Northstar Junk Or Bad Rap

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rodney henson

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Iam looking at a 1996 cadillac with 19000 miles, I would like to buy this car but every thing I have read about the northstar engine is bad, oil leaks, bruning oil, head gaskets that leak coolent into the head stud that make the alum weak then the studs pull out ,then the head gasket blows, I hear this is real bad on the early northstars is this true, (what years) all the spec on this engine looks great,( HP torque) all the years GM made this engine how can it be so bad? Or maybe its the way some people take care of there cars that make this happen, not changing there antfreeze etc, I see this motor in cars with 250000 miles on them, so how can it get so much of a bad Rap, I would like to get all the info you guys and girls have on this befor I buy this Car Thanks
 
rodney henson said:
Iam looking at a 1996 cadillac with 19000 miles, I would like to buy this car but every thing I have read about the northstar engine is bad, oil leaks, bruning oil, head gaskets that leak coolent into the head stud that make the alum weak then the studs pull out ,then the head gasket blows, I hear this is real bad on the early northstars is this true, (what years) all the spec on this engine looks great,( HP torque) all the years GM made this engine how can it be so bad? Or maybe its the way some people take care of there cars that make this happen, not changing there antfreeze etc, I see this motor in cars with 250000 miles on them, so how can it get so much of a bad Rap, I would like to get all the info you guys and girls have on this befor I buy this Car Thanks
Click to expand...

Yep everything you read was true.
Junk
I would get a Lincoln.
mespock knows....hes a school teacher.
 
from what i've read/heard (very limated) they are horrible engines in the early years.
 
Junk when they hit 100k, just too expensive to fix it right so they don't usually get fxed at all. I vote JUNK.
 
you only read about the complaints!! The N* motor is a great engine and will run well over 200k miles,The trans is bullet proof as well.The bad is ..the suspension is crap and usualy starts to fail at 70k and is big bucks to replace evan with after market conversion kits!!! My biggest gripe with GM on these cars is the electronics that go crazy!!!!!.I would look for a late 1999 and up with the improved heads.Am I reading your post correct, the car has under 20k on it? If so ,I would buy the car providing you can get a warranty for it!!!!!
 
Other things ... depends on what you want .. If you want more sport to your ride the Mark VIII beats the Caddy hands down. If you are looking for just a plush ride and nice looking car. Then it's a toss up ...

Caddy FWD Mark VIII RWD ... lots more fun ... Plus the 4.6 32 v engine is a long lasting power house ...
 
i WAS a northstar fan, til i discovered where the danged starter was located..

i aint pulling the danged intake manifold off, and all those associated horrors to change the damned starter
 
I owned an Eldorado which had 230,000 miles on it when I got rid of it and it ran perfectly. No major mechanical problems over the 130,000 miles that I owned it. However, it is true that a lot of Northstar engines develop oil leaks, usually the oil pan and/or half-case seal. I'm not sure if the case-half was addressed in the '96 model. However, you should check the oil pan before considering buying the car and bear in mind that it may develop a problem (or not) at about 50,000 miles and after. My Eldorado did develop such a leak and by the time it had about 160,000 miles it was dripping, not just a wet oil pan. To repair it is not cheap since the engine has to be engine pulled. It may be possible to repair by dropping the engine cradle but this means the engine will have to be supported. If the Northstar oil pan could be fixed by simply dropping the pan then it wouldn't be such a big deal since it would be a fairly simple repair. I currently own a 2005 STS-V8 and there are no signs of oil leaking. So it looks like GM addressed the oil leaking issues.
 
Buy the Cadillac

rodney henson said:
Iam looking at a 1996 cadillac with 19000 miles, I would like to buy this car but every thing I have read about the northstar engine is bad, oil leaks, bruning oil, head gaskets that leak coolent into the head stud that make the alum weak then the studs pull out ,then the head gasket blows, I hear this is real bad on the early northstars is this true, (what years) all the spec on this engine looks great,( HP torque) all the years GM made this engine how can it be so bad? Or maybe its the way some people take care of there cars that make this happen, not changing there antfreeze etc, I see this motor in cars with 250000 miles on them, so how can it get so much of a bad Rap, I would like to get all the info you guys and girls have on this befor I buy this Car Thanks
Click to expand...

I owned a 95 Concours Deville I put over 200000 miles on it - it was a great car I now own a 2002 Deville DHS another great car I now have 105000 miles on this one it is a great car also but there are some things you should know about the North Star engine - 1. It has a propensity to develope Carbon in the intake and combustion chanber you will need to do a good job of keeping the carbon cleaned out - because once you build up too much carbon then the problems can start - I have been using the following products to clean the carbon out and keep it clean it is a gas additive called Performance Improver manufactured by AMSOIL Inc. - Also use A true Synthetic engine oil - I have always used AMSOIL 5W30 Engine oil - and an AMSOIL Oil filter. Go to AMSOIL.com to get more information. I have just started using AMSOIL 0W30 this year it is better than the 5W30 - These North Star's are easier than most to work on - Get yourself a good Cadillac repair manual and you will be set. Make sure that you change your transmission fluid - use AMSOIL Synthetic ATF - and follow The Amsoil recommended drain intervals for all their lubricants - engine oils 25000 miles or one year and ATF 100000 miles be sure to change the tranny filter when changing the oil do not settle for a system flush with out dropping the pan and changing the filter. You are going to love the 96 its a big boat but it sure rides nice. You are lucky to find one with such low milage it must have belonged to a little old lady who only drove it to the store and back.... I plan on not getting rid of my 02 for at least another 5 or 6 years. Good luck...
 
I've had the following with northstars, 95 sts Seville no problems, 99 DeVille d'elegance (no problems), my current 97 DeVille Concours, got car with following problems, replaced all coil packs, changed out the coolant as the fluid in it was almost a solid jello like substance, and changed battery. Drives beautifully now and hopefully,won't have the dreaded hg issue. Mileage of them was 95 sts 280k, 99 d'elegance 251k, and current Concours is about 276k
 
They are amazing performing engines and transmissions are bullet proof but the hg issues always terrify me in the back of my head when I drive it. Especially when once in awhile the temp gauge goes up a hair sometimes in traffic. This being said I've never had a bad hg issue in any of my caddys, and I don't drive them lightly
 
Also XLRVIII I did two of the northstar starters and there a pain in the butt the first time but the second is a breeze. Just gotta find tiny tools to get the bolts for starter out and not drop anything in intake holes
 
With that low of miles, why not? I've always wondered about these, but the Lincoln was a known quantity to me. Maybe in the future I'll look for the rear drive STS.
 
I’ve had my Northstar for about 4 years now. I got mine right 98,000 miles, it has 150k plus now. In my experience these aren’t bad cars, with regular maintenance their very reliable. I have had to work on my A/C, replace the water pump, and the radiator (It got a crack some how) new shocks & struts in the front and replaced the air bags in the back, & got new coil packs next up are new fans. I know That sounds like a lot, but I’ve had no real engine problems, I drive it to work and hour and around town every day.

I think they get a bad rep because people don’t take care of them, and then mechanics are like ‍♂️ This is junk and pain to work on (which it can be, considering everything in the engine bay is packed in super tight) but they are luxury cars and require maintenance to keep them up. I would say go for it especially if it only has 19k, and everything is on the up & up.
rodney henson said:
Iam looking at a 1996 cadillac with 19000 miles, I would like to buy this car but every thing I have read about the northstar engine is bad, oil leaks, bruning oil, head gaskets that leak coolent into the head stud that make the alum weak then the studs pull out ,then the head gasket blows, I hear this is real bad on the early northstars is this true, (what years) all the spec on this engine looks great,( HP torque) all the years GM made this engine how can it be so bad? Or maybe its the way some people take care of there cars that make this happen, not changing there antfreeze etc, I see this motor in cars with 250000 miles on them, so how can it get so much of a bad Rap, I would like to get all the info you guys and girls have on this befor I buy this Car Thanks
Click to expand...
ve
 
Unfortunately, NOT many user-serviceable issues on the NS or other GM fwd vehicles!

The side-case seals can be an issue, but in some cases, some shade-tree fixes might work.

Even to chnage the rear valve cover gasket, requires dropping the cradle just to get to it. The hidden starter looks flaky, but we didn't sell many of them, anyway. Even one of our novice techs had one changed in about an hour, and nothing kaputted. Looks scary, as things on many fwd engines do, but not that hard to do. What was worse is changing the $300.00 blower motor!

For dealerships/shops that are set-up to work on these vehicles, things happen as with any other similar GM fwd vehicle.

On the other side of things, as many might not desire to spend the bucks to fix their cars, they get "driven" and sold cheaply. So finding a competent shop that knows about the cars can be important and whom with a lasting relationship can happen. Many of the big expenses will have to only happen ONCE, by observation, as with almost all later-model vehicles.

IF the heads have to be removed after about 150K, it's common for thread repairs to be needed. Sounds flaky, but there have been "Time Zerts" (think Heli-Coil kits) around for years to address this. Just a part of the beast.

"Junk" can be subjective, just depends upon on one's orientations for things they might not fully understand. For some, the Lincolns might be a better fit, but they can have some issues, too! Like the rear air bags!

Either way, keep a reserve of money for future repairs, regardless of the brand. Pay attention to the soft trim items and siuch, too. Get the best one you can find, but don't buy the FIRST one, either. Look around for a while before purchasing! Just make sure that even after spending a $1k or so in repairs,, you can still bail out later without much financial distress. If possible, look for maintenance records on CarFax or similar (a small fee might be needed), for good measure.

Just some thoughts and experiences,
CBODY67
 
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