1994 Cadillac Seville STS 4.6L Northstar
Summary:
Good car - would purchase again
Faults:
I bought the car knowing it had problems. I purchased it from a car auction.
Traction Control Disabled.
Trunk Pull down not working.
Door Mirrors don't work.
Heater fan not working.
A/C Compressor blown.
Sunroof didn't work.
Third brake light 25% working.
Cruise not working.
Turn signal light on one side not working (front)
General Comments:
This car wound up in the auction because of it's problems and I bought it with only 80K mileage for $1500 US. I realized quickly that there was something common to all of the problems so I set out to diagnose the issues. Here's what I found:
Most of the problems were caused by poor grounds or blown fuses. Mostly the poor grounds caused the other problems because the items weren't grounded so they tried to either ground somewhere else or not work.
1. The trunk pull down was the motor ($25 for assembly at bone yard)
2. Door mirrors was a blown fuse (grounding problem)
3. Heater fan was fuse problem.
4. Traction control (fuse again)
5. A/C Compressor - replaced with re manufactured unit ($220 + charge $69) I replaced the compressor had the unit charged.
6. Sunroof - still haven't looked at, but it's winter!
7. Third light was replaced with a junkyard third light from a pontiac (actually looks pretty good). OEM is over $300 - used ones don't seem to last.
8. I did a full tuneup, oil change, trans filter and fluid, new coolant.
9. Turn signal turned out to be bad socket.
10. Cruise was blown fuse (all related to others)
In Massachusetts, a partially working third light will get you a rejection.
The car overall is fun and easy to drive. Gets great gas mileage (averaging 22.5 MPG). I have had four Cadillacs and know that the grounds - especially the chassis grounds are critical to everything working right. I found all the grounds I could and then cleaned them up and reconnected them - this cured a lot of problems.
This Seville was garaged all of its life and did not have any curb rash on any wheels when I purchased it (same now). The finish and interior I would rate excellent - no excessive wear or tears. I am impressed by its power and handling.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 31st December, 2006
1st Jan 2007, 14:54
As an interesting coincidence, my elderly parents also recently purchased a 1994 Cadillac Seville SLS at an auto auction, and paid $1,600. The car is really beautiful inside and out, even though it has 164,000 miles on it. It doesn't show it, though. It runs great, and they drove it 1,000 miles from Wisconsin to West Virginia two days after buying it, and back, with no problems whatsoever. It got an average of nearly 27 miles per gallon on the highway, which amazed me for such a large car with a V-8. The only maintenance they have needed thus far is to have the transmission fluid changed in order to address some jerky shifting, and to have the rotors turned and two tires replaced. I'm impressed that all of the electronics still work, and that everything functions. I would not be afraid to give one a chance.
6th Jan 2007, 08:23
Pat yourself on the back my friend! You got a spectacular car for pennies using just some ingenuity and moderate mechanical skills. Like the other guy said, people are not willing to spend a little time getting dirty under their car and end up dropping monstrous amounts of money to fix a problem they could have done themselves. I hope I can find a sucker with a nice Seville like yours!
21st Jan 2007, 11:55
I just love my 94 STS Seville!!! Best car I ever owned. Have 104,00 on it. All leather.Extremely fast car.!!
Trunk pull down is always a problem. Replaced three of them. Very well built automobile. Everything works except side mirrors up& down settings. Sunroof leaked, but fixed it by cleaning out drains. Very positive about this automobile.
Steve T.
1st Jan 2007, 10:13
Your review is a classic example of what people SHOULD do when buying a used car - know what they are getting into and if they can fix/afford to fix any problems. I think a lot of the complaints on this board are from people who bought a vehicle without inspecting it or knowing what they were getting into. Most people that buy cars end up relying on a mechanic, so if they made a purchase like yours their $1,500 bargain would probably end up costing $10K in repairs since they wouldn't do the work themselves.
Congrats on your find!