[beatz02]

I know this is the Fleetwood and Deville forum but I thought I'd share since I only read and respond in this section;

I got it for $1500. It has 157,000 miles on it. The owner was asking $1800, but the service engine soon light is on so I figured, if I need a tune up, then that knocks off $300. He also has tape on the driver's seat, which was also a turn-off.

I'm gonna need an alignment, some suspension work (I can hear a knocking noise near the driver's side wheel while driving, and an oil change.

Otherwise it runs good. The AC works too. He just installed a new AC compressor, alternator, battery, starter, and a bunch of other things.

The STS (or at least this one) isn't as smooth as my Fleetwood. Seems like they designed it to be more of a fast car than a luxury car.

I do think it has some better features than my '94 Fleetwood, though; like the AC vents for back seat passengers and the instant miles per gallon reading.

 

[beatz02]

I did the climate control trick and the dash says:

Code P030 History
Code P052 History
Code P056 Current
Code P071 History
Code P109 History
Code S036 History
Code S044 History
No ACP Codes
No SIR Codes (I assume this means the car has never been crashed?)
NO TCS Codes
No IPC Codes
PCM?

Can you guys tell me what all this means? Or do I need to go to the STS forum?

 

[jayoldschool]

I'm going to suggest two things:
-the front wheel drive forum
-sell it before you dump more money in it...

 

[beatz02]

LOL.. Okay. I'll find the front wheel drive section.

And I'll probably do that tune up and get rid of that light before I sell it.

 

[beatz02]

I got it for $1500. It has 157,000 miles on it. The owner was asking $1800, but the service engine soon light is on so I figured, if I need a tune up, then that knocks off $300. He also has tape on the driver's seat, which was also a turn-off.

I'm gonna need an alignment, some suspension work (I can hear a knocking noise near the driver's side wheel while driving, and an oil change.

Otherwise it runs good. The AC works too. He just installed a new AC compressor, alternator, battery, starter, and a bunch of other things.

The STS (or at least this one) isn't as smooth as my Fleetwood. Seems like they designed it to be more of a fast car than a luxury car.

I do think it has some better features than my '94 Fleetwood, though; like the AC vents for back seat passengers and the instant miles per gallon reading.

 

[beatz02]

I did the climate control trick and the dash says:

Code P030 History
Code P052 History
Code P056 Current
Code P071 History
Code P109 History
Code S036 History
Code S044 History
No ACP Codes
No SIR Codes (I assume this means the car has never been crashed?)
NO TCS Codes
No IPC Codes
PCM?

Can you guys tell me what all this means?

 

[DitkaFan]

congratz

 

[beatz02]

Thanks, but the expert doesn't seem to think this was a good investment. I trust his judgment (I kinda thought the same way, but said screw it, since it was a low price and would enable my Fleetwood to take a much needed break).

 

[HUF]

P056 is shift solenoid related. You will probably have shift problems soon. Replacing a solenoid is not big deal on the other hand and should clear your SES light. Do not do any tune-up until you fix that issue. I saw many perfectly running cars screwed up after a "tune -up".

The Northstars are know for blowing headgaskets ($3,500 repair). Take it for a spirited drive, watch the coolant temperature. If the engine overheats, the chances are the headgasket is gone. If everything is fine, change the coolant as well.

 

[bicentennialcadillac]

I'm going to suggest two things:
-the front wheel drive forum
-sell it before you dump more money in it...

I really have nothing to say about the first point, but I wholeheartedly agree with number 2.

 

[Mafiaman111]

very nice car BTW, Suspension work is not very cheap at all in fact its very expensive on these cars, that thump could be a bad wheel bearing and that can be very dangerous, alignment is cheap, the SIR is just air bags and does not indicate the car was in a wreck or not, you would be able to tell if it was in wreck by looking at the engine and body, also wrong thread for a sts, now for the codes

http://myweb.accessus.net/~090/dtcobd1.html

P056 (E056) Transmission Input Speed Sensor

that is ur current code

was the car running or off when pulling the codes

 

[ga_etc]

Get acquainted with the Seville/Eldorado section. Sooner or later you're going to need it and I'm going to go with soon judging by the codes. The N* is an awesome motor and the STS is a fun car but they can be picky. If you do a tune up ONLY USE ACDELCO PLATINUM PLUGS AND ACDELCO WIRES. You will pay for it in the long run if you don't. I'm on my phone right now so it would take a while to look up the codes, but if nothing major is wrong you got it for a good price with those miles. I say drive it and enjoy it. It'll make a fun alternative to the Fleetwood.

 

[ga_etc]

P030 (E030) ................................................... ISC RPM out of range
P052 (E052) ....................................................... PCM Memory Reset
P056 (E056) ........................................ Transmission Input Speed Sensor (current)
P071 (E071) ................................................ Intermittent MAP Signal
P109 (E109) ....... Keep Alive Memory (KAM) Reset/PCM has lost primary battery power

S036 ...................... Electronic Level Control Compressor Short to Ground/Open
S044 ..................................................... Lift or Dive Signal Fault

 

[beatz02]

Thanks for the heads-up, guys. I didn't expect to get a no fault perfect running vehicle for $1500. Matter of fact, I bought my Fleetwood back in 2003 for about $8000 (109,000 mi), and it was garage kept in Virginia by one owner; nevertheless, it's been a rocky road ever since, with 2 transmission jobs being my major work. Not to mention the dozens of threads I've started here for help with all the repairs it needs. Compare that to the car I bought a few weeks after turning 16 ('90 Lincoln Towncar for $1200 w/ 80,000 mi) and you'll scarcely see any difference repair-wise.

But I find that it's easier for me to scrape up $1000 for a big job than to pay $300-$400 a month plus $150 for insurance for a new car. I see my friends needing to work 60 hours a week and one of their days off, just to pay a car note that's 2 months behind, while I work 40 hours and take care of my family and make repairs within reasonable time frames. If this can last me a few months until I can get something better, than I'll be happy. I have 2 guys (one with a '96 FWB (76,000 mi), and the other with a '96 Impala (102,000 mi)) willing to sell me their cars, but I wont be ready to do so until the end of the summer. If I get a better job in the future, then I'll start looking into buying a repair free vehicle. Anyway,

@HUF Okay, I'll be getting the transmission solenoids fixed Monday. The sooner the better. If that clears the code, I'll be a happy camper. The owner told me the same thing about the Northstars and their head gasket issues. His conclusion was that if I keep the maintenance the same way he did, then it'll last. He also told me to maintain the radiator fluid, so you guys are thinking alike. He's a friend of mine so I'll be in his ear if it has any head gasket issues he failed to mention.

@ga_etc thanks for the code references. I'll definitely be using OEM parts for this car. I've put Bosch Platinum + 4's in my Fleetwood once, and changed them out a day later, so I know what you mean. And yeah, I could part this car out for well over $1500, so I think it was a descent price. Plus the Fleetwood will hit 200,000 miles in a few months; it's time for another vehicle to share the load.

 

[beatz02]

Sorry about that. All I paid attention to was the "All FWD" part. I've re-posted in the Seville and ElDorado forum.

I'm prepared to make the necessary repairs, as I bought the car fully aware of its issues.

The car was running when pulling the codes. "History" means the code has since been dealt with, right?

 

[ben.gators]

Hello and congratulation for the new ride.

The only current code you have is P056 (E056): Transmission Input Speed Sensor, and I think this code sets service engine soon light on. This problem is not uncommon. I have read about it before in this forum. Do a simple search and you will find the threads. It sounds like the part you need is very cheap, but labour is very expensive since I think transmission needs to be dropped and opened!
If you are lucky enough and there is no emission inspection in your area, I guess you can keep driving the car with no special problem (Troops, please correct me if I am wrong)

Go to this page and you can find definition of all your codes:
http://myweb.accessus.net/~090/dtcobd1.html

And by the way, about your driver seat and those duck tapes.... Start calling nearby junk yards, you can find a nice driver seat for less than 100$!

Oh, and I can see some scuffs on your rear bumper. Buy some rubbing compound with cotton towels and start buffing those scuffs. You will be amazed by the results. If after buffing still you see some residue, wet sand the area with very fine grift sand paper to remove them. You might rub away the clear coat a bit, but do not worry, buy an spray of clear coat and apply one or two coats of clear coat. It will be like new....

And why do you think absence of SIR codes means that the car was never involved in an accident?

 

[ben.gators]

I keep reading your post and then I remember some more things... First of all a trivial advice. Do not have an alignment until you finish your suspension work.
And you said you got a 300$ discount because of that engine light. Well, I guess to take care of that engine light you need to pay almost the same amount of money you paid for the car!!!! And oh yeah, suspension, this is an STS and a single OEM strut costs you about 800$.... and a pair of strut for front will be more expensive than the car itself! I am saying this just to update your view about the car you own... There is no code related to suspension system, that is good! and I hope they are not worn out too. That knocking sound can be anything... When do you hear it? While you turn the steering wheel or maybe when you are accelerating, or when you are passing some bumps? Some more information will be good to locate the problem.

 

[beatz02]

Cool. Thanks for the code references. Very handy.

Is this the part # for the speed sensor? 213-3514?

I'll be getting that fixed on Monday. The registration isn't up until October, but I need to have the service engine light off before the next emissions test.

The place I get my parts has a Seville there that might have a good driver's seat. But I'm not too nit-picky about it yet.

Matter of fact, I just removed this seat from my Fleetwood after having it for 8 years;

If I was able to bear with that seat for that long, the duck tape on this STS shouldn't be a problem.

I don't know what SIR codes are, but I saw SIR written on the air bag, so I assumed an SIR code would imply that the air bag was deployed, and therefore I inferred that SIR codes could be from a wreck.

The guy who does my suspension work also does alignments. He always re-aligns the car if he does anything major to the suspension.

I have good Cadillac mechanics who wont charge $1500 for speed sensor labor. That sounds like dealer labor rates. My mechanic dropped my transmission from my Fleetwood about 2 years ago, and repaired it for about $600. And that was a major job (more than a speed sensor).

I don't know if the struts are bad. I'm leaning more towards bearings.. It sounds like a rubbing or knocking sound while coasting, every 2 to 3 wheel revolutions.

I thought I saw you ask something in relation to the service engine light and the price I paid for the vehicle. I was going to say that my reasoning for offering $1500 instead of $1800 was faulty, since I was assuming I needed a tune-up and not a speed sensor.

 

[Submariner409]

Welcome Aboard !!!! ..............:highfive:

Now you start learning what you have. Either get a real GM/Helm Service Manual off of eBay or www.helminc.com. Or subscribe the car to www.alldatadiy.com: the manuals plus all diagnostics, trouble codes, RPO's (Regular Production Options), TSB's (Technical Service Bulletins) and much, much more.

Read the entire Cadillac Technical Archive up ^^^ in the black bar. Wade through Technical Tips down in Discussions. Enter your car's VIN into the sticky post ^^^ "VIN to RPO converter" - that will tell you exactly what's built into the car.

The ISS replacement, even for a well-equipped shop, is a 2-day job. The entire drivetrain has to be lowered and the transmission removed and disassembled. As long as your mechanic is in there, have him replace the 1-2 and 2-3 shift solenoids with the upgraded GM solenoid/bracket kit. You might want to ask him about switching to the new (since 2006) GM DEXRON-VI synthetic transmission fluid.


EDIT: Go to your post in Deville - I just did a reply on your Codes question...........

 

[Submariner409]

Codes will set as Current when a fault occurs. Let's say the fault was a temporary hiccup. The code will stay Current for 3 start-drive cycles during which the fault does not re-occur, when it then goes to History. Depending on the fault and module a code will stay in History for 30, 40, 50 or 100 start-drive cycles during which the fault does not occur, then the code will self-clear. In city driving/commuting, because of the daily numbers of engine starts and stops, it's entirely possible that some minor code (voltages or suspension hiccups) could set, go to history and disappear without you ever knowing it. Personally, I never "Clear Codes" - I keep a monthly log and many minor codes come and go like the clouds............

Depending on what fault occurs, if the code is associated with the engine, transmission, brakes, or suspension you'll also get DIC (instrument panel) messages, too.

Ask a moderator to merge this thread with your other one up in Seville.