2002 Eldorado Collectors Series

[okccadman]

I was missing my old, worn out 2002 Eldorado (sold with 257,000 miles) so I began looking and I brought this home from New Mexico last weekend.  Jolene is one of 532 Collectors Series Eldorados finished in original 1953 Aztec Red.   1064 were done in Alpine White.  She is VERY red!

[James Landi]

 She may be "very red."  but she is also very beautiful... please provide some specifics on your new car, as well as the exceptional service of you old Eldorado.   We've read many narratives about Northstar failures.  Any thoughts or experiences you've encountered would be valuable, especially in terms of the way you drove your old car.  Thanks,  James

[76eldo]

Enjoy that beautiful Eldo.

[okccadman]

James, she is one of 532 Collectors Sreies cars painted 1953 Aztec Red for the final year of the Eldorado.  They also made 1064 in Alpine White.  The red cars have Carbon Fiber instead of the wood trim wit Black Leather with Red Accents.  The Alpine White cars have burled Sappeli Wood trim in place of the Zebrano Wood uses in stock Eldorados and feature Neutral Leather with Oatmeal accents.

My previous 02 Eldo was a Sable Black Touring Coupe with Neutral Leather.  I bought it on a fluke with 197,000 miles and drove it another 60,000 miles including to the GN in Las Vegas.  I sold it when i began to have overheating issues, but I DON'T think it was the head gasket issue Northstars are known for.  I still see it around town occasionally.

[James Landi]

Would be interesting to know just how many Northstar equipped Cadillacs from the beginning of the last decade on still in service.  We know from personal experience, that iron block '67 Cadillacs on forward, had the metallurgy  in the piston rings and hardened valve train to run, seemingly, forever, except for their timing chains... the 4.9's on forward through the early Northstars are somewhat of a mystery, and especially the Northstars seem to have the head bolt flaw... I wonder if the failure has more to do with owner abuse rather than design and engineering issues.  James

[jdemerson]

Would be interesting to know just how many Northstar equipped Cadillacs from the beginning of the last decade on still in service.  We know from personal experience, that iron block '67 Cadillacs on forward, had the metallurgy  in the piston rings and hardened valve train to run, seemingly, forever, except for their timing chains... the 4.9's on forward through the early Northstars are somewhat of a mystery, and especially the Northstars seem to have the head bolt flaw... I wonder if the failure has more to do with owner abuse rather than design and engineering issues.  James

James, an interesting point, and I've wondered about that too. Car owners have become accustomed to ignoring maintenance issues and often they seem to get away with it. I make a point of never being late with fluid changes, especially with oil and filter changes, on any car.  In the very long run, I think that this attention pays dividends. On a model as fine, desirable, and attractive as a 2002 Eldorado Special Edition, I would change the oil and filter at least every 5000 miles no matter what. (I haven't looked up the Cadillac-recommended interval.) Cheap insurance.

Here is what Wikipedia says about the later Northstar V8s:
The most common years of the head gasket issue, by far, are 1997-1999. In 2000, Cadillac lengthened the head bolts, which decreased the chance of having the failure; however, it did not eliminate the issue entirely.[3] Starting in model year 2004.5, the head bolts were once again replaced, this time using GM's small-block V8 "LS6" head bolts, which were longer than the originals but also crucially had a coarser thread with superior grip.[3] This effectively mitigated the issue, making the 2005-2011 Northstar V8s no more prone to head gasket failure than other production aluminum V8 engines; these Northstars are the most desirable versions for their longevity and reliability.

Statistically, there will ALWAYS be exceptions to the rule and examples of failure even with the very best model Cadillacs. But your point about failures often having more to do with owner abuse than with design flaws is well-taken --quite aside from the analysis given in Wikipedia. If a 2002 Northstar Eldorado had an oil change with new filter every 5000 miles, I wonder how well it would have done in the long run?  Very well in most cases, I suspect. I'd certainly make the same point for a Northstar Cadillac from 2005 or newer -- an XLR, for example.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X  (which gets 2 oil changes per year whether it needs them or not...)

[MaR]

Do the very early Northstar engines have the same head bolt problem?

[jdemerson]

Do the very early Northstar engines have the same head bolt problem?

Yes, I believe that they did have that problem in general. Members of the Allante Club report that their 1993 Allantes with the very first Northstar engines generally do not have the head bolt problem. They emphasize that the Allante Northstars were assembled by hand with  very strict quality control standards. Thus they report that the engines were very reliable. Whether this is entirely true, I have heard it from several different 1993 Allante owners.

John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X

[76eldo]

I hope it’s true.
I love my 93 Allante.

[James Landi]

Might wish to check with John Monzo-- Allante XLR club out of NJ.... he's evolved his passion for Allantes into a repair business over the past 20 years, and he'd have first hand knowledge.   James

[jdemerson]

Might wish to check with John Monzo-- Allante XLR club out of NJ.... he's evolved his passion for Allantes into a repair business over the past 20 years, and he'd have first hand knowledge.   James

I'd love to hear the response too. Could you post any further information?  Thanks!
John Emerson

[James Landi]

Hi John,

I tried to log into John Monzo's website "Allante XLR club,Sewell, N.J. and apparently his website has an issue.  I think this personal email is itsonlyloveemail addresses not permitted. As I mentioned, he's deeply engaged in keeping Allantes on the road, he has a large following, and he's become a great resource over the past 20 years.   Happy day, James

[Glen]

The CLC directory has a different spelling for his email address.