OMG am I upset at the mechanic who replaced my engine and transmission!

Brief backstory is that I supplied all the parts including Jasper engine and transmission to revamp my lovely 86 Deville Touring with 50,000 miles. This place was listed on the Jasper site as a "Preferred Installer" and my dad sort of knew the guy.

So...I go to pick up the car after paying $2,300 labor for engine/transmission/fuel tank/starter. I pull out of the parking lot and realize that in order to drive in a straight line the steering wheel has to be cocked QUITE A BIT to the side (like if the top of the steering wheel was 12 on a clock then the top was actually facing about 10!). The transmission is shifting SO BAD and very late and clunking in/out. I have no acceleration and I get a whine when I am on a hill trying to go from a stop. The engine runs really rough and stumbles and dies if I give it gas and then let off. It sounds like a rattle cage in the engine compartment and OMG it was 500 times better with the OLD stuff! It has already chewed down the side of the belt in 15 miles and I have a loud clicking/tapping coming from the engine compartment!!!!

I am most worried about the suspension issues. The car now leans to the left. My level control light no longer comes on and isn't working. My right front tire is cocked outward and it drives like a worn out piece of junk!

Keep in mind we have had this car since new and I KNOW what its supposed to drive like, look like, feel like, sound like. Its all outta whack and they are acting like bastards saying they didn't do anything to my wheels or steering!

Mind you I asked for the CV boots to be changed and the parts are still in my trunk...he said "something was wrong" and the couldn't do it. Huh? Um. OK. The said that it will start to shift better after it gets some miles on it...um...this thing is kicking in/out of gear so bad that it'll be worn out if I can't get this taken care of.

I know NOTHING about suspesnsion/steering/mechanicals at all but I know it is not right. Anybody have any advice for when I go talk to these people about what's going on?? :helpless:

This car has been garaged its whole life and babied and is in super good condition...I know when I dropped it off that everything worked with the ride control (NEVER had even a hint of a problem) and the steering wheel wasn't severely cocked to the side. They are trying to give me the whole "well sir your car *IS* 20 years old" bull sh*t.

Oh and it spewed power steering fluid all over the place because they filled it to the BRIM literally...I siphoned out so much fluid I could probably filled another unit with what came out! Would that have done any damage (extra)?

I REALLY APPRECIATE ANY HELP, GUYS! PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!! I don't want to go in and not have a clue what to tell them is wrong since they obviously don't know.

And they knew that I was planning to leave to drive back to New York next week ha ha ha and wished me safe travels...:devil:

And I have had to jump it every time to start since I left the shop...my 5 month old battery must be SHOT! Could they have done anything that would have made my battery fry like that after just 5 months??!! I think they told me I had to replace the starter and charged me $220 for that when I think now it was battery damage...argh...sorry this is long but I just need some advice and want all the facts out there...

Wow umm here's my immediate take on this. Don't take any crap. Hold them completely responsible for everything. A brand new engine and trans should work correctly. You should have turned around at the first sign of trouble and gone back.

And definitely don't take that crap about the car being 20 years old. I had a dealer give me that shit one time and I filed a complaint with the Better Business bureau and Consumer Protection Board. The dealer changed there tune pretty quickly after that.

If you brought a perfectly good car in to have an engine and trans replace then you should get a perfectly good car with a new engine and trans back. Give them a chance, document EVERYTHING if they don't make good take them to court.

I would also make it very clear to the supplier the kind of trouble you're having and ask them for help. Most importantly document EVERYTHING.

Thanks for the advice...please keep it comin' guys! I just graduated law school so I have zero problems getting an attorney and heading to court...documentation is my business (going to take some digital pics right now).

Yeah the reason I didn't turn right around is that I live only 5 miles away AND I wanted to make sure that I took it to the other shop that the guy owns...not the run-down shop in the shady part of town I had just come from. The shady location with the shady mechanics obviously can't get the job done properly since they said it was ready 2 days ago and I went and it wouldn't even start. They had the car for 2 weeks, too! I knew that once it was in MY garage then I could really go over it with a fine tooth comb even though I don't always know what I'm looking at...I can at least tell what is TOTALLY out of place.

I did immediately call them within 10 minutes of leaving, though...as soon as I got home...as well as calling the owner of the 2 shops who is away until Monday. The manager at the "bad" location was a dick but the manager at the "good" location said to bring it in and they would take a look.

BUT...
Does anyone know what could have happened to cause such a problem with my steering and suspension? Left front tire seems pretty much okay, but the right front sticks out from the side of the car and is also cocked outward as if the wheels were slightly turned to the right on that side (but left tire is straight). Also the whole car leans to the left. Grrr!

The reason I chose this shop is because my father owns a building that he rents to an emission station. When he was down there one day, he saw a pristine 86 Deville like mine. The guy who took it in for the inspection was a mechanic who said he just put in a Jasper engine in the car and it was purring like a kitten. So my dad immediately called me and said he had finally come across someone who might actually be able to do a proper installation of the finicky HT4100. However, the owner sent my car to the shady shop saying that was where his "engine specialists" were. Ha ha.

Please keep the responses coming, guys...I would also love to know if there was anything they could have screwed up that would have killed by 5 month old battery...

OH maybe this will help - I forgot to mention that they said I had to have new left and right stabilizer bar bushings. Charged me $160 for that. Maybe they noticed it when they were putting in the new fuel tank? Could that have done something to make my car lean and ride all wacky?

My car is a Touring Sedan (first year they made 'em) and I know it has different suspension and bigger stabilizer bar, etc. Could using regular Deville parts have caused this?

duplicate (sorry)

Why did you replace the engine and tranny to start with? If it was babied and had only 50,000 miles, what was wrong with the drivetrain?

That aside, this mechanic is an obvious joke. As Code has replied, document everything!! Any new engine will be tight for the first hundred or so miles. It will not have much power in the beginning. It sounds like they just threw it together as fast as possible. Take it back to the 'better' repair shop, let the head mechanic drive it and DEMAND that it is done right. Take no shit from them. If thery have the right tools, it is not hard to do a engine/tranny swap. It is more time consuming. They are trying to hose you OR they have no clue how to do anything but change oil...and I would wonder about that. Good luck.

V.

Hello, give them a chance to repair your vehicle and at the same time remind them that you will call the Department of Motor Vehicles, Div of Vehicle Safety in Albany if this matter is not properly taken care of. The DMV will investigate your complaint. Also the repair shop is responsible for its venders and or sub contractors. I will find the phone number if you need it. Good luck Henry

This car sat undriven for 10 years in my grandfather's garage and that took its toll on the car even though it looked new (still had factory plastic attached to the carpet in back seat). We never knew to use coolant tabs until after I blew gaskets 3 times and almost fried the engine 3 times from overheating because we had mechanics who weren't aware they were required. I had all the typical HT4100 issues due to improper maintaining of the cooling system. Now I know better and will never listen to any mechanic who says otherwise. The transmission had deteriorated from sitting and made awful noises and was getting worse and I just wanted to start fresh again instead of continuing to increase my reputation with the local towing companies. Because I am taking the car 1,000 miles away and plan to put 15,000 miles a year on it...well...it made more sense to replace it with a 3 yr warranty engine/transmission than to keep patching and praying. I don't like patching and praying when it comes to my cross-country transportation. Plus I got the engine and transmission wholesale, supplied all the parts wholesale and got a discounted labor rate. When I say babied I mean that everything on the car looks new and works properly such as level ride, a/c, suspension, etc. and is not worn out like your average 21 year old car. It has never been flying over curbs or speed bumps or been in an accident. Plus I had the money so why not start new rather than risk continuing problems. Going through HT4100 hell will wear down your patience - THANKFULLY I eventually found this site so that I could learn more about it myself and prevent these problems.

UPDATE
I took it back today and the "other" shop was very apologetic at the way their satellite location treated me and handled the job. They are going to fix everything, so they say. I haven't heard anything back yet, but they were pulling the car into the shop when I left it this morning.

Oh and this is all happening in Atlanta, GA (even though you see that I live in Forest Hills) because GA is where my family and I are from.

Thanks for the advice so far...I had to do very little arguing today which surprised me based upon yesterday's fiasco. When I handed the manager the list of problems, I made sure to have the legal paperwork sitting in my folder where she could see it. I went ahead and wrote up the paperwork for a small claims court suit just so no time would be wasted if they decided not to be helpful ha ha ha.

Good deal. I hope everything works out for you. :thumbsup:

Be advised that the cooling system supplement (sealant tabs) do not prevent head gasket failure. They just seal porous aluminum castings and minor gasket (not head gasket) seepage. Proper cooling system maintenance (coolant changes) is what prevents head gasket failures.

That's great that you have backing and experience in the field of law. I wish I did. The only thing I can think of is they took apart the steering, tie rods, or something and didn't get it right when they put it back?

Definitely give them a chance to make it right but also be firm in letting them no you not going to accept any thing other than correct.

UPDATE:
Well its been a week since I first picked up the car and a week (tomorrow) since I took it to the "better location" and they are STILLLLL trying to get everything right. Supposed to be ready tomorrow...ha ha. That's been the story every day.

So the latest screw-up they found is that the exhaust manifolds were cracked and warped when the other guys took them off or put them on or something. And they were using the wrong gasket. They said thats why the car sounded so bad. SoOoOo to my shock and dismay they said they had to PATCH and WELD my exhaust manifolds!!! Keep in mind this car has zero rust, the engine compartment looked brand new and has never had any reason for anything to go wrong with the exhaust manifolds.

Should I DEMAND they totally replace the manifolds (are they even AVAILABLE anymore) instead of PATCH and WELD? The guy said they were also quite warped and he would straighten it out...ummmmm...that kind of thing just doesn't happen on its own does it?? With 50,000 miles? Or am I probably gonna be okay with the patch and weld scenario? I don't know much of anything about engines to be honest. So I don't know how big of a problem this patching and welding could pose in future years...

Thanks for the input eveyone...

Argh! I am so crazy over this mess...

The warped manifold sounds like BS, but he's gonna do you a favor for free and straighten it out for you. Ask him how it got warped and exactly how he is going to straighten out warped cast iron. Keep asking for details til you understand it. I suspect he'll start stammering. It is possible to weld cast iron (If you know how), but I am not sure I'd trust these guys.

That's wierd, usually the service department's #1 concern is customer satisfaction. If they won't do anything about it, go to the BBB, they'll take care of it, and quick. I work in a dealer and I've seen complaints filed against us from the BBB, and believe me, they get taken care of promptly and perfectly.


EDIT: Oh wait, after reading thru all the thread, I see they're back fixing your car again. I'm not sure how it works in the aftermarket business, but if they give you a survey on their work, also known as a CSI (customer satisfaction indicator I believe), give them very negative ratings, that CSI affects what they make off of upsells and what percentage of the profit they get to take home.

I might buy the shop's explanation of the warped manifolds. The manifolds could have been warped due to the first shop installing them incorrectly and using the wrong exhaust manifold gaskets---your manifold did not make a good seal allowing exhaust leaks and irregular hot spots form along the manifold sealing edges thereby deforming it.

Welding it back to straight sounds a little suspect:nono:. I would rather have a used set in decent condition only as a last resort personally. If the "good shop" the vehicle is in now is worth it's weight in salt, they should not have too much of a problem locating you another set.

I LUV CADDYS has a point when it comes to customer satisfaction. They should be doing EVERYTHING in their power to rectify your situation. If any more problems should arise, I also would not hesitate to contact Jasper Engines as well. I would bet they would not like the idea of knowing that someone was dissatisfied with one of their engines/tranny because of an incompetent shop that THEY endorsed.

If any more problems should arise, I also would not hesitate to contact Jasper Engines as well. I would bet they would not like the idea of knowing that someone was dissatisfied with one of their engines/tranny because of an incompetent shop that THEY endorsed.

Good point, Jasper will give them hell for this.

Oh BTW, the name's Chad. :)

UPDATE:
So I go to pick it up today at 3 like they said...[actually LAST Friday they said it would be ready this past Monday]...waited til 5 because they weren't quite done putting the exhaust together. The guy test drove it and came back to say that it was stalling out and the Service Now light is on. I stepped into the shop and pulled the codes (they didn't know about the in-dash diagnostics). E34 was the code. They are stumped and at this point I have been without the car for a month! Oh so aggravating!! Thankfully they are admitting their mistakes and have made it clear that they will fix it - but its taking SO LONGGGGG!!

The shop is being SUPER NICE to me and I am trying to be helpful and polite (but firm). Everything else on the car looks like its put back together properly and the engine sounds nice like my old one did...but I haven't gotten to drive it yet.

This afternoon they put in a new O2 sensor because it still had the original one from 1986 (no charge) - would that affect the code? Any advice that I can tell this mechanic about how to find out what's wrong? It idles just fine for as long as you want it to - BUT if you rev the engine and let off then it just sputters and dies.

Just want my good ol Touring Sedan back on the road...so that's what's happening at this point.

P034 (E034) ......................................... MAP Sensor Signal Out of Range

MAP? Manifold Air Pressure?

Yup.

So does that possibly mean that a part needs to be replaced or is it more likely to be an adjustment type of thing? Like I said...bear with me guys...I am a dummy when it comes to engines!!

I drove the car briefly when I picked it up the first time 10 days ago and no codes and no SES or SEN light was on. I also know that it idled for a long time in their shop before I drove it away and no light was on. Actually in the entire 50,000 mile life of this car I have never had a SEN or SES light come on. So whatever the problem is - it is something relating to how they put the car back together. That's my guess.

If no parts have to be ordered and replaced then maybe it won't take more than half a day to resolve?? *fingers crossed*

I appreciate the help and support as I go through this drama...

Not sure, but replacing the MAP sensor would be my guess. See what some of the Techs here have to say before changing it.

I saw the part runs around $55 if it is the MAP sensor needing replacement. Should I press that THEY pay for it since this happened during the course of the repairs and re-repairs they performed on the engine swap? Or are they gonna say this could have happened anyways (which it very well could have)? I don't know enough about engines to know if the MAP sensor could have been damaged somehow by them during the botched engine installation the first time around last week or even during the second take at doing it.

If they replace it, is there any brand that I should tell them to stay away from? It's an AC Delco shop (branded with their name everywhere, Delco uniforms, on the Delco website) so my bet is they would order Delco...but they may be looking to cut corners (given my experience thus far).

I'd insist on an A/C Delco sensor. Not sure if they could have damaged it or not.

UPDATE:
Picked the car up yesterday and it runs great...except I had to adjust the throttle cable myself since they couldn't seem to understand how to do it even with the factory manual. Plus they said it didn't need to be done and that new transmissions ALWAYS shift rough...to just drive it a thousand miles or so...ummm...I didn't believe that! It was clunking into gears and clunking when coasting to a stop...and was AWFUL...but now its fine after my adjustment. All it took was a few minutes but its irritating that I pay so much money and still have to deal with these things on my own.

They replaced the Idle Speed control (no charge because they damaged it somehow) and they told me that was what was causing the problems. I have driven 150 miles and no SES or SEN light has come on again.

After putting the car up on a lift at another shop for further inspection, we went over the car thoroughly and found missing bolts and work that was never performed...as in old part still there (stabilizer bushings, motor and transmission mounts, some hoses). They also hadn't tightened some hoses and they were leaking...lost at least a quart of coolant over the course of 2 miles from the shop.

All in all the engine runs great and the transmission is great, but there are still details to be worked out which means BACK to the shop AGAIN. They still can't figure out what they did to my level ride system...they said they fixed it...but the green light never comes on anymore (even when I do the test for it as I read in this forum) and the car is sagging in the back slightly. They cracked the top area of the radiator cover and so the plastic area that holds the screw is totally cracked off and gone. The shop I took it to after I picked it up (family friend) said it was a dirty, sloppy job and that I paid for work that was never done...argh...when is this gonna end!!!!???? Its been over a month since I left them with the car at this point...and I get it back STILL with issues.

So that's the update - can't WAIT to tell you guys that its all over and the car is back to the condition it was in when I took it to the shop!!

Wow, what an ordeal! I wish you good luck in continuing to get your caddy back to normal. I would still probably contact Jasper and give them the details of your engine transplant experience. I understand that you are probably at the point where you would settle for a driveable car. I would not stop until I had ABSOLUTE customer satisfaction.

I think it goes without saying but, "Don't fix it if it ain't broke."

Thats my philosophy. Seems anytime I fix something on my Deville I open a can of worms.

NOT GOOD - UPDATE:
WELLLLLLLL - I broke down after driving 200 miles on the new engine/transmission in the middle of rural Georgia after leaving Atlanta. The mechanic down there is really nice and seems very knowledgeable - he said that excessive heat in the engine compartment essentially fried parts inside my distributor...he thought the car must have overheated on me (but it didn't). The code was E12 (no distributor signal) and the car just cut off on me at 60mph!! So I am having the distributor replaced, but am hoping to be able to get the shop that caused all this mess to pay for it. If it was a fine part when they put it on last week and then it fries from overheating then I think that can be connected to their bad work. They had the exhaust all screwed up and that caused excessive heat which warped and cracked my exhaust manifolds. They welded and planed them and said that would fix the issue. But the heat damage had already been done at that point...is my belief. The mechanic where the car is broken down said that he had never seen one fry like that unless it was exposed to excessive heat over a period of a few days so as to melt the wires...or to have a major overheating disaster (which is not the case here). Anybody have any suggestions on how I can prove that their exhaust/heat issue caused the wiring and plastic parts to melt? I also read that improper installation of the distriutor and lack of proper grounding can cause high voltage arcing that can melt these parts...that article said that it usually happens within a few days of an improper installation...hmmmm...a few days, eh? Sounds about right to me!!

I called the shop manager and told her that I was broken down about 140 miles away and did she want me to have it towed to her or get it fixed - she said get it fixed and if I can prove its their fault then they will reimburse me. She was being nice about it but she doen't want to believe that their shoddy workmanship has caused this issue. I mean...what ELSE might they have fried with this high heat. They fried the ISC motor from the heat and they replaced that for free last week...but they didn't exactly admit that it was the heat that killed it. You guys think its possible that excessive heat from driving and LENGTHY idling under compromised exhaust conditions could have also contributed to the premature death of my ISC motor?

Oy! When will it end??!!

I had to borrow a car to get 2.5 hrs back to Atlanta - then get the part (the closest part was 65 miles away and it was not a brand I wanted him to use) - drive 2.5 hrs back down there today to drop off the part - then back to Atlanta - now I have to drive back down on Tuesday and pick up the car and drive back to Atlanta to take it to the original shop in order to work out getting reimbursed as well as fixing some other small issues (ie level ride not working)...burning up so much gas and time over this...wish me luck!

Oh and we originally thought it was just the pick-up coil but when the guy got the distributor off he said that the damage was INSANE and that I really needed to replace the whole distributor...he has saved the part for me and said that I won't BELIEVE how bad it looks!!

Now...the shop replaced my distributor cap and rotor and distributor drive gear when they put the new engine in...wouldn't they have noticed if my wires were shot at that point in time??!! I seriously doubt that my distributor with less than 50,000 miles would fry that badly on its own...if it was in bad shape I would think they would see it and tell me in order to sell me a new one!! Its to their advantage to catch these things. Which is why I think it was just fine and that they put it in without grounding it AND/OR the heat problem caused it.

Are you still giving money to the shop that keeps ****ing up? If so, why? Why not just take it somewhere else? I feel for you, but at the same time, you're really not doing yourself any favors by taking it back to them repeatedly..

Well...if I take it somewhere else then I will have to pay whereas if I take it back to the place that screwed it up then I don't have to pay since their mistakes have caused the problems. They are not charging me anything of course. After picking it up the first time (as you can read way back at the beginning) I have never taken it back to the same mechanic or shop. I took it back to their other location with different mechanics who are supposedly more competent and have indeed fixed most of the problems so far. I have already paid for the job to be done once. I see what you are saying but after spending thousands of dollars I feel that the shop should either fix the car or refund my money...not me shelling out more money to correct someone else's mistakes and have to go to court to get reimbursed (hopefully).

Just today actually, I took the car back to the shop because of some leaks and my level ride STILL not working. They obviously don't have it connected back properly. They were very nice (as they should be) and have fired the crackhead mechanic who screwed up my car and are reimbursing me for the failed distributor and the misdiagnosed starter the crackhead mechanic changed when it was fine. I am just trying to get the car fixed without having to spend more money because everything that has happened is directly their fault (and they freely admit it now).

Obviously I will never go to this shop again once my car is in proper shape!! But if I end up having to take them to court over this, then it is to my advantage that I allowed them ample opportunity to correct their mistakes. I work in the court system in small claims division and see cases like this all the time and I see how they play out.

I did go to another shop and ask them what they thought I should do and they said they wouldn't work on it because they don't want to get blamed for any problems that spring up in the future because of a poor initial install. So it seems a little hard at this point to do anything but go back to the shop owner and demand it be fixed. I told him this afternoon that this will be his LAST opportunity to get it right. He seems determined to make it right, so they have their final chance before I take them to court. I live 1,000 miles away from where I am right now so if I take them to court then I would have to take off work and travel for it. So it doesn't make money sense for me to take it somewhere else, pay, and then wait for court to get a judgment for them to reimburse me.

*sigh* Thanks to all for reading and responding to this thread...hopefully in the next few days I can update with positive news.

Oh and they are giving me BACK money - I haven't paid them a dime since I initially paid $2,300 in labor when I picked up the car the first time.

I did have to pay a shop in rural Georgia to replace my distributor because I broke down 150 miles away from the shop that did the work...maybe that's why the previous poster thought I was still paying money to the shop. NO NO NO I would not pay them a DIME. I should be getting reimbursed $285 for the distrbutor job, $220 for the starter job that I didn't need and $160 for stabilizer bar bushings that were not done. And then everything on the car fixed and working...that's the deal as I left it with the shop today.

Just wanted to take care of any confusion if anyone thought I was actually still giving any money to these people.

This all sucks. I ran into the same situation before I just got interested in working on the cars myself. I'm not suggesting that you do that, but i would heed the advice of all the others here who have posted...

CALL JASPER ENGINES.

If this is a Jasper endorsed garage, then they should be competent enough to install an engine and transmission in this car. In fact, doing both is somewhat easier than installing either piece individually.

These cars are not *THAT* complicated to work on. I had a 93 Deville.. which was just about the same car. Not identical, but close. It was great to work on.

I dont know where you'd get with it, but if it does come to taking them to court (they obviously cannot work on cadillacs) Get your money, and get this car to a Dealer. Chances are there is SOMEONE at the dealer who is old enough to have worked on these cars new. Also remember that old people often drive these cars and continue to take them to a dealer when they are 20 years old. A dealer service department should almost definately be able to tell you what's wrong, and fix it, for probably more than you want to spend.

I would take it to a dealer just for diagnostics and an estimate at your cost. If nothing else, you can make the creeps who ruined your car pay for that, and give them a list of whats ACTUALLY wrong.

just my 2 cents.

Aaron

Called every Cadillac dealer in the metro Atlanta area where I am and they all laughed me off immediately when I said I wanted to make an appointment for my 86 Deville to be serviced. They all referred me to the same independent Cadillac repair shop and even that guy told me he doesn't work on anything "that old". Most places said they work on 10 model years back and thats it. Hmmm. There are planty of random places that will work on the car but none of them specialize in Cadillacs and I need someone who understands and has dealt with Cadillac problems...such as getting my level ride up to par again.

Well anyway it seems that *most* of my issues have been resolved and I really don't want to have to go to court over this. My level ride is finally connected and "working"...they essentially figured out how to properly bolt it in and hook up the wires after 3 attempts...but runs every minute or so if I have anyone in the car with me or even groceries in the trunk. With just me driving it does the normal deal of coming on once when you start the car. So I am back to square one to find out what else is wrong with it. It was working perfectly when I took my car in for all this work. In fact I know it was fine because the day before I had passengers in the rear of the car as well as 2 big suitcases and the "car is leveling" light did not come on except when I started the car. I want to keep the system working as it was designed...don't want to replace with regular shocks.

Also, my digital dash is reading 0, 1, 2, 3 (alternating) when I am sitting still. It is mostly on 0 but will occasionally register between 1-2 or bump up to 4 when I start the car. This never happened before. Any info on whether or not these crackhead mechanics could have damaged something such as a sensor...or is this nothing to worry about...???

I have now put 1,000 miles on the car and the engine and transmission seem to be okay at this point. Its just these little details that are still an issue...

Spray down the shock boots, all the air lines and connections with soapy water and look for a leak. If there is a leak it will foam like a mad dog.

I found a local independent Caddy repair shop that checked out the shocks and said they needed to be replaced and that was the problem. They quoted $600 parts and labor for Delco brand air shocks that work with the factory level control as it was designed. They said the shocks themselves were leaking...I guess at 21 years of service that seems like a likely answer.

Thanks!

Also, my digital dash is reading 0, 1, 2, 3 (alternating) when I am sitting still. It is mostly on 0 but will occasionally register between 1-2 or bump up to 4 when I start the car. This never happened before. Any info on whether or not these crackhead mechanics could have damaged something such as a sensor...or is this nothing to worry about...???


Interesting... Something like a high tension lead (spark plug wire) too close to the harness that has the speed sensor wires in it could cause something like that among other things. Something isnt where it should be.

What did the dist. look like?

i may have missed something while scanning,

is the suspension leveling light coming on now? you need to check the fuse and relay. they may have pulled the fuse saying they fixed it

I have both the body and shop manual GM for the 1986 if you need it.

You might have to sue the hell out of them....

I have both the manuals, as well. Thanks for the offer. Right now the car is at an independent Caddy shop called Cadillac Care (aka Randy's Automotive) in Marietta, GA. I am just going to pay whetever it takes to get my car running properly and then sue the first garage for damages. The things that bothers me is that who KNOWS what else was stressed or damaged in this fiasco that won't show up for a while.

They are replacing my shocks since they are apparently where the leak is happening in the system. $600 parts and labor and it will keep the level ride system intact.

OMG am I upset at the mechanic who replaced my engine and transmission!

Brief backstory is that I supplied all the parts including Jasper engine and transmission to revamp my lovely 86 Deville Touring with 50,000 miles. This place was listed on the Jasper site as a "Preferred Installer" and my dad sort of knew the guy.

So...I go to pick up the car after paying $2,300 labor for engine/transmission/fuel tank/starter. I pull out of the parking lot and realize that in order to drive in a straight line the steering wheel has to be cocked QUITE A BIT to the side (like if the top of the steering wheel was 12 on a clock then the top was actually facing about 10!). The transmission is shifting SO BAD and very late and clunking in/out. I have no acceleration and I get a whine when I am on a hill trying to go from a stop. The engine runs really rough and stumbles and dies if I give it gas and then let off. It sounds like a rattle cage in the engine compartment and OMG it was 500 times better with the OLD stuff! It has already chewed down the side of the belt in 15 miles and I have a loud clicking/tapping coming from the engine compartment!!!!

I am most worried about the suspension issues. The car now leans to the left. My level control light no longer comes on and isn't working. My right front tire is cocked outward and it drives like a worn out piece of junk!

Keep in mind we have had this car since new and I KNOW what its supposed to drive like, look like, feel like, sound like. Its all outta whack and they are acting like bastards saying they didn't do anything to my wheels or steering!

Mind you I asked for the CV boots to be changed and the parts are still in my trunk...he said "something was wrong" and the couldn't do it. Huh? Um. OK. The said that it will start to shift better after it gets some miles on it...um...this thing is kicking in/out of gear so bad that it'll be worn out if I can't get this taken care of.

I know NOTHING about suspesnsion/steering/mechanicals at all but I know it is not right. Anybody have any advice for when I go talk to these people about what's going on?? :helpless:

This car has been garaged its whole life and babied and is in super good condition...I know when I dropped it off that everything worked with the ride control (NEVER had even a hint of a problem) and the steering wheel wasn't severely cocked to the side. They are trying to give me the whole "well sir your car *IS* 20 years old" bull sh*t.

Oh and it spewed power steering fluid all over the place because they filled it to the BRIM literally...I siphoned out so much fluid I could probably filled another unit with what came out! Would that have done any damage (extra)?

I REALLY APPRECIATE ANY HELP, GUYS! PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!! I don't want to go in and not have a clue what to tell them is wrong since they obviously don't know.

And they knew that I was planning to leave to drive back to New York next week ha ha ha and wished me safe travels...:devil:

And I have had to jump it every time to start since I left the shop...my 5 month old battery must be SHOT! Could they have done anything that would have made my battery fry like that after just 5 months??!! I think they told me I had to replace the starter and charged me $220 for that when I think now it was battery damage...argh...sorry this is long but I just need some advice and want all the facts out there...
First of all: did you pay with credit card or check? Card member agreements can do a temporary credit while they do a dispute investigation. IMO i would never use an empty threat like lawyer or better business bureau i have had several successes with having the cards and working phone numbers for several news vans and investigative reporters. The ones that shove cameras in shop owners faces and ask "is it true you are ripping off drivers who trust you with the vehicle they drive their children to school?" Nobody wants that kind of attention.

My advice is to sell it asap. Why would you pay to fix a Cadillac that old if you are not a mechanic and it is not your hobby? I don't think you will ever be able to stop repairing it. Do you realize how much you spent and how much it is worth now? How much is a 1986 worth 1500.00? in good runnuning condition. Report them to the BBB to help stop others from going there. Good Luck you will need it.