What is the average engine life on a N* engine? This question is in general as I am still openly searching and haven't found any specific cadillac of interest. I'm not sure if this question has already been answered on this forum, but I have searched both here and on search engines, and haven't found an answer. Any feedback, if only opinions, would be appreciated.


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I can't tell you what the average is, but the very first N*'s (1993 allante) are still drivin around, many of them with well over 100k.With, PROPER MAINTENENCE,these motors should reach 200k easy, IMHO.

ORIGINAL: bnonit

What is the average engine life on a N* engine? This question is in general as I am still
openly searching and haven't found any specific cadillac of interest. I'm not sure if this
question has already been answered on this forum, but I have searched both here and
on search engines, and haven't found an answer. Any feedback, if only opinions, would
be appreciated.



we simply dont really know.
for the most part, the engines are outlasting the cars themselves.

a few fail prematurely, usually of no fault to the engine itself..
all the Cadillac and GM aluminum engines, including the N* are
a tiny bit sensitive to a combination of loss of coolant, overheat,
and depletion of oxidation protection from the coolant, and failed
headgaskets due to a combination of that.
other than that, they seem to go and go until the wheels fall off the car.

that includes all 4100, 4500, 4600 (early V8 N*) and the modern
NorthStars V6's & V8's.

IMO, any used N* engine car should be tested and certified for
headgaskets integrity, specially if you are paying $5,000 +++
check our FAQ section for the various tests ...

I've seen 3800 V6's in salvage yard in cars with several hundreds on them, the most I've seenwas anOlds 98 with 409,000 km.. That's over 250,000 miles. I tend to agree with G.A.R.Y.

I'm getting close to the 312,000 mile mark. I know Chevy gives badges and such for vehicles with over 200,000 or so.. I wonder if Caddy does that also?

You should contact someone at Cadillac Conrad, you could be the Northstar Poster Boy!

ORIGINAL: Conrad

I'm getting close to the 312,000 mile mark. I know Chevy gives badges and such for vehicles with over 200,000 or so.. I wonder if Caddy does that also?


Ever open the engine?

what is the story on the tranny?

In May I did a tune-up and when I was changing the plugs/wires, the wire boots had a rust residue on every one. Is that a hint there was a head gasket problem?(3rd owner) The transmission is original. Had it in for filter/fluid change in June. Everything looked clean. However, I do have the infamous tcc stuck off once in a great while.

As far as I know aluminum does not rust. Rust is ferrous oxide and you would need some fe = iron content present to produce rust. :D

ORIGINAL: Katzmans Caddy

As far as I know aluminum does not rust. Rust is ferrous oxide and you would need some fe = iron content present to produce rust. :D


iron needs water and oxigen to rust, aluminum only needs oxygen to "oxidize"
there is a reason all alum wheels are coated ...

ORIGINAL: Conrad

In May I did a tune-up and when I was changing the plugs/wires, the wire boots had a rust residue on every one. Is that a hint there was a head gasket problem?(3rd owner) The transmission is original. Had it in for filter/fluid change in June. Everything looked clean. However, I do have the infamous tcc stuck off once in a great while.


sounds like there is or was a coolant issue somewhere .. coolant can look like rust when it is dried and baked..

aahh! the orange dex-cool.. didn't think of that.. possibly!!

ORIGINAL: Conrad

aahh! the orange dex-cool.. didn't think of that.. possibly!!


You are right I didn't think of it,[:o] Mine has green, ditched that orange stuff a while back.

Cadillac engines have made habit of blowing by 100k for decades,now that people are keeping car longer ,I am sure there will be some cruising into the 400k+ range after all overheating is its only enemy.

i saw one guy that got that message after caking everything in the engine compartment with mud

As far as I know aluminum does not rust. Rust is ferrous oxide and you would need some fe = iron content present to produce rust. :D


a difference in terminology .. aluminum doesnt rust, it corrodes.



"RUST

Rust is a general term for a series of iron oxides, usually red oxides, formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the presence of water or air moisture. Several forms of rust are distinguishable visually and by spectroscopy, and form under different cir***stances.[1] Rust consists of hydrated iron(III) oxides Fe2O3·nH2O and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH), Fe(OH)3). Rusting is the common term for corrosion of iron and its alloys, such as steel. Other metals undergo equivalent corrosion, but the resulting oxides are not commonly called rust. "


"Corrosion, Aluminum

The corrosion of aluminum is dependent upon a vast number of variables. These variables include environment, temperature, alloy in question, flow velocities, impurities present in the environment, and chemistry conditions to which it is exposed. An additional factor that affects corrosion is pretreatment. Many of the factors are controlled by design and construction, such as alloy type, temperature, and flow velocities. Pretreatment, soluble and solid impurities, and chemistry are within the control of the operator and will be discussed in this text. Experiments have shown that prefilming limits corrosion on aluminum-clad fuel assemblies. In the tests conducted, the ratios of oxide film thickness for nonprefilmed and prefilmed elements were on the order of 2 to 3 and in some cases even greater. Impurities are major contributors to the corrosion of aluminum. In most cases studied, the major source of contaminants has been makeup water systems. Corrosion products from other plant materials also contribute to the overall inventory of ionic and solid impurities. Finally, organic impurities from the resin used in ion exchangers have been detected. These occur in some installations because of the type of resin used and the particle filters normally installed on the ion exchanger effluents. This problem has been reduced by improved resins and installing filters capable of removing smaller particles. Chemistry controls, including pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity, greatly influence the formation and propagation of the oxide film on aluminum surfaces. Dissolved oxygen is controlled for essentially the same reasons as for the corrosion of iron. Conductivity is a quantitative indication of the impurities present in the system, and pH theoretically dictates the value of conductivity."


http://www.tpub.com/content/doe/h1015v1/css/h1015v1_119.htm

As engine failures go, I believe those are rare, really rare, at least in the American V8.

Going back to every V8 American engine made since the 1970's, the few failures that I have seen or heard off are trowing a rod while racing, a few with spun bearings due to coolant in the crankcase, some camshaft failures due to oil starvation, overheating (most of the failures), or damage after an accident.

Adjusting oil type/weight due to mileage/wear can add tremedous amount of life to an engine. Often the weight/type the mfg recommends for a new engine, is not the best for a 200,000 mile engine. Check your oil pressure, it will tell you a lot of the wear on the engine and may hint as to the change in oil that you should do to protect the moving parts.

400,000 miles is no longer unheard of .. 200,000 mile engines are becoming common, and many are headed for double that .. if only the rest of the car can hold up to the dangers of the highways, weather, and cost of repairs of other items besides the engine itself.

Service deemed Uneconomical - A mechanic recently told me that the main reasons for older cars going to the scrap yard is the cost of replacing a timing chain, government rules, a front suspension issue, blown transmission. In most cases, the engines themselves being perfectly fine. In the snow belt, add rusting bodies to the list.

.

As far as I know aluminum does not rust. Rust is ferrous oxide and you would need some fe = iron content present to produce rust. :D Aluminum corrodes worse than iron. fact.

These engines easily go 200,000+ with proper maintanece. The Headgasket and the non roller exhaust camshaft failure are the main causes of doom.