1992 Cadillac Deville Coolant light

JANDRGV

MEMBER
1992 CADILLAC DEVILLE
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
96,000 MILES

Coolant light ccmes on at slow or stop, goes off upon acceleration. This gets progressively more insistent until it stays on. Coolant reservoir is sometimes full on stopping and very slow to go down There is often a lot of gurgling and bubbles in reservoir upon stopping. There has been no loss of coolant in three weeks. The shop has replaced water pump, thermostat, and radiator cap, done some engine work and flushed radiator and added a sealant. Sign me a very exausted and very broke financiially and emotionally old lady. Thank you.

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Sunday, November 9th, 2008 AT 12:58 PM

14 Replies

IMPALASS

MECHANIC
3,112 POSTS

Hello

I need a little more info though. Do you just have a coolant light or a buzzer also? Next, did you have the other work (replace water pump etc) due to this same problem with the light coming on?

What sealant did they add and why?

Does your car ever run hot or is the temperature gauge just fine it's just that dog-gone light?

Please do me a favor - open your hood, and look to see where the radiator cooling fans are, they should be right behind the radiator.

Next, start the car and turn the AC on and tell me if one or both are turning.

Cars are a pain ma'am..... And all can get you frustrated and exhausted and you are correct, expensive to fix. But do the above, get a cup of something warm to drink and take a deep breath and relax..... Then answer me back. Lord willing we will have you back racing through town in no time!

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Sunday, November 9th, 2008 AT 1:48 PM

JANDRGV

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9 POSTS

I have a coolant light only. All work on car was as the result of red light coming on. There are 2 fans on back of rediator and switches related to them were also replaced. Both fans are working when Air is on now. The sealant was because they thought there was a blown head gasket. That was the most recent work. The car is actually geting hot, I can smell it and if it is stopped it is hard to start. I don't see a temp. Gauge.

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Sunday, November 9th, 2008 AT 3:53 PM

IMPALASS

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Is there any smoke at all coming out of the exhaust like white?

When you say you can smell it is getting hot, is that like an unreasonable hot?

What engine work did you have performed?

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Sunday, November 9th, 2008 AT 8:55 PM

JANDRGV

MEMBER
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There was only a light water vapor "smoke" when I started the car. It was cold last night and the vapor lasted about a thirty seconds. The car had not been started in three days. There followed about a teaspoon of water from the pipe. I checked the oil which is clean and clear and the coolant which is full at radiator cap and clean. I have used a little more oil than is normal for this car though. The engine smell is different then normal for this car when this problem appears. It smells like a hot pan on the stove before things start to burn. This car had never had a problem, in the two years I've had it, and was in excellent health, as far as I could tell when I took it in for routine maintenance on 6-04-08. Within days of this visit I had security and coolant light issues. On 6-04-08 they did a steering flush, coolant flush, radiator cap, BG induction service flush, injector cleaner and fuel filter ConfigDef. I complained of coolant light coming on for short periods and difficulty starting, and on 7-31-08 they did oil pump replacement, pan gasket, lucus oil treatment, water pump, lifters for motor and valve cover gasket. On 8-27 they replaced the starter. On 10-07 replaced the fan motor relays. On this day the motor Hot red light came on. On 10-09 they replaced the thermostat (possibly for the second time). They feel they did it earlier for free. On 10-14 they drained block added block sealer, test for blown head gasket neg.

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Monday, November 10th, 2008 AT 10:17 AM

IMPALASS

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Hello

I am not sure where you are taking your vehicle... And I know I don't have all the information, but from what you say, there is no need for what has been done with your car unless I am missing something major.

You took it in for routine maintenance. What is routine - - tune up, check filters?

I am not sure what the steering flush has to do with security and coolant light issues. Did they say why the needed to do this?

For the coolant light, did they provide you with an estimate and what was wrong with the car before they did anything? For a coolant problem why did they perform a injector clean and change the fuel filter?

Okay, still the coolant light, why did they change the oil pump, pan gasket and what exactly did they do to the lifters? Or did they just replace the valve cover gaskets?

Why did the starter need replacing - due to the starting? Did that fix it?

Again, where are you taking your car to be serviced? Have you always gone there? Is this place referred by others?

How has it ran since our last post - hot - normal?

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Monday, November 10th, 2008 AT 8:45 PM

JANDRGV

MEMBER
9 POSTS

Drove the car today. Usual milage and conditions except that it is cooler here and the airconditioner wasn't on. The car did not over heat and the motor ran smoother, under the hood was quieter. Also there was less bubbles for a shorter time from the coolant reserve.

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Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 AT 11:18 AM

IMPALASS

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Hello

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear today was better. If you have time and you can, please try to answer the questions I had previously.

Let me know how things are.

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Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 AT 11:23 PM

JANDRGV

MEMBER
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Now things get sticky for me. At 72 and having had several strokes I try to manage but cars are like computers. I get confused. I took it in to the place that had serviced my cars but there was a new man behind the desk. The service light had come on in the car and it was time to change the oil and I asked them to check belts and hoses. All normal for me about twice a year. I had never had a moments trouble with the car before. I bought it from a magor car dealer two years earlier. The origional owner actually stopped me on the street and gave me extra keys she'd found. With in days of that oil change which had turned into brakes and all the extras, the car stranded me and the 93 year old aunt I care for. When it was finally started the problem was the starter they said and the key not talking to the security system. The car even with the replaced starter still is difficult to start if I make a quick stop, like to the P.O. Then the oill light came on and more days in the shop. Suddenly days later there was a motor knocking and I had the car towed to the shop. The lifters were replaced and the timing belt etc. Now we are back to it over heats sometimes and though I won't go out until tomarrow I will try leaving the air off. There was a point durring all this mess when it was over heating and I told the shop that there was a sudden terrible scream when I tried to eccelerate to move the car off the road. They said it was coolant that squirted over a belt. Thank you for trying to help.

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Thursday, November 13th, 2008 AT 1:04 PM

IMPALASS

MECHANIC
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Hello -

Well Ma'am. . ...only 72, you are still a young lady and seem to be doing just fine. . ..taking care of your aunt, emailing us, the car. It gets squirrely for all of us at times.

I don't' know where you are taking it, the name of the place so I can not say if they are doing you okay or not. However, from what you say, it sure makes me uncomfortable for the things going on.

I suggest talking to the Better Business Bureau and getting a few names of some very reputable auto repair places. Then, I would talk to a couple of the local churches to find out a few names of some auto mechanic shops from people that attend the church and check some references. Then use them if you have too. Again, the shop you take it to may be okay, but it sure sounds funny. I suggest going somewhere else.

You are right, oil, belts all normal. The other things, wow, just seem like a lot all of a sudden. Do you have any children that live near?

When they said the scream was the belt from coolant squirting on it, where was it squirting from?

Now just a couple of things. Is it still hard to start when you take a short trip like to the post office?

Does it still get hot with or without the AC running?

Do you have an Auto Zone or an O'Reilly's in the town you are? If you are not sure, if you provide me with your City, State and Zip I can locate one for you and some of these checks you may have to do are free.

Please put all other answers to my questions on the normal post. Your City, State and Zip please look under my name, I have attached the pic for you to refer to, if you click on the PM where the arrow is pointing you can provide the City, State and Zip to me there. The reason for this is our posts are open to everyone to read, learn from and possible help repair their cars. When we ask for more private information to keep your identity protected, we ask you to use the PM. That is a private message that only goes to me and is not posted for others to see.

Provide the above information and we can see from there.

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Thursday, November 13th, 2008 AT 8:09 PM

JANDRGV

MEMBER
9 POSTS

Friday: Went to town without the air on. It was 84 outside. We got three miles which is about when the coolant light usually comes on and on it came. I was doing about 45mph. And hit the brake. The light went off. The light came on two more times in the next two miles and off quickly, less that 30 sec. Then I made a stop, turning off car, followed by two more stops in three miles and in heavy, slow, stop and go traffic. The car was stubborn the last time to start, a little. It turned over slowly and caught. It ran smoothly and had acceleration that seemed normal for the car. There was little gurgling under the hood. I chanced a long trip (5 miles) to Wal-Mart and it ran fine and no coolant light. We got home safely and there was no lost of coolant, no long gurgling etc. I do remember that this light has often gone off when I braked or turned at a corner. It has always come on close to home. I was told there was a bubble in system from work done. My concern is that when they took the steering column apart to replace key, ignition etc. They miswired and it took several tries for them to get things straight, Fuses kept blowing under the dash.

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Saturday, November 15th, 2008 AT 12:03 PM

JANDRGV

MEMBER
9 POSTS

Drove the car Sat, no air and usual around town stop and go. The light never came on. Drove extra long and idled at stops extra long, motor quiet. Probably drove 30 miles. Also, it is unusual for us to use car two days in a row. At places we stopped the car did not gurgle loudly or long as it had, just a moments bubble or two. I did notice that there is a thin very high whine when I came around the front of the car and it was running. Couldn't find out where it was coming from. Finally there is an AutoZone here.

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Saturday, November 15th, 2008 AT 12:04 PM

JANDRGV