[Hyxzer]

There is a lot of questions in this post.

I recently purchased my 06 Cadillac V8 from a very good GM certified dealership, and have had no problems with it since. I always use 93 octane when filling it up.

Some background info about the car - It's had 2 owners. 1st owner was a company, and the second owner was a employee of the same company that bought it from them. I assume since it was driven by a company and an "older" gentlemen it was never driven roughly.

I love cruising along with my friends, on bottom roads, and we usually go fast. (3 of them have an 03 Mustang GT)
I've been looking at some threads, and they say that around my mileage is a good time to clean the Throttle Body, which I plan on doing sometimes this weekend.

I was wondering if there is any other kind of minor/medium level stuff I could do to keep the car running in tip top shape?

I have also been consider cutting a small section of the exhaust piping off right before it gets to the muffler to make the car sound louder, without having to go out and spend a decent amount of money on a new exhaust system. Has anyone else done that to there's, is it worth it, Does it sound bad, or should I just leave it and wait till I can afford a new exhaust system?

I've never floored it in the car as I'm afraid of messing something up, Can I really put the peddle down without hurting the engine? What are the limits the engine can withstand without causing damage?

I have also noticed that when starting the car most of the time I will hear a whistling/whining type of sound (Kind of sounds like a supercharger whining)
I have noticed it on some videos I've watched and was wondering what causes it, and if it's anything to worry about.

Last question, Is there any cool little tricks I may not know about, that the car can do? I read on a thread earlier that 06+ models have the ability for allthe windows to roll up by holding the lock button down (Haven't tried it yet, so I don't know if it's true)

Thanks to anyone that takes the time to answer my questions.

 

[Aoyagi]

Re: 06 Cadillac STS 64k Miles - Advice Needed

I've never floored it in the car as I'm afraid of messing something up, Can I really put the peddle down without hurting the engine? What are the limits the engine can withstand without causing damage?

I don't believe babying a car is healthy for it either. But that might be an urban legend...

I have also noticed that when starting the car most of the time I will hear a whistling/whining type of sound (Kind of sounds like a supercharger whining)
I have noticed it on some videos I've watched and was wondering what causes it, and if it's anything to worry about.

Can you link some of those videos?

 

[stevenriz]

Re: 06 Cadillac STS 64k Miles - Advice Needed

sold my 05 with 135-140k miles and never cleaned the throttle body, ran like a champ the day I sold it too. Not sure though if the dealer ever did maintenance while it was in there for oil changes or tranny fluid changes. Flooring it shouldn't hurt anything unless you slam into something while doing it. Plus it keeps the valve guides clean ... Whining could be power steering issues... can't say for sure but good luck regardless and just enjoy it!! don't baby it!!

 

[framedforlife]

Re: 06 Cadillac STS 64k Miles - Advice Needed

I don't believe babying a car is healthy for it either. But that might be an urban legend...

I do agree with you on that sometimes you need a little WOT to help run the car.

 

[rnkath08]

Re: 06 Cadillac STS 64k Miles - Advice Needed

My 06 sounds great with the Corsa system, bought it back in 08 to put on, but think the prices have jumped since...but worth every penny....I just hit 58k miles.....still goes strong and fast.....I'm certain my car loves it when my toes tickle the radiator as much as I do ; )

 

[mckellyb]

Re: 06 Cadillac STS 64k Miles - Advice Needed

Throttle body cleaning is 100% bogus.

You can hammer on this car and not hurt it, as long as you're not doing anything truly boneheaded. I stomp on mine once a week, typically because of one particular freeway entrance which has three lanes funneling into one over only a couple hundred feet.

Also, the Northstar does not require 93 octane, unless the ECM has been tweaked, which, based on your car's apparent history, it has not. 87 octane is fine.

You might consider having the transmission fluid changed...NOT FLUSHED...at 50K and every 50K after that. I can tell you from personal experience, a 5L50E costs about $1,700 to rebuild. Not as bad as I thought, actually, but it merely needed clutches and normal wear stuff (and a new converter).

I'd leave the exhaust be until you can do it right.

Oh, and I don't consider this boneheaded, just the proper way to send off some very tired rear shoes:

http://vid394.photobucket.com/albums/pp29/mckellyb/Finaluse_zps2a17796c.mp4

 

[ECha3]

Re: 06 Cadillac STS 64k Miles - Advice Needed

I disagree about throttle-body cleaning, albeit the use of Top Tier fuel does vastly reduce the need. If an intake is never cleaned at all, deposits will accumulate to some degree and promote a sticky throttle. If left to continue, the throttle can even wear a groove in the body, leaving replacement the only solution.

Compared to most cars, the STS throttle body is inexpensive. I still don't want to buy one if I don't have to.

 

[Submariner409]

Depending on the location of the PCV clean and dirty air lines some throttlebodies will stay clean forever; others can crud up in a month.

Early Northstars had both lines going to the throttlebody - one (clean air) on the atmospheric side, one (dirty air) on the manifold vacuum side: Those are the absolute worst for TB crap. Later models juggled with position, cam cover internal baffles and PCV valve type. My 2002 with the dirty air line in the center of the intake manifold tunnel and a fixed orifice PCV (not a "rattle valve") stays remarkably clean for years. The later RWD Northstars probably are even better.

Another factor with TB crap - oil consumption due to ring sealing. Excess blowby = large quantities of PCV nasty stuff. Engines that use a quart or so every 750 - 1500 miles seem to be "dirty" while tighter engines run cleaner overall - intake system-wise.