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Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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buckman341
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Jul 26, 2012, 6:58 AM
Post #1 of 8
(3028 views)
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Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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1999
Cadillac
Deville Concours
Engine size: 8 cylinder, I am pretty sure 5L engine
145,000 miles
My problem does not occur all the time, typically it only occurs under a certain set of circumstances. The scenario that happens pretty much every day after work is that I will be driving on the highway with no issues but issues will start once I take my exit and get on back roads (slower driving).
Usually when I exit I will hit a stop light off the highway right away. Usually the oil light will come on right away, but it flashes on and off. Some days it will stay lit longer then flash off then come right back on. After that as I start driving forward after the stop light
At this point the temperature in the engine will start to climb, not catastrophically high, but higher than usual. There is no exact temperature shown but if you visualize 8 dashes, the normal temperature is on dash 4, right in the middle. The temp will climb an entire dash mark during this time period. Maybe this is nothing to worry about but combined with the oil light being on, I thought it should be mentioned.
Other information:
There is oil in the engine. Just checked the oil dipstick yesterday (again) and the oil is nearly to the top.
|low |--|--|--|--|--|full-|
------------------* my level on cold engine
Maybe I should completely top it off? Doesn't seem like something that should be setting off the oil light though. If it was just too low wouldn't it be on all the time?
The engine is old and I have been told by people working on the engine in the past (oil changes etc) that the engine leaks oil. I do have to put oil in from time to time but I do keep an eye on it and I always change it before 3000 miles. I've had the car from about 115,000 or so and have made sure to keep an eye on the oil. Also I use high mileage oil, not sure how much of a difference this makes.
I'm fairly sure that there are no coolant leaks, at least not serious ones. There is coolant in there now and it is a 50/50 mix. I can't remember the last time I had to add coolant anyways.
As far as I can tell there are no serious problems with the coolant system in general. Like I said, under normal operating situations the temp is fine. It's just when I'm coming off the highway and slowing down (back roads) that I have these issues. If I put the heater on full blast the heat will slowly go down as would be expected. That's a pretty good sign for the coolant system in general right?
Anyways just looking for some advice on what corrective action might be needed. Should I just take it to a mechanic? Does anyone know a reliable mechanic in the Saint Louis area (east of ST Louis preferably)??? Thanks for any help.
(This post was edited by buckman341 on Jul 26, 2012, 7:38 AM)
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
Jul 26, 2012, 4:33 PM
Post #2 of 8
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Re: Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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I would expect a slight rise in temp when you go from highway driving where the water pump is turning faster and a lot more airflow is going through the radiator to city driving, more slow speeds and stop & go. Your engine will generate more heat from that, especially with that size of car. Possibly the thermostat is getting older and not responding as quickly as it did. You seem from your post like you pay attention to this car and take care of it. I applaud you for that.
The oil light is triggered by a pressure switch screwed into the block which is set to close the circuit (turning on the light) at a preset level. It may be faulty. If you had truly low oil pressure I think you'd have done damage already as much as you drive it and it would sound like a jackhammer under the hood. I would swing into a shop and let them have a look. If its the pressure switch it won't be too much cost and if its not they might catch the issue before you blow a VERY pricey motor.
As far a high-mileage oil vs regular, I think they just add two words to the label. A quality brand of oil is all you need to keep this motor going well. As far as the dipstick reading, between the add and full marks is called the safe zone, and you are OK as long as you make sure the level is within that zone. Don't get below add and don't go over full.
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jul 26, 2012, 5:59 PM
Post #3 of 8
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Re: Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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They should include a bag of speedy dry in the trunk when you buy a Cadillac. Just about every 4.6L that rolls in the shop is leaking oil from the half block.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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buckman341
New User
Jul 26, 2012, 7:51 PM
Post #4 of 8
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Re: Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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Thank you both for the replies. I'll keep the oil pressure switch in mind. You mentioned "quick dry" in your post btw, what is that? Is that some real thing that will fix leaking oil? lol.
From what little I know about engine repair, actually fixing the source of an engine oil leak requires pulling a large portion of the engine apart which is tons of labor right? Someone told me it could be something like the seals that get worn down in a high mile engine, that sound like a possibility if I'm slowly losing oil?
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nickwarner
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Jul 26, 2012, 8:22 PM
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Re: Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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The quick dry DS mentioned is a diatomaceous earth floor dry akin to cat litter. We use it on shop floors to soak up spilled fluids. Its not for use in your car. He mentions it because all the Cads with your engine are notorious for leaks that require extreme and expensive work to fix. That come with the Cadillac price. They are a nice car to drive and absolute hell to work on. Trust me, we really earn our money when we work on them and even though you may think the price is steep at the shop the guy who was working on it bled plenty to get the little bastard apart. Lost a lot of skin and a lot of blood getting a Caddy engine apart.
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buckman341
New User
Jul 27, 2012, 7:23 AM
Post #6 of 8
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Re: Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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What kind of labor costs would I be looking at for a leak repair? Of course hourly rates differ but what might be an approximate # of hours for a job like that? From what I've been told the actual parts would be relatively inexpensive unless the gasket was damaged, but the labor costs would be enormous.
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nickwarner
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Jul 27, 2012, 2:14 PM
Post #7 of 8
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Re: Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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I don't have a labor time guide for that car, but I can guarantee 4 digits on the bill. Anything less and the shop is cutting its own throat.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jul 27, 2012, 2:45 PM
Post #8 of 8
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Re: Oil light flashing, engine temp higher than normal
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OH yeah, that car is assembled like a puzzle. To replace the oil pan gasket, either the engine of the transmission has to be removed first.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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