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Waterpmp AGAIN!

8K views 36 replies 8 participants last post by  Ralph 
#1 ·
k so 11 months ago I had to get a new waterpump, leaking, no big deal and $629, and 3 months after again it started leaking. GM tech guy also replaced the seal on the plate behind the waterpump and again another new waterpump, covered under warrenty. Now it's leaking again and I am having only GM parts installed at the Cadillac dealership! Getting more than a little fed up and was wondering where these things are made already! China?! My warrenty better cover this tomorrow because we're talking about probably near $700 now because of bad parts

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Ralph said:
k so 11 months ago I had to get a new waterpump, leaking, no big deal and $629, and 3 months after again it started leaking. GM tech guy also replaced the seal on the plate behind the waterpump and again another new waterpump, covered under warrenty. Now it's leaking again and I am having only GM parts installed at the Cadillac dealership! Getting more than a little fed up and was wondering where these things are made already! China?! My warrenty better cover this tomorrow because we're talking about probably near $700 now because of bad parts
oh and car is a 1991 Fleetwood 4.9 with only 74k and I drive 5 K per year
 
#5 ·
VEGASELDO91 said:
Ouch!! I'm glad I can do my own water pump, it's actually become quite easy over time! I've done it when I had my 88 Eldorado, my 91 Eldorado, and my current 95 Deville! Lots of little nuts and bolts but not too difficult! Sorry to hear it's your head gasket Ralph!!
thanks dude

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HUF said:
Get a second opinion. Headgaskets rarely fail on 4.9 engines. As for water pumps, as soon as you replace the original pump, you keep replacing them again and again. AC Delco waterpumps are made in China.
thanks. Well it was at rhe Cadillac dealership and I snuck back to the shop area ( they don't like that) and talked to the mechanic and he showed me how he tested the coolant and there are Hydrocarbons, or something in the coolant, indicating a blown gasket. He said the head gaskets are made of tin. So what is happening is there is some excess pressure in my cooling system while it slowly gets contaminated with these hydrocarbons, or whatever. The leaking was caused by the rad cap bleeding some off he said. I just went down to look at everything and the upper hose was sucked flat (maybe from the pressure test) and the coolant level was about 5 inches low. When I opened the rad cap to top it off, there was a whoosh of air and the hose took it's normal shape again. He said I could drive it but if it ever starts knocking then the engine has probably already seised up. Parts will arrive in 2 days or so. fun fun
 
#10 ·
Caddy dealership called, ran into a snag, won't be ready until Monday. The kit was supposed to have 2 intake gaskets (I think he said) so that will come in seperately and there is another rubber piece they don't make anymore because the car is so old, a rubber elbow, some kind of gasket for the valves he said. But the good news is it won't be over the price they quoted in the estimate!
 
#13 ·
ok so everyday the upper rad hose is a little sucked in on itself, I release the rad cap, it springs back to shape and the rad level is always a few inches low! Also the coolant reservoir level is on FULL and never goes up or down! I wonder if the guy plugged it for all the work and forgot to reconnect it. Found 2 more bolts the mechanic didn't put back and one is to hold the rear fuel rail from moving!
 
#14 ·
Make sure the hose from reservoir to the radiator neck is not plugged. You might want to replace rad cap, they go bad. Broken exhaust bolts will create exhaust leak. You can hear it. That leak can affect oxygen sensor input as well. Not a good mechanic , I guess.
 
#15 ·
HUF said:
Make sure the hose from reservoir to the radiator neck is not plugged. You might want to replace rad cap, they go bad. Broken exhaust bolts will create exhaust leak. You can hear it. That leak can affect oxygen sensor input as well. Not a good mechanic , I guess.
guess what. Today I lifted up the reservoir and the hose was twisted! As soon as it untwisted the level increased and I heard another whoosh of air! I hope this takes care of the air in the system but I called yesterday and they said I can expect air for about a week or so. It's a new rad cap. Also they supposedly changed to all new exhaust bolts as they were part of the kit I had to buy
 
#17 ·
^+1
How the hell did it get twisted? As for a week long waiting for air getting out of the system, it is a total BS. That's why I like 4.9 cooling system - it will clear itself off all air pockets in one-wto heating-cooling cycles. Just watch the reservoir and add some coolant as needed. By the way, Bar's Leaks Golden seal (brown) powder is a must for 4.9 engine. You can get a tube of it from Wal-Mart and pour it right into radiator neck when the system is cold. Do not put it into the reservoir.
 
#18 ·
HUF said:
^+1
How the hell did it get twisted? As for a week long waiting for air getting out of the system, it is a total BS. That's why I like 4.9 cooling system - it will clear itself off all air pockets in one-wto heating-cooling cycles. Just watch the reservoir and add some coolant as needed. By the way, Bar's Leaks Golden seal (brown) powder is a must for 4.9 engine. You can get a tube of it from Wal-Mart and pour it right into radiator neck when the system is cold. Do not put it into the reservoir.
When the mechanic put the reservoir tank back he was careless, so I took the reservoir off again and untwisted it myself. Problem solved.
 
#20 ·
ok went back to the Caddy dealership and they installed the hose they had to orer, it was just part of the pcv elbow or something BUT I drove in with the engine smoking again! (it has been for over a week and I thought it was just spilled oil on the engine burning off) and it turns out it could be the valve cover now, after they just did it! Apparently " the gasket shifted" upon installation and the mechanic said "it is a bad design ." Man I've just about had it
 
#21 ·
Sounds like they're doing sloppy work. I'd tell them you want a loaner and leave the car with them until they get it all sorted out. Sometimes you need to go back for something very small after a repair like that, but really they problems you are having they shouldn't have told you the car was done until they knew it was.
We just had the transmission in my 94 Deville rebuilt last year. It was less then your repair cost and haven't had to go back since we picked it up.
 
#22 ·
brougham said:
Sounds like they're doing sloppy work. I'd tell them you want a loaner and leave the car with them until they get it all sorted out. Sometimes you need to go back for something very small after a repair like that, but really they problems you are having they shouldn't have told you the car was done until they knew it was.
We just had the transmission in my 94 Deville rebuilt last year. It was less then your repair cost and haven't had to go back since we picked it up.
believe me I'm more than a little upset! They have to fix it and it will be covered. I'm just sick of the little ****ups, or so it seems. Also they asked if I was going on the highway and I said not yet, and advised I shouldn't because it could light up. And I am really sick of going back and forth. I expect more from Cadillac service. They can give me the new beigh ATS in the showroom and I might even forgive them :)
 
#24 ·
cadillac_al said:
Too bad they didn't have some older guys there that have worked on these cars before. It sounds like this mechanic is working on a 4.9 for the first time. Practice makes perfect; he will probably get the hang of these vc gaskets after he does it again.
yeah exactly! They are working on it right now and indeed it was the firewall side valve cover and it was smoking and stunk pretty good as I drove it to the dealership this morning. Should be done in a few hours. Hopefully NO LEAKS
 
#28 ·
Make sure you get all that stuff off well, it can be corrosive on some of that stuff and the engine. Go back and complain if it makes more of a mess. I would have expected to them to clean that shit off for you and for after all they've put you thru I would have actually demanded that they detail everything to make up for it.
 
#29 ·
brougham said:
Make sure you get all that stuff off well, it can be corrosive on some of that stuff and the engine. Go back and complain if it makes more of a mess. I would have expected to them to clean that shit off for you and for after all they've put you thru I would have actually demanded that they detail everything to make up for it.
oh great, MORE good news. You know I'm just so sick of going there and having to check under the hood twice a day it's insane. I heard so many things about Dealerships the last week. Forexample that they don't care about older cars because they make more $ on newer car repairs under warrenty, so they get the "lesser" mechanics to work on the vintage stuff like mine.
 
#30 ·
brougham said:
Make sure you get all that stuff off well, it can be corrosive on some of that stuff and the engine. Go back and complain if it makes more of a mess. I would have expected to them to clean that shit off for you and for after all they've put you thru I would have actually demanded that they detail everything to make up for it.
took your advice today and called the dealership. They let me have one of their carwash bays and I flushed the engine and underneath also. Going to TRY to use photobucket and post some pics of the fire damage, if I can.

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http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/...F3-9C4E-E16AA08C8C7B-665-000001186CA5AE92.jpg

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Ralph said:
took your advice today and called the dealership. They let me have one of their carwash bays and I flushed the engine and underneath also. Going to TRY to use photobucket and post some pics of the fire damage, if I can.

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[/IMG]

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http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac101/ralph1239/4DAA079F-F8B2-4DF3-9C4E-E16AA08C8C7B-665-000001186CA5AE92.jpg

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http://s890.photobucket.com/albums/...E5-BBBA-B8FBA5CD8E2E-504-0000007CA09D0622.jpg

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#32 ·
BigCadMan_1 said:
so it's the URL one? And I assume just posting it directly? K thanks.

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more good news! The valve cover smoked again and smelled of burnt oil. Took 2 days just like the last time! The mechanic is off work recovering from his burns until Tuesday and if it smokes again I'll have to go back!
 
#35 ·
As nice as these Cadillac's are you have to have deep pockets or know how to fix old cars yourself if you want to keep them on the road full time. I'm sorry your having such a hard time with your dealer, if it was me by the thrid time I was back for the samething they would have to call the cops because I surely would have lost my $-hit by then!!

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so it's the URL one? And I assume just posting it directly? K thanks.
Yup, just like this:

 
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