'86 Fleetwood Brougham Questions

kvn · #1 (**permalink**) 10-05-03, 03:58 AM

Hi, I just joined up. I've been reading this forum since I started considering buying my old Cadillac. (I just bought an '86 Fleetwood, 72K miles on the clock, all records, blah blah blah.) Now that it's mine and I've had a week to get used to it, maybe if y'all have some time you can help me puzzle out some problems. I'll start with the "easy" stuff.

1. The headlight sentinel is dead dead dead. This seems like it's a pretty easy system, but I don't even know where to begin.

2. Opera lights don't function. Since these aren't technically "bulbs" how to replace them or fix them or whatever?

3. HOW THE HECK DO YOU REPLACE THE BULB IN THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT? I thought, oh hey, it's not working--should be easy? But I'm not seeing any screws to take the damn thing apart?

4. After the car gets good and warmed up, there is a LOT of unburned gas-smell permeating the cabin. A LOT. And by A LOT, I mean A LOT. I drove the car 20 miles today, and I've been smelling gasoline ever since.

5. The car is completely gutless. (I kinda figured it would be; I'm just glad they put a semi-real V8 instead of the 4100 in it.) But this seems to be beyond the scope of that. It hesitates and sputters (like it's going to stall) and shudders under heavy acceleration. I have to floor it just to climb overpasses and then--you know it--the gas smell gets worse. Do y'all think this is just related to the carburetor? Or...?

It's really a beautiful car. It's amazing how similar it is to my old old '62 Sedan DeVille. (Same mirror controls--although the new one is electric, same power seat controls, same guidematic "eye", although the new one has it in the grill and not sitting like some ray gun on the dash, etc.)

I'll post some pics if anyone's interested in a completely stock (and almost show-perfect) old Caddy.

FASSTWOOD · #2 (**permalink**) 10-05-03, 11:20 AM

It sounds like you have a bad accelarator pump in your carb. It's probably even more than that. you need to get it check out by someone who knows carbs. That's not one of the easiest carburators to work on.

brougham · #3 (**permalink**) 10-05-03, 04:14 PM

If the opera lights are anything like the ones Chrysler uses they die with age. The same thing probably goes for the light up crests that the 91-93 Fleetwoods have. Unless you want to buy them new it's time to start hitting junk yards to find some that still work.

There should be screws for the 3rd brake light. Start by looking around the base of it where it meets the carpeting on the back shelf.

If it's one with a carb on it it sounds like it either needs to be readjusted or maybe needs a rebuild. That hesitating and sputtering IS probably carb related too.

Night Wolf · #4 (**permalink**) 10-05-03, 05:22 PM

2: my mothers '89 Brougham and her boyfriends '87 Brougham are the same way, the opera lights do not work, the ones on my '93 DeVille work fine.

3: it is the standered GM 3rd brake light, there are 2 screws on the bottom sides, they come out, then the whole thing lifts up, and there are 2 more long screws, those come out then you just change the bulb (had to do that on both my can and my mothers)

5: my mothers car had the same problem, floor it and it would shutter real bad, we thought it was the fuel pump, but it wasn't, it turned out the be the fuel filter, which was cloogd so bad, you coudln't blow through it, now it runs fine WOT, just still has no power.

I thought in '86 they used the HT4100? and the 307 went from '87-'89, but I take it your car has the 307?

In any case, I would get that thing with the gas solved real soon, even if you have to bring it to a shop, that is not good for you at all.

the car has been around since '77, so it'll look old, the interrior is really dated etc..... just gotta love the sheer size and mass of it though.....even when powered by the 307 (or HT4100) it dosn't have enough power to get out of its own way.

kvn · #5 (**permalink**) 10-05-03, 06:59 PM

The '86 model year Broughams got the 5.0 litre Olds engine and transmission. It's still horrifically underpowered, but better (I think) than the 4100.

And thanks for the suggestions everyone.

davesdeville · #6 (**permalink**) 10-06-03, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FASSTWOOD

It sounds like you have a bad accelarator pump in your carb. It's probably even more than that. you need to get it check out by someone who knows carbs. That's not one of the easiest carburators to work on.

Anyone know how to check if an accelerator pump is bad? If it is, is it a replacable part?

My parents were going to buy an 84 Fleetwood Brougham about 3 years ago but 4029+ pounds on a 135hp HT4100 didn't cut it. My parents aren't speed freaks, but that thing couldn't even get going fast enough to get on the freeway. I'm kinda glad they never bought it.

Katshot · #7 (**permalink**) 10-06-03, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davesdeville

Anyone know how to check if an accelerator pump is bad? If it is, is it a replacable part?

My parents were going to buy an 84 Fleetwood Brougham about 3 years ago but 4029+ pounds on a 135hp HT4100 didn't cut it. My parents aren't speed freaks, but that thing couldn't even get going fast enough to get on the freeway. I'm kinda glad they never bought it.

Yes, it's easily replacable and you can check it by manually working the linkage while looking into the top of the carb (with the engine off) to see if a lttle shot of fuel is squirted into the venturi. If not, or if the shot is real wimpy, replace the pump.

davesdeville · #8 (**permalink**) 10-06-03, 06:08 PM

Is an accelerator pump a junkyard part or could I get it at autozone or something?

brougham11 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-08-03, 11:09 PM

trust me the 307 is a lot better than the 4100, i own one of each. and true its still sadly under powered.
as for your sentinel, mine just burned up so im gonna be replacing mine. i believe if you take off the upper dash pad the unit will be near the passenger side speaker thats all i can tell you for now but im gonna tear into it this weekend.

Elvis · #10 (**permalink**) 10-09-03, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kvn

The '86 model year Broughams got the 5.0 litre Olds engine and transmission. It's still horrifically underpowered, but better (I think) than the 4100.

And thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I've driven the 4100 extensively, and owned the 307, although both cases were almost 20 years ago.

I definitely preferred the 307, and although I've heard a lot of complaints, I didn't have many. Of course, my 307 was in a Delta 88 which probably weighed 500 lbs. less than your Brougham.

I thought I remembered reading that they put out 180 hp? I've read that the 307 is pretty durable, but I traded mine at 38,000 miles so I wouldn't know. Good luck with your fuel problem.