'94 Concours Northstar engine noise

[bigthaiboy]

I went to see a guy today with a beautiful cherry red '94 DeVille Concours with the 4.6L Northstar engine, which has 112,000 on the clock. The engine information read 23% oil use left. The engine had a noticable ticking (as opposed to knocking) sound. Is this normal on an engine with 112K? Or will the engine sound better after an oil change and filter. Owner says the car has mostly highway miles as it belonged to a businessman who drove to Las Vegas on business on a frequent basis.

The rest of the car is in stunning condition. Is the engine ticking going to lead to any serious problems or faults further down the line? Am I correct the Northstar engine doesn't have hydraulic lifters?

Thank you for any suggestions.

[maxwedge]

Yes it has hydraulics, and in general that early version can be troublesome, be careful here, big bucks to do any work in and around that engine.

[bigthaiboy]

Thank you. On further research, I'm sure the ticking noise is from the hydraulic tappets. I called a local garage, and they said if it's a fault inside the engine, it has to go back to Cadillac.

I know the Cadillac 4.9L V8 has 70 less bhp than the much more complicated 4.6L Northstar engine, but what I'm interested to find out is, whether the 4.9L was a realiable engine, and can it be repaired at local garages, or does this engine have to go back to a Cadillac service center whenever their is a problem.

[caddydaddy]

Originally Posted by bigthaiboy

Thank you. On further research, I'm sure the ticking noise is from the hydraulic tappets. I called a local garage, and they said if it's a fault inside the engine, it has to go back to Cadillac.

I know the Cadillac 4.9L V8 has 70 less bhp than the much more complicated 4.6L Northstar engine, but what I'm interested to find out is, whether the 4.9L was a realiable engine, and can it be repaired at local garages, or does this engine have to go back to a Cadillac service center whenever their is a problem.

The Northstar can be worked on by people other than Cadillac! And the ticking is probably normal, unless it's really loud.
The 4.9 is and was the lowest repair claims engine that Cadillac has made. If taken care of, they can easily to 300,000 miles. The 4.9 isn't a slouch either, yes it does have 70 HP less, but it has more low end torque, so under 50 MPH it's a quick car. Out on the highway, it doesn't have the passing power of the Northstar.
I used to own a 1994 Deville Concours, and I now have a 1994 Sedan Deville with the 4.9. Both are great cars!

[bigthaiboy]

Thank you. The sound of the tapping reminded me of a small diesel engine, and not the quiet idle speed you would expect from a V8.

I'm sure my local garage did not want to work (or was out of their expertise) with a Northstar engine, that is why they refered me to the Cadillac garage.

I'll still be looking for a Concours, but if a nice 4.9L turns up, I would also consider it. This will be my first (and I'm sure not my last) Caddy.

[caddydaddy]

Originally Posted by bigthaiboy

Thank you. The sound of the tapping reminded me of a small diesel engine, and not the quiet idle speed you would expect from a V8.

I'm sure my local garage did not want to work (or was out of their expertise) with a Northstar engine, that is why they refered me to the Cadillac garage.

I'll still be looking for a Concours, but if a nice 4.9L turns up, I would also consider it. This will be my first (and I'm sure not my last) Caddy.

The tapping could be carbon rap. Which is when too much carbon builds up on the tops of the pistons, and it lightly hits the cylinder heads. It doesn't do any damage, just makes noise. But it could be something else, it's hard to tell without hearing the engine itself! Just something to consider!

[bigthaiboy]

Just a quick update. I decided not to go with the red '94 Concours, but instead managed to find a black '96 Concours with 90K miles, which I bought yesterday. Engine sounds great, and everything works fine. Thank you for all your replies.

[caddydaddy]

Good deal! Enjoy your Concours! It's an awesome car, isn't it???

[bigthaiboy]

The '96 DeVille Concours is an awesome car! The "all singing, all dancing" suspension really gives a great ride.

I'm British and I just moved so Southern California 18 months ago. Since I was a young boy, I always dreamed of having Cadillac and a Basset Hound. Now I have both.

My new Concours, is a genuine one owner from new car, with black interior and exterior, chrome premium wheels with four new Michellin MXV4 Plus tires, electric Sunroof, compass, and the 12 CD changer. It even comes with the owners folder with the manual, warranty book, maintenance book, Concours convenience guide, and the matt black Cadillac pen (which still works!).

I'm glad I held out for this one and didn't settle for the red '94 Concours with the engine noise!