Expert: Rob Painter - 9/27/2010

Question
Hi - I have a 96 Cadillac Eldorado that has overheating issues due to a broken radiator and head gasket. I know its going to be too much to fix so I want to sell it. But I want to know how much the car is worth with a problem that big?

Answer
Hello,

To be honest--scrap and that's it. If it blew a head gasket, it was hot enough to crack the block. This is an aluminum engine. You can't get a good engine in the junkyard because they too have been over heated and the engines are junk.

I keep warning everybody on this site that this engine under no circumstances can be overheated-period!

Cadillac has made billions on this issue and $4-$5K replacement engines.

The head gasket on yours is an after affect of the radiator problem. If you change one, you might find you need two. You can also find the heads cracked or warped and the possibility exists that the engine block is cracked. In fact, no one knows for a fact if you have a blown head gasket until the head(s) are removed or much worse.

Cadillac has been using aluminum engines since 1982 and if you get the temperature over 220-230 you are doing major damage.

Now with this wonderful concept, I see they are bragging about an aluminum engine in the 2011 regal. Even if one of these things is under warranty, it is almost impossible to get what they call "deliberate" damage covered under warranty.

Many engines are made with aluminum components to lighten the car, but it has never worked well. Two different metals cast iron with an aluminum head did not work on the Vega. The Olds 260 CIs in the 80's used aluminum intakes that always leaked at the water jackets.

Bottom line: the northstar is a good powerful engine until it overheats and then you have scrap. The same was true (sort o) for its 4.1, 4.5, 4.9 predecessors.

I am sorry you learn of this the hard way, but I did not design the engine.

My wife's Navigator pegged the temp gauge today. No damage-but then it is not an aluminum engine.

You can try to sell it to recover your money, however a simple check on the Internet will show what happens to these engines when over heated. I don't care how nice your car is, it is 14 years old with a bad engine. I doubt if you will get any informed takers on your car.