I need everyone's help.

GM corporate is demanding that I return my CTS-V to Colonial Cadillac to be inspected by a technician. GM claims that Getrag is incorrect. Karen Uthena, from the "Executive Office" asserts the following:

#1 - The CTS-V does NOT have a limited slip differential
#2 - The rear differential does NOT require a friction modifier or additive
#3 - If you are having problems with your CTS-V's rear differential is could be due to aftermarket parts such as exhaust, headers, CAI, etc.

Now obviously I'm not going to return my CTS-V to Colonial who has once again botched my repair, nor do I feel the need to have a tech "look" at my car. The question is simple. Do I need the additive? GM claims NO, Getrag claims YES.

TODAY IT'S MY WARRANTY TOMORROW IT'S YOURS.

If you want to help, call Karen Uthena at and ask for a definitive answer as to whether or not YOUR CTS-V needs the additive. How can one dealer say yes and another say no. If you're wondering why the rear differentials blow early I think we just found out.

CALL TODAY AND LET GM KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS
ANYMORE.

I really need everyone on this one.

Is this a joke? Tell me it is, please. (I know it isn't :helpless: )

Of course it's an L.S.D. and needs the friction modifier. Hell, the tech at my Caddy dealer is thinking about upping the dose of the FM on his own diff to see if it will get rid of the parking lot turn groan that started at 2k.

I really can't believe this is even up for discussion. :helpless:

:lies:

Wow. One V owner gets a broken aftermarket shifter replaced + expenses all picked up on Cadillac's bill and you're getting this BS.

Looks like your dealer has it out for you and your god forsaken gearhead modifications and is using this no additive as a cop out.


:rant2:

Chris,

I will call first thing tomorrow. what a bunch of shit.

F

Chris, I am afraid your dealer has it in for you.

im pritty sure my dealer put it in mine already..im so sick of dealers treating us like a mushroom...i feel your pain bro..:helpless:

Colonial has it in for all V owners. I don't know if everyone caught Fuggetaboutit's post. His V was in yesterday at the dealer for the PCM reflash. They literally accused HIM of doing something to his PCM to cause them to have trouble performing the recall. These guys at Colonial are literally Nazi's.

As for GM, they are supporting the dealer 100% and claim that the additive is NOT needed. I asked if I could please add it as I believe the rear is already grinding and groaning. They called back and claimed that if I added the friction modifier they would void my warranty. This is GM mind you. Today it's me, tomorrow it's the rest of us.

Again, please call Karen and let's force GM to come clean on this. How many differentials need to fail before they admit there's a problem!? We currently have 3 forum members V's in dealerships RIGHT NOW awaiting rear differentials that are on national backorder. YOOHOO, GM WE'RE ON TO YOU.

Karen Uthena, from the "Executive Office" asserts the following:

#1 - The CTS-V does NOT have a limited slip differential
#2 - The rear differential does NOT require a friction modifier or additive
#3 - If you are having problems with your CTS-V's rear differential is could be due to aftermarket parts such as exhaust, headers, CAI, etc.

The question is simple. Do I need the additive. GM claims NO, Getrag claims YES.

If you want to help, call Karen Uthena at 1-313-667-7499 and ask for a difinitive answer as to whether or not YOUR CTS-V needs the additive. How can one dealer say yes and another say no. If you're wondering why the rear differential blow early I think we just found out.

This is absurd. I mean, you surely can't be serious...

This person claims that the CTS-V doesn't have a limited slip differential? She's either an idiot or has the wrong car in mind.

I will definitely lob a call tomorrow. That is literally laughable.

The dealer that I have been dealing with (which has rumored to be a "non-Magna friendly" dealer, but been very much up to the "calling") informed me that an additive WAS needed (the computer was telling him this). This is the DEALER mind you. This was taking place as I was pulling out a printout from this website to show him what fluid and additive was needed. He reviewed my printout and said, "Yup--that's the one I see here...."

I'm VERY curious though--it's laughable how easy it is to literally PROVE her wrong (see the many "burn" pics on this site). What did she say after you mentioned that to her??

James at Lindsay called his Cadillac tech line people to verify that the diff required the additive after I sent him the getrag response..They verified that it does. Lindsay is #2 dealer on the planet! I doubt they would BS him. Getrag is the manufacturer, who would know better then the horse!
Certainly more than the horses ass.:hmm:

Unbelieveable! GM told my local dealer that they had screwed up by not including the additive when they changed the differential fluid leading to extreme grinding and had them replace the rear differential under warranty. This is ridiculous. I think I recall a long ago post showing specifications requiring the additive.

CVP33 -

If I were you I'd find another dealer. They don't know what they're talking about. Here is the info my dealer gave me regarding lube specs for the diff.

:thepan:

We have little hope of getting the diffs fixed if they can't agree on the lube specs.

Document ID# 1387435

Differential Lubricant GL 75W90 GM P/N 12378261 (Canadian P/N 10953455) 1.37 qt

Limited Slip Differential Lubricant Additive GM P/N 1052358 (Canadian P/N 992694) 2.7 oz

WTF,this is sad.Writing number down to call.This pisses me off.Nobody is this f'n dumb!

You know what is most absurd about this is that even though the V most certianly has a limited slip diff, friction modifier will not harm an open diff. It is perfectly safe to use the additive in an open diff.:annoyed: A dealer interested in customer satisfaction would just add it but saying it will void your warranty is just a lie.

Well, you bought a $50k car, if they won't fix it, then use your state's lemon law to MAKE them fix it. Either they fix it, or take it back and give you a new one:sneaky:

Might I direct you (and GM) to http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/doclib.html

Download the brochure.pdf and go to page 3, 2nd paragraph on the right :D

Next on list - vsales.pdf 2nd page, 5th paragraph with "Performance Power" in bold :thepan: Same document, page 5 - can't miss it. Again on pages 12 and 18 (listed as STANDARD FEATURE on 18) :annoyed:

Seems to me your dealer is implying flase advertising and GM is admitting to the same :highfive:


And then there's this:

http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answers/sm/difflube-spec.jpg

and this (under intermittent noise)

http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answers/sm/diff/page2.jpg

F'in dealers :banghead:

Fine, don't add the friction modifier and then hire an attorney to document these actions. Your diff will last about 4-5K miles - trust me I know - and you'll have a hay-day at that point
:rolleyes:

Yeah and aftermarket exhaust will void it also.....You mean like the GM endorsed Corsa? These guys are a trip.

Also email David Caldwell.

david.caldwell@gm.com

If we don't start making some noise now ALL our warranties will be voided at the whim of a dealer or district service rep'.

If you complain about the wheel hop you must be an aggressive driver.
If your tires wear poorly, you must be an aggressive driver.
If your clutch or slave cylinder fails you must be an aggressive driver.

Leave a message, send an email but let's get off our collective keesters and put a stop to this diversionary tactic by GM. The issue is not abusive driving, THE ISSUE IS A POORLY ENGINEERED VEHICLE. PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

Before you all go e-mailing and calling everyone... Let's get organized to make it less thin.....

In the meantime, everyone post your experiences HERE (not on the other thread) and I will find a way to get this all together and to the correct people...

Reed

Everybody -

I've had my diff REPLACED but not under warranty (they blamed it on an accident) because of the failing "vaporware" limited-slip diff due primarily to lack of additive.

How can I help?

As requested I copied my post...

Fellow V-pilots,

My dealership found my inner rear halfshaft broken and a wornout front diff bushing. They ordered a new diff...

Service manager also heard "clunk" while de-clutching, and wants to put in a new tranny....District Service Manager needed to approve, came down and looked at my car. He pulls out a tire-wear instrument and says that I have abnormal tire wear at 4K miles...about 80%...on my rear tires. Perhaps I drive too aggressively he says to the dealership service manager. (I wonder if he knows that the V's tires are shaved from the factory???)

The DSM tells the service mgr to NOT order a new tranny, that they would try to fix my current one and THAT WOULD BE THE LAST REPAIR TO MY TRANNY. He thinks I abuse the car and that the problems are "driver induced". I very much dislike having to defend myself to someone who has never met me...simply because he has a tire-wear gauge and may know how to use that tool correctly.



So, because someone hasn't read the TSBs, you know the one that talks about "parade" driving...that the clunk is normal, I may lose my warrantee on my transmission...after they take the thing apart!!!!!! Get this...they don't even have the required tooling to accomplish the job...they need to order the tools!!!! And then..after someone who never disassembled this tranny before puts it back together...they'll NEVER honor a tranny warrantee claim again!!!!!



I think I may need to call the Northeast Region Manager, as the District manager may not "know the V as well as he should", certainly not enough to VOID my drivetrain warrantee for something that a TSB says is NORMAL.



Now, I'm usually a very rational person but I am quite upset at this. I will speak to the DSM tomorrow and hopefully have a proper resolution of my V's issues. My V has less than 5K miles, I don't drag-race, and it requires about 15% of the purchase price of the vehicle in repairs???? Should I have issues with the DSM, I'll need to speak to someone higher....any recommendations?? I figure the Regional Service Manager would be the one...any contact info????



Thanks,

ace996



Seems I'm 25% into the 30day lemonlaw, I hate to say it but if I hit 31days...I'm leaving GM for good. I love this car, but not enough to feel like a criminal when I bring my car in for service.

I'm actually scared. I have to go in for the whinning, and someother stuff. I don't want them to hold my car if they need to replace and its on back order. CVP, if I remember correctly, didn't you post when you were in for rear problems on your last V, didn't they give you a deal on your second one? From my experience in retail you need to go as high as possible. I know you have gone up the corporate ladder etc. What about the owner of the dealership? Can you get to him. I know its is a service issue, that is where they make their money, and you have bought atleast two cars from him. I dunno if it will work, but maybe its another way to go for you.

Who is David Caldwell at GM??? and do you have his phone number???

I REPEAT... NOBODY CALL ANYONE AT GM YET... WE WILL LOOK unorganized and have less effect... I am attempting to contact the right people and direct them to this thread... SO, everyone post your experiences HERE and wait until at least next week before you call. I will post and update soon!

Reed

Everybody - trust in the force (aka Reed).

Keep us posted. I wonder what will happen when/if my diff fails again? Seems to be a pretty happy camper with 550hp or so, aggressive driving (per ace996's experience with the DSM), and aftermarket synthetic fluid...but who knows.

It would help me if everyone put their comments (rants) in the following format:

(examples in "(")
Name: (CTSVETT)
Dealer: (Crappy cadillac)
Contact at the dealer: (Bob Dumbass)
Warranty Claim denied: (yes, they wont replace my diff)
Innaccurate claim made/mistake: (the CTS-V does NOT have a limited slip and they did not put in the Friction modifier. )
Other notes: (They never get anything right. I want to hurt them badly...)

I can only share my experience...

I have 17,500 miles on my car and I changed all my fluids to Amsoil after 1000 miles. Initially I put the slip lock in there but after researching the additive I determined it wasn't necessary.

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/ada.aspx
I have been running 10000 miles with out the slip lock with no problems.

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/ada.aspx
I have been running 10000 miles with out the slip lock with no problems.

Some diff lubes such as Redline have friction modifier in it already. I am sure that Amsoil does also. This is a quote from the link you provided would explain why you have not had problems without the additive:

AMSOIL 80W-90 SYNTHETIC GEAR LUBE is compatible with most limited slip differentials. If limited slip differential chatter occurs, add AMSOIL Slip-Lock™ friction modifier additive.

Some diff lubes such as Redline have friction modifier in it already. I am sure that Amsoil does also. This is a quote from the link you provided would explain why you have not had problems without the additive:

AMSOIL 80W-90 SYNTHETIC GEAR LUBE is compatible with most limited slip differentials. If limited slip differential chatter occurs, add AMSOIL Slip-Lock™ friction modifier additive.




Didn't even notice that :P

It would help me if everyone put their comments (rants) in the following format:

(examples in "(")
Name: (CTSVETT)
Dealer: (Crappy cadillac)
Contact at the dealer: (Bob Dumbass)
Warranty Claim denied: (yes, they wont replace my diff)
Innaccurate claim made/mistake: (the CTS-V does NOT have a limited slip and they did not put in the Friction modifier. )
Other notes: (They never get anything right. I want to hurt them badly...)

CVP33
Colonial Cadillac
James Zawacki
Not denied but repaired improperly - NO ADDITIVE
James Zawacki claimed vehicle does not have a limited slip rear differential and, therefore does not need the additive. Once I esculated this to Corporate, they allege abusive driving.

Name: (CTSVETT)
Dealer: (Crappy cadillac)
Contact at the dealer: (Bob Dumbass)
Warranty Claim denied: (yes, they wont replace my diff)
Innaccurate claim made/mistake: (the CTS-V does NOT have a limited slip and they did not put in the Friction modifier. )
Other notes: (They never get anything right. I want to hurt them badly...)[/QUOTE]

Hey, Reed, I think you and I go to the same dealership.
My dealer has been nothing but good and my regional has been very forgiving. However, it took em 21 days to get a gas tank for the V....

F

I haven't had a bad experience (knock on wood), but am willing to help in any way if needed. :)

Im on rear #2. I have about 200 miles on it. Coming home it was quiet. After driving it another 100 miles it has an audible whine on coast. What a shame. Its a great car for the most part. This diff thing is pretty dam sorry. What we need is a diff recall on all V's across the board. We should get a new design unit and be done with it.:mad:

Collectively, we could cause sales of the 2006V to tank. Im not spending another $25K for a model with the right rear.
Fix the one I have.

Thankfully I have not had any tranny or rear differential issues, but I did go to the dealership about two months ago for an oil, tranny and diff fluid change-I will dig up the receipt tomorrow to see if they used the additive. Regarding this worn tire BS, I received $800.00 refund from my dealership after I replaced the runcraps at 5,000 miles; I did no launches, no clutch drops, car was not put on track or dragstrip, just driven in the brutal heat of SoFla. The dealership stonewalled, but I was persistent and e-mailed Mark Laneve. He forwarded my complaint to the District Sales Manager, who went to the dealership and interviewed the parties that were indifferent, and then called me to advise my check was waiting for me at the dealership. The District Sales Manager and I agreed that the runcraps were good in the performance criteria, but had a very short life on a 4,000 pound performance car. I am fairly certain that Cadillac then issued a disclaimer on all Vs in showrooms regarding the runcraps, and it informed owners to rotate or check the tires at 3,000 miles; my comments regarding abnormal tire wear before a mileage at which most people do not consider a tire rotation necessary may have played a role in this new alert. Bottom line is that Cadillac knows the runcraps wear quickly, and it is an insult that this is their basis for denying any claim. I will post or PM the name and phone of the DSM that I spoke to if someone needs such, as I believe I saved this information in an e-mail (on my computer at work) for reasons just like this.

Here's my dealer service rant:

Neil Norton Cadillac, Peoria, IL.

Got a MINOR door ding in the left rear quarter panel. Took it to the dealer to have it fixed and they offered to rent me a car. Gee thanks, but no thanks.

The dealer had the V for almost a week because they had to repaint it several times to get the paint to match - it is black for god's sake. They finally call to say the V is done. Upon walking into the dimly lit service bay, the first two things I notice are the paint doesn't match and it has zero orange peel (V's have orange peel, oh yes they do). Of course the body shop manager has to be paged and doesn't show up for 15 minutes. Unfortunately, this gave me plenty of time to inspect their work.

With this extra time to burn, I start looking at the new paint more closely and find there are tons of fisheyes in the paint, there is an obvious masking line at the left rear door, the interior stinks of paint, tons of overspray on the 6+ layers of perfectly shined Zaino on the rest of the car and you can still see the original dent in the panel!

At this point, I'm beyond furious and the body shop manager finally shows up. Being the anal gearhead engineer I am, I immediately tell the body shop manager that this is completely unacceptable on a car into which I have over $60k invested. The body shop manager at first is very defensive and doesn't see anything wrong with their work. To which I point out the flaws mentioned previously. Finally, the body shop manager gives in and says bring it back in a week to allow the paint to setup and they'll redo the paint.

During the next week, the interior continued to stink of paint which just made this whole mess even worse as it was a daily reminder of the dealer's crappy work during the daily commute.

The paint curing week goes by; took the V in again. Hoping for the best, I leave the V with them and drive away in a cheesy Grand Prix loaner (wow, a free cheesy car this time!). Three days later, the V is done. This time, the paint still doesn't match, the the orange peel is horrid (they went too far) and the weather stripping at the left rear door isn't attached and is now all screwed up in the door jam. And to be "nice" to me, they washed the V with what must have been 200 grit sand paper. Once out of the service bay and into the sun, the hideous spider web swirls showed up and my heart rate shot up even further. Instead of having just one bad panel, they had now screwed up every square inch of paint on my V.

Words can not describe how frustrated and disgusted I was with them. It had pushed me beyond being mad when the manager said "that's the best we can do." Being pushed to the point of nearly killing someone, I just paid the bill and left with the car knowing they had screwed up my beautiful V all to hell forever. In hindsight, I should have never paid the bill and took them to court but I'm not a litagation is the solution for everything type of person.

Neil Norton Cadillac ruined every painted panel on my V. Fact.

Now for Part 2, let's rewind to June 2005.

After being on the 2005 V order waiting list for over six weeks at my selling dealer (Voss Village Cadillac, Ohio) the V finally showed up on the truck. Excited, my wife and I drove 8 hours to Ohio to pick it up. The day of delivery, I purchased two quarts of diff fluid and one bottle of additive for $90+. The salesman seemed quite taken back by the purchase and I explained I was one of those extreme anal types that believes clean fluids are happy fluids.

My wife drove the V home the 600 miles that day and within 30 minutes of getting home, the engine oil was dropped and fresh Mobil1 went in. A month later at 2165 miles, I decided it was time to drop the diff lube. Imagine my surprise when I dropped the plug and out ran the blackest, crappiest looking lube (looked like diesel engine oil after 2000 hours) that I had ever seen in my life. I've owned 19 AMERICAN (no import ever!) vehicles in the last 19 years and have changed fluids on all my new vehicles in a similar fashion and have never, ever seen anything like this.

Thanking my anal routine, I was happy that I had gotten the crappy diff lube out of there so early and figured this was a one time incident. Well, that assumption was wrong. Five months and 4000 miles later, the differential started to get a geartrain whine at ~40 mph. So off to the dealership for another $100 worth of diff fluid and additive. No surprise, at this lube change, more black crude oil. The new fluid (old GM part number) did keep the rear end quiet for another 5000 miles.

With 5000 miles on diff lube refill 3 (counting factory fill) the whine was back. Now all of a sudden there is the new "grape" scented lube and the additive isn't required! This causes quite a comotion here on the forum for a few weeks until a certain source at GM finally gives us the answer that yes, the limited slip additive is necessary. With this vital bit of information in hand, I proceed to the local Chevy dealership (closest GM around and I am sure as hell not going back to the Caddy dealer) to get the grape lube and additive.

Handing over the part number list of grape lube and limited slip additive to the parts counterperson, the first words out of her mouth is "Are you sure you need the additive? We don't use it here with this lube." Kindly assuring her yes, I need the additive, can I please give you real American money for it; she rings up another nearly $100 bill.

Thinking GM realized the original lube didn't have the proper additive package to prevent the gear whine after time had passed, I put in the magic grape diff lube in for fill number four. After taking the V for a quick spin, it was obvious the new grape lube did nothing to quiet the gearwhine at 40-45 mph like the previous fluid changes had done.

My engine's rear main seal is leaking. The diff continues to whine thousands of miles later and is now leaking around the halfshafts. Just this week I noticed all four tires are wearing horridly on the inside edge like there is way too much camber. The alignment has never touched except for I believe at Voss Village Cadillac after they installed the FG2 shock package.

Other issues with my V and the future of this model:

Wheel hop - of course! During development, was the V ever driven in the rain? Let alone an aggresive launch on dry pavement?

How many clutches were hurt to get the 4.6 second zero to 60?

The infamous "steering wheel wiggle" has plagued my V from day one. Some have had it resolved by different tires, wheels or rebalancing. I've put on completely different aftermarket wheels and it is still there....

A foot parking brake? I've learned to live with it but still don't like it.

The LS2 in the 2006 isn't making us all warm and fuzzy for a new car. We need more power and a "special" engine just like the LS6 was in its day to get our money again.

We are your affluent, get market share from the BMWs of the world, target customers. And for the most part, we're GEARHEADS and are going to do GEARHEAD things with and to our Vs. Denying warranty for marginal OEM product designs and blaming wheel hop on "aggressive driving" is just plain silly.

There is no more die-hard GM guy than I and this whole situation certainly makes one think about what company will get my next $50k+ automobile purchase. With my gearhead love of the V, I've even built a successful business and have over 400 extremely happy customers because of quality products, customer service and product support after the sale. These concepts are actually quite simple when executed properly.

Every time I've been to a BMW dealership, I've been treated like I own the place and I have never even owned a BMW. Taking my V to the dealer is like how a teenager with a 300,000 mile beat up Cavalier would get treated. Oh, we'll throw some paint on it and it'll just have to be good enough for you...

Cadillac either needs to pay to have every panel on my V painted again and right this time or give me a new one. Fix my whining, crappy, wheel hopping differential once and for all. Reimburse me for the $300 I've spent out of my own pocket trying to keep the diff alive. Do all those things, find a better engine than the 400-hp LS2 and I'll put in a $20k downpayment for that 2007 V today. Even if gasoline is $10 per gallon; I will have 500+ horsepower in my next vehicle. Which company wants the money hard enough to get my business?

Problem is, I don't trust a dealer to even wash my car let alone wrench on it anymore.

Yet, I still love these CTS-Vs...Cadillac is oh so close to hitting a grand slam. Support the product, keep us happy and our numbers will grow.

AND NO SLUSHBOXES. EVER.

Thank you. :)

Dealer: Kennedy Cadillac in San Bernardino California
Contact at the dealer: Jack Ferguson, General Manager
Warranty Claim denied: Not yet (waiting for them to get back to me on a simple issue)
Innaccurate claim made/mistake: Took my V to the dealer at 4500 miles for it's first service since I had a nail in the left rear tire and NOBODY would work on the runflats (Big-O, Goodyear). Well the dealer scratched my wheel, put too much oil in and did not reset the sensors when tires were rotated. And the repaired tire (wheel) was not properly balanced so now I have "the shimmy" and all for only $140.00!
Other notes: When informed about what should have been three easy backyard service issues my service manager said "oh". I took it to the next level and they did refund my $140.00 yet my oil is still way too high, I have not heard when my new wheel will be in (now going on two months), and they have not even rebalanced the wheel. I have written three letters, been by the dealer twice and made three seperate phone calls yet no response. And I want them to do work that will take a wrench? This is not over yet. Next Friday I am going to try a different dealer for the bushings, rear sail panels about to fall off, pcm flash, alarm flash, see if my rear bumper really is loose, see if the whine I hear is the dreaded diff. and let me bitch about tires about shot at 7,000 miles. My car is totally stock, I drive fairly aggressive yet no "burnouts" or clutch dumps ever. I really am hoping for the best at this new dealer.

I agree with Stealth, my wife bought a Lexus and EVERYTIME I go in there I feel like a king. "Can I get you some bottled water or a soft drink?" "Is there anything else about your car you would like us to know?" "Is this new LS-430 ok for you while we have your car overnight?" This V car is great and I do love to drive it. It is the first GM car I have bought in over twenty years. Could we please get a dealer that does not make us feel like a bad little boy who has done something wrong if there are issues that we want addressed?

I have nothing but good things to say about PENSKE.

Any help or assistance I can give to the project just let me know.

(another reason why I live in Calif. best state for a consumer:thumbsup: )

Wildwhl
Scott Motors
Diff #2 - refused to add the LS additive. It failed, though they blamed it on an unrelated incident (mild fender bender - boy, does the paint on that repair suck).

Also - when Diff #3 was going in I requested the upgraded "bushing" to help eliminate the "parade clunk" and/or driveline backlash. Was charged $93 and change for what I believe should have been covered under warranty. I suggested/requested that the diff fluid be swapped at about 500 miles and was again informed that the fluid was a "lifetime fill".

Driver's sun-visor replaced due to vinyl pulling out around homelink(tm) buttons. Needs to be replaced again, same issue.

Wheel hop complaints are met with "what wheel hop". Faxed TSB's recently on the sticking clutch and the "GM Bushings" but have not heard any decision on their part. V is due in for a complete new sunroof and mounts (rattles like crazy).

I like the car plenty - but there have been too many trips to the dealer. Seriously questions the integrity of the GM network IMHO.

ok,

dealer 1..It all started with the exsaust. then it was the skip ship eliminater. then the cai..thats when the pic had started..I had a friend at the dealer and told me they had 20 pic of my car...My rear started whining at around 5000 miles and the clunk has now gotten worse...Instead of replacing my rear end they let my car sit in there garage for 17 days...I was told all they did was tighten up some bolts..and refused the rearend..
dealer 2..took car in for a service and pcm recall and bushings..i was told that my CORSA and cai will void my warrenty...Its not a race car, i was told...I picked up my car and they scratched my hre wheels...they took a screwdriver to my center caps...and said they didnt do it...wheels are brand new on car for 6 days...I will tell you this, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CADILLAC AGAIN. just because of the dealers...we had 4 sts's and now my v, It makes me sick to think that gm has over 200 thousand of my HARD earned money..I dred going to the dealer and not being able to look at them and tell them what to do to my car...they think im a gerkoff because i dont want my rearend to go. in the end gm will get what they deserve...oh ya checked my service order and they did not add the diff additive...

I just got a reconfirm on some numbers and clarification.

Our diff requires the LS additive (again). With a 1.3L fil 7% of that volume requires 0.09L (3oz.)of additive. This must be correct as there is an effect on the seals if you dump the bottle in, 4oz. Dont do that!

LS is an option on the STD CTS. It is STD on the CTS-V.. THe rear in the V is the same as the std CTS with LS. The only difference is the Yoke. (looked at one).

Why not just use RP and then you don't have to mess with this LS additive stuff at all.

....for the obvious fact that if they find that it is royal purple, they will decline our warranty claims.

F

To deny a claim because it's got RP would mean they would have to show RP caused the failure. I'm sure RP could be brought in to help on that one. Putting RP or Redline in the diff and tranny should be on everyone's todo list; synthetic is better...

Agreed AmesCTS-V.

I wonder if a dealer would even think to check the fluid as they drained it to see what's going on. They stick their big funnel into their 55 gallon drum under the rack, pull the plug and drain through a filter...but then the evidence is contaminated and gone in the barrel :)

I wonder if a dealer would even think to check the fluid as they drained it to see what's going on. They stick their big funnel into their 55 gallon drum under the rack, pull the plug and drain through a filter...but then the evidence is contaminated and gone in the barrel :)
I was thinking the exact same thing. Having a synthetic diff fluid is not an issue or a case where the customer did something wrong, in fact the customer did something better than factory. If you don't say anything they will just drain it and there won't be an issue.

What are the exact RP product numbers for the tranny and the diff?

Also, anyone else using RP or Redline products for their tranny and diff?

i take it to the dealer and say do a diff change....

So what do you guys think? I'm heading home to change the oil, tranny fluid and diff fluid. Should I ditch the GM stuff and go with Redline? I can grab a few quarts on the way home.

I have done both Redline and RP. Both are great. The Tremec trannys seem to really like RP Synchromax, the shifting feels better after putting it in. The diff would take RP MaxGear something; I'll have to check what, a guess would be MaxGear 75W90.

So what do you guys think? I'm heading home to change the oil, tranny fluid and diff fluid. Should I ditch the GM stuff and go with Redline? I can grab a few quarts on the way home.

Redline gets my vote:thumbsup:

From CadillacFaq looks like 75W90. They make a RP MaxGear version of that.

Thanks guys! Love those rapid fire responses.:highfive:

I dont know how much longer you guys are going to put up with this.. Id leave caddy if they kept BSing like this...... Some of you guys are on your 3rd diff, I would have claimed lemon and got another car...

how much rp is used to do the job, if its that good i might try it....

how much rp is used to do the job, if its that good i might try it....

Bones, You should really check out www.bobistheoilguy.com I think you will find that oil analysis will show that Redline is the superior product. Those guys over there eat, sleep, and dream oil and lube. They have labs test the oil and analyse it after use. My conclusion from months of reading on that forum is that Redline is the best available.

Update...
I can't believe that I could be more upset after yesterday, but I am.
I receive a call from the District Service Manager this afternoon. He explains that due to 1. a broken half-shaft bearing 2. a rattling in my tranny (which I never complained about) and 3. EXCESSIVE tire wear...that my V shows signs of overly aggressive driving and that I should not drive the car in the manner in which it has been driven. Service Technical Assistance, the ones the mechanics call when they don't know what to do, told them that those were the signs of "abuse".
I explain to the DSM that that is usually the case, and that in most cars those symptoms would lead ME to believe that the car was abused, but the V has some issues that are different than other Caddys. So I ask him what his experience with the V was.....MINE. Just mine, never looked at another V before...has no idea about the tire letter Caddy sent to owners, never seen or heard of a differential failing, never heard that the tranny\driveline makes clunks. He stated that all these conditions were the result of overly aggressive driving and that I should stop, as they won't fix the car should I come in with a similar problem.
He states that it is cheaper for them to "rebuild" my tranny, rather than order a new one...doesn't matter that I have 4200 miles, and that the best "CADILLAC" mechanic will do it. I met the mechanic this evening, after work, and he stated that even he wouldn't want to take my tranny apart...he'd rather install a new one...better for the long run.
So here I am...without my V for 9 days...nothings been fixed yet...with a mechanic who's never seen a Tremec-56 tranny having to rebuild it because the DSM is looking to same some money instead of installing a new one. I've been accused of abusing the car...rapid tire wear...failed diff...and a sound in my tranny (again, I've never heard this...the mechanic swears they heard "rocks"). The DSM states that if I come in again with rapid tire wear, and a driveline problem, I'm out of luck...they'd refuse to repair. I've fkucing had it...and I miss my car...I really do.

Please help...what can I do to go over this District Managers Head??? He wouldn't give me his boss' name and my wife wants to get an attorney...not my style but....
Thanks all, at least I got that off my chest.

my wife wants to get an attorney...not my style but....


Just do it. Maybe he will get fired for being an idiot and unknowledgable about the product. phuckin idiots. One thing that I've noticed is that you guys in the North East are the ones having the majority of the problems with the dealers. :mad:

I dont know how much longer you guys are going to put up with this.. Id leave caddy if they kept BSing like this...... Some of you guys are on your 3rd diff, I would have claimed lemon and got another car...

I believe I have already decided to leave. This is not the way you treat customers. I have already purchased two Sequoias instead of Escelades and I am getting ready to purchase a new M5 instead of a Z06 Vette. I can't even get a salesman to call me back on the Z06.

If I treated my customers like this I would be out of business. GM has already lost ~$170,000 of sales this year from me...wonder what they have lost from others.

call a lawer...:nono:

And another thing. Ace996, The driveline clunk is NORMAL. I know you are aware of this. Don't let them open your tranny. You have a choice.

would that help? We have a few lawyers on the board.. Wonder if they could give some advice if some of you guys wanted to go that route....

call a lawer...:nono:

if anything you can get some free advice...If they're f***ing you, what else is there..

Not sure if this will help with the issues with the V, but please let Cadillac know my decision.

Of the new cars available in my price range, the V was the type of car I was looking for. Luxury and performance. Fun to drive with quite a few bells and whistles.

I have been looking to either restore my Buick or buy a new V. I have been reading here for the last couple of months.

All of the issues identified by current owners with the seeming not caring attitude by Cadillac has made my decision for me. They will not have me as a customer.

No way would I invest $50K in a vehicle with all of these problems! Totally unacceptable! I would not purchase a V if the price was cut in half. Vehicle reliability is one of the major selling points. Car is worthless if it is in the shop all the time or I have to put up with clanking and clunking, rearends disintegrating, tires wearing out quicker than my oil change frequency, clutch problems, etc.

Cadillac, don't try to sell a "hot rod" Cadillac with "lego" parts. Cadillac, own up to the design flaws and fix it or lose customers forever.

I have owned numerous 60's muscle cars that did not have these types of problems. They were built to live up to the advertising. They may not have been as smooth as the V or go 150 mph, but they did stay together unless you abused them really hard.

I have been researching for a few months. I am not into the ricers. The GTO, while more affordable, did not excite me with its looks. The new mopars are plain ugly. The V is what perked my interest. This car is not worth it to me if all it does is cause me grief with all the problems it has.

I did want one, the concept is exactly what I was looking for. I wish all the owners good luck with their Vs. Just something I cannot do. I thank everyone for posting here and preventing me from having major buyers remorse.

I live in Florida and it has a good lemon law. I have no doubt that is where I would have ended up if I purchased a V. I am not in a big hurry to buy something new. I will wait and check out other car companies.

Mike

Keep in mind that there are thousands of satisfied V owners, myself included. There are some issues that need to be addressed on some cars. The problem here is, the way the few V owners that are having these problems, are being treated. We are also dealing with, for the most part, dealerships and GM reps that have never handled performance vehicles and know nothing about them or the people that drive them. The irony is that the people that want luxury performance vehicles are exactly the crowd that Cadillac is trying to attract as a customer. These customers are being run off and treated poorly by ignorant dealerships and GM reps. These are not your Daddy's Cadillac's and are not being driven by your traditional Blue haired crowd. Cadillac better decide which customer they are going to cater too and treat them accordingly. Cadillac's future is with us not the Blue haired crowd.

Cadillac hear this: You better wake up or go the way of Oldsmobile.

Tuff growing pains. :mad:

Edit: It is not just the V owners having these problems. I've asked the guys having similar issues in the CTS forum to participate in this thread also.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Having a synthetic diff fluid is not an issue or a case where the customer did something wrong, in fact the customer did something better than factory. If you don't say anything they will just drain it and there won't be an issue.

The factory differential lube is synthetic. With the issues we're having, going to a different fluid may not be enough but it certainly is worth trying. As others mentioned with the recent rash of warranty denials, RP could be bad words in the eyes of the friendly dealer folks.

Moodym: Go for the V car! You will love driving it and IF you do have any problems it is under warranty. The main thing seems to be the dealer and how some are much better at customer service than others. I have never had so much fun driving ANY car. Give it a test drive, meet the service manager and general manager then GO FOR IT!

To add fuel to the fire:

I got my car back today with the dealer telling me that I have all the PCM programs (past present and updaed)... Well, accoridng to Rick, I have NOTHING...yes nothing... They told me many times they updated the program (months ago for all the updates) and this time as well, but its the SAME program that my V left the factory Floor with over 1.5 years ago...

Boneheads...

Reason number 1,288 to get the StealthV tune..

Reed

I had the grape crap fluid replaced with Lucas and the rear dif is a lot quieter. Yes, they put in the additive.

I'm also tired about "abusive driving" statements by certain dealers also. After my first rear dif was replaced, a mechanic said they can track how I drive the car. I told him that I just bought this car with 661 miles on it around 500 miles ago so you might want to blame your sales department for "abusive driving". Well they shut up about it.

Now when I asked about the bushings, they wanted to test drive my car to verify it wheel hops. A call to Cadillac took care of that. The dealer asked if I "drive agressively". I told them, yes when I'm on a two lane road and I'm trying to pass 2 trucks going uphill. I won't hesitate to use full power, and I want the bushings replaced so I don't have to worry about using full power.

I got Cadillac to "allow" me to use Lucas oil in the rear dif. This is a "case by case" basis. I use Mobil 1 in the tranny. The GM grape scented stuff is overpriced garbage.

Overall, I'm happy with my V and my dealer. Sometimes it takes some arguing with them to get them to do what needs to be done. I know their mechanics are tired of looking at my rear dif. They also had to do a 4 wheel relignment due to abnormal tire wear.

My best advice is don't admit how you drive your car to anyone in the dealership. It is really none of their business. Now if they catch you on a racetrack, it is your word against theirs.

And yeah, if my rear dif was replaced 3 times, they would be buying back my car. I don't know why people put up with that crap.

Was planning on changing the diff fluid this afternoon but my B&B won't allow it. I didn't feel like a hassle today, so I just changed my oil. But after hearing all these new diffs being installed and getting louder with the GM synthetic, I bought a bunch of Redline. We'll see soon how that makes my loud #2 diff sound.

It seems most people are pretty satisfied with the Specterwerkes/GM cradles bushings. Maybe Quaife can help us with inadequate power capacities the Getrag seems to have. They've said they'd be willing to develop a unit in the past. A donated new diff and 13 definites is all it takes.....

ACE - Go to a different dealer! Hell, my dealer suggests things I should request or mention (if I have a smidgeon of the negative effect, such as a pull to one side so thet can do a 4 wheel after the bushing install on Caddy's dime, as they feel it's warranted after the upgrade), tells me why he suggests it, then types it on the order if I agree. These guys own V's, are family related to race shops, set my alignment to performance settings at their suggestion, unbaffle the stock exhaust on their V's (55 gallon drum of fiberglass. no sound/performance difference?) and reweld the mufflers, circle track and 1/4 mile their V's and work on my V. Complain about diff noise? They give me a quicky drain/refill of grape + FM, on my way to work with no appoinntment. Your dealer blows. These guys had the bushings in an tested ASA they were released (told me it was better, about 70%) as they drive their V's hard and know what typical V buyers expect. Good luck! I'd switch dealers.

Was planning on changing the diff fluid this afternoon but my B&B won't allow it.

Use a hex socket or slide a 10-mm wrench over the long arm of the allen wrench and then put it into the fill plug. It is tight but can be done. :thumbsup:

I would not purchase a V if the price was cut in half.

Kind of an exaggeration there, don't you think? If the price was cut in half, I'd buy three more and give 'em away to my friends! :highfive:

Revcoman

Actually not an exageration for me. Others most likely not.

Many many years ago I got into arguments with a Dodge Dealer over vehicle warranty. Car would run fine and then at random moments would shut off. Car would restart and then would run fine for awhile and then do it again. Completely random. Pulling into traffic or trying to pass someone was just plain dangerous.

I took it in to the dealer multiple times. Dealer changed computer but it did not change anything. They could not find anything wrong and said they could not change any more parts unless they could prove them bad. HIghly frustrated was not proper description for my mental health at the time. I talked to corporate and there ownly solution was to take the vehicle to a dealer over 200 miles away and have them look at it. All of this at my expense. The stalling was random. What was the chances of it messing up at the dealer? Ever drive a care that randomly stalled?

I ended up ripping out all of the ignition system and putting in the older performance electronic ignition myself. Problem went away.

Neither corporate or dealer cared if I got killed tryng to pull out in traffic or passing.

Just think what might happen if someone has a rearend lock up while driving the V? I had an older mopar that had broken some some pieces of ring gear and they got caught between the ring and pinion gear while driving, rear end locked up solid. Luckily I was driving in a straight line and only doing about 15 mph at the time.

From the amount of post I read here, the people not having any problems are a minority. People say you have to live with the rearend noise. New rearends go in and they go out again in a short time.

I am into performance cars. Was an old mopar guy. I have owned a 340 cuda, hemi challenger, 440 super bee and gtx. Last few years a turbo buick. I have driven them all "aggresively" Have not seen problems like the group here experiences on those vehicles.

I honestly cannot understand how it is acceptable to spend the $$$ for this car and put up with the problems and dealer attitude.

At the moment the V is the only new car I have seen that I would want. The car is a great idea. Luxury and performance that is relatively affordable. You buy a "hot rod" you are probably going to drive aggresively every so often. I will not buy a car like this and be afraid of hurting it every time. I will not go through the fighting the dealer process again. Not worth the emotional stress to me. Not worth the payment I would be making while the vehicle sits in the shop

Buy an extended warranty for the car? How many rearends do you think Cadillac will put in the car for you over a 100k miles warrantly. I guarantee they will stop after awhile and blame the owner for abuse.

I will watch and see how the future V models hold up. Maybe Cadillac will read here and decide they really want to support the V or not.

Maybe I have been spoiled by my turbo buick. Fast out of the factory and alot faster with minimal $$$. Different car I know. I wonder how popular they would have been if the rear ends went out every time they brought the boost up

I was this close to driving down state and picking up an 05 stealth gray without sunroof. Not any more.

I do wish every owner here good luck and hope they enjoy the car for many years. Be safe and keep the pressure on to get the vehicle right. I will go back to lurking here and see how the newer models hold up.

Mike

Big jim where can i get this...auto zone or pep boys..how meny do i need to get the diff change done..and they put modifier in it already so no modifier...right:hmm:

Big jim where can i get this...auto zone or pep boys..how meny do i need to get the diff change done..and they put modifier in it already so no modifier...right:hmm:

Right. You need a little less that 1.5 quarts per change so buy 3 quarts and you have enough to do it twice. Most speed shops will have it or you can order Redline from Summit Racing. That is where I get mine. It is about $7.50 per quart. And no....I am not Big Jim but I do play him on TV :suspect:

Moodym,
You found a reason not to buy the V and I respect your decision. While a few people have had problems with their V or with their dealer, a lot of had no problems. All of my problems have been minor.

I can tell you "horror" stories on just about any car out there. While the V isn't the most reliable car I have ever owned, it isn't my worst. It has been a very enjoyable 12k miles of driving. 10 times more than any other car I have owned.

And if the dif "locked" up it would most likely be in pieces on the highway, if that has ever happened (which I don't think it has). However it has proved its self to fail at times (whine/howl are not failures).

This is also a car enthusiast site with around 150-200 V owners. A small percentage of the ~ 7000 Vs on the road. People here like to push their car to its limits.

You already found your reason not to buy the V, probably without even test driving one. Chances are that if you test drove one, ~$50k would seem worth it and you would buy one if you could.

what happens if you put to much in...i dont have any way of measuring it. put 1.5 in, or no...thanks..scott:hmm: :cool2:

it'll run out the fill hole, that's how you know :)

Right. You need a little less that 1.5 quarts per change so buy 3 quarts and you have enough to do it twice. Most speed shops will have it or you can order Redline from Summit Racing. That is where I get mine. It is about $7.50 per quart. And no....I am not Big Jim but I do play him on TV :suspect:hehehehe

SBONES, if yo can't find a speed shop nearby that sells it, check Autozone. While they usually don't stock it, I see most stores have the Water Wetter. If they carry one item, there's a chance they can order you others. Just make sure you look at the bottle closely when you do find it. They have a number of different viscosities available. 75W 90 is what you want.

just go to www.redlineoil.com (http://www.redlineoil.com) and they have a dealer locator.

One thing I have to throw in here for those considering a V. When you have problems you are going to post about them. When you don't have problems you aren't going to post and say hey guys everything is fine today. So it's easy to make things appear worse than they are.

I've only had my V in once for service so far and it was for a tranny problem from the factory. My dealership couldn't get me in so they ordered parts based on the fact that I told them the TSB I found was my problem and I was sure of it. They fixed it and everything is fine.

I'd get another V over any other car in this price range.

I could very much use all your help in this other post...
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49360

Thank you.

Everyone

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not slamming anyone for their car purchase or for driving a V. My post are my thought processes for my decision to buy one or not.

The car appears to be real close to being what it should be. Good engine, good suspension for road racing, good aerodynamics, good interior room, bells and whistles aplenty, etc.

Strenghten some parts to hold up to the power the engine can produce and put some research in so you can have the cornering capability with the ability to aggresively drive the vehicle through the gears. Wheel hop is unacceptable. The tires are not that big a deal to me. Tires made to stick to the road don't wear well.

I really would like to have one to tell the truth. I know I would not drive it like a grandpa. The car would not be driven daily as my wife and I drive it to work together. I could probably stanc being without it a couple of days for repairs.

DavesV

I did drive a used 2004 model and that test drive is what solidified my decision. I liked how it pulled when I did a few 3/4 throttle burst. Had the wife drive it and she had no problem. Those were pluses. Interior was a little cheap but I have seen worse.

I did hear the clunks when I shifted it as reported here from others. That would probably irritate me every time I drove it. I would not expect that out of a $50k Cadillac. The waiting for the rear end to go or to start howling would be something I would not be looking forward to.

Has anyone here driven their car aggresively and not had any of the problems others here have listed? Some of the dealership attitudes are amazing. The car is really advertised as a "hot rod" Cadillac. There is a difference between aggresive driving and abuse.

I am hoping Cadillac listens and makes the car right for current and future owners.

Would GM treat Corvette owners like some of the people here have been treated? Support after purchase keeps customers around. Non-support drives people away.

Mike

Here's my dealer service rant:

Neil Norton Cadillac, Peoria, IL.

Got a MINOR door ding in the left rear quarter panel. Took it to the dealer to have it fixed and they offered to rent me a car. Gee thanks, but no thanks.

The dealer had the V for almost a week because they had to repaint it several times to get the paint to match - it is black for god's sake. They finally call to say the V is done. Upon walking into the dimly lit service bay, the first two things I notice are the paint doesn't match and it has zero orange peel (V's have orange peel, oh yes they do). Of course the body shop manager has to be paged and doesn't show up for 15 minutes. Unfortunately, this gave me plenty of time to inspect their work.

With this extra time to burn, I start looking at the new paint more closely and find there are tons of fisheyes in the paint, there is an obvious masking line at the left rear door, the interior stinks of paint, tons of overspray on the 6+ layers of perfectly shined Zaino on the rest of the car and you can still see the original dent in the panel!

At this point, I'm beyond furious and the body shop manager finally shows up. Being the anal gearhead engineer I am, I immediately tell the body shop manager that this is completely unacceptable on a car into which I have over $60k invested. The body shop manager at first is very defensive and doesn't see anything wrong with their work. To which I point out the flaws mentioned previously. Finally, the body shop manager gives in and says bring it back in a week to allow the paint to setup and they'll redo the paint.

During the next week, the interior continued to stink of paint which just made this whole mess even worse as it was a daily reminder of the dealer's crappy work during the daily commute.

The paint curing week goes by; took the V in again. Hoping for the best, I leave the V with them and drive away in a cheesy Grand Prix loaner (wow, a free cheesy car this time!). Three days later, the V is done. This time, the paint still doesn't match, the the orange peel is horrid (they went too far) and the weather stripping at the left rear door isn't attached and is now all screwed up in the door jam. And to be "nice" to me, they washed the V with what must have been 200 grit sand paper. Once out of the service bay and into the sun, the hideous spider web swirls showed up and my heart rate shot up even further. Instead of having just one bad panel, they had now screwed up every square inch of paint on my V.

Words can not describe how frustrated and disgusted I was with them. It had pushed me beyond being mad when the manager said "that's the best we can do." Being pushed to the point of nearly killing someone, I just paid the bill and left with the car knowing they had screwed up my beautiful V all to hell forever. In hindsight, I should have never paid the bill and took them to court but I'm not a litagation is the solution for everything type of person.

Neil Norton Cadillac ruined every painted panel on my V. Fact.

Now for Part 2, let's rewind to June 2005.

After being on the 2005 V order waiting list for over six weeks at my selling dealer (Voss Village Cadillac, Ohio) the V finally showed up on the truck. Excited, my wife and I drove 8 hours to Ohio to pick it up. The day of delivery, I purchased two quarts of diff fluid and one bottle of additive for $90+. The salesman seemed quite taken back by the purchase and I explained I was one of those extreme anal types that believes clean fluids are happy fluids.

My wife drove the V home the 600 miles that day and within 30 minutes of getting home, the engine oil was dropped and fresh Mobil1 went in. A month later at 2165 miles, I decided it was time to drop the diff lube. Imagine my surprise when I dropped the plug and out ran the blackest, crappiest looking lube (looked like diesel engine oil after 2000 hours) that I had ever seen in my life. I've owned 19 AMERICAN (no import ever!) vehicles in the last 19 years and have changed fluids on all my new vehicles in a similar fashion and have never, ever seen anything like this.

Thanking my anal routine, I was happy that I had gotten the crappy diff lube out of there so early and figured this was a one time incident. Well, that assumption was wrong. Five months and 4000 miles later, the differential started to get a geartrain whine at ~40 mph. So off to the dealership for another $100 worth of diff fluid and additive. No surprise, at this lube change, more black crude oil. The new fluid (old GM part number) did keep the rear end quiet for another 5000 miles.

With 5000 miles on diff lube refill 3 (counting factory fill) the whine was back. Now all of a sudden there is the new "grape" scented lube and the additive isn't required! This causes quite a comotion here on the forum for a few weeks until a certain source at GM finally gives us the answer that yes, the limited slip additive is necessary. With this vital bit of information in hand, I proceed to the local Chevy dealership (closest GM around and I am sure as hell not going back to the Caddy dealer) to get the grape lube and additive.

Handing over the part number list of grape lube and limited slip additive to the parts counterperson, the first words out of her mouth is "Are you sure you need the additive? We don't use it here with this lube." Kindly assuring her yes, I need the additive, can I please give you real American money for it; she rings up another nearly $100 bill.

Thinking GM realized the original lube didn't have the proper additive package to prevent the gear whine after time had passed, I put in the magic grape diff lube in for fill number four. After taking the V for a quick spin, it was obvious the new grape lube did nothing to quiet the gearwhine at 40-45 mph like the previous fluid changes had done.

My engine's rear main seal is leaking. The diff continues to whine thousands of miles later and is now leaking around the halfshafts. Just this week I noticed all four tires are wearing horridly on the inside edge like there is way too much camber. The alignment has never touched except for I believe at Voss Village Cadillac after they installed the FG2 shock package.

Other issues with my V and the future of this model:

Wheel hop - of course! During development, was the V ever driven in the rain? Let alone an aggresive launch on dry pavement?

How many clutches were hurt to get the 4.6 second zero to 60?

The infamous "steering wheel wiggle" has plagued my V from day one. Some have had it resolved by different tires, wheels or rebalancing. I've put on completely different aftermarket wheels and it is still there....

A foot parking brake? I've learned to live with it but still don't like it.

The LS2 in the 2006 isn't making us all warm and fuzzy for a new car. We need more power and a "special" engine just like the LS6 was in its day to get our money again.

We are your affluent, get market share from the BMWs of the world, target customers. And for the most part, we're GEARHEADS and are going to do GEARHEAD things with and to our Vs. Denying warranty for marginal OEM product designs and blaming wheel hop on "aggressive driving" is just plain silly.

There is no more die-hard GM guy than I and this whole situation certainly makes one think about what company will get my next $50k+ automobile purchase. With my gearhead love of the V, I've even built a successful business and have over 400 extremely happy customers because of quality products, customer service and product support after the sale. These concepts are actually quite simple when executed properly.

Every time I've been to a BMW dealership, I've been treated like I own the place and I have never even owned a BMW. Taking my V to the dealer is like how a teenager with a 300,000 mile beat up Cavalier would get treated. Oh, we'll throw some paint on it and it'll just have to be good enough for you...

Cadillac either needs to pay to have every panel on my V painted again and right this time or give me a new one. Fix my whining, crappy, wheel hopping differential once and for all. Reimburse me for the $300 I've spent out of my own pocket trying to keep the diff alive. Do all those things, find a better engine than the 400-hp LS2 and I'll put in a $20k downpayment for that 2007 V today. Even if gasoline is $10 per gallon; I will have 500+ horsepower in my next vehicle. Which company wants the money hard enough to get my business?

Problem is, I don't trust a dealer to even wash my car let alone wrench on it anymore.

Yet, I still love these CTS-Vs...Cadillac is oh so close to hitting a grand slam. Support the product, keep us happy and our numbers will grow.

AND NO SLUSHBOXES. EVER.

Thank you. :)


Okay--is this the longest single comment in a thread ever??? :)

Update...
I can't believe that I could be more upset after yesterday, but I am.
I receive a call from the District Service Manager this afternoon. He explains that due to 1. a broken half-shaft bearing 2. a rattling in my tranny (which I never complained about) and 3. EXCESSIVE tire wear...that my V shows signs of overly aggressive driving and that I should not drive the car in the manner in which it has been driven. Service Technical Assistance, the ones the mechanics call when they don't know what to do, told them that those were the signs of "abuse".
I explain to the DSM that that is usually the case, and that in most cars those symptoms would lead ME to believe that the car was abused, but the V has some issues that are different than other Caddys. So I ask him what his experience with the V was.....MINE. Just mine, never looked at another V before...has no idea about the tire letter Caddy sent to owners, never seen or heard of a differential failing, never heard that the tranny\driveline makes clunks. He stated that all these conditions were the result of overly aggressive driving and that I should stop, as they won't fix the car should I come in with a similar problem.
He states that it is cheaper for them to "rebuild" my tranny, rather than order a new one...doesn't matter that I have 4200 miles, and that the best "CADILLAC" mechanic will do it. I met the mechanic this evening, after work, and he stated that even he wouldn't want to take my tranny apart...he'd rather install a new one...better for the long run.
So here I am...without my V for 9 days...nothings been fixed yet...with a mechanic who's never seen a Tremec-56 tranny having to rebuild it because the DSM is looking to same some money instead of installing a new one. I've been accused of abusing the car...rapid tire wear...failed diff...and a sound in my tranny (again, I've never heard this...the mechanic swears they heard "rocks"). The DSM states that if I come in again with rapid tire wear, and a driveline problem, I'm out of luck...they'd refuse to repair. I've fkucing had it...and I miss my car...I really do.

Please help...what can I do to go over this District Managers Head??? He wouldn't give me his boss' name and my wife wants to get an attorney...not my style but....
Thanks all, at least I got that off my chest.

Get his email address.

then those of us on this board can send him emails and bring him up to speed on the common "problems" on the V car.

If he gets 50 emails in 48 hours advising him that he know s**t from shenola then he may get the point.

Generally speaking I'm happy, but my local GM dealer knows little about the car.

I have a CDN car and have four years maintanence included. On my first 10,000 KM oil change I aked when they rotate the wheels. "...at 25,000 KMS". "Well I'll have you roate them now please." I went to pick up the car and the tech had written "...4/32 on the rear and 7/32 on the front. Unsafe to rotate." Fine I then took it to Fountain Tire and they rotated them for $5.00 less anyway.

On one of the warranty recalls they have to take out the rear seat - computer I think. I had to go back again because the plastic kick plates on the door sills had been installed UNDER the carpet so the carpet on both sides was on TOP. Also one of the seat belt hip clips was not "up" and thus was stuck under the seat. My son told me that after I looked over and saw he did not have his seat belt on.

I have had the right rear sail panel replaced twice and the left once. (the clips break. Personally I think its because when you roll the rear windows down, the air gets underneath them and pops them out.) I have rarely noticed the driveline clunk myself - perhaps only 3 times - although when my wife drives the car and I'm watching her go, it seems to me I hear a cliunk as she shifts into second.

I had one driving light replaced due to condensation.

I went and asked about having the bushing replaced. The service tech read out the TSB about the "... this car is not meant to be driven aggressively". Talk about CYA BS and the service tech agreed. They know me pretty well in there anyway. So I drop the car off for the bushing. I get a call about 3.30 "...ummmm we need the car overnight". I was busy at the time and did not get to ask why. When I go back the next day the service tech tells me that the mechanic misread the work order. He thought he was suppose to be CHECKING for wheel hop. His initial report after a test drive was that "..no wheel hop present". I took that as a mixed blessing, that he had not driven it hard enough to have it occur. That and he probably still had the TC on. Then the service tech told him it wasn't a diagnosize. Just DO IT. For reasons still not adequately explained, it was now late in the day and the mechanic did not finish the job so I was to have a loaner. Its less then an hour to do it :roll eye: Then there is a screw up - partly my fault - and I get a Buick century as a loaner instead of a Deville.

I have only 'tested' the bushing once and I still had the wheel hop. I'm not sure how much better it was from before but I didn't often get wheel hop mostly becuase I rarely turn the TC off. Also interesting that the mechanic wrote AFTER the install - "...much improved but wheel hop still present". Ummm first you said there was no wheel hop, now its much improved!!!!

I don't seem to have any diff noise. If I REALLY try I might hear a little whine but I have to be making and effort to listen. That being said, I must say I'm surprised at those of you putting in after-market products given the known problem. Given that it is a real risk of being a problem, I would not give GM ANY reason to make things difficult. I'd keep it 100% stock right down to having them do it. Note: On my Trans Am and my Durango I was told that changing my diff oil at 5000 KMs was recommended and every 30,000 after that. Of course when I have GM "free" maintanence ".."Oh No, no need to change it". Funny how that is. I'm not touching the rear whilst its on warranty. I figure if anything happens, its their problem for another three years.

What I find REALLY disturbing though is the reaction of GM and some dealerships to these issues. Saying that its OUR fault because we drive aggressively is complete crap. Suggesting your bolt on mods / low tire life / whining diff in any way justifies their ability to cancel your warranty is just bullying intimidation. If I ever experience it or I find that it becomes a more frequent issue in the community here, its the last Caddy I'll own.

I drive the ever-living piss out of my car and haven't had a diff problem, driveline clunk, or any of the major issues. The only thing I hate is the shifter (I know I know, who the hell else bought a UUC the day they weer available and still hasn't installed it?, but I'm an idiot).

I think you're letting the vocal ones who've had serious problems get in the way of your opinion of the car overall.

I drive the ever-living piss out of my car and haven't had a diff problem, driveline clunk, or any of the major issues. The only thing I hate is the shifter (I know I know, who the hell else bought a UUC the day they weer available and still hasn't installed it?, but I'm an idiot).

I think you're letting the vocal ones who've had serious problems get in the way of your opinion of the car overall.
Hey JBeechel how many miles ya got ?
There has to be a reason why some Vs have the shop time so much more then others. :hmm:

My '04 made it 20,000 miles and had the following:

New rear differential
New clutch
New slave cylinder
One recall for suspension bolt
New rear bushing
Last service trip would've been a new tranny
My '05 has 17,000 miles and has had the following:

New outer half shaft
New inner half shaft
New rear bushing
New rear differential
Needs new radio - buttons peeling
Needs new tranny - syncros gone
Needs new slave cylinder - leaking
TSB for wheel hop
Recall for reflash - No VIN
Bent rim - from factory
NEVER HAVE I HAD THIS MANY ISSUES WITH A CAR. NOT EVEN MY 1997 Z28. I thought that was a piece of shit in the end, but compared to the V was almost never in the shop.

My '04 made it 20,000 miles and had the following:

New rear differential
New clutch
New slave cylinder
One recall for suspension bolt
New rear bushing
Last service trip would've been a new tranny
My '05 has 17,000 miles and has had the following:

New outer half shaft
New inner half shaft
New rear bushing
New rear differential
Needs new radio - buttons peeling
Needs new tranny - syncros gone
Needs new slave cylinder - leaking
TSB for wheel hop
Recall for reflash - No VIN
Bent rim - from factory
NEVER HAVE I HAD THIS MANY ISSUES WITH A CAR. NOT EVEN MY 1997 Z28. I thought that was a piece of shit in the end, but compared to the V was almost never in the shop.
:histeric: rotflmao

Im sorry im drundk lol

I have also had other cars that have not been thismuch prob lol

UPDATE. District Service Manager finally admits in writing that my CTS-V was repaired improperly by not adding the friction modifier. My CTS-V will be flat bedded to a local dealer for proper repair. (not Colonial who still believes that we don't have a limited slip rear differential) Here's the best part. It only took 8 emails, 7 phone calls and 21 days for them to admit that they were wrong. This is not to mention the countless hours that I spent researching the subject to get my "ducks in a row". This fight was on something that the dealer was clearly wrong on, now imagine how long it will take to resolve a "grey area" issue. I'd rather take a cheese grater to my man marbles than go through this crap again.

man marbles, LOL
well, congrats CVP :)

I'd rather take a cheese grater to my man marbles

I hate when that happens. :histeric:

Hopefully there were a few smarter than the average bear "tech's" that got their collective asses reamed over this deal.

Strange as it sounds, I actually got much better service from Dodge on my Viper GTS than Caddy on the V. Even with low volume, many Dodge dealers were knowledgeable about the car and it's special needs. When things did go wrong, they were generally attentive and never blamed me... and this included dealers in the US, England, and Switzerland. (Putting aside the a-hole dealer in Miami who took it joy riding and left parking tickets as evidence). Even when some dealers couldn't work with balancing the 335 width rear tires, they'd take responsibility to get the job done.



Although my dealer service rep has been very interested, there is still an unsatisfactory lack of knowledge about the V. I bought in Feb 2004, an early customer you could say. I immediately noticed oil temp and wheel hop issues. It required 6-7 months for the oil temp fix and 16-17 months for something that attempts to address wheel hop. Rather pathetic. And even with a kind service advisor, I've still had: the TPS set incorrectly twice after rotating; the oil overfilled once; an inability for the dealer to work with the factory runflats (and I had to work that out on my own); and an overall lack of knowledge on anything V related.

man marbles!!! too funny, Chris. Sorry the DSM was a douche and toed the party line. cheese grater...man marbles! damn....

F

CVP33, I'm very glad your situation has been remedied. Sometimes it pays to pull the sword, if for no other reason than justice.

I need everyone's help.

GM corporate is demanding that I return my CTS-V to Colonial Cadillac to be inspected by a technician. GM claims that Getrag is incorrect. Karen Uthena, from the "Executive Office" asserts the following:

#1 - The CTS-V does NOT have a limited slip differential
#2 - The rear differential does NOT require a friction modifier or additive
#3 - If you are having problems with your CTS-V's rear differential is could be due to aftermarket parts such as exhaust, headers, CAI, etc.

Now obviously I'm not going to return my CTS-V to Colonial who has once again botched my repair, nor do I feel the need to have a tech "look" at my car. The question is simple. Do I need the additive? GM claims NO, Getrag claims YES.

TODAY IT'S MY WARRANTY TOMORROW IT'S YOURS.

If you want to help, call Karen Uthena at and ask for a definitive answer as to whether or not YOUR CTS-V needs the additive. How can one dealer say yes and another say no. If you're wondering why the rear differentials blow early I think we just found out.

CALL TODAY AND LET GM KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS
ANYMORE.

I really need everyone on this one.

Just an update. I ran into an issue getting the mechanic at my dealership to but the right fluid into my diff. The mechanic insisted:

#1 - The CTS-V does NOT have a limited slip differential
#2 - The rear differential does NOT require a friction modifier or additive

Sound familiar :thepan:

Anyway, as a result of this thread I called Karen. It took her a while to get back to me after I explained the situation but she called back today and said the following.

When this issue was initially raised last year (I'm assuming as a result of CVP33's efforts) that GM had an internal meeting about this issue and there is now an internal document that is "readily available to the dealers" that states explicitly that the car has a limited slip and that it needs the high dollar fluid and that it needs friction modifier. She would not give me the number on the document claiming that it is for internal use only so perhaps one of the dealers here on the forum could get it for us.

She also offered that if anyone does have trouble with a dealer putting in the right stuff that it should just take a call to Cadillac Customer Service to get it cleared up. I'd suggest calling Karen directly (313) 667-7499 since she is now even more familiar with the issue. My hope was that she would take some further action to figure out why my dealer seemed unable to find this "readily available information" but all she offered was a call to GM if we have a dealer issue.

Well done! And thanks for the update as I'm heading down that path myself.

Chef

Dear god, this crap still continues? And for the record I did nothing. I just complained until I could wake somebody up. It's when I stop complaining that GM should worry. When I give up, I'm gone.

The thing I like about the dealership (Dominion Cadillac) I deal with is, if I wanted them to put corn syrup in the diff they'd do it. They kind of figured out I know a little about cars so they never give me grief.

The thing I like about the dealership (Dominion Cadillac) I deal with is, if I wanted them to put corn syrup in the diff they'd do it. They kind of figured out I know a little about cars so they never give me grief.

My service writer is like that (will do whatever I request) but the push back from the actual mechanics is irrational.

I have had two diffs replaced and no trouble. I'm just over 40k and now worried what's gonna happen, seeing how I'm averaging a dead rear every 20k miles. I hardly consider myself an abusive driver.

I think it's complete bullshit that anyone would receive any grief over anything regarding the rearend of our V's. Short of shooting the Godamn thing, a hard shift or a hole shot shouldn't crater such an intregal piece to the vehicle. It should be able to stand up to the advertised claims and power.

I guess I feel better after preaching to the choir. Off to call my service adviser to check on the status of my new rear end, arm rest and to complain about my sail panels and the ashtray thing cos it's not working right after they replaced my radio for flaking buttons. Seriously, I'm not joking.

Hi, GM!

So here's the problem (I think). Service Advisors are looking up our VINs in their system and it's not showing the limited slip diff. They then come to the conclusion that the additive is not needed. GM simply needs to correct the VIN database and this issue would be resolved. Give them a few years.

So here's the problem (I think). Service Advisors are looking up our VINs in their system and it's not showing the limited slip diff. They then come to the conclusion that the additive is not needed. GM simply needs to correct the VIN database and this issue would be resolved. Give them a few years.

I think your exactly right. Also, I think this is only true for the '04 and '05 V's. The gal I talked to at GM said the document she was looking at (the one that clarified this situation) was specific to the '04 and '05 models.

... The gal ...Chauvinist pig! :tisk:

(j/k)

I was told by my "gal" service writer (sorry, Ron, I couldn't resist) today that GM is basically telling them (the dealers) to just replace the difs when it's presented to them by the customer and don't put up such a fuss. Apparently, there's a recognition by even GM's bean counters (I was one for three years) that it's good business. However, it could be district service manager dependent, too. :helpless:

This is a very sad thread. Like most of you I love my V (06) 11k miles, but unlike most of you I have a great Dealer who treats me like a paying customer (Don Massey in Plymouth MI)
Every complaint I have mentioned even in passing is dealt with and I get a free loaner too.
Yet.... I hear that whine at ~40mph, Clunk when shifting normally (no clunk when shifting aggressively), a stupid gas guage, minor rattles, a foot brake, the most unfriendly GPS navagation/radio system possible.
All these and others I ignore because those occasional days when the car lives beyond any expectation you can read about.
Yet.... The next car I buy may be Japanese built because the class I barganed for when I bought this car is tarnished in stupid ways.
Let alone dealers with complete ignorance of customer service.
I hope GM can figure it out (then force dealers to buy in or get out).
I am pessimistic.
Swamp

The next car I buy may be Japanese built

:tisk: :thehand: :nono:

:tisk: :thehand: :nono:

I know right??? at least go german :thumbsup: mmmm I foresee a porsche in a few years for me :bouncy: or is it porch??? :D

I could very much use all your help in this other post...
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49360

Thank you.

ACE by any chance is your dealer SUN Auto Group??

I have similar problems with them and I have a 3.6 CTS which BTW has an LSD so I don't know why a dealership would think a V with a more powerful engine would not have an LSD, they are just stupid!

... The next car I buy may be Japanese built ...Say it ain't so! :tisk:

Massey took care of me just fine. And, their attitude about the dif couldn't be better. At 27.3k right now, my V is perfect ... just perfect. :bouncy:

It will be a few years before I start looking for another car unless the Badilac starts giving me real trouble. My point really was that GM & Cadillac need to start forcing customer service (Don Massey/Lindsay style) on their dealers and get their own act together. If they keep losing market share they could be bought by Toyota!!