Help And Advice Needed From Fellow Cadillac Owners or Mechanics

[xraytech]

I have a slight problem.

I have a 2001 Cadillac DeVille which i use primarialy as a second work car as to not rack up too many miles on my Lincoln Town Car(Has been working since it only has 7,200 miles on it)
Problem is that my Service Engine Light was on for a few months and when I had it tested it was my transmission and I need to have it rebuilt which I had done, After getting it back two days later my light came on again with a Check Gas Cap message on it and I have tried putting the cap on different ways and it has not changed. I can't get my car inspected because the error code will automatically cause me to fail my emission test, the inspection ran out 3 months ago and I have not been able to drive it legally except locally on the country roads.
I would love to fix this problem and need suggestions on how to fix the gas cap problem.

Thanks in Advance for any help,

Sam

 

[qsd-dan]

Could be the gas cap itself. Either the check valve is malfunctioning or the seal is toast. It also could be quite a few other things like a leaky rubber hoses between the metal lines, or the main hose between the filler neck and the tank. There are a few gaskets between those places too that can leak. I could keep going on forever like charcoal canister issues with the purge valve, ect., but replacing the gas cap would be the quickest and cheapest method to start with.

 

[cadman]

You don't suppose the trans guys damaged the vapor return line or didn't get something fully connected and it worked its way loose?

And sorry to hear about the trans rebuild. Quite odd to need that done on an '01.

 

[qsd-dan]

Cadillacs have had transmission issues since GM quit using the TH400 in the 70's. I still prefer the 4 speed Jetaways though. More stout trans with a monster low first gear.

 

[cadman]

Let's not go that far Dan : ) Yeah, a 200-r4 may not be a THM400, but Sam's 4L80e is nothing to sneeze at. Of all the Cads that have come and gone (5 in the fleet right now) only one has ever given me trans problems, and I bought it that way.

Like anything else though, sticky solenoids and deferred maintenance for 150k certainly doesn't help.

 

[cadman]

Sorry, 4T80e. Sticky fingers...

 

[xraytech]

Mine only has 76,000 miles on it and I bought it used a year ago to replace a 1991 Buick Century because I wanted a second car I would actually drive a lot, Nice ride, almost to the quality of the RWD Lincoln, drove it to N.Canton to the VCCC convention in August and got 27 mpg and on country roads too. It was the Torgue Converter and Solenoids causing the trans problem, just want toget it inspectable so I can start driving it again because the miles are racking up on the Town Car, put 1,000 on it this year already.

For the Gas Cap would I get a replacement do I need to find a new one from GM or will say an aftermarket or used one work?

Thanks for the replies,

Sam

 

[jaxsunst]

I got my first Caddie on New Years eve and I love it. I got a 2006 STS with only 20K miles on it.

Anyway, I traded in a Malibu that did the same thing with the gas cap. Replace the cap and it should turn itself off. It will take a few trips for the car's computer to figure it out. It took my car a couple of days for the message to stop appearing after replacing the cap.

 

[hydralique]

Even if the dash warning light goes away, the code may be stored in the car's engine management computer and need to be cleared with a code reader. I've heard Autozone will do this for free, but you might check first. They might also have a new gas cap cheaper than the dealer.

One problem with generic code readers is that they only give you the most basic (government mandated) information. More detailed fault information can only be obtained with a manufacturer-specific reader and/or program, so if a new gas cap doesn't do the trick your best bet may be either the dealership or an independent mechanic who specializes in GM cars.

 

[moparwash]

Oxygen Sensor?

If you have not yet replaced it, give it a try. They are not horribly expensive and if you can change a light bulb, you can change one of them as well

 

[panthera]

Folks here have covered

Everything I can think of, but Crystal pulled this trick shortly before we sold her.

The Cadillac dealer in Cheyenne has their heads up their asses so far they tried to sell us an entire new engine!

The Cadillac dealer in Fort Collins plugged her in, told me I needed a new gas cap, reset the error list and not quite $50 later, was good to go.

My darlin's Pontiac pulls this trick upon occasion, too.

Frankly, tho', given that you just had work done, I'd see if the trans. shop wouldn't be willing to check their work at their cost. Not even Crystal made these things up out of whole cloth, she always had to have something to work with, be it ever so slight. And in this case, a seal had just worn out.

My two cents on transmissions and quality: I love Cadillac and support them because they stood up to the christianists. But if you want quality, it went out of the brand sometime in the early 1980's and didn't return until the late 1990s. Style was there, glamor was there, but you can twist it and bend it for what it is worth, I spent more time under Crystal in any given month than my cousin here in Munich has spent on his 1975 Eldorado in the last 34 years, total.

 

[xraytech]

I am going to see about going back to the transmission shop because they said if I had any problems they would check it for me.

As for the quality of the Cadillac, overall I have been happy, but for the same price range, mother's Buick Park Avenue has been more reliable overall and just as stylish. I do however prefer my Lincoln Town Car over any Cadillac because I love the air-ride and teh handling of RWD, not to mention the fantastic quality I have had in the past.

Thanks for all your suggestions, I hope to get my"Pappy Mobile" as it was named by my co-workers inspected and legally driveable very soon.

Sam

 

[sudsmaster]

If you buy a new gas cap and it fixes the problem, here's a suggestion: take it off and put it in the glove compartment. Buy another good one and use that until you need to pass emission testing. Then put on the one you've stored away - just for the testing. The other one may go "bad" but you'll still have a known good one in order to pass emissions.