Hello, and a question for those more knowledgeable

[Pie]

Hi everyone

I've spent the past while reading these forums, especially the tech forums, and this seems like a really friendly place with a lot of experience and knowledge floating around.

That being said, I'm looking to buy myself a car. I used to have a 1986 BMW 735i, but it met an untimely demise on the side of a highway with a damaged head gasket, and a radiator that had been, for lack of a better word, detonated.

So I'm looking for a car that I can buy and drive for years to come, and will treat me nicely if I spend some time looking after it when it needs it.

I've seen alot of Cadillacs for sale lately, and really enjoy the way they look, and drive. I'm about 6'8, so it's nice to find a car that I fit in.

I'm specifically looking at 2000-04 Devilles and Sevilles. From what I've read, the Northstars that power them are solid engines, if prone to a few "problems", most notably a higher than average oil consumption, and I've also read a fair bit about cooling issues. One gentleman had written that the coolant systems of these engines were "assembled from flotsam and jetsam."

I guess I'm wondering what you guys all think of the 2000-05 caddies and engines, and if they're worth $6-12 000 that people list them for? What should I be weary about?

Thanks in advance for your time. I know that was a pretty long winded first post.

I throw myself at your mercy.

[submariner409]

HI !!!! Welcome..........

No if's, and's or but's: If you're dead set on a 1996 - 2004 FWD Northstar Cadillac, bring your credit card. No replacement/maintenance part, including oil and filters, is inexpensive. They run on 87 octane perfectly happily. Not all consume oil. My 2002 STS uses less than a quart of Pennzoil Platinum synthetic 5W-30 every 3,500 - 4,000 miles and returns over 20 mpg in combination town/rural driving and 25 on the Interstates.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the cooling systems. As in any other liquid-cooled engine, the system requires care and maintenance. The problems arise with the "Well I drove it 100,000 miles and never changed the coolant, it blew up, so it's no good" owner.

Now that you're scared to death......nice cars. A late 2002 - 3 STS, SLS, or DTS are great cars (the pinnacle of Northstar FWD development), given proper maintenance. You can drive the snot out of one - you have to keep up on the maintenance. Self-insure the car warranty - most aftermarket "extended warranties" are scams. Too much fine print.

Now comes the cop-out: Read as much as you can stomach in Seville, Deville, and Northstar Performance as well as Cadillac Technical Discussions and the entire Cadillac Technical Archive up in the black bar ^^^. To completely answer your question would take a post the size of a NYC telephone book.