Wife's old car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Non-repair car talk
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote: Sun Feb 10, 2019 1:49 pm Oil change. 8,925 miles and 35% life remaining. Found some leaking power steering lines and will replace soon.
They are short. Might be able to use bulk hose unless it really needs to be molded. Rotated tires. They are wearing pretty nicely. Did also inspect brakes and they looked good as well.
It was due for an oil change again. I checked the oil and it was off the bottom so at least a quart low. And it has 9,347 miles on it. Good thing I flogged it last week. Oops. Oil life monitor said 26% remaining. That would be 12,600 miles if I ran it to 0%. That's why I don't run it to 0%. I'm OK with 9k miles with 8 quarts of synthetic oil and some makeup quarts but that's about as far as I like to go. Plus it gets me about a year though I think the miles will pick up more with Jamie's job which only started this October. Maybe someday I'll submit a Blackstone Labs sample and see how it looks after 9k. I bet it comes back fine (as opposed to "should have changed the oil 4k miles ago" or something).

Lubed the right tie rod.

I forgot to rotate the damn tires. I'll try to do that tomorrow. They've been on the car for 3 years and about 23,500 miles. They look pretty damn good still. That's why I rotate.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

Did the SRX headlights after redoing the E55.

Before. The top was finally starting to go. It made it this long because it's been garaged.
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After 1000 grit wet.
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Then I did 2000 wet, machine compound, isopropyl, and ceramic coat. I think I used the last of my Cerakote on these. Came out pretty good. Driver's side still has that mystery dirt on the inside (and a small spider web).
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kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

Oil change. 8 qts Castrol 0W-30, 25% life remaining. Cabin air filter (had it in stock, forgot I ordered it back in 2018). Tires rotated. Greased right outer tie rod.

Around 9600 miles on this oil change and 3 quarts added according to my Fuelly records. Not too bad really. But if I ran the oil life down to 0 that would project 12,800 miles which is too many. I've been sticking to the 9000 mile range.

I forgot to grease the tie rod so I just did it through the wheel, because 20" wheels.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

Another oil change @ 10,777 miles. Computer said 21% remaining which extrapolates to a 13,600 mile change interval. That is ridiculous. For the record, it took 3 makeup quarts over this period and was overdue for another one...

Changed coolant.
I was expecting grocery store brand distilled water but they only had Poland Spring. Can someone explain branded distilled water? The whole point of spring water is....the minerals. Also, distilled water is supposed to be all the same, other than perhaps the exact microscopic level of purity. Weird.
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Rotated tires. It definitely prefers less inflation. I think these large 255/50-20s just don't need that much pressure. I tended to run maybe 2 psi higher than stock but not sure if maybe it wants even a bit less than stock for best wear. It probably only has one more year on the tires. Basically this would have to be their last winter then probably due for a set next fall.
Clears the garage door opener at full height which is good, though I had to close the garage door.
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Remove under cover, shove a length of hose on the nipple under the passenger side lower radiator support (which is also the drain hole) and open the drain cock. It slowly drains without having to disconnect any hoses.
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Also, right front wheel bearing is beginning to develop some play. Everything on the right. Some years ago it needed a right outer tie rod. And even more years ago it needed a right rear wheel bearing. WTF?

However, I discovered some concerning rust issues on the right side of the car. I noted that some frame rot has already resulted in some missing metal on the rear passenger side area. My STS had this but it was way worse on the STS (and it was worse on the driver's side). Things were going fine until I started doing my final inspection with the wheels off. Front brakes are due soon, as usual. Right side more worn than left. No, the real issue is this. Right rear upper spring mount. The front section of it broke off from the body and has shifted up by over an inch. Maybe almost 1-1/4".
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For comparison here is the driver's side.
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To be honest the driver's side is starting but hasn't moved yet. Here are some piles of rust.
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The right side of the vehicle sits about 1/2" lower than the left at the rear wheel well. I think the reason it isn't worse (aside from the anti-roll bar) is the auto leveling Sachs Nivomat rear shocks. The shock is actually holding some of the load, which is actually a really good thing I guess. The spring mount has pretty much pressed against the body but if the rear part ever fatigues/rusts/lets go that rear spring is basically going to fly out. How long was it like this? No clue. Could be a couple years. Sticker expires 3/23. If I were a shop, I probably wouldn't pass this.

I would normally be happy to proceed with mechanical work as needed (including brakes, tires, whatever) but under these circumstances, and the fact that the paint is starting to bubble on the driver's side wheel well, it's probably time to part with this vehicle. It has the exact same mileage my STS did when I got rid of it, 158k.

I think the plan is to borrow a car from my parents, sell this, and then shop for something else.

As for something else, I'm leaning toward like a 2014-2017-ish Acura MDX for probably low $20k's. Should have under 100k. Maybe I can find one that already had the timing belt service but I bet they will all be due.

MDX might get another 2 mpg better and also run on 87 so actually that will be some savings.

Mercedes ML/GLE-350 is a similar price. Interestingly, the ML/GLE-400 with the M276 turbo is also the same price. Personally, I would probably select that if I was choosing a crossover. But, not sure it's worth it. Also, those do not have a third row. So MDX is really looking like a pretty practical choice.

I have never had a worse week for car fleet news. My god.

All cleaned up I might be able to get $5k for the SRX. I will have to disclose the issues I am aware of. If that halts the sale of it then I guess I would have to pursue the trade-in option (or whatever cash buy plan I've seen online from KBB or others). I would expect on the order of $2k for trade-in. I'd rather have the $5k.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

Ok with the spring mount rust professionally repaired on both sides, onto operation Sell the SRX.

Exhibit A:
https://providence.craigslist.org/cto/d ... 97213.html

Day 1 (or is it day 0)?

Was contacted within a few hours by a few folks, including one bot. Ended up meeting someone at 5pm yesterday. A Lexus RX350 full of three dudes. Turned out to be a dad and two adult sons. He was looking for his 22 year old. Currently drives an 06 BMW 530i with 200k so there's that.

Overall the car seemed to get good reviews (the dad was pretty impressed with the overall presentation and features that all work). His major issue was that the brakes suck. It needs front brakes. I knew this but thought I could roll the dice because it's a $5k used car, and don't they all need brakes? Well....I gambled and lost. He called me on it and I offered to do the brakes at my cost, plus the $5500 asking price. No joy but he said they were going to go look at this Jetta manual (possibly this one?? https://providence.craigslist.org/cto/d ... 44842.html) and let me know. He challenged me a bit on the price and asked what KBB was. I said I didn't know. He asked what trade-in is. I said $1900. So I looked up private KBB and sent it to him. Range is $3,636-5,679, with a $4,658 nominal value in "good" which is one notch above "fair." I texted him back and said "considering I am asking top of the range, I just ordered brakes ($265) and I'll even upgrade to Hawk HPS front pads which should perform a lot better, and price is still $5,500." So he won that round of negotiation. Parts should come in mid-week. Not sure when I'll get the work done. Obviously he'll want to see if the new brakes feel acceptable and I hope I can get them bedded in and at least reasonably well performing. It's a heavy vehicle with 20" wheels. The brakes aren't ever going to be awesome without a major upgrade. But the Hawk HPS hasn't let me down yet so I am optimistic.

Meanwhile....

An older gentleman e-mailed me and I ended up calling. We had a date today at 11:30 but he canceled citing his wife wants something larger. It's weird because on the phone he claimed he was looking for an SRX. Well, apparently he didn't tell his wife. So that's out.

Next step: do brakes and see what happens. I will update my ad when I complete that work. For the record, that would be $1,265 into preparing the car for sale. Oh, I also ordered an air filter for $25 or whatever. The first guy (after we loaded it up with 800 lbs of dudes) commented that it felt slower than 320 hp suggests. Ok guy. So maybe the air filter will help a bit.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

Did the brakes. Then the calipers and bled/flushed all 4. Drove it to work yesterday and today. The more I drive it the more I want to keep it. I used the heated steering wheel this morning...

Usage: spare vehicle to keep mileage off of my S550. If I drive it semi-regularly it stands a much better shot of being maintained more continuously rather than sporadically when there is an obvious issue. Also, it will still be in the fleet and available for Jamie's occasional use (such as third row situations, or bad snow where she doesn't feel comfortable in the Malibu). Frankly I could use the money because I am expecting to pay the labor bill of some home improvement work this month, so there's that.

Potentially meeting a guy tonight. At this point I am definitely firm on the price, being $1500 into selling this car now. I think my play might be this:
- Be up front about the rust situation (and repair just completed)
- Car is still for sale, but I am firm on the price. So far this has prevented any deal closure by itself.
- If still interested in closing the deal, I am selling as is, BUT my stance is, if for some reason he decides that he does not want the car AND the RI inspection sticker is still on the windshield and it didn't get registered (so a short window), I will buy it back for something less than $5,500. Haven't decided yet but maybe $5,000 or even $4,500. That way I get paid for the hassle and still get to keep the vehicle.

I haven't worked out the exact play or how to float it but this seems like a solid plan. Now that I want to keep it I have all kinds of leverage. Funny how that works.

Here is a list of the things to consider when keeping it:
- Right front wheel bearing will eventually get worse and start making noise. No idea how many miles this will be. Could be many thousands. Could be a year or more. Or next month. There is no way to know. It just has a little play. If it gets driven less frequently this will last longer. $145 for AC Delco.
- HVAC mode door actuator is going bad and clicks to find its position sometimes. The STS had this issue with the temp blend door. I never fixed it. The particular actuator in the SRX is cheap (as far as I know) but may require going deep into the dash to replace. Unless there is some hack to do it laparoscopically. $50 range for part. https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... 21&jsn=435
- At some point it will require rear brake lines. I would just do Cu-Ni similar to what I did on the STS. Annoying but inexpensive to do.
- Probably has another year of tire tread left. Probably will need tires this time next year. Or, if it gets driven much less than Jamie had been driving it, I could probably stretch it to 2 years.
- I don't know if I'd consider paying for more rust repair but the option exists.
- Finally, the mysterious cold start misfire that I was never able to fully cure. Discussing with Adam it seems like a good approach would be to go after some common vacuum leak areas. Namely, reseal the intake manifold, inspect PCV breather elbow at rear of intake (fell apart on my STS), and inspect the coupler boot between the throttle body and intake manifold. Or just do all of it. $20 or less for intake manifold gaskets. The rear PCV hose repair is probably basically free. Intake coupler, haven't found yet.
- I would probably do front and rear diff service. The rear is limited slip and frankly is way overdue for fluid.
- I should also probably do the transfer case fluid. I think that's also overdue.
- At some point it will need another transmission fluid service.

All of this is fairly inexpensive, just labor. And most of it will be required less soon if it stops getting driven daily and is more of semi-regular use. Overall this is a reasonable prognosis all things considered. Meanwhile the rear wheel wells will start to rust and the rockers will keep rusting. I will douche everything with the CRC corrosion inhibitor before this winter and hopefully buy some extra time.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

Did a lot of work since putting it up for sale.

- Hawk HPS front brake pads, new Centric coated rotors and front calipers. Full brake fluid flush.
- Rear diff fluid (used Redline 75W-90 with friction modifier for limited slips)
- Transfer case fluid (used GM fluid).
- Checked front diff fluid - level was perfect so I'll do it some other time. My main concern was if it was low.
- Full underbody coating with CRC Corrosion Inhibitor (Cosmoline). Wire brushed what I could. Front to rear is coated. Got in all the crevices that I could. Also dropped spare tire and did the floor area. The spare tire winch was fairly seized but I was able to free it by using my impact back and forth, and I PB Blasted the cable. Seems to work well now. Even CRC coated the steel spare inside and outside. Actually I recoated some areas because I did it over two days, particularly in the rear.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

Found a clunk from the right rear. This was a more recent noise. The lower nut of the right rear antiroll bar end link was loose in the control arm. It took a little fiddling but I was able to hold the stud with a T30 and tighten the 18mm nut. Once I thought it was holding I put my impact on it using level 2 and just gave it some ugga duggas. It turned some more and I felt the back of the stud to make sure it wasn't turning. Fixed!
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Not sure what the other noise is though. I did find a plastic evap pipe that was possibly bumping the floor so I tried to pull it away a bit. My ear says that isn't the noise.
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kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 4:53 am Not sure what the other noise is though.
I haven't heard the noise since I tightened the link nut. Too early to call but promising I guess. Can't be that easy.
kevm14
Posts: 15200
Joined: Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Wife's new car (2008 Cadillac SRX)

Post by kevm14 »

kevm14 wrote: Mon Oct 10, 2022 5:01 pm - Full underbody coating with CRC Corrosion Inhibitor (Cosmoline). Wire brushed what I could. Front to rear is coated. Got in all the crevices that I could. Also dropped spare tire and did the floor area. The spare tire winch was fairly seized but I was able to free it by using my impact back and forth, and I PB Blasted the cable. Seems to work well now. Even CRC coated the steel spare inside and outside. Actually I recoated some areas because I did it over two days, particularly in the rear.
Used half a can or more on some additional rear areas. I thought there may have been sections of the rear subframe that I didn't coat, and maybe areas of the floor above. Lots of crevices and some things are visible from certain angles. This car has a ridiculous amount of this stuff on it at this point. I probably should do my S550 again, maybe a little more thoroughly in certain areas. Should also consider doing the Malibu (maybe when I rotate the tires).
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