 90's.... things to look out for... not much, very, very reliable cars, great enigne... just be aware for suspension problems, as the air ride struts fail over time, but they can be replaced with passive struts. Also make sure regular coolant changes with the supplement tabblets have been done every 2yrs/24k..... other then that, they are great cars :)

honestly, from that list, I would go witht he '97.... without seeing it, I can't say much... but that is a very good price for the car... '97 was the first year for the face lift too... if it is a base Sedan DeVille (not a Concours) you get bench seat and digital dash, as well as 275hp NorthStar... another great enigne... I think for the money, that would be the best bet... plus it is alot newer...

On the 4.9 you want to listen for "main bearing thump". It is more of an annoyance than a problem. You can find much about it in the archives. My '92 had 125K when I traded it and never had the thump. It was reliable and had very few problems. On the Northstar, check for a half case leak. The crank case is split in half at the crank shaft center line and tends to leak. Again more of an annoyance than a big problem. And again lots of info in the archives. Regular cooling system maintainance is critical to healthy head gaskets on both engines so if you can get any service records that is a plus. The '97 was recently recalled to replace the nylon fuel rail with a stainless steel one. If that has not been done and you opt for the '97 take it in asap and get it done free. Also if you start the '97 and you hear what sounds like dry lifters, don't panick but use it to your advantage to get the price down. It is likely just "cold carbon rap". Nothing a little tender loving WOT won't cure. Once again, much info in the archives.My '97 has almost '92K on it now and has also been very reliable. BTW, the Northstar will get better milage than the 4.9 with more HP and torque.

the main bearing problem with th e4.9 was solved in 1992.... all 1992 4.9's had the problem fixed....

... while the N* does have more HP... torque is very similar, actually the 4.9 makes it at a lower RPM... so if you are not into going fast.. the 4.9 may be the better engine, as around town, it has more then enough low end torque to get you going...

the 4.9 seems to be slightly more reliable then the N*... but you can't go wrong with either engine, and in the models you listed, you don't have a choice...

Im partial to that styling of the 91-93.......much more classic looking....IMO

Thanks for the replies guys. However, I found out that the 97' DeVille, as well as the 92' DeVille was sold. The 93' may be sold as well by now. Here is a photo of the 93 DeVille. I am also considering other cars as well, so I will have to just check them out. Thanks again- very good advice.

The other photo is of a 1992 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series that I was considering for $1900. It was a 1-owner, 150K mile car, in LIKE NEW condition, but it was sold the next day. Sorry for posting a Lincoln. :suspense: :)

Don't worry you if those DeVilles are sold you can most definatley find one again soon. I would recomend one especially the Sixty Special/Fleetwood version of the '93 or the Touring Sedan. They are a 9/10 in reliability in my book. That is a nice looking '93 in the picture one main reason I would say get the cadi over the lincoln is that the cadi is smaller and more gas friendly. Also a little more agile.

:eek: Lincoln :helpless:

hahaha

best wishes

Those look like nice cars. I would watch for an air leak in the CCR rear suspension, it can be costly. Other than that they are very good cars.

I can post the reliability ratings if you want, and major areas of concern. I think I have the consumers report sheet off the net somewhere, but they scored well.

I've had my '93 for about a year and a half, and have thoroughly enjoyed it the whole time. I bought mine from a dealer wholesale lot, and ended up putting a pretty good bit of money in it. I think that most of the money I spent was due to poor maintenance by the prior owner as I've done head gaskets, exhaust, tires, etc... Where are you? I've been contemplating selling my '93 as I've gotten another automotive itch that I really want to scratch. If you're anywhere near central Ohio, maybe you'd like to take a look? E-mail me at secondronseward@aol.com if interested.

Thanks for the replies and additional information. I will check that Consumer Reports website. I visit that auto page from time to time.

Actually, I am in northeast Tennessee, so Ohio would be a bit too far for me. Not sure about rust issues in your part of Ohio (Columbus is in central Ohio if I recall), but a couple of years ago, I bought a 1994 Chevrolet Lumina that made its way down here from northeast Ohio. Outside looked fine, but I later discovered that the entire undercarriage was heavily covered in surface rust. At that point, I vowed I would never buy another car originally from the north again. I could not believe that a car would have that much rust on the undercarriage, but then again I had never been able to closely inspect a car from the north. Rust on a car like that here in the south in unheard of- even a older model, which is why I was so stunned. How about your car- does it have any rust issues?

Thanks again!

yes, the winters are rough of a car...

.... my '89 Olds was bought locally when new, it sat for 1.5 years before I bought it too... when I bought it, on the outside it looked fine... except for fadded paint... but the underbody was rusty.. brake lines rotted etc... we replaced all the bad things and it is a great car... but things like the heat shield on the cat has since rotted off, the one for the muffler is starting... it really isn't good for cars...

... which is why the '93 dosn't get used in the winter :)

Yes, I have seen a lot of cars traveling down here from New York with serious rust issues. My great aunt has lived in Detriot, Michigan since the 1960s. Every time she would buy a new car- it would rust within a few years. The one that rusted the quickest was a 1978 Cadillac Eldorado that she bought brand new in the spring of 1978. By the winter of 1980-1981, the car had serious rust issues. That is a good thing about here in the southeast- no major rust issues. Yes, *some poorly cared for older model cars that are already prone to rust- develop a little exterior down here, but mainly due to the typically annual humidity, rather than salt on the roads. No undercarriage rust, unless there was a window leak and water gathered in the floor pan or something.

Even though we are in the south, we are in the "upper south", and we are about 1200-1600 ft. in elevation, so we do get a little snow. The "official average" is 15 inches per year, but over the past few years, we have barely seen 1/2 of that. Even when we do get a little snow, it rarely lays on the ground for more than a couple of days. I would not mind buying a northern car with "visible" rust that I can see, but it is that undercarriage rust that my old 94 Lumina had that came from northern Ohio that concerns me. My old Lumina also had a very rusty fuel tank and there was some suspension rusting. :suspense:

all ya gotta go is go under the car and look.... any time i ever look at any car, I always look at the underbody...

...next year we are moving to Florida... and my 2 DeVille's will once again be at their home land... the Olds will take the journey, and retire in the good land :) I just can't see selling the Olds...

True. One reason I did not look under it, is because I assumed it was a local car, rather than a northern car. I had never seen a car rust like that underneath- so I was actually "blind" to the potential problem. Learned my lesson- even here in the south- some northern cars abound.

94 is a preferred year, but you are looking to spend 4 grand or more for one in good shape. Keep your eyes open, but try to avoid pre-2000 northstars. Headgasket issues.

http://www.cadillacforums.com/cadillac-classifieds/showproduct.php?product=279&sort=2&cat=500&page=1

:thumbsup:

i'll tell you this right now... if it wasnt taken care of its gonna end up costing you 10x what you paid. when stuff goes on these cars, its either expensive, hard to replace or both. save your money and buy something else. no offense to cadillac but the reputation doesnt stand up to the price. now mind you if u find one in good mechanical condition it'll last you a long time. but now adays thats just hard to find.