[SDCaddyLacky]

Hey forum, I'm a new kid on the block, and just bought a 94 FWB today. I'm going to pick the car up in a couple of days. First of all, the car has about 150,000 miles on it, but the engine is brand new, and It only has about 10,000 miles on it! So I'm practically cruising in a new car, well almost.

I paid $3,000 for it.

I have a few problems:


1. The vinyl top is badly worn (faded), since it sat in the sun for a long time, is there anything I can do temporarily to make it look a little better?

2. There's an exhaust leak somewhere, I hear a loud tapping sound when driving, but the car runs extremely smooth.

3. The previous owner installed an aftermarket CD deck, and I hear that the diagnostic wires are connected through the original stereo, so I was wondering if that is a cause of concern?

4. The dash board is all cracked and in need of either replacement or a dash cover, does anybody recommend a good quality dash cover I could just throw onto to dash for now?

A/C doesn't work needs to be recharged.

Is there anything else I should look for, what are the typical problems on these cars? Are the Trans, Engine, Electronics fairly reliable? What about suspension related parts?


I have also only driven the car one time, because I had to wait until I came up with the rest of the cash, plus I still need to go to the DMV and register the car in order to drive drive it.

Of course I will be back to let everybody know what other issues pop up once I have the Caddy in my hands!

I honestly can't believe how nice these cars are, and don't understand why didn't more people buy them when they were new? Seriously this Cad makes new Cads looks so bland and boring:bigroll: This car was truly the best of the best in those days, or even now. You get so much car for your money, it's just amazing.

I am coming from a Town Car, and even though I love my Townie, the fleetwood is waayyyyyyyyy better! The looks, the feel, the quality of the Cad is much better than the Town Car this thing demands attention and you feel like such a pimp or somebody important. Plus it feels heavier duty, and even though the Cad dash has plastic on it, the Town Car has even more cheap plastic and actually is of very low quality that makes creaky noises when going over pot holes or just when the body flexes.

Thanks!

 

[96Fleetwood]

Congrats! :highfive:

I had a 1993 Town Car Cartier with 28K original miles before I got my 1996 Fleetwood in 2005. I agree with you 100%!

 

[jayoldschool]

1. The top can be re-dyed. Use SEM.
2. Your exhaust leak is likely a broken manifold bolt. VERY common on these cars. With the engine cold, feel for the heads of all the bolts. You are likely missing one near the back.
The AC is likely low/no refrigerant. Also common on these cars is for the AC line to get a hole worn in it from the passenger side upper control arm. Feel the line, you will find a nice groove worn in it from that sharp metal edge. I just replaced a set of lines today for this exact problem...

 

[drmenard]

JAY is right on, from what I have found with these cars..Maybe Thefleetwoodguy has a used dash if you wanted to go that route.. but those things crack real eazy... Like I said in other posts... I have taken them out and put them back with no problem... then a week late CRACK....All 3 of my cars I end up putting freon in every year... maybe a 12oz can in each one..But if your compressor is not coming on at all you may need 2 cans .. and hope your leak is not so bad that it leaks out fast... I put freon in till it is 25lbs pressure on the low side with the compressor staying on...set it on 60 degrees so it stays on....I would not recomend using a freon with a sealer.
What I have done for the exhaust leaks, when its the exhaust manifold, is take of the exhaust manifold ... try not to break any more bolts... if the broken bolts are sticking out, try to get them out with a tiny pipe wrench or whatever tool you can.. and put it back with a new gasket and Grade 8 bolts..I have put them back with bolts missing...but not 2 missing bolts in a row..

 

[Stingroo]

Well, first and foremost:

ostpics:

Secondly, don't bother replacing your dash unless there are like massive Mariana-Trench like cracks. They're expensive. Cover it.

Here's a decent site to get covers. Carpet, velour, or suede.

http://www.autoanything.com/dash-mats/20A10025A1.aspx

I assume the covers are custom-cut. I haven't ordered mine (yet!) but I will probably next month. I figure even if it's a bust, $46 (for suede) isn't too bad. But they appear decent quality. Maybe somebody here has ordered one before?

 

[SDCaddyLacky]

Cool thanx guys, well I still have to wait like one more day until I can pick it up.

I'll take pics for sure so you guys can see it


BTW, I just remembered that the trunk emblem that says "Cadillac" is missing.

Does anyone know were I can find a replacement, I tried Ebay but natha.

Maybe somebody makes replacements since after all it is a Cadillac.

Thanx for everyone's insight and help, I really appreciate it.

I'll BE BACK!

:thumbsup:

 

[maeng9981]

How about this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CADI...tZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5 fAccessories

 

[Stingroo]

Five inches? Is it really that long? I never really noticed.

If that one is too big, TheFleetwoodGuy probably has one or two in his bat-cave arsenal of replacement parts.

 

[SDCaddyLacky]

Alrighty guys, I got some pics. The car is red obviously and has a Plum interior which is a unique color that I have never seen before. It almost looks sorta chocolate brownish, but yeah it's a really nice dark color. I see a lot of Fleetwood's with just Tan interiors.

As you will notice the top is faded badly, but the body itself is straight with no dents anywhere. Maybe small dings/scratches, but nothing major. I have some problems with the lower chrome moldings-side skirts on the rear left and right quarter panels you can kinda see in the last shot the small gap where the side skirt meets the lower chrome trim, it's really loose and feels like it wants fall off. The clips are missing, like somebody broke them off or tried to steel them in the past, so now only one clip is holding it together every time I push on one side, the other side pops loose.

Also when staring the car, I noticed that the Low Oil Pressure light, Temp Light, Change Oil Soon Light, and couple others doesn't light up like they're supposed to. So that means if something bad happens, I wont know what's wrong, especially if the engine overheats (why in the hell didn't GM have the common sense to install a Temp gauge?):banghead:. My question is where should I look for disconnected wires that send signals to the instrument cluster, and if connected is there connections behind or under the dash, maybe somebody forgot to reconnect those switches because the engine is sorta new as well as the transmission which was rebuilt 10,000K ago. It's crazy because I have the receipts of the transmission that was fixed in the past, the original owner had it replaced twice once at 93K miles and again at 138,000K, since he lost 3rd and 4th gear and a Serta was installed whatever that is.

Anyways everything else works on the car, I also have a small dash light problem. On the climate control cluster, when at night, only the right half of the buttons light up, while the left half doesn't. Also is there supposed to be a small light on the passenger side door handle? Because it's literally impossible to pinpoint what buttons your touching since it's so hard to see.

One last question (sorry guys, just trying to let everything out on this thread rather waste another one). In the right side of the trunk, when I pulled the carpeting, I saw the antenna assembly, but I also saw this controller module thingy with cut wires, what is this box thing, and what does it do. Finally I smell fumes while driving, it's coming from the gas tank area, no fuel leaks, but it smells like if vapors are escaping and seeping into the interior. It could be the gas cap, or a rubber line somewhere that is rotted out, but if anyone knows what it could be, please let me know.

This car is so freakin Awesome!! You have no idea how much I'm in love with this car. I so though that my Town Car was the king of the road, and had the best ride. I was so wrong, and wish I bought a Fleetwood years ago. I can't believe the power, smoothness, and overall plushness of the ride. Seriously, you float over everything in this car, pot holes are well dampened and I don't get jolted like I do in my 93 Town Car, plus the car handles 100 times better than the TC and you don't get tossed around either on sharp turns or uneven roads the car stays flat at all times which makes a huge difference when it comes to comfort. I think the extra weight makes a big difference as well on how the car rides. I definitely notice the heaviness of the Fleetwood, since it weighs about 500lbs more than the Town Car. These Cad's have great build quality, the door panels are like touching a soft glove, even the control knobs and buttons feel sturdier than my Town Car( which BTW feels like everything is made out of toy grade plastic, it's pretty horrible if you ask me, especially for a luxury car). The doors are real heavy, you need some strength when opening one of these babies. All in all, I love my new 94 Fleetwood Brougham!!! Best car ever made, period!

 

[jey]

My temp light doesn't come on when starting the car either - the manual doesn't indicate it as being part of the bulb check so I thought that was normal. GM did include a temperature gauge, but it's hidden in your climate control

Do you have an aftermarket stereo? The box by the antenna is the amplifier for the stock stereo.

 

[SDCaddyLacky]

Yeah it does have an aftermarket CD/DVD Deck. Plus TV monitors on the back of the headrest. That's good to know about the stock amp, you got me worried there for sec.

So there is a way to check the engine coolant temp? Well at least knowing if the temperature range is ok and not overheating. How do you check it?

I don't know if these cars use Dex Cool, but this car has green coolant in it.


Thanks again!

 

[Bro-Ham]

I love the 93-96 Fleetwood in RED! Very nice car!

 

[dirt_cheap_fleetwood]

NO DEX COOL!

It's too old for Dex Cool. Use regular old Ethylene Glycol (the green stuff).

 

[jey]

So there is a way to check the engine coolant temp? Well at least knowing if the temperature range is ok and not overheating. How do you check it?

We should probably get this added to the FAQ:


Instructions for putting ACC in diagnostic mode -
- turn ignition to ON position (or start vehicle)
- press and hold the temp up and OFF buttons at the same time until the unit does a full segment check.
- Release the buttons.
- Display should read -00... you are now in diagnostic mode
- Using the fan up/down buttons, select desired function from above
- press middle

-02 HVAC Trouble Codes
-05 Program #
-06 Tachometer (RPMs / 100)
-07 Commanded Blower Speed (0-128)
-08 Coolant Temp (°F)
-14 Vehicle Speed (MPH)
-15 Temp Cal Offset
-18 Sun Load Sensor
-20 Current Temp Valve Position
-22 Temp Valve Position @ Cold
-23 Temp Valve Position @ Hot
-24 Coolant Temp (°C)
-25 Commanded Temp Valve Position
-27 Air Delivery Mode
-28 Inside Air Temp (0-255 where 128=75°F)
-31 Outside Air Temp (0-255 where 128=49°F)
-37 EEPROM Revision #