hey guys ( again) lol, i got a 95 sts with 95, 000 miles on it, and i want to really take care of this car! i wanted to no if i can get some advice on how to take care of it....the prior owner didnt do anything to it, i want to replace/do stuff like:

>coolant flush/drain,
>engine flush/drain,
>trans oil change/flush/drain
>fuel filter,
>air filter,
> spark plugs , spark plugs wire ,
>pvc valve,
>oil change ,
>tune up?
>serpertine belt replace
>throatle body clean

i dont no what most of this stuff is, its just what i got from other threads, can someone please help me out and tell me what to do to have my car running on full blast! thanks alot guys

If the previous owner didn't do proper maintenance, start with a simple throttle body cleaning. Make sure you open the throttle plate and clean behind it and into the thottle body.

Spark plugs and wires would be nice to replace at your mileage. Use acDelcos.

Drain and refill your engine coolant. Make sure you add the coolant supplement when you refill.

Usually, the oil life monitor on your display is a good guide as to when to change oil. However, the previous owner may have reset the oil life without changing it. Go ahead and do it so you will know where you stand.

Air filter ought to be checked and replaced if considerably dirty, whenever you change oil.

If you know where your pcv valve is, you can pull it out of the cam cover while the engine is running. If it is sucking and it rattles when you shake it, it should be ok. On that note, they are really inexpensive if you want to replace it anyways.

Those are the first things you should take care of. You may also want to check the battery terminals and cables for corrosion. Clean them if they do show corrosion.

If the previous owner didn't do proper maintenance, start with a simple throttle body cleaning. Make sure you open the throttle plate and clean behind it and into the thottle body.

Spark plugs and wires would be nice to replace at your mileage. Use acDelcos.

Drain and refill your engine coolant. Make sure you add the coolant supplement when you refill.

Usually, the oil life monitor on your display is a good guide as to when to change oil. However, the previous owner may have reset the oil life without changing it. Go ahead and do it so you will know where you stand.

Air filter ought to be checked and replaced if considerably dirty, whenever you change oil.

If you know where your pcv valve is, you can pull it out of the cam cover while the engine is running. If it is sucking and it rattles when you shake it, it should be ok. On that note, they are really inexpensive if you want to replace it anyways.

Those are the first things you should take care of. You may also want to check the battery terminals and cables for corrosion. Clean them if they do show corrosion.

where is the throttle body? also what do i clean it with? towell?

can i drain the engine coolant myself?

i heard the spark plugs are real hard to replace? do i just take them out and install them the same way?

is the D&N air filter best?

i will check the pcv valve and the battery!

you can drain the radiator fluid yourself, just unattach the hoses going into and out of the radiator. after all the fluid has drained, add 6 GM coolant pellets (get them from dealer) into the top hose. add coolant into the reservoir tank. you have a pre 96 so im assuming the previous owner didnt switch to dex-cool coolant.

as for air filter. do not use K&N, just waste of money. a regular air filter will be better and you can pick one up for less than $8 bucks.

Remove the intake duct. The TB is right there. Kind of like the air horn portion of a carburator. Open the throttle plate, spray it with carb cleaner. Scrub the bore and throttle plate with a toothbrush and rag til clean. Don't forget the perimiter of the throttle plate.

Pull the lower radiator hose to drain the system. Pop in 4-6 sealant tabs (cooling system suppliment) and refill with premixed 50/50 green coolant and distilled water.

Spark plugs are quite easy after you move the ICM (ignition control module) out of the way. Just remove and reinstall new ones but check the gap on the new ones before installing. If you do plug wires at the same time, you can probably get a straight shot at the rear plugs without movinig the ICM. The plug wires are really what is in the way.

If you mean K & N filter, save your money and use a regular paper filter. Use the search feature to search for K &N and you'll see what I mean.

you guys think i should get a repair manual? i mean i think its useful plus its got pictures?

If you are going to keep this car for a while and do your own maintanence and troubleshooting, a FSM is a must and will be money well spent.

Get the factory manual, either ebay or from http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp?r=http://helm.com/

Consider taking a class at a Community college. We have one in the Phx area that is sponsored by a lot of the car companies. You can get a better automotive education there than at UTI (that's what they tell me). See what's available near you.

Otherwise you should get a friend that knows how to do all the above and he can guide you. You can get started with just a manual but it's harder than having a friend show you.

friends are over-rated, you cant really trust them!:thepan: i mean i have plenty of friends, but none of themare willing to help me ( i asked) but when they got a problem with anything iam the first too call

anyone else got more ideas on what to do to my car?

wash it, wax it,clean wheels, interior detail (ie: vacuum, clean/condition leather, windex windows and dash and everything else plastic/wood), clean door jams, clean engine bay. that should make your car a 100% better :P atleast visually

Ranger, correct me if I'm wrong but is it safe to say the previous owner didn't W.O.T.?
Would that be a good suggestion?

Your friends are not really friends! Get some new ones!

Read, get some magazines, try the library for some books on car repair. Use the internet for info. The forums are pretty good for advice.

anyone no a cheap place to get the a factory service manual?

Also when i shut my car off or while its running it smells like rotton eggs? do i need a new catlast converter? muffler?

As stated check ebay for a repair manual.

If you want this car to run perfect then I suggest that you not be the one who works on it... just yet. Get a repair manual, preferably one that would be used by a mechanic at a dealer. Do lots of reading before you try to work on your Caddy, these aren't basic machines by any means. Someone suggested a taking an automotive course, that is a good idea.

Ranger, correct me if I'm wrong but is it safe to say the previous owner didn't W.O.T.?
Would that be a good suggestion?
Hard to say if you don't know the previous owner. Take her out and give her a dose once a week (safely).

A rotten egg smell is usually indicative of a rich condition. Check for a leaky FPR.

If this is your first car or the first car that you have worked on yourself then I'll tell you, it's not the simplest car to learn on. That being said, if you are intelligent and patient enough to learn correctly it will be an invaluable experience and other cars will come easier by comparison.

Find a FSM and buy it. I just looked on Helm, Inc. for your car and for some reason they didn't list anything??? Anyway, if you find a FSM buy it no matter the cost (within $100) it will be worth it for your car.

If you haven't had some basic automotive courses in school it would be advisable to take one at your local community college as suggested. The will give you a good basic understanding of what you will be doing and how to do it. It will also give you connections to knowledgeable people for future reference should you need a little help.

We can also help here with some step by step instructions and/or tips on various maintenance tasks.

The list you have to do is fairly complete for getting your engine in top running condition and keeping it that way. The only thing I would add to Ranger's instructions on cleaning the TB is to clean out the EGR tubes while you are there.

When you open the throttle plate beneath you should see two tubes protruding up from the manifold floor. Those are the EGR tubes and they get clogged with carbon and other combustion spooge. Take a wire coat hangar and rod those little suckers out until they are clear and clean. Use copious amounts of carburetor cleaner to assist in the cleaning.

Once you have completed the TB and EGR tube cleaning be sure and disconnect the negative battery cable for at least one minute. This will cause the computer to do an idle relearn.

Good luck with it and feel free to ask any questions you have.

:thumbsup:

If this is your first car or the first car that you have worked on yourself then I'll tell you, it's not the simplest car to learn on. That being said, if you are intelligent and patient enough to learn correctly it will be an invaluable experience and other cars will come easier by comparison.

Find a FSM and buy it. I just looked on Helm, Inc. for your car and for some reason they didn't list anything??? Anyway, if you find a FSM buy it no matter the cost (within $100) it will be worth it for your car.

If you haven't had some basic automotive courses in school it would be advisable to take one at your local community college as suggested. The will give you a good basic understanding of what you will be doing and how to do it. It will also give you connections to knowledgeable people for future reference should you need a little help.

We can also help here with some step by step instructions and/or tips on various maintenance tasks.

The list you have to do is fairly complete for getting your engine in top running condition and keeping it that way. The only thing I would add to Ranger's instructions on cleaning the TB is to clean out the EGR tubes while you are there.

When you open the throttle plate beneath you should see two tubes protruding up from the manifold floor. Those are the EGR tubes and they get clogged with carbon and other combustion spooge. Take a wire coat hangar and rod those little suckers out until they are clear and clean. Use copious amounts of carburetor cleaner to assist in the cleaning.

Once you have completed the TB and EGR tube cleaning be sure and disconnect the negative battery cable for at least one minute. This will cause the computer to do an idle relearn.

Good luck with it and feel free to ask any questions you have.

:thumbsup:

this is my first car that i will work on! and imma celebrate the holidays for now, we talk more tuesday, thanks alot guys

The only thing I would add to Ranger's instructions on cleaning the TB is to clean out the EGR tubes while you are there.

When you open the throttle plate beneath you should see two tubes protruding up from the manifold floor. Those are the EGR tubes and they get clogged with carbon and other combustion spooge. Take a wire coat hangar and rod those little suckers out until they are clear and clean. Use copious amounts of carburetor cleaner to assist in the cleaning.


:thumbsup:
Kev,
At first I thought you were talking about the "mouse holes" in the '93/'94. I was gonna say thanks for mentioning that, then I realized he has a '95 and I think you are talking about the 4.9.

A rotten egg smell is usually indicative of a rich condition. Check for a leaky FPR.

FPR dumping too much gas which isn't getting burned completely. It's accumulating in the catalytic converter. The sulfur in the fuel is releasing as hydrogen sulfide when it leaves the cat. You need to fix the source of the problem before the cat goes bad.

Kev,
At first I thought you were talking about the "mouse holes" in the '93/'94. I was gonna say thanks for mentioning that, then I realized he has a '95 and I think you are talking about the 4.9.Oops! You're right! My bad. N*, N*, got to remember that, no EGR tubes.......OK, I'm good! :yup:

i did research and Ranger told me ( in one of this threads) the FPR ( fuel Pump Regualtor) where it is, what it looks like and how to replace it and iam pretty sure its leaking because my mpg = 10.4, which is extremely low....

next is the ERG tube, how do i clean it or what do i clean it with, i read that 99% of the time it needs to be cleaned not replaced?

how i check if the catalytic converter went bad? also i heard somewhere in another thread that some rich fuel injector will fix the problem ( i assume this is bull....if i need a new cat converter can i one of those nice aftermarket ones or should i get a universal cats ( dual exhast) for 60 bucks or the direct fit cats?

i found out how to clean the ERG tube ( YES< THANK GOD FOR THE SEARCH BUTTON) Just incase anyone has any questions here is a link on how to clean the ERG tube http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59077 thanks to KRASHHED

anyway, Im planning on changing my engine oil, oil filter, cleaning my TB, cleaning my ERG tube, and changing my spark plugs, wish me luck! i got my uncle from alaska thats gonna help me, hes a genius with cars and used to run his own shop lol i just have to find him a new house ( good trade huh) lol

Have you checked for codes yet? They may be able to lead you to some things that need to be done. Start the engine. You can check codes with just the ignition on, but more will be tested with the engine running. Press the "OFF" and the red "WARMER" buttons at the same time until everything on your IPC lights up. Copy down any codes that appear. Testing is done when "PCM?" appears. At this point, just turn the ignition off.

Post your codes here for help.

next is the ERG tube, how do i clean it or what do i clean it with, i read that 99% of the time it needs to be cleaned not replaced?

how i check if the catalytic converter went bad? also i heard somewhere in another thread that some rich fuel injector will fix the problem ( i assume this is bull....if i need a new cat converter can i one of those nice aftermarket ones or should i get a universal cats ( dual exhast) for 60 bucks or the direct fit cats?
Forget the EGR tubes. They pertain to the 4.9. Just clean the EGR valve if it is sticking. It will set a DTC if it does.

Forget the CAT. There is an O2 sensor fore and aft of the cat taking readings. If the CAT goes bad, it will set a DTC.

Not sure what you mean by "some rich fuel injector will fix the problem", but I would not worry about the injectors unless you have reason to believe one is leaking.

then what would explain my 10.4 mpg? i will check my codes now and see whats going on!

Have you checked for codes yet? They may be able to lead you to some things that need to be done. Start the engine. You can check codes with just the ignition on, but more will be tested with the engine running. Press the "OFF" and the red "WARMER" buttons at the same time until everything on your IPC lights up. Copy down any codes that appear. Testing is done when "PCM?" appears. At this point, just turn the ignition off.

Post your codes here for help.

i pulled the codes and i didnt get anything! i no this car isnt running to the max because of the low ass mpg iam getting ( 10.4) and the prior owner of the car did nothing to this car but change the oil! i got some rapairs to do and after iam done i will still see whats going on, the air crompressor is making noise ( which imma change tommorow) the front struts are gone ( which iam gonna replace in 2-3 months) and also the car smells like rotten eggs ( which iam gonna change my fpr in 2-3 days) and plus what i said i was gonna do today ( spark plugs, oil change/filter)

If they have never been done, the plugs and wires will show an increase in mileage. After you change them, reset your average mileage display to get a fresh start.

Next time you go for a drive, preferrably at night, after you park the car look under the car at the cat. See if it is glowing. Eventually, that cat will clog from the unburned fuel being dumped in your cylinders. I understand you aren't getting any codes for your O2 sensors, but it is worth a look.

If they have never been done, the plugs and wires will show an increase in mileage. After you change them, reset your average mileage display to get a fresh start.

Next time you go for a drive, preferrably at night, after you park the car look under the car at the cat. See if it is glowing. Eventually, that cat will clog from the unburned fuel being dumped in your cylinders. I understand you aren't getting any codes for your O2 sensors, but it is worth a look.

will do mate, iam gonna have to order the spark plugs online because iam saving like 120 bucks on them ( their oem/acdelco), i will look tommorow night at the cat, and iam gonna try my best to change the fpr! thanks alot guys

then what would explain my 10.4 mpg? i will check my codes now and see whats going on!
A bad FPR could be the cause. Other variables are city driving, driving style, tire pressure, long warm ups. FPR will not set a code. Just check it as discribed.

A bad FPR could be the cause. Other variables are city driving, driving style, tire pressure, long warm ups. FPR will not set a code. Just check it as discribed.

imma change my fpr later this evening! i dont speed and i dont hit the gas like a ranging syco i drive very slow and never pass 2500 rpm, lol, whats the tire pressure suppose to be at? ( the tires seem to be a lil flat) and there was a thread saying that i dont have to let the car warm up for a long time which i do!

Alright guys, i no this isnt the place to ask, but i`ve been wanting to change my front struts and i want to go with the passive system, which company should i go with? boston, strut masters, arnott? please help me out with this one, thanks alot guys

i drive very slow and never pass 2500 rpm, lol,

Just as long as you do a WOT starting from 50 mph in 2nd gear every once in a while.

There should be a sticker on the driver's side door that you can see when you open the door. It should list your recommended tire pressures. Personally, I keep mine at around 32 psi. If I remember corectly, the front tires get a couple pounds more pressure.

Yeah, no need to let the car warm up. Just don't go gunning it until it is up to temp.

About the struts, I haven't done mine so I can't give a good recommendation.

check the sidewalls of your tires. dont inflate more than max. they are usually like max 44 PSI. i do 36 in the front and 34 in the back, ride suffers a bit but i like the better gas mileage.

check the sidewalls of your tires. dont inflate more than max. they are usually like max 44 PSI. i do 36 in the front and 34 in the back, ride suffers a bit but i like the better gas mileage.That would be max cold pressure listed on the sidewalls. Not all are 44 psi, Goodyears typically run that high but on the average I see 35 psi as max cold.

I run mine at max cold pressure as listed on the sidewall but I live in a relatively stable climate, no drastic temps for the most part.

No engine flush EVER. Think about it... Do you particularly like the idea of dumping a quart of Kerosene in your oil? That's what it is essentially!

It is NOT good and can DESTROY bearings and rings and cylinder walls... (And just about any other lubricated part)

No engine flush EVER. Think about it... Do you particularly like the idea of dumping a quart of Kerosene in your oil? That's what it is essentially!

It is NOT good and can DESTROY bearings and rings and cylinder walls... (And just about any other lubricated part)That's pretty much what we used in the old days. If used properly, an engine flush can be done without harming the engine. Though, with todays oil blends, if the oil was changed on a moderate interval, the engine flush most likely is not needed.

I used engine flush in my olds 455 from about 100k on. Used it about every 4th oil change. Didn't notice any of the adverse effects. Definately helped clean those rocker arms. Taking off those valve covers on that engine was simple. I had done that often and noticed the rocker arm area cleaning up.

As far as damage, shoot, it would take a sledge hammer or a torch to kill an Olds 455.

Oh, before I forget...I wouldn't do it to my North*. Different breed of animal there.

It's definitely something to be cautious about in an engine with tighter tolerances.

i got my caddie going about 20-24 mpg now, thanks alot guys, thanks to everyone!

aLL I need now is my damn struts! dont no what to do!

I don't have advice for the struts.

What all did you do to get the mileage to that range? What about the rotten egg smell, is it still there?

I don't have advice for the struts.

What all did you do to get the mileage to that range? What about the rotten egg smell, is it still there?

its the cat converter! almost 100% sure, iam planning on changing the whole exhast system! imma listen to yah message and get the dynomax super turbo