There is a difference between a mechanic and a parts technician I’d like to thank you Wizard because of your videos I didn’t buy a certain car. I went to a used dealership in 2019 and test drove a 2014 Cadillac CTS and loved it but I told them that I wouldn’t buy the 3.6 but if they had a 2.0T or could get one from another dealership I would take it. I filled out all the paperwork , got approved and put my $2500 deposit down. They told me it would take 2 days to get my 2.0T brought in and certified. A few days later they called to tell me the car was ready but when I showed up they told me they couldn’t get the 2.0T but they would honor the same deal on the 3.6 . I laughed in their face , walked over to the finance office to get my deposit refunded and walked across the street to Infiniti and purchased a new 2020 Q50S Awd ( not a Nissan because of the CVT transmission wizard warned me about) and couldn’t be happier.
That’s how I found my missing hose clip (my mistake). The pressure test tool would cost £35 but a shraeder valve in a pressure cap and cycle tyre pump did the job.
I have a 13 ATS with the 3.6. This version (LFX) and the successor (LGX) have a decent rep. The earlier versions had the timing chain issues due to crappy parts and aggravated by Cadillac specifying a long oil change interval. They updated the OCI on earlier 3.6s to something closer to the 13+ engines, but the crappy parts were still an issue. Man, that console black is all scratched up. Mine still looks great because I run a duster over it first, then I use a screen cleaning pad, start at the CUE screen, then all around and down to the cup holder area.
Agree. The earlier engines possesed 'light-duty' stretchy chains. What's more the lengthy oil changes didn't help the situation as the build up of sludge obstructs oil galleries/pressure to the tensioners - and increases overall chain wear. Needless to say, not one of GM's greatest engineering feats - not helped by the now typical 'bean-counter' imposed lengthy oil change intervals - that are frankly ludicrous.
German cars are pure garbage they drive real nice for about 30k miles after that they fall apart faster than anything I’ve ever seen but I love fixing them because people need them for their status symbol car wizard likes that money and realizes this while also being a legit true mechanic that won’t give you the shaft if your a good mechanic you work on everything except ford lol
@@DavidWilliams-vc2msthe Gen 3 motors got an aluminum intake manifold. Had 2, Gen 2 cars and the upper intake manifold which is plastic cracked on both cars. They are known to crack.
My surprise was not that an o-ring was dried out and leaking but that a Cadillac part cost less for the part with the seals than the seals themselves. I would figure the pipe was replaced less often so the seals on the in stock pipe would be closer to dry rotting than the seals in the plastic bags. Good video, thanks for sharing it with us! I love to watch the Parts Cannon being fired on someone else’s vehicle and it reminds us not to fire that cannon without Looking very close to all of the information the car gives us!
I had the same overheating problem when I had my last car (05 civic). I had to Rev the snot out of the engine to get it to not overheat and to get hot air. I took it to 2 different places and they threw parts at it too. Finally I took it to a shop and they diagnosed it as an uneven head gasket and had it machined and it was all happy. Thank god for good mechanics
I'm lucky to have found a great, honest and reasonably priced shop that is very reputable here in Northern Illinois. If I moved to Newton, Kansas, I would definitely be going to your shop and be proud to have you work on my car, I would rather have a very honest reputable shop with a fair price than going to shade tree Joe
I could feel the frustration at the intro lol. With what I do, I also get frustrated when things aren’t done correctly by previous reps before I have to deal with a customer.
I had the same issue with a 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier 4-cylinder - overheating when not driving. The Chevrolet Service department needed three tries (flushing coolant with less than 500 miles then replaced computer) before they found the thermostat was not installed from the factory! By design when that engine got warm, the thermostat would open and turn the fan on. No thermostat meant it didn't trigger the fan to turn on and the engine would overheat.
The first thing you do is pressure test when there's a cooling problem. I learned that in high school auto mechanics class 50 years ago. I still have a pressure tester I bought in the 70's (for 20 bucks) that works great. The more they overthink it, the worse it gets. Like you said, they're out thousands.
The first thing you do is check your coolant level. If coolant keeps disappearing, and you can't SEE a leak, then pressure test. The moment you start losing coolant, even a little bit, start investigating. Put a cardboard under the engine bay overnight. Don't wait for it to overheat.
@@elitesniper923 Stupidity imo. Overheating can kill your motor or blow your head gaskets. That first shop probably knew what was wrong but wanted to coin it 😠
@@elitesniper923 the smell of coolant is genius, I had a vehicle that almost overheated and I was easily able to tell it wasn’t coolant for the fact I can smell it from a mile away, turned out to be just my fan, but I saw no leaks and smelled nothing, replaced fan, case closed, this shop definitely took the scenic route
@@BubblesTheCat1 that shop either knew or they didn’t give a cats ass… some shops are famous for just throwing parts because they don’t feel like diagnosing it, but this wasn’t even a difficult diagnosis to begin with I mean this was literally almost the easiest thing they could’ve done
Don’t you just love it when garages just throw parts at a problem on a vehicle? Just like a junior computer tech who doesn’t know or yet posses the knowledge or has gathered enough wisdom through life’s experiences.
Solid diagnostic work leading to a one-time repair that fixes the problem rather than the guessing game that wastes time and money that may or may not eventually address the issue. That's what separates the real auto techs from parts jockeys and their parts shotguns. Sometimes, you may get it right with the guessing game ... but, as a business, you can't afford the risk of wasted time and money as well as a dissatisfied customer by making assumptions and doing guesswork. *Never guess, test.* It's best to know rather than assume.
Amazing the owner didn't know it was a leak! I mean, even if you know almost nothing about cars, when you check the coolant level and it's much lower than it was last time, that should be kinda obvious.
Good mechanics can be hard to find.......and good mechanics aren't cheap, but you will save money by not throwing parts at a car. Fixing it right the 1st time. I have a mechanic i have used for the last 10+ years. Like the car wizard suggested it was a relationship built over time. I learned they were honest and multiple times they could of made more money off of me and they didn't. They fixed the actual problem and didn't upsell a bunch of crap that wasn't needed.
At first blush, I would have guessed the cooling fan, but a leak that bad would literally not pass the smell test and would be the first thing to pursue after the easy visual check of the reservoir.
The correct answer was D. The idiot at the other shop had no business diagnosing the problem. Cadillac automobiles; Designed by genius's to be owned by idiots and worked on by incompetent morons!(The Wizard excluded)
These 3.6 engines are the LFX generation, which fixed all the problems from the earlier engines and will run 200k+ as long as you check oil (like on any DI engine). For some reason these were never put into the Traverse/Enclave and those kept using the earlier LLT until the 2017 model changeover, along with all their other issues. Really the LLT works fairly well as long as you keep oil in it, too.
@@keithf8649 😂 had mine til 140k mileage , it burned a quart even with amsoil 5w50 , I kept up with mine just fine but you do need to keep track of the oil at all times and keep it on hand lol It was full bolts on , e85 , bc racing coilovers , overkill tune , brembo upgrades in the front and big tire upgrade
"As long as you check oil... keep oil in it..." That is why I won't invest in a GM car. I check ✔️ the oil in my toyota v6, but not every 100s of miles.
@@Wextopher yep and toyota makes great appliances, but some people want something with a bit more personality. But every engine will die without oil. Also, lots of dead priuses and corollas from the ZR engine.
I remember getting a sales job and a older guy told me “never straight away from the basics” …. Personally I think a scan tool is the least effective way to determine a minor coolant leak or overheating issue 😂…
This car was designed by the GM design team headed by Ed Welburn, one of the three best car designers in the past 10 -15 years (Ian Callum of Jaguar, and Gerry McGovern of Land Rover are the other two, in my opinion). Under Welburn's leadership, GM produced some good looking cars. Even more important, every GM car looked like a GM, but a Cadillac didn't look like a Chevy, which didn't look like a Buick. Each had their own identity, and yet they all were immediately recognizable as GM cars. That's difficult to do, and he did it with great taste. Full disclosure: I'm a fan of Welburn's work, but have never owned a GM car. I have owned Callum designed Jaguars and McGovern designed Land Rovers.
They may have been good at designing cars, but the "engineers" that did the mechanical side of things were total idiots. Land Rovers and Jaguars are endless money pit crap...
@@BubblesTheCat1 My most recent 5 cars: Jaguar X Type, Jaguar XF, Jaguar XE, Land Rover Discovery Sport, and currently driving a Land Rover Defender. They've been no less reliable than any other car I've owned - which is why I keep getting them.
The most important thing ive learned as a at home mechanic, ALWAYS start with the most simple easiest fix first then work from there, ive solved many many issues with simply tightening up a loose clamp or replacing a spark plug
I worked in a dealership with a person like that. He had a Tempo that the fuel gauge didn’t work. He came up and ordered a fuel sending unit that included the fuel pump so that was expensive. He ordered a gauge and “slosh” module. I asked if he wanted to order the wire loom and tank because he pretty much was replacing everything already.
I agree, had a workshop which was good but they always seamed to have high bills. A new place opened close to work, got them to do a few small thing like installing brakes I'd bought. Didn't owner charge me. They do the work I need and tell me what can be done later.
I'm one of those guys my neighbors approach asking if I can fix their car. That's a firm "No Dawg" from me! I will happily point them towards a reputable repair shop though.😊
It's a good thing i acquired both of my vehicles, being, a 2010 F-150 with the 5.4 3 valve and a CTS Coupe with the 3.6 before watching your channel. Have owned both of them for 5-6 years. The F-150 needed new exhaust manifolds and studs, like so many other cars, and a new starter a few years ago. The CTS has needed a new alternator, which was covered under the extended warranty I purchased when we bought the car. Full synthetic oil changes every 5k seems to keep them from destroying themselves. 168k on the F-150, 98k on the CTS.
Wizard you are so right!!! My mechanic is 2 miles from my house and he always gets my work truck in within an hour of calling him and it’s normally done pretty quick. Last repair he did was completely rebuilding my front end on a 2004 Silverado. Yes it was $4400 but my work truck was turned around in less than 48 hours. I lose $1000 a day that truck is down. If you find a good mechanic that gets the problem fixed first time around, stick with them even if it seems a little overpriced.
Yah all just reminded me to check the coolant on my 05 cts my thermostat is on the back of the engine, I keep a eye on it because the o ring is only two years old, I gave up on the parts store couldn't find one the correct size when I changed the thermostat this last spring I think it was stuck closed after sitting all winter
I owned a 2018 ATS 3.6. It was the biggest piece of crap . It had a transmission problem that they tried to fix numerous times but couldn't. Eventually the Caddy dealer told me it was normal and this is the way they shift. BS. Well I dumped the ATS and bought a Toyota Highlander, the best car I have ever owned.
I had $3 o ring cause this once, the seal to the inlet to the water pipe was bad but only when the engine was hot, I'd do pressure tests cold and it'd hold 20psi all day. What finally revealed it was when I replaced the turbo, I disturbed it enough that it started dribbling out visibly. Replaced and it has held coolant so far.
Nooo, some shops hire anybody that doesn’t ask much because they are cheap and only want to make a higher profit margin to shove to the owner/board, just numbers nothing else.
"Bob's Bakery, Plumbing and Auto Repair, how many I help you?" I see a few trolls posting about Mrs. Wizard's interior reviews. One can usually tell when a commenter breaks the cardinal rule about posting: "Be nice." Most happily married spouses will eagerly defend their partners, and RUclips channel operators have full discretion to block people who create drama on a channel. So if you find yourself suddenly unable to comment on this channel, unlike most of Omega's customers, that's an issue the Car Wizard is under no obligation to fix. Or, it's even possible that Mrs. Car Wizard has the ability to moderate comments on the channel. What a beautiful example of Karma that would be.
The Wizard should be able to name these POS shops without the threat of litigation. If you pay attention to the comments they do come in here from time to time stating "the Wizard is full of sh*t" in obvious fashion revealing themselves.
Pretty bad that this was missed. One of my niggles is why replace the whole part if it’s just an O ring, such a waste of materials. I understand sometimes the labour to fault find down to part level can be more expensive then modular replacement or if it’s preventative.
Could you please do a video of what your shop does for a standard general maintenance oil change visit? So if someone is moving to the area and looking for a new shop they know things to kind of look for.
I had a 2015 ATS (AWD) with the 3.6. Good driving car when it worked. Owned it for ~400 days and it was in the shop multiple times accumulating a total of ~100 days. GM bought it back. Mine was plagued with electric issues And it didn’t help that everything went through the CUE. It was my first and last Cadillac.
i remember years ago there was a news story sort about the same thing the customer had many mechanics try and fix the over heating problem. more so on the highway, one old time mechanic pointed out that the lower air deflector under the front bumper was not there to send air to help cool the engine at high speed
GM has been having a similar issue since the plastic water elbow sealed with an o-ring on the 3800 series motors in the 90's. They improved the design since then but almost the same problem. At least it is actually metal now.
I’d say 154,000 miles on a 3.6L and just a small leak like that at 12 years of age (2025’s now out), one can’t say much about the 3.6L. We have a 2015 ATS 2.0T (since new). At 71,000 miles. Looks and drive fantastic. Only real issue is the rear differential on these get some play in them and since they are a sealed unit, requires an entire new rear diff. Not a cheap fix. But plan to run the wheels off of this car and see how many years we get out of it. Loved my 2018 CTS with a 3.6L. Had it for 5 years. Now one year in a 2024 XT6 Sport with the 3.6L. I’ve enjoyed the Cadillac brand.
Just replaced the rear diff on my '14 CTS 3.6 at 80K miles. Wasn't super fun, but it's so quiet again. Going to change the gear oil a lot more to try and make it last (I don't think GM upgraded the pinion bearing).
I bought a pressure tester with just about every fitting available that also does vacuum filling. One of the top 10 best tools I own. I only paid slightly over $200 for it.
That would mean bolts and bolt holes to hold down the flange gasket. O rings cost less Oh wait.... Cars designed by accountants with planned obsolescence in mind....
The use of a rubber seal is not the issue. The root cause is the poor quality rubber and plastic components employed by car manufacturers which includes the German OEMs. I have removed 50 year old components that incorporated 0-rings, rubber seals and rubber/plastic componets that are still in reasonable condition - a situation that would be unheard of in 'todays cars'.
Wizard thing is y'all spend the time to "diagnose" the problem, whereas so many shops just throw parts on hoping to solve the issue. Kudos to you and your crew. BTW: I did watch Mrs Wizards interior description (as usual) and find her speaking very pleasant. Mr & Mrs Wizard are a team just as The Lone Ranger and Tonto, so get over your bad manners.
I bought a cheap harbor freight coolant pressure tester because i had a leak on a F-150 years ago and I wanted to make sure i could find the leak ever since then any time I have any coolant leaks it is the first thing I grab because it is simple to set up and only takes a minute to pump up and even better you can see the leak with out the engine running. Ps i can test the repair with it also.
to be fair I would not mind having a new radiator put in my ATS...... My CTS radiator internally failed (NO LEAKS, no overheating) and was mixing coolant and transmission fluid... mechanically totaled the car.
It IS possible that with the age of the car that the radiator did have a leak. They should have caught the rest of the leak unless they assumed that it was spraying back from the radiator. The fan should have been tested before replacing. My mother in law's Ford Tempo (remember those turds?) had blown the head gasket and had the engine replaced at the dealer. It still ran hot. It had been to another dealer who couldn't figure it out. I replaced the radiator cap and found that the hub on the electric fan had broken and the motor was not powering the blades. It looked like it was spinning, but it wasn't drawing any air. Trip to the salvage yard and $15 later it was running fine and cool.
Maybe the O-ring gave out after the other parts fixed it the first time? The statement that it fixed it for a while and then it came back could support that. Whether a pressure test would find a problem that was "about" to happen with the O-ing, don't know that answer.
I spy a NASH in the background with the body design by Farina. One car I don’t see is Tyler Hoover’s Ferrari Testarossa that also has body design by Pininfarina. Dave’s (Wizard) shop sometimes has some interesting symmetry going on.
Love the 3.6 (change oil every 3-4k) everyone knows that they have this issue at the thermostat housing. Many 2018-23 XT5 etc have had to have this done. Sounds like the shop employed fast food clerks not mechanics...ugh.
Big 3 still A lot of stamped steel parts around suspension areas vs aluminum cast/forged parts on competitors. Saving weight helps handling, braking, and acceleration
Mechanics missing things is what makes me not trust them much, and part of what makes a good mechanic hard to find. Not shady mechanics... less competent mechanics.
Its amazing the lack of knowledge people have with car repairs. Fill the coolant resevoir and then check for leaks....some people are just stupid about such things. It never ceases to amaze me.
I think Mrs Wizard does a great job, you guys really?! It’s not just the wizards channel he includes his wife also that’s a great team right there if you ask me!
one of my friends has a CTS with a 3.6 and the dealer kept taking guesses at why it was over heating and after a radiator, and water pump it ended up being a thermostat. Cadillac doesn't sell just a thermostat, they sell a big housing that comes with it for $350. ended up getting a thermostat from one of the auto parts stores for like $20 and it's been fine for like 2 or 3 years now.
@CarWizard lots of trucks are driving in flooded waters from the hurricane, some with water over the wheel hubs. would you suggest changing diff fluid after doing flood water rescues? Some say yes and others say no cause the breather line runs up to the truck bed. What's your say on this?
Why are you not making a video on that beautiful Citroen XM ?? I had one years ago when i lived in the netherlands and it was an absolute dream to drive !!
I have a 2012 Cadillac SRX with the 3.6 LFX engine- for me, the engine has been rock solid. I do wonder if it’s extended oil intervals that cause the timing chain stretch. I have always in general changed the oil at 5K miles (and now at 4K as it has 125K miles on it). No oil consumption at all. I had a Cadillac CTS (2006) and ~ 110K miles, it was consuming 1 quart in ~ 1500 miles. I recall the oil change interval in that car being 7500 miles, so I shortened it in the SRX since we owned it as a demo vehicle with 5K miles on it.
2013 on is the LFX 3.6. All the problems were rectified. the previous version is the LLT. These are excellent cars. What's with the Nash? The pink Caddy? 🙂
Very common leak area on the Alloytec V6 here in Australian Holden vehicles. Same engine They are very sensitive to air. As soon as some coolant is missing they are overheating
A good friend of mine with a camaro that has that same engine. Someone told him it was the water pump leaking, i told him he should let me take a look at it. Not even pressure testing it told him to start the car, i can already see it was that same o-ring shown in the video that was leaking. A trip to the dealer for parts and a few hours of manual labor later and he was back on the road.
I'm sorry Mrs. Wizard, but I did skip the interior tour! But that's because I have a Cadillac ATS too, and I've seen the interior a million times! But i did see the oart with the module in the cupholder, I got that far.
Not necessarily true guy has a 96 cadillac Seville. Needed fuel pump. Just installed and got the car running. Unfortunately there's a electrical problem. The shop I work for doesn't do electrical repairs other than starter and altenator replace. I told the customer I would do my best to test the wiring harness I found the issue and fixed it. However I told the customer to take it to a shop that is better equipped for electrical repairs. I did it at no charge.
I’m willing to be this was a big stealership in this customers area. It’s time to get rid of independent dealers and just go factory direct and just have a small showroom showing off all the models so the users can test drive the vehicle. I would get every penny of that $1000+ for this.
How did you know I skipped the interior? I laughed my a$$ off when you said that!
There is a difference between a mechanic and a parts technician
I’d like to thank you Wizard because of your videos I didn’t buy a certain car.
I went to a used dealership in 2019 and test drove a 2014 Cadillac CTS and loved it but I told them that I wouldn’t buy the 3.6 but if they had a 2.0T or could get one from another dealership I would take it. I filled out all the paperwork , got approved and put my $2500 deposit down. They told me it would take 2 days to get my 2.0T brought in and certified. A few days later they called to tell me the car was ready but when I showed up they told me they couldn’t get the 2.0T but they would honor the same deal on the 3.6 .
I laughed in their face , walked over to the finance office to get my deposit refunded and walked across the street to Infiniti and purchased a new 2020 Q50S Awd ( not a Nissan because of the CVT transmission wizard warned me about) and couldn’t be happier.
I owned a 2103 Cadillac ATS 2.0T. Absolutely loved that car. I drove across Canada with it. Wish I still had it.
Damn youre from the future? What should i invest in?
Based on the Zeta and Alpha platform mostly Aussie designed.
A deluxe Chevy Cobalt SS
How the hell can a shop just throw parts and not diagnose the problem. Thank you for your honesty SIr. Good luck with the channel too. vf
Thanks Wizard. I suppose the customer s/feel fortunate that the other shop didn't try to stick him for a head gasket.
A good mechanic can save you headaches and thousands💯 thankful for my guy
Pretty bad shop if they cannot diagnose a significant coolant leak in front of the engine
You would think a pressure test would be the first thing they did
That’s how I found my missing hose clip (my mistake). The pressure test tool would cost £35 but a shraeder valve in a pressure cap and cycle tyre pump did the job.
Bet my bottom dollar he never went to a shop he did the work himself. The wizard is out of line lately
@@bonton9441Not out of line. Car showed up exactly as described. Dont be a hater
Wizzzard i agree though wizard speaks the truth
I appreciate that you are passionate about good honest mechanics.
The Cadillac crest is NOT exactly the same as a '63's. It was updated starting with the '02 Escalade, and again in '16.
Yep, they took away the ducks 😢🦆
not even the 16', it was somewhere around 2014. the face lift for this ats has the new emblem
I have a 13 ATS with the 3.6. This version (LFX) and the successor (LGX) have a decent rep. The earlier versions had the timing chain issues due to crappy parts and aggravated by Cadillac specifying a long oil change interval. They updated the OCI on earlier 3.6s to something closer to the 13+ engines, but the crappy parts were still an issue.
Man, that console black is all scratched up. Mine still looks great because I run a duster over it first, then I use a screen cleaning pad, start at the CUE screen, then all around and down to the cup holder area.
Great to know
Agree. The earlier engines possesed 'light-duty' stretchy chains. What's more the lengthy oil changes didn't help the situation as the build up of sludge obstructs
oil galleries/pressure to the tensioners - and increases overall chain wear. Needless to say, not one of GM's greatest engineering feats - not helped by the now typical 'bean-counter' imposed lengthy oil change intervals - that are frankly ludicrous.
I am not a fan of GM cars but nice to see that the cooling flanges are made of metal rather than the plastic parts which have invaded German cars.
German cars are pure garbage they drive real nice for about 30k miles after that they fall apart faster than anything I’ve ever seen but I love fixing them because people need them for their status symbol car wizard likes that money and realizes this while also being a legit true mechanic that won’t give you the shaft if your a good mechanic you work on everything except ford lol
You are spot on with the plastics. I remember having a 3.8 impala with plastic coolant elbows, intakes, etc. Metal parts are way better.
@@DavidWilliams-vc2msthe Gen 3 motors got an aluminum intake manifold. Had 2, Gen 2 cars and the upper intake manifold which is plastic cracked on both cars. They are known to crack.
Mini Cooper's with PLASTIC WATER PUMPS 😂😂😂
@elmayimbe_the_amateur_mechanic Correct! I had the series 2 engine. You're correct series 3s were updated.
My surprise was not that an o-ring was dried out and leaking but that a Cadillac part cost less for the part with the seals than the seals themselves. I would figure the pipe was replaced less often so the seals on the in stock pipe would be closer to dry rotting than the seals in the plastic bags. Good video, thanks for sharing it with us! I love to watch the Parts Cannon being fired on someone else’s vehicle and it reminds us not to fire that cannon without Looking very close to all of the information the car gives us!
Totally skipped the interior tour oops.
I hung long enough to see the mileage.
Does anybody care about the interior tour and review? No, just show me what fixed the car
Fr we looking at the engine n problems
I had the same overheating problem when I had my last car (05 civic). I had to Rev the snot out of the engine to get it to not overheat and to get hot air. I took it to 2 different places and they threw parts at it too. Finally I took it to a shop and they diagnosed it as an uneven head gasket and had it machined and it was all happy. Thank god for good mechanics
I love the old Nash in the background
The "fenderskirts" in front STILL kill me.
Beep beep, beep beep, his horn went beep beep beep. Lyrics from a 50's novelty song about a race between a Cadillac and little Nash Rambler.
@@shauny2285 My father had the record, my sister and I would run around the sofa chasing each other when he played it, great memories.
Yeah! What is its story?
@@Wextopher Yeah I wish I knew that but they are awesome cars.
I'm lucky to have found a great, honest and reasonably priced shop that is very reputable here in Northern Illinois. If I moved to Newton, Kansas, I would definitely be going to your shop and be proud to have you work on my car, I would rather have a very honest reputable shop with a fair price than going to shade tree Joe
I could feel the frustration at the intro lol. With what I do, I also get frustrated when things aren’t done correctly by previous reps before I have to deal with a customer.
I had the same issue with a 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier 4-cylinder - overheating when not driving. The Chevrolet Service department needed three tries (flushing coolant with less than 500 miles then replaced computer) before they found the thermostat was not installed from the factory! By design when that engine got warm, the thermostat would open and turn the fan on. No thermostat meant it didn't trigger the fan to turn on and the engine would overheat.
LoL. Typical GM quality.
Do I see a Nash in the background? Would love to see a video on it!
He's teasing us...and he knows it!!!
@@BillofRights1951 Yes, He's teasing us, with the Nash Rambler AND the Pink Cadillac!!
is that baby blue one a TR6 or an MG?
@@boredom.victimno, that’s the Fiat Spyder they’re performing experiments on
That’s what I noticed quick. I thought Kaiser Nash at first
I watch Mrs Wiz because here in the UK we don't see American vehicles so the differences in assembly and layout are interesting.
The first thing you do is pressure test when there's a cooling problem. I learned that in high school auto mechanics class 50 years ago. I still have a pressure tester I bought in the 70's (for 20 bucks) that works great. The more they overthink it, the worse it gets. Like you said, they're out thousands.
The first thing you do is check your coolant level. If coolant keeps disappearing, and you can't SEE a leak, then pressure test. The moment you start losing coolant, even a little bit, start investigating. Put a cardboard under the engine bay overnight. Don't wait for it to overheat.
@@BubblesTheCat1exactly! The overwhelming coolant smell should have been a dead giveaway as well. But they replaced the fan instead...
@@elitesniper923 Stupidity imo. Overheating can kill your motor or blow your head gaskets. That first shop probably knew what was wrong but wanted to coin it 😠
@@elitesniper923 the smell of coolant is genius, I had a vehicle that almost overheated and I was easily able to tell it wasn’t coolant for the fact I can smell it from a mile away, turned out to be just my fan, but I saw no leaks and smelled nothing, replaced fan, case closed, this shop definitely took the scenic route
@@BubblesTheCat1 that shop either knew or they didn’t give a cats ass… some shops are famous for just throwing parts because they don’t feel like diagnosing it, but this wasn’t even a difficult diagnosis to begin with I mean this was literally almost the easiest thing they could’ve done
The idea of that last shop not pressure testing the cooling system blows my mind! Way to go #carwizard !
Don’t you just love it when garages just throw parts at a problem on a vehicle? Just like a junior computer tech who doesn’t know or yet posses the knowledge or has gathered enough wisdom through life’s experiences.
i love how they just go through people's car and show thousands of people what they keep in it 😅😅😅
Solid diagnostic work leading to a one-time repair that fixes the problem rather than the guessing game that wastes time and money that may or may not eventually address the issue.
That's what separates the real auto techs from parts jockeys and their parts shotguns. Sometimes, you may get it right with the guessing game ... but, as a business, you can't afford the risk of wasted time and money as well as a dissatisfied customer by making assumptions and doing guesswork.
*Never guess, test.* It's best to know rather than assume.
A good mechanic is like gold. I do most work myself and give him the jobs requiring a lift, plus a $30 tip... every time.
I like the interior review. We get to see cars we may never have seen
Anyone who doesn't do a pressure test on a cooling system before they even touch anything else in a car - run away from that place.
that would be disconnecting the battery. pshh amateur mechanics
My 1st thought. Why wasn't it pressure tested to begin with?
Amazing the owner didn't know it was a leak! I mean, even if you know almost nothing about cars, when you check the coolant level and it's much lower than it was last time, that should be kinda obvious.
Of course if they change the brakes they need to do a cooling system pressure test. 😂
@CaptainKremmen, some people don't ever look under the hood, change oil, etc
Good mechanics can be hard to find.......and good mechanics aren't cheap, but you will save money by not throwing parts at a car. Fixing it right the 1st time. I have a mechanic i have used for the last 10+ years. Like the car wizard suggested it was a relationship built over time.
I learned they were honest and multiple times they could of made more money off of me and they didn't. They fixed the actual problem and didn't upsell a bunch of crap that wasn't needed.
At first blush, I would have guessed the cooling fan, but a leak that bad would literally not pass the smell test and would be the first thing to pursue after the easy visual check of the reservoir.
The correct answer was D. The idiot at the other shop had no business diagnosing the problem. Cadillac automobiles; Designed by genius's to be owned by idiots and worked on by incompetent morons!(The Wizard excluded)
These 3.6 engines are the LFX generation, which fixed all the problems from the earlier engines and will run 200k+ as long as you check oil (like on any DI engine). For some reason these were never put into the Traverse/Enclave and those kept using the earlier LLT until the 2017 model changeover, along with all their other issues. Really the LLT works fairly well as long as you keep oil in it, too.
Some Camaros owners say otherwise especially with the llt , they be checking that oil too often and timing chain still go 😂
@@cormaro13 I would not call V6 Camaro owners the most trustworthy when it comes to taking care of their cars
@@keithf8649 😂 had mine til 140k mileage , it burned a quart even with amsoil 5w50 , I kept up with mine just fine but you do need to keep track of the oil at all times and keep it on hand lol
It was full bolts on , e85 , bc racing coilovers , overkill tune , brembo upgrades in the front and big tire upgrade
"As long as you check oil... keep oil in it..." That is why I won't invest in a GM car. I check ✔️ the oil in my toyota v6, but not every 100s of miles.
@@Wextopher yep and toyota makes great appliances, but some people want something with a bit more personality. But every engine will die without oil. Also, lots of dead priuses and corollas from the ZR engine.
That’s the common problem first thing to check. 😉
Like I say some people need to leave the scanners in the draw and go back to basics. 🙀
I remember getting a sales job and a older guy told me “never straight away from the basics” …. Personally I think a scan tool is the least effective way to determine a minor coolant leak or overheating issue 😂…
This car was designed by the GM design team headed by Ed Welburn, one of the three best car designers in the past 10 -15 years (Ian Callum of Jaguar, and Gerry McGovern of Land Rover are the other two, in my opinion).
Under Welburn's leadership, GM produced some good looking cars. Even more important, every GM car looked like a GM, but a Cadillac didn't look like a Chevy, which didn't look like a Buick. Each had their own identity, and yet they all were immediately recognizable as GM cars. That's difficult to do, and he did it with great taste.
Full disclosure: I'm a fan of Welburn's work, but have never owned a GM car. I have owned Callum designed Jaguars and McGovern designed Land Rovers.
I love the style of my 17 CTS. Love the vertical DRL s
They may have been good at designing cars, but the "engineers" that did the mechanical side of things were total idiots. Land Rovers and Jaguars are endless money pit crap...
@@BubblesTheCat1 My most recent 5 cars: Jaguar X Type, Jaguar XF, Jaguar XE, Land Rover Discovery Sport, and currently driving a Land Rover Defender.
They've been no less reliable than any other car I've owned - which is why I keep getting them.
You like junk
The 3.6 is perfectly fine if you change the oil every 5,000 miles and make sure it’s full.
Exactly ,that's a great engine with basic maintenance
No, it is stil junk
You have a lot of subscribers!! Good job, ive learned lots from this channel and so have lots of other people, thanks for that my man )
The most important thing ive learned as a at home mechanic, ALWAYS start with the most simple easiest fix first then work from there, ive solved many many issues with simply tightening up a loose clamp or replacing a spark plug
Many Australians know this issue all too well! Holden used the same V6 LFX engine, and that o-ring was a common failure
Opps that’s Y your the Wizard Wizard I do Skip Mrs Wizards Interior Tutorial
She might be a nice lady. However I can't stand her voice. Thus I always skip the interior description.
Heavy smoker maybe?@@nevco8774
@@nevco8774her voice doesn’t bother me as much as her right thumb looks like a toe
I for one like the interior reviews! I'm also a Cadillac owner though, and appreciate a well crafted interior.
I worked in a dealership with a person like that. He had a Tempo that the fuel gauge didn’t work. He came up and ordered a fuel sending unit that included the fuel pump so that was expensive. He ordered a gauge and “slosh” module. I asked if he wanted to order the wire loom and tank because he pretty much was replacing everything already.
lmaoo😂😂😂 “tempo” 😂😂
thats why dye and a black light are awesome
I agree, had a workshop which was good but they always seamed to have high bills. A new place opened close to work, got them to do a few small thing like installing brakes I'd bought. Didn't owner charge me. They do the work I need and tell me what can be done later.
I'm one of those guys my neighbors approach asking if I can fix their car. That's a firm "No Dawg" from me! I will happily point them towards a reputable repair shop though.😊
It's a good thing i acquired both of my vehicles, being, a 2010 F-150 with the 5.4 3 valve and a CTS Coupe with the 3.6 before watching your channel. Have owned both of them for 5-6 years. The F-150 needed new exhaust manifolds and studs, like so many other cars, and a new starter a few years ago. The CTS has needed a new alternator, which was covered under the extended warranty I purchased when we bought the car. Full synthetic oil changes every 5k seems to keep them from destroying themselves. 168k on the F-150, 98k on the CTS.
Wizard you are so right!!! My mechanic is 2 miles from my house and he always gets my work truck in within an hour of calling him and it’s normally done pretty quick. Last repair he did was completely rebuilding my front end on a 2004 Silverado. Yes it was $4400 but my work truck was turned around in less than 48 hours. I lose $1000 a day that truck is down. If you find a good mechanic that gets the problem fixed first time around, stick with them even if it seems a little overpriced.
🎉 great job. Car wizard i learn. Alot. From watching you with different cars ... And watch hoovie and tavaris ... And others .. Thank you all
The center console electrical hood thing is 😎👍
Yah all just reminded me to check the coolant on my 05 cts my thermostat is on the back of the engine, I keep a eye on it because the o ring is only two years old, I gave up on the parts store couldn't find one the correct size when I changed the thermostat this last spring I think it was stuck closed after sitting all winter
Well at least he’ll be catching Kansas bugs in style with his new radiator
after the amount that the 1st shop screwed him out of, he’ll probably be eating bugs for a while
I never skip Mrs Wizard interior tours because you never know when she tells us thing new, every day is a school day 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I owned a 2018 ATS 3.6. It was the biggest piece of crap . It had a transmission problem that they tried to fix numerous times but couldn't. Eventually the Caddy dealer told me it was normal and this is the way they shift. BS.
Well I dumped the ATS and bought a Toyota Highlander, the best car I have ever owned.
Great to see a domestic car on the channel. GREAT VIDEO!
I had $3 o ring cause this once, the seal to the inlet to the water pipe was bad but only when the engine was hot, I'd do pressure tests cold and it'd hold 20psi all day. What finally revealed it was when I replaced the turbo, I disturbed it enough that it started dribbling out visibly. Replaced and it has held coolant so far.
If low on coolant wouldn't you pressure test it first...geeze... yes Wizard some shops hire... subpar employees!
Nooo, some shops hire anybody that doesn’t ask much because they are cheap and only want to make a higher profit margin to shove to the owner/board, just numbers nothing else.
"Bob's Bakery, Plumbing and Auto Repair, how many I help you?"
I see a few trolls posting about Mrs. Wizard's interior reviews. One can usually tell when a commenter breaks the cardinal rule about posting: "Be nice." Most happily married spouses will eagerly defend their partners, and RUclips channel operators have full discretion to block people who create drama on a channel. So if you find yourself suddenly unable to comment on this channel, unlike most of Omega's customers, that's an issue the Car Wizard is under no obligation to fix. Or, it's even possible that Mrs. Car Wizard has the ability to moderate comments on the channel. What a beautiful example of Karma that would be.
The Wizard should be able to name these POS shops without the threat of litigation. If you pay attention to the comments they do come in here from time to time stating "the Wizard is full of sh*t" in obvious fashion revealing themselves.
@@jsun3117
The truth will not save you from a law suit in the USA.
Freedom becomes free dumb....
Pretty bad that this was missed.
One of my niggles is why replace the whole part if it’s just an O ring, such a waste of materials. I understand sometimes the labour to fault find down to part level can be more expensive then modular replacement or if it’s preventative.
Could you please do a video of what your shop does for a standard general maintenance oil change visit? So if someone is moving to the area and looking for a new shop they know things to kind of look for.
I’m glad I have a good shop to go to! Appropriately named “Integrity Automotive”. I know the job will be done correctly for a fair price!
I had a 2015 ATS (AWD) with the 3.6. Good driving car when it worked. Owned it for ~400 days and it was in the shop multiple times accumulating a total of ~100 days. GM bought it back.
Mine was plagued with electric issues And it didn’t help that everything went through the CUE. It was my first and last Cadillac.
The GM 3.6 and Toyota 3.5 are both very solid engines, two of the best v6s and some of the last.
I had a 2014 ATS with a manual. Imagine my surprise when I found out you could get a manual in a non -V model. That was a fun, peppy little car.
i remember years ago there was a news story sort about the same thing the customer had many mechanics try and fix the over heating problem. more so on the highway, one old time mechanic pointed out that the lower air deflector under the front bumper was not there to send air to help cool the engine at high speed
GM has been having a similar issue since the plastic water elbow sealed with an o-ring on the 3800 series motors in the 90's. They improved the design since then but almost the same problem. At least it is actually metal now.
I’d say 154,000 miles on a 3.6L and just a small leak like that at 12 years of age (2025’s now out), one can’t say much about the 3.6L.
We have a 2015 ATS 2.0T (since new). At 71,000 miles. Looks and drive fantastic. Only real issue is the rear differential on these get some play in them and since they are a sealed unit, requires an entire new rear diff. Not a cheap fix. But plan to run the wheels off of this car and see how many years we get out of it.
Loved my 2018 CTS with a 3.6L. Had it for 5 years. Now one year in a 2024 XT6 Sport with the 3.6L.
I’ve enjoyed the Cadillac brand.
Just replaced the rear diff on my '14 CTS 3.6 at 80K miles. Wasn't super fun, but it's so quiet again. Going to change the gear oil a lot more to try and make it last (I don't think GM upgraded the pinion bearing).
I bought a pressure tester with just about every fitting available that also does vacuum filling. One of the top 10 best tools I own. I only paid slightly over $200 for it.
That new channel sounds interesting, can’t wait to check it out.
Great video, these random repair videos are my favorite
They need to go away from O ring means of containment and go back to regular gaskets. Flattened O rings are the bane of newer cars nowadays
That would mean bolts and bolt holes to hold down the flange gasket.
O rings cost less
Oh wait....
Cars designed by accountants with planned obsolescence in mind....
The use of a rubber seal is not the issue. The root cause is the poor quality rubber and plastic components employed by car manufacturers which includes the German OEMs. I have removed 50 year old components that incorporated 0-rings, rubber seals and rubber/plastic componets that are still in reasonable condition - a situation that would be unheard of in 'todays cars'.
I believe the 03 CTS was the first dive into the BMWish type Caddy and away from the luxury boat. I sure do miss my 96 Fleetwood.
Wizard thing is y'all spend the time to "diagnose" the problem, whereas so many shops just throw parts on hoping to solve the issue. Kudos to you and your crew.
BTW: I did watch Mrs Wizards interior description (as usual) and find her speaking very pleasant. Mr & Mrs Wizard are a team just as The Lone Ranger and Tonto, so get over your bad manners.
Now i literally feel guilty skipping over the interior part so i just watch it but fast forward.
I bought a cheap harbor freight coolant pressure tester because i had a leak on a F-150 years ago and I wanted to make sure i could find the leak ever since then any time I have any coolant leaks it is the first thing I grab because it is simple to set up and only takes a minute to pump up and even better you can see the leak with out the engine running. Ps i can test the repair with it also.
to be fair I would not mind having a new radiator put in my ATS...... My CTS radiator internally failed (NO LEAKS, no overheating) and was mixing coolant and transmission fluid... mechanically totaled the car.
I've recently learned the term "loading the parts cannon" I believe it applies here😂
I'm in the Denver area, Mr. Wizard. I wish you were closer so I could patronize your shop.
It IS possible that with the age of the car that the radiator did have a leak. They should have caught the rest of the leak unless they assumed that it was spraying back from the radiator. The fan should have been tested before replacing. My mother in law's Ford Tempo (remember those turds?) had blown the head gasket and had the engine replaced at the dealer. It still ran hot. It had been to another dealer who couldn't figure it out. I replaced the radiator cap and found that the hub on the electric fan had broken and the motor was not powering the blades. It looked like it was spinning, but it wasn't drawing any air. Trip to the salvage yard and $15 later it was running fine and cool.
Maybe the O-ring gave out after the other parts fixed it the first time? The statement that it fixed it for a while and then it came back could support that. Whether a pressure test would find a problem that was "about" to happen with the O-ing, don't know that answer.
I spy a NASH in the background with the body design by Farina. One car I don’t see is Tyler Hoover’s Ferrari Testarossa that also has body design by Pininfarina. Dave’s (Wizard) shop sometimes has some interesting symmetry going on.
The reason why all of us skip Mrs. Wizard's interior tours is that she says "As Well" at the end of each sentence! It is enough to drive us insane!!!
She is annoying
@@mitchhedberg4415I agree I skip em all everytime
Love the 3.6 (change oil every 3-4k) everyone knows that they have this issue at the thermostat housing. Many 2018-23 XT5 etc have had to have this done. Sounds like the shop employed fast food clerks not mechanics...ugh.
Big 3 still
A lot of stamped steel parts around suspension areas vs aluminum cast/forged parts on competitors. Saving weight helps handling, braking, and acceleration
Mechanics missing things is what makes me not trust them much, and part of what makes a good mechanic hard to find. Not shady mechanics... less competent mechanics.
The power control of this car is very good!
Its amazing the lack of knowledge people have with car repairs. Fill the coolant resevoir and then check for leaks....some people are just stupid about such things. It never ceases to amaze me.
German style suspension, German style coolant leaks. Flush out the Dexcool to avoid hoses going bad early 😅😅😅
I think Mrs Wizard does a great job, you guys really?! It’s not just the wizards channel he includes his wife also that’s a great team right there if you ask me!
one of my friends has a CTS with a 3.6 and the dealer kept taking guesses at why it was over heating and after a radiator, and water pump it ended up being a thermostat. Cadillac doesn't sell just a thermostat, they sell a big housing that comes with it for $350. ended up getting a thermostat from one of the auto parts stores for like $20 and it's been fine for like 2 or 3 years now.
@CarWizard lots of trucks are driving in flooded waters from the hurricane, some with water over the wheel hubs. would you suggest changing diff fluid after doing flood water rescues? Some say yes and others say no cause the breather line runs up to the truck bed. What's your say on this?
Why are you not making a video on that beautiful Citroen XM ?? I had one years ago when i lived in the netherlands and it was an absolute dream to drive !!
I have a 2012 Cadillac SRX with the 3.6 LFX engine- for me, the engine has been rock solid. I do wonder if it’s extended oil intervals that cause the timing chain stretch. I have always in general changed the oil at 5K miles (and now at 4K as it has 125K miles on it). No oil consumption at all. I had a Cadillac CTS (2006) and ~ 110K miles, it was consuming 1 quart in ~ 1500 miles. I recall the oil change interval in that car being 7500 miles, so I shortened it in the SRX since we owned it as a demo vehicle with 5K miles on it.
Wizard is the only person on Earth that can fix a car
I believe Elvis is alive---and I do not skip Mrs. Wizard's segment.👍👍
Id be tempted to send previous shop this video
That was a bit of a trick question. I picked (A) because I didn’t think the previous professional mechanics would miss a simple coolant leak. 🤔
Thats when you demand money back for replacing perfectly good parts
2013 on is the LFX 3.6. All the problems were rectified. the previous version is the LLT. These are excellent cars. What's with the Nash? The pink Caddy? 🙂
Very common leak area on the Alloytec V6 here in Australian Holden vehicles. Same engine
They are very sensitive to air. As soon as some coolant is missing they are overheating
A good friend of mine with a camaro that has that same engine. Someone told him it was the water pump leaking, i told him he should let me take a look at it. Not even pressure testing it told him to start the car, i can already see it was that same o-ring shown in the video that was leaking. A trip to the dealer for parts and a few hours of manual labor later and he was back on the road.
I'm sorry Mrs. Wizard, but I did skip the interior tour! But that's because I have a Cadillac ATS too, and I've seen the interior a million times! But i did see the oart with the module in the cupholder, I got that far.
Another day another dealer/repair shop trying to fuck with the consumer.
What is with shops hiring DUMBASS mechanics?
Not necessarily true guy has a 96 cadillac Seville. Needed fuel pump. Just installed and got the car running. Unfortunately there's a electrical problem. The shop I work for doesn't do electrical repairs other than starter and altenator replace. I told the customer I would do my best to test the wiring harness I found the issue and fixed it. However I told the customer to take it to a shop that is better equipped for electrical repairs. I did it at no charge.
I’m willing to be this was a big stealership in this customers area. It’s time to get rid of independent dealers and just go factory direct and just have a small showroom showing off all the models so the users can test drive the vehicle. I would get every penny of that $1000+ for this.
One of my go to's when I have work done is I ask to claim or see the old parts. If the shop resists that I leave.