Since the introduction of the Cadillac Northstar engine, they have been plagued with cooling system vapor locking problems and head gasket failure! Which comes first? Who knows, we see customers with vehicles that have less than 50,000 miles that have been babied, then we see vehicles that have 150,000 hard-driven city miles that have never had a problem ( Until 150,000 miles )
We have observed that, after assisting in the repair of thousands of these vehicles, the failure is a progressive issue.
- Coolant loss for no apparent reason ( No visible leaks, etc.)
- Vehicle starts overheating (Typically starting with sporadic spikes and drops in temperature with the vehicle under a load on the Freeway or going uphill! Then gradually getting worse until it overheats constantly, no matter what type of driving )
- Frustrated, you take your beloved Cadillac to the mechanic, and the following happens!
- They correctly diagnose that the cooling system is not circulating correctly! There is no coolant flowing through the radiator.
- They start replacing parts in hopes of repairing the problem.
- Replace the Thermostat, and the vehicle still overheats!
- Replace the Water Pump, and the vehicle still overheats!
- Finally, in the succession of Trial and Error, it surely must be the right radiator! Replace the radiator and it STILL OVERHEATS!
With everything in the cooling system replaced and no additional charges, they diagnose a Blown Head Gasket and inform you that you need a new engine. At this point, with the replacement cost of an engine between $ 5,000.00 and $10,000.00, you're faced with spending more than the vehicle's worth or selling it for scrap.