Hello,
I'm looking at potentially purchasing a 2005 Cadillac DeVille with 160,000 miles. We know the owner, who has owned it for most of its life and seems to have maintained it well. I hear mixed stories regarding the Northstar Engines and head gasket issues. My goal is to pick the car up for less than $4,000 if all checks out otherwise. Some claim the head bolt issue was fixed in 2005 throughout the end of the Northstar engine's life (2011). However, some people seem to still have a problem.
1) Should I avoid the car altogether?
2) Is there anything I can do to detect a head gasket blowing early, or to prevent it?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Get a compression test.
Along with what MountainMan posted with the Car Wizard video - the wizard also posted another video where he actually recommends the DeVille. But he has two very large caveats:
1) Only get it if you're a serious mechanic that can do a head gasket job yourself.
2) Find one that already has a blown head gasket so you can get it dirt cheap.
Watch the video beginning at 13:00. It's pretty amusing.
https://youtu.be/CbJvuKAzxSM?t=783
