[wjsdunning]

I am looking at a 1997 fully loaded D'Elegance with 70,000 miles on it and was looking for opinions on this car. Should I be aware of any problems? What about the mid engine seal issue? I live in Canada and have been told by a salesman at the caddy dealer to avoid this car because of the seal issue.
Thanks

 

[JimHare]

I don't know about any seal issue (Baby? Fur? Singer?) but I had a '99 Deville, owned it between 34K and 100K miles, and loved it.

As you'll see if you peruse the posts and frequent the forums here, cooling system maintenance is by far the single most important maintenance issue with Northstars. If the coolant has been taken care of (e.g. a drain and refill sometime in the last 20K miles), and the Bars Leak Golden Seal tabs or equivalent from the dealer, have been added, and it doesn't seem to run overly hot (195-220 in regular driving) you should be ok. It may or may not be worth while or a salve to your worry to get an extended warranty.

Repairs CAN be expensive on these cars, there is simply no getting around that. An A/C compressor and related work can hit $750 to $1000 US if a dealer or good shop does it. I had the GMPP on my Deville, and it did pay for itself after three years.

They are great in the snow, get reasonably good mileage for a 2-ton, four door auto, and have some suprising get-up-and-go.

I would be very leery of any advice concerning a used Caddy from a dealer salesperson, due to their inherent ulterior motive.

 

[powerglide]

:yeah: what Jim said.

I've had trouble free fantastic epxerience with my 98.

The problem is, if you search here or online somewhere and read about owner experiences, it can be somewhat one sided.

By this I mean, people rarely come by and post "I love this car, its got no problems" they only post when that have a problem. So ofcourse, the vast majority of posts tend to be problems related.

But if you maintain the car, especially cooling system, these engines should be good to 200K+ (read the high mileage thread)

Also check this out, there litereally hundreds of owners expressing overwhelingly great experiences:

http://autos.msn.com/research/userreviews/reviewlist.aspx?modelid=343&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=4&sub=3

Sure repair can be high (*if you do everything at dealer) but compared to other luxo rides, its pretty cheap (its a domestic afterall)

Anyways, its case by case, so make sure you carfax and have the car checked out to make sure its in good condition to begin with. I think the price is fair (so if you don't like this particualr one, I bet you can find others for the same price/mileage)

Good luck!

 

[Caddyshack100]

As you live in the great white north, check also that the heated seats work. It should take about two minutes for you to feel the heat. At that age, it is probable that drivers side does not work, but the passenger side will. Check also that the dual zone climate control works. On my 98 Deville, in summer one side the drivers was ice cold and the passenger side was hot. A little motor under the glove box took care of that problem. By the way the North* is one of the greatest engines ever made. It is so user friendly to fix things on. Things such as the Crankshaft Position Sensors, on other FWD its at the back of the motor between the tranny and engine, a nightmare to get to, not so on the North*, are there are two for added backup. Goodluck and Goodhunting

 

[powerglide]

By the way the North* is one of the greatest engines ever made. It is so user friendly to fix things on.

Welcome to the Forums!

N* is a great engine for sure.....but I am not sure it is very user friendly to fix things on....in fact many things are SUPER difficult to get to.....

Wanna drop the oil pan? be prepared to drop the engine
same goes for head gasket......in fact some mom and pop type mechanics won't work on em becaue the engine is PERCIEVED to be difficult to work on.

Not trying to scare the new onwer here....just my humble opinion.

***btw any car that packs a V8 into a FWD platform just makes it a tight fit up in there

 

[Caddyshack100]

Thanks for the welcome, I do all my own serviceing, and repairs, and so far compared to the other cars that I have worked on, Regal, Lumina, Sunfire, and other GM cars, G series Vans, The Northstar and the Deville has been a refreshing change. In fact the car that is pictured is a dead ringer for mine, except for the whitewalls. My Dads car is 99 STS, and its also great to work on, I had to replace both Cranksenors, it only took about 30 mins, and the waterpump, is the simplest one I have ever done, only one that comes close is the one on my 3100 M engine on my old 1996 Regal. To the person wanting to know about the 1997 D'Elegance, go for it. You will get great gas Mileage and Great Power, and you can still get it on Regular gas, Premium is nice also. Just one Caveat though, it is still a 8 year old car, therefore expect more maintenance.

 

[1998Deville]

Hope it's not too late to voice my opinion....

I JUST got (on Tuesday Nov 8 2005) a super sweet 1998 Deville D'Elegance with just over 59,000 miles on it, painted in White Diamond. This car has almost every option available that year (according to the owners manual) with the exception of:

Moonroof (Astro Roof?)
OnStar
Homelink Transmitter
CD Changer (BUT COMMING SOON!)
Bose Stereo (If it was an option, didn't see it in the manual)

Think that's it.... searched high and low to find THIS car... was a choice of this or a 99 Eldo with 61,000 on it but I went with the Deville and I love it!

Sorry for rambling... I say if you can get it for under $8000US go for it (unless you have to have it regardless ).

 

[wjsdunning]

Thanks for the opinions from everyone.
The car I was looking at was sold the day I went to buy it.
You snooze you lose. I guess my hunt for another Cadillac is on again. Good Caddys are hard to find in Edmonton

 

[powerglide]

d/oh!

No worries there are many out there, ebay, autotrader and such. You'll find yours soon enough. (besides the fact that this one was gone could be a sign....maybe it wasn;t meant to be)


I'm thinkin of lettin mine go.....because I just spent another long night stuck in LA traffic.....I am seriously thinking of buying a civic hybrid so I can ride the carpool lane :hide:

 

[snowface]

I have a 1998 d'Elegance and absolutely love it! While I am currently experiencing a transmission issue, I have 118,500 miles on the car and plan on taking it to 200,000. I think anyone would be happy (and become spoiled like now I am!) with this model if they were to buy one. Now I am so spoiled that I am not happy with any other make or model. This is my dream car. White Diamond, tan leather interior, shiny paint, looks and acts brand new. The drivers seat is getting a bit worn, but with over 118K miles on it, what can I expect?

 

[Frost]

absolutely no problems with my '97 SDV, my man! Aside from a blown blower (better part of 500 bucks!), there's been no reason for me to even consider changing my summer ride (I drive an '88 SDV in the winter)

 

[RonWa]

Re: Should I buy a 1997 De ville Elegance?

Not trying to steel this tread but ...

Frost what steering wheel is on your "97?
I want to put wood on mine.

You can reply via private message.

Ron

 

[Frost]

Ron, it's a 2002 Eldorado steering wheel from a wreck - bought if from Cardio Doc, an EBAY aficiando of cadillac wheels and accessories. I reused my own airbag, but the wheel came with the same paddles/functionality as the base '97 SDV wheel. I LOVE the feel of the solid wood in my hands - worth it for the price - which was a VERY reasonable 300 bucks, or so.

I had to dye the leather to match my montana blue interior, but that was no large deal - and the wood definitely matches the rest of the wood dash kit I got from woodashes.com.

BTW, in the pictures, the wheel is "cranked" around, forgot to staighten it out before I did the photo session,,,,,

 

[97 Lac D'Elegance]

I bought my 1997 D'elagance with 75,000 orig. miles and I love it. I know some do have the seal issue, even with proper maintenence. It's really a random thing for that year. I've just broke 101K, and it's still operating great. Of course the occasional cluster light will iluminate, but that's just GM wiring for ya. I would go for it, granted for a reasonable price.

 

[dstarr]

Issues:
1. Caddy is a helluva nice car. I've owned my 99 Deville for 18 months, and it takes a lot of the curse out of a 30 mile commute on Rt 128. Or long trips to PA ,Canada NH, or ME. Trips that I used to dread, now don't seem too bad when my ride is a Caddy. Call it quality of life. That's worth some money.
2. Used Caddy's are cheap, compared to used Bimmers or Mercedes or Acura's. I got a real cream puff Caddy with only 51K miles for $9K. Bluebook was higher. In fact, used Caddy's are cheap compared to brand new econo-boxes. When I fell in love with this used $9K Caddy I had been looking at a brand new Chrysler 300 for $37K. I haveI enjoyed owning the Caddy just as much as I would have enjoyed the much pricier 300.
3. Caddy is a well designed, well built car. Typical Caddy owner's pamper their cars and they are in excellent condition when they hit the used market. I've put 36K miles on mine in about 18 months with ZERO maintenance costs. I change the oil when the car asks for an oil change, and it's gotten a set of tires and a battery. That's all.
4. If the Caddy does break, it can be expensive. On the other hand, a transmission failure or a "pull-the-engine" failure is expensive no matter what you are driving. You pays yer money and you takes yer chance. A used Caddy is a fairly good bet. Much better than Jaguar or Ferrari. Parts are available, and a breakdown in East Overshoe is not a disaster. Ordinary garages will work on Caddys, and there is always a Caddy dealer not too far away.
5. The Deville is a LARGE sedan. You get a lot of interior room AND better fuel economy than an SUV. I get 27 highway and 24 overall. It seats five comfortably and six with a bit of squeezing. Trunk is big enough to haul a kid's stuff to college. It's roadworthy. You don't worry about a rollover like you do in an SUV. You can throw it down mountain roads and it feels solid and in control. The FWD is good in snow. The Northstar engine will boost the car well above the speed limit in no time at all. Passing trucks and campers is a positive pleasure.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

I would not be put off by potential repair costs:

From Auto Consumer Guide.com

94-99 Deville

Item Name Repair Cost

A/C Compressor $475
Alternator $350
Automatic Transmission or Transaxle $1,160
Brakes $210
Constant Velocity Joints $700
Exhaust System $1,000
Radiator $490
Timing Chain or Belt $720

LS 400

Item Name Repair Cost

A/C Compressor $1,135
Alternator $460
Automatic Transmission or Transaxle $1,020
Brakes $280
Exhaust System $450
Radiator $635
Shocks and/or Struts $2,320
Timing Chain or Belt $285
Universal Joints $1,300

Accord

Item Name Repair Cost

A/C Compressor $775
Alternator $460
Automatic Transmission or Transaxle $1,110
Brakes $520
Clutch, Pressure Plate, Bearing $845
Constant Velocity Joints $1,405
Exhaust System $610
Radiator $585
Shocks and/or Struts $920
Timing Chain or Belt $475

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Plus it is a safe car. Nevermind al the airbags and brakes and stuff, that is all well and good, but the big point is, the car is wide, low to the ground and HEAVY....in spite of all the 21st century safety appliances you still have F=MA so, applying some high school algebra....A=F/M. It is that "A" (acceleration) that usually kills people in a crash. The bigger your "M", the smaller your "A".