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Cadillac Repair/1997 cadillac dumping coolant

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Expert: - 7/16/2010


Question
i have a 1997 caddilac seville. it dose not over heat but the coolant dumps i have changed the raidaitor it had a little leak. i dont think its the water pump or thermostat just cause it dosnt over heat. i dont want to change everything cause i wanna know what the prob is. the watter is comming out of the over board tube on the res.

thanks
  matt

Answer
Hi Matt,

My first thought is head gaskets.

All the Cadillack aluminum engines since 1982 have had coilant system/ overheating issues at one time or another and one cannot buy one of these engines used because they are usually junk.

I cannot diagnose your coolant discharge problem without being at the car. As I stated, these problems have been going on for close to 30 years.

One cheap possibility may be as simple as a radiator cap and could be a head gasket issue.

In the event a radiator cap does not fix this, you need to take it for diagnoses to a local service center. Do not go to the dealer!

Cadillac is problem in the first place, because as I said, cooling system problems have been continual for close to 30 years. Worse yet, it wasn't one problem, but numerous problems. Some very severe costing over $4k to fix.  

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Rob Painter

Expertise

Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?

Experience

Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.

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