AAA/GOT
October 5th, 2005, 12:26 PM
Well, the experiment is over. We re-learned the same old lessons with Cadillac sedans.
I know I know, I should have known better, especially being the Lincoln lover that I am. Please don’t be too harsh on me there is a story behind the experience.
Actually, my Dad really loves Cadillac, collects classic models in fact. We had been on opposite sides of the fence for about the last 10 years or so. Finally, in frustration I said something like “Well let’s get some. Don’t buy one, lets get two or three so we don’t base our opinion on a possible lemon. Then maybe one of us will learn a lesson and we won’t have to talk about it any more”.
We took delivery on two 2003 Deville sedans last spring with about 30,000 miles. The next day after an airport trip or two a chauffeur came to me and asked if the oil in the new Cadillac was supposed to look foamy and grey. Right, blown head gasket. To the dealer’s credit, (Martin Cadillac in Cliffside Park NJ, GREAT people to deal with, very nice) they had roll-back to our facility in West Jersey in about 90 minutes. They offered to fix the head gasket and make everything right. I’ve never known an engine to survive lack of lubrication and asked for another like vehicle. They had many dark blue models available and unbelievably complied. I picked an ‘02 Deville that was the best on the lot.
Ok, now we’re rolling. Mechanically, everything was great. Then the complaints from clients and chauffeurs started rolling in The clients preferred the ride of a Lincoln to say the very least. Chauffeurs complained of too little space in the trunk, and they also didn’t like the ride. One told me he’d rather drive an old Crown Vic I have around for emergencies. Please understand that this Crown Vic gets driven about 1000 miles a month as opposed to the Lincolns that get more like 12,000.
Well, maybe two weeks later I noticed an oil leak under the engine. Round and round we go for warranty service. I took the car to our local dealer and advised them that the underside of the entire engine compartment was coated with oil. I told them it looked like the oil pan. Their response, after keeping the car for a full day, was to tell me that Cadillac would not authorize a repair until the vehicle underwent an oil use analysis and to bring the car by every 500 miles and have them check the oil, and to tell my chauffeurs NOT to check the oil. I told them frankly that I would tell my chauffeurs no such thing. So we tried. The problem was that “stopping by to have the oil checked” at the dealer took about 45 minutes. Of course, I’m paying the chauffeur for his time so that didn’t work for me either. So, in the name of customer service, they offer to come pick it up a couple time a week, costing me more down time. After two weeks, they told me everything was fine, the car had needed no oil. I wasn’t surprised and told them that was because the chauffeurs had checked and filled the oil daily and could document usage of about 1 quart every 500 miles from our fleet records. This was not good enough for them, understandably I guess. So we tried again to no avail. About a month into the whole analysis thing I got the General Manager of the dealership on the phone who reasonably accepted that if the now entire undercarriage was coated with oil, there must be a leak. He referred me back to service who stated “gee you didn’t say it was a leak, we thought you said it was using oil”. Dumbfounded. I sent the car back up there with high hopes. Three days later, they called to advise that the vehicle was ready for pick up. I could wait to hear what the problem actually was. Was it the oil pan like I thought? A valve cover? I was so excited! When I got there I was advised that... ... ... an oil use analysis was necessary in order to determine if the car was burning oil or if it was leaking. Right, F**k it!
Off to my mechanic it went, inside of two hours he advised me that rear main seal and oil pan gasket needed to be replaced. I commented that it sounded like a tough job, the mechanic said it was actually pretty easy, once you set the engine and trans on the bench. $2000 later I got the car back, no more leak, no more down time, that week.
A while later, the other car had a bad axle boot. Now off warranty and Cadillac service department deemed useless, off to my mechanic it went. 1 day and $1300 new boot, axle and the housing it rides in at trans were replaced (Lincoln axle replacement costs me hundreds less) and the race is on again.
A while later, the first caddy needs an axle boot too. Hit bump in the city, broke a rim, bent another axle, I have drive cams, this was no creator, I have reviewed many like videos with chauffeurs. Rear cup holders and arm rests broken in both cars. AC went down. 25,000 mile break job and tires. My Lincoln brakes last upwards of 70,000 and tires a tad more, The front wheel drive chewed up tires, even after upgrading to a 3000 mile rotation schedule as opposed to 10 oi n everything else.
Well spring goes to summer and summer goes to fall, and the other rear main seal goes. Not long after that, the front trans seal goes in the one that the engine had already been out of. Oh, and another axle boot.
At just under 100,000 miles, I finally fixed them both. I personally pulled them into the shop, jacked up the radiator caps and pulled new Lincolns under them. Fixed, forever.
Cadillac in a livery application:
PRICELESS, literally.
I know I know, I should have known better, especially being the Lincoln lover that I am. Please don’t be too harsh on me there is a story behind the experience.
Actually, my Dad really loves Cadillac, collects classic models in fact. We had been on opposite sides of the fence for about the last 10 years or so. Finally, in frustration I said something like “Well let’s get some. Don’t buy one, lets get two or three so we don’t base our opinion on a possible lemon. Then maybe one of us will learn a lesson and we won’t have to talk about it any more”.
We took delivery on two 2003 Deville sedans last spring with about 30,000 miles. The next day after an airport trip or two a chauffeur came to me and asked if the oil in the new Cadillac was supposed to look foamy and grey. Right, blown head gasket. To the dealer’s credit, (Martin Cadillac in Cliffside Park NJ, GREAT people to deal with, very nice) they had roll-back to our facility in West Jersey in about 90 minutes. They offered to fix the head gasket and make everything right. I’ve never known an engine to survive lack of lubrication and asked for another like vehicle. They had many dark blue models available and unbelievably complied. I picked an ‘02 Deville that was the best on the lot.
Ok, now we’re rolling. Mechanically, everything was great. Then the complaints from clients and chauffeurs started rolling in The clients preferred the ride of a Lincoln to say the very least. Chauffeurs complained of too little space in the trunk, and they also didn’t like the ride. One told me he’d rather drive an old Crown Vic I have around for emergencies. Please understand that this Crown Vic gets driven about 1000 miles a month as opposed to the Lincolns that get more like 12,000.
Well, maybe two weeks later I noticed an oil leak under the engine. Round and round we go for warranty service. I took the car to our local dealer and advised them that the underside of the entire engine compartment was coated with oil. I told them it looked like the oil pan. Their response, after keeping the car for a full day, was to tell me that Cadillac would not authorize a repair until the vehicle underwent an oil use analysis and to bring the car by every 500 miles and have them check the oil, and to tell my chauffeurs NOT to check the oil. I told them frankly that I would tell my chauffeurs no such thing. So we tried. The problem was that “stopping by to have the oil checked” at the dealer took about 45 minutes. Of course, I’m paying the chauffeur for his time so that didn’t work for me either. So, in the name of customer service, they offer to come pick it up a couple time a week, costing me more down time. After two weeks, they told me everything was fine, the car had needed no oil. I wasn’t surprised and told them that was because the chauffeurs had checked and filled the oil daily and could document usage of about 1 quart every 500 miles from our fleet records. This was not good enough for them, understandably I guess. So we tried again to no avail. About a month into the whole analysis thing I got the General Manager of the dealership on the phone who reasonably accepted that if the now entire undercarriage was coated with oil, there must be a leak. He referred me back to service who stated “gee you didn’t say it was a leak, we thought you said it was using oil”. Dumbfounded. I sent the car back up there with high hopes. Three days later, they called to advise that the vehicle was ready for pick up. I could wait to hear what the problem actually was. Was it the oil pan like I thought? A valve cover? I was so excited! When I got there I was advised that... ... ... an oil use analysis was necessary in order to determine if the car was burning oil or if it was leaking. Right, F**k it!
Off to my mechanic it went, inside of two hours he advised me that rear main seal and oil pan gasket needed to be replaced. I commented that it sounded like a tough job, the mechanic said it was actually pretty easy, once you set the engine and trans on the bench. $2000 later I got the car back, no more leak, no more down time, that week.
A while later, the other car had a bad axle boot. Now off warranty and Cadillac service department deemed useless, off to my mechanic it went. 1 day and $1300 new boot, axle and the housing it rides in at trans were replaced (Lincoln axle replacement costs me hundreds less) and the race is on again.
A while later, the first caddy needs an axle boot too. Hit bump in the city, broke a rim, bent another axle, I have drive cams, this was no creator, I have reviewed many like videos with chauffeurs. Rear cup holders and arm rests broken in both cars. AC went down. 25,000 mile break job and tires. My Lincoln brakes last upwards of 70,000 and tires a tad more, The front wheel drive chewed up tires, even after upgrading to a 3000 mile rotation schedule as opposed to 10 oi n everything else.
Well spring goes to summer and summer goes to fall, and the other rear main seal goes. Not long after that, the front trans seal goes in the one that the engine had already been out of. Oh, and another axle boot.
At just under 100,000 miles, I finally fixed them both. I personally pulled them into the shop, jacked up the radiator caps and pulled new Lincolns under them. Fixed, forever.
Cadillac in a livery application:
PRICELESS, literally.