[greencadillacmatt]

Hey there, I've never been to this part of the forum. The trans just blew in my daily driver, and I'm looking for a newer used car. I've found a beautiful 2004 Cadillac CTS locally. It's got the 3.6 V6 and an automatic transmission, 123,XXX miles. My question is what should I look out for on these cars? Are there any known issues? Any weird or possibly bad engine/trans problems? Also, it doesnt say anything about having a magna-ride suspension or anything like that. Did they come with regular struts? Anything you guys can tell me about these cars would be greatly appreciated. (Keep in mind I'm a 20-year-old with a decent steady job. Would a car like this be viable for someone like me?) Thanks guys! :thumbsup:

 

[ghettomike]

welcome. the CTS is a great car, you will love it. is this one you are looking at perfect? no clue so lets start digging.
run autocheck and see whose owned it and for how long, and find out claim history.
make sure it fires sup smooth and has a steady idle, i think the 3.6 has a smooth idle, while the 3.2 is rough.
check out the suspension and make sure its not leaking, and check the diferential for whining...thats bad.
look at the red, there are 2 lones that go ingot it at the bottom , they are the transmission cooler lines. make sure they are in good c ondition, and if they are then after you buy it have them disconnected and buy a aftermarket external cooler.

 

[andrewschenk]

im 99% sure the magne-ride control is only on the 2nd Gen CTS-V, the only car around at the same time as our generation CTS' with Delphi's (division of GM) magnetic struts was the Vette.. i know it has been licensed for use on the Lambos/R8, i think Ferrari has used them as well (and others).
FE1 (standard), FE2 (sport), and FE3 (load leveling) are the strut options. you might see FE5, which is an options package code, it is FE3 struts with bigger brakes as well.

 

[libertyforall1776]

No XM Tuner!

 

[RoyalFlush]

Watch for the women they tend to appear on the passenger seat after a fun night out. Aside from that... What they ^ said.

 

[odthetruth]

:yeah:

ROFL I just thought about coming in to say that, but once I saw Royal was the last poster, I knew it had been said.

[edit]
On a real note, with the 3.6, Make sure all the recalls are done, keep an eye on the trans cooler lines that run into the rad underneath the car. And also keep an eye on the timing chain.

 

[greencadillacmatt]

^What are the timing chain issues?

 

[odthetruth]

Search the forums / view the FAQ for more info and how-tos on it. The chain basically wears down prematurely. More frequent oil change has been discussed as a preventative measure (every 3-4k, opposed to every 8k)

 

[greencadillacmatt]

So I've been reading up on the timing chain issues in these engines. It seems to affect the 05-07 models the most. Why not the 2004 models? Did they use a different chain or something?

 

[odthetruth]

I'm pretty sure it affects 04 as well.

 

[greencadillacmatt]

^Thanks.

This thought just came to me. How are the sound systems in these cars (stock)?

 

[odthetruth]

They could be better. Including the bose system.

[edit]
LMAO I forgot I changed all my speakers for these kenwoods I got off scoundrel here on the forums. I'm using stock sub though. I'm not for all the massive changes in audio, mostly because i rarely have the music on full blast.

 

[greencadillacmatt]

I just found a VERY clean 2003 CTS with the 5-spd automatic and the 3.2 V6. Anything to watch out for with this year/engine? Are the 3.2s any good? Any strange issues with them?

 

[odthetruth]

3.2s are good. My 3.2 is running pretty strong and hasn't really left me stranded.

But remember, when you are looking at a used car... two cars of the same year with the same engine and same mileage can be WORLDS apart depending on the owner.

But the common issues on the 3.2 are:
PCV Valve (get it fixed. they make it larger, doesn't freeze up, etc)
Valve Cover leak (this happens because of PCV valve issue)
Trans Cooler lines into radiator (This happens on ALL First Gen CTS, regardless of engine size)
CPS (this is the one that can leave you stranded. i suggest replacing this as soon as you get the car. the part is inexpensive, and its relatively easy to do yourself)

Those are the only real issues from what I understand.