Hi fellow Catera owners,
I apologize in advance if I am posting this thread in the wrong spot. About two months ago, I purchased my 2001 Cadillac Catera Sport Package. I thought that all was going well with the car after getting a wheel bearing replaced, and then I realized that coolant was leaking from the car. I pulled open the oil cap, and noticed a yellow mustard colored paste. From research on Google, I concluded that the paste was most likely coolant mixing with the oil.
I have taken the car to a shop, at which the mechanic concluded that the problem is most likely a blown head gasket. As I am relatively new to cars, I did a bit of Googling around at which point, I came across this forum.
Here are the tests that I have done so far:
-used a radiator pressure tester to determine that the reservoir does not indeed holder pressure
-visually checked the dipstick and determined that the oil is not a milky color
-checked behind the car for white smoke behind the exhaust pipe (there was none)
-looked for bubbles in the coolant reservoir after turning off the engine (there were none)
I obtained some records for the vehicle from a local Cadillac dealership and also pulled Carfax and Auto Check to obtain more records.
Here are some of the highlights from what was done between 2001 and 2004 (from my perspective):
11/2001: Pipes, Fuel and Evaporative Emission Control - Front - Center Canister - Replace (12,983 miles)
05/2003: Valve, Hot Water Vacuum Control - Replace (31,366 miles)
07/2003: Cooler, Engine Oil - Replace (33,659 miles)
07/2003: Valve, Hot Water Vacuum Control - Replace (33,659 miles)
10/2003: Shift linkage adjusted and serviced
12/2003: Water pump and any or all pulleys replaced (37,000 miles)
01/2004: Oxygen sensor replaced (37,552 miles)
03/2004: Hoses, Power Steering, Hydraulic - Pressure - Replaced (38,822 miles)
06/2004: Belt, Primary Accessory Drive - Replaced (38,910 miles)
07/2004: Oil Pan Replaced (38,955 miles)
10/2004: Engine Oil Pressure Replaced (43,846 miles)
------------ (8 years of service records not yet obtained)
07/2012: Relay Switch installed, Ignition Coil an d Platinum Plugs Installed
09/2013: Pulley for Serpentine Belt Installed
My primary question is what I can do to tell if it is the head gasket that needs to be replaced rather than a different part such as a heater control valve. Thank you.
usethetorque
I apologize in advance if I am posting this thread in the wrong spot. About two months ago, I purchased my 2001 Cadillac Catera Sport Package. I thought that all was going well with the car after getting a wheel bearing replaced, and then I realized that coolant was leaking from the car. I pulled open the oil cap, and noticed a yellow mustard colored paste. From research on Google, I concluded that the paste was most likely coolant mixing with the oil.
I have taken the car to a shop, at which the mechanic concluded that the problem is most likely a blown head gasket. As I am relatively new to cars, I did a bit of Googling around at which point, I came across this forum.
Here are the tests that I have done so far:
-used a radiator pressure tester to determine that the reservoir does not indeed holder pressure
-visually checked the dipstick and determined that the oil is not a milky color
-checked behind the car for white smoke behind the exhaust pipe (there was none)
-looked for bubbles in the coolant reservoir after turning off the engine (there were none)
I obtained some records for the vehicle from a local Cadillac dealership and also pulled Carfax and Auto Check to obtain more records.
Here are some of the highlights from what was done between 2001 and 2004 (from my perspective):
11/2001: Pipes, Fuel and Evaporative Emission Control - Front - Center Canister - Replace (12,983 miles)
05/2003: Valve, Hot Water Vacuum Control - Replace (31,366 miles)
07/2003: Cooler, Engine Oil - Replace (33,659 miles)
07/2003: Valve, Hot Water Vacuum Control - Replace (33,659 miles)
10/2003: Shift linkage adjusted and serviced
12/2003: Water pump and any or all pulleys replaced (37,000 miles)
01/2004: Oxygen sensor replaced (37,552 miles)
03/2004: Hoses, Power Steering, Hydraulic - Pressure - Replaced (38,822 miles)
06/2004: Belt, Primary Accessory Drive - Replaced (38,910 miles)
07/2004: Oil Pan Replaced (38,955 miles)
10/2004: Engine Oil Pressure Replaced (43,846 miles)
------------ (8 years of service records not yet obtained)
07/2012: Relay Switch installed, Ignition Coil an d Platinum Plugs Installed
09/2013: Pulley for Serpentine Belt Installed
My primary question is what I can do to tell if it is the head gasket that needs to be replaced rather than a different part such as a heater control valve. Thank you.
usethetorque