any mechanics?! i need an opinion on my car?

Question

i own a 97' cadillac catera with 80,000 miles. the oil pressure light goes off and it tends to eat oil. the dip stick isnt milky or light brown, the oil looks like regular oil. i took it to the shop to see why the pressure light goes off and they said it wasnt the sensor and i may need an oil pump. i told them i was going to get a 2nd opinion and he said it could still be my sensor. i was mad, so i left. when i took it home that day, my car started smoking from under the hood. all the antifreeze was gone. i believe my antifreeze is leaking, i put cardboard under my car and i have a leak. my car doesnt have white smoke from the tail pipe, it only smokes a little if it is cold outside then when it warms up its fine. some think it a head gasket, but im not sure. i was also told that my car has a horrible engine and that i should sell it as soon as possible. what should i do!?

Answer 1

i own a repair shop ,and from what you just said about it id say you do have some engine problems with it,and seriously it could cost more to repair it than its worth,at today's labor prices,but if its a nice car you might want to consider having the engine changed in it,if you like it and its giving no other problems,you might want to fix it,that choice would be totally up to you,but it is going to cost a lot to probably get this one right again,good luck i hope this helps.

Answer 2

Before you drive it again, you need to determine whether your oil pressure is really ok. The easiest way to do this is to get a cheap mechanical oil pressure gauge from the auto parts store. Replace your pressure sensor with the fitting for the pressure gauge, and start the motor. Check the pressure at various RPM's. You should be getting at least 10psi for each 1000 RPM. If you are, the sensor is shot. Either way, undo the oil gauge fitting and replace it with the sensor so you don' t have an oil leak. You can toss the pressue gauge once you know where you stand.

If the oil pressure is really low, I'd consider ditching the car. This isn't the most brilliant motor to come from GM. Repair may require replacing the oil pump, or it could indicate a faulty head gasket. Either would be an expensive repair.

Your antifreeze leak is a question of detective work. You're going to have to use your eyes and your head to find it. Since the oil isn't foamy and you don't have white exhaust, I wouldn't suspect that it's leaking through the head gasket. Hoses are much more likely.

There is a Catera owner's group on Yahoo. You may want to post your question there:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/CateraOwners/

Answer 3

first part of your question if your car is buring oil suspect rings, valve guide seals or possibly a stuck pcv valve. is the oil low when the light comes on? the cheepest part to replace on your own is the pcv. the rings can be checked with a leak down test but the tester is not just a cheep tool to buy and use once you should have a good shop do that for you. the coolant leak can be a number of things starting with the water pump. do you see the drips from the engine at the front of the motor or sides? if it's on the sides you probably have a water hose or possibly a head gasket leaking but was not common on that motor. water pump you will see from the front of the motor. the water pump is drivin by the timing belt so don't let it go to long if the pump locks up then it burns the belt off of it and then you have alot worse problems to worry about than oil consumption. my advise would be to take it to a reputable shop and let them check it for you. and if your wondering the engine in your car is german made it's made by opal.

Answer 4

The first mistake you made was buying American. It sounds like a head gasket. Initially all you probably needed was a thermostat. Has your engine been running hot even in cold weather? Now you probably blew a head gasket. If that is the case it could cost you a small fortune. You may need your engine overhauled if it's been running hot for a long period of time. See what color the anti-freeze is. If it's got oil in it then you have a problem. It may be cheaper to get a second hand motor. Take it to a GM dealer. They be able to pin point the problem. Most local garages don't have the electronic equipment to diagnose the car.

Answer 5

i will try to answer pwrt of the question. the smoke that comes out when it is cold and then goes away is normal. furst, do something about the antifraaze, you are overheating. there is a bad leak somewhere. utherwise, i believe that other than a sensor they can possibly check the oil pressure. however, you said the light went out. it should go ON whrn there is a problem.. there are a FEW cars with horrible engines. i wouldnt believe that of cadillac, but ==could be. i dunno

Answer 6

this may be the source of you problem, if coolant is getting into the combustion chamber(cylinders)some problems can mimic others. if you're not leaking oil, just burning it .then piston rings may be no good . If it's a headgasket, and it had a small leak that got worse you may see a combination of both on the ground. hopefully i helped!

Answer 7

sounds like the water pump may have let go..but that doesn't explain the oil. Keep in mind that GM specs consider up to one quart of oil usage per thousand miles to be normal so unless you are using more than that, you are within spec. if you check the coolant hoses and all are attached and not split anywhere then i would have the car towed to a reputable shop for a cooling system pressure test.....and probably a water pump replacement...assuming that the test reveals it as your failure

Answer 8

yah, there could be a blown head gasket, but what worries me, is, if the oil pump needs replacing, from the moment the engine is started, it would knock and bang, due to no oil circulation, wich will bring a very short life to your engine.
Try a NAPA service senter and see what they think