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Cadillac Repair/88 cadillac deville

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Expert: - 6/24/2011


Question
I have a 88 cadillac deville that started to idle while driving a year ago, so I parked it. A couple months ago replaced the alternator and battery, it drove well for a while but the car started accelerating on its own while driving it and also decreasing in speed. Someone told me I had to find someone with a old computer for that model too reset the engine. Never did, just parked it, now it starts but it want move....Is the car worth fixing and if so whats the next move?

Answer
Hello,

You are asking me an open question if its worth fixing. It depends. Your idle issue could be a computer. It could be a TPS (Throttle Position Sensor). You won't know until you at least tr swapping the computer. Depending on where you live, junk yards may still have these cars. 87&88 should be the same as well as the Eldos, Sevilles & Allantes with the 4.1.

If the car is in nice shape, its worth saving. Its still worth money too.

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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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