I'm a new owner of a 1988 Cadillac Sedan DeVille (Executive Series), 4.5L. Believe it or not, it was "given" to me by one of my co-workers that was going to get it towed from his apartment building because it had been sitting there for a few years just waisting away. I've only had it a week so I don't know much about it, other than I bought a new battery for it and it seems to run well. I'm a sucker to bring back to life older cars that are on their way to the junk yard so that's what I'll be doing to this one (as I have done with my 96 Trans Am).

What I know so far are the basics (being my first Cadillac): It's been a one owner car (the guy that gave it to me), so I know the history pretty well. It's been sitting dormant for about 6 years, paint sucks, body/trim is in excellent condition (no rust), interior is "ok" (but needs restored), has 160K plus on the clock, engine seems to run well (but leaks fluids, which ones I'm not sure yet), suspension seems a little off as it sits a little funny at the back right wheel (it leans inward), the front two window motors are toast, or it's just the glass is off track, and the back two are REAL SLOW, it seems that all of the buttons and gadgets work but everything seems to be in slow motion (seat controls, mirror controls, etc...), maybe just because of lack of use?.....other than that it's a very nice car...LOL

Anyway, I'll be lurking and asking dumb questions from time to time (I'll use the search often) so play nice.

Peace.

Mark

welcome to the forums!

Welcome to the forum. Change ALL fluids, replace ALL hoses. No need for it to die yet. The window motors don't like to go long period of time unused. Litterally run them up and down a couple dozen times, lube their tracks as well. They MIGHT be OK. If their still slow. then check the boneyards. You may have some work to do, but you started at a great price........FREE!

Welcome! You'll find lots of good advice here.

Sitting around can do a lot of bad things to a car. In the biz they call it 'lot rot.' First thing you want to do is drain and change (don't use a flush product - only fresh water) the coolant. Double check all hoses for rot or checking - might be smart to just replace them all. Be sure to add the sealant pills from GM - the most important step to insuring long life to the 4.X engines. Then change the oil and filter - followed by a second oil change in another 500 miles or so.

The seats run slow on these cars normally. The windows are probably bad switches, dust, or rusty tracks.

Regarding the 'leaning' rear wheel - is your self-leveling suspension working? It should kick on a small compressor about 20 seconds after starting the car and light a 'Car is Leveling' indicator on the dash. You might have a blown bag on one of the air shocks. That can be expensive, but Monroe makes a replacement rear strut (Sensa-trac?) that eliminates the self-leveling feature, and costs considerably less.

Be sure to add the sealant pills from GM - the most important step to insuring long life to the 4.X engines. Then change the oil and filter - followed by a second oil change in another 500 miles or so.

Regarding the 'leaning' rear wheel - is your self-leveling suspension working? It should kick on a small compressor about 20 seconds after starting the car and light a 'Car is Leveling' indicator on the dash. You might have a blown bag on one of the air shocks. That can be expensive, but Monroe makes a replacement rear strut (Sensa-trac?) that eliminates the self-leveling feature, and costs considerably less.

Sealant pills?

I was thinking about doing away with the self-leveling feature, as it seems to run more often than not, probably why the battery went by-by. So the rear struts are Monroe's and are called Sensa-Trac? What about the front?

I was planning to replace the following without even thinking: all hoses, wires/plugs, filter/oil, trans fluid, fix leaks, tires, etc... any other ideas or things that I should be aware of? I want to get it in tip-top running condition to pass the emissions test here in TX and after that start on the suspension.

Any thoughts?

Sealant pills?

I was thinking about doing away with the self-leveling feature, as it seems to run more often than not, probably why the battery went by-by. So the rear struts are Monroe's and are called Sensa-Trac? What about the front?

I was planning to replace the following without even thinking: all hoses, wires/plugs, filter/oil, trans fluid, fix leaks, tires, etc... any other ideas or things that I should be aware of? I want to get it in tip-top running condition to pass the emissions test here in TX and after that start on the suspension.

Any thoughts?


Check your owners manual or the sticker under the hood for the coolant drain and flush procedure. It's easy to do, but follow it carefully. Use distilled water to flush the engine, no chemical products! Secure the drained coolant - it's highlly toxic to pets and kids!

The GM Sealant pills are available at any GM dealer for about 6 bucks. They come in a blister pack of six tablets, each about the size of a 3/4 inch socket. Crush them in the blister pack and pour the powder in the rad before adding the coolant. As an alternative you can use Bars Leak Gold Seal powder (same stuff as the GM tabs) - comes in two tubes and is available at Walmart. Don't use any other Bars Leak products. The reason you need it is that the 4100 has a aluminum block and iron heads, which expand and contract at different rates, causing loss of seal in the intake and head gaskets. The sealer fills the gaps and prevents coolant from mixing with the oil.

I think the struts are called Sensa-trac by Monroe. The self leveling feature only affects the rear. The front struts are standard stuff.

If you don't pass inspection, the most likely culprit will be the EGR valve. There are lots of posts here about repairing them,

You might want to continue this post in one of the technical sections where the real experts hang out.

General car info - FWD Deville section
Specific engine info - HT-4.1., 4.5, 4.9 section