Mary Ramer

Thank you!!! I don’t understand much about cars. But I am going to send your comments to DARYL at A1 Electric star smog repair that has my car. Thank you! 😁 👍💕

Thank you! I am trying to get used to this message system. I was unable to post a reply to someone yesterday. I have a vacuum egr that has been replaced. 😄 No, the problem hasn’t been resolved yet! I just couldn’t figure out how to respond to the question for some reason. Here’s the update in this ongoing mystery saga...and at the end, I explain my reasons for trying so hard to fix this car, even when it didn’t make sense... The Cadillac is at the smog repair shop, but it idles too high to test or fix right now. They want to know about the idle speed motor which has already been replaced twice. Here are some symptoms: I have noticed after 5 years that after the battery is disconnected or drains, the car will drive fine for 20 minutes and then surge and sputter and cut out. It has consistently done this for 5 years, no matter which mechanic thought they fixed it (they don’t drive it for 20 minutes). In the last 5 years, 3 backyard mechanics and a shop have worked on it. They have replaced parts, some of them 3-4 times. Here is what I found in my receipts for the last 5 years. And I know I have lost some receipts. The car supposedly passed smog the day before I got it. It drove fine around the block. I took my back yard mechanic to check it out and he thought it was in good shape, so I bought it. It has not smogged since then. Each mechanic thought they fixed it multiple times. I would drive it 20-30 minutes before taking it to smog. Just as I would arrive it would start surging and sputtering again. We got a code once that the ECM/prom was not getting signal. And the first star smog repair place that I just now took it to noticed some spliced wires under the hood. He refused to accept it and sent me to A1 Electric smog repair. I hope they can figure it out. Here are the parts I found in my receipts, many that have been replaced more than once. And I lost a bunch of receipts. 5 fuel pumps, fuel pump relay, fuel pump relay connector, fuel line, fuse holder, 4 fuel filters, Throttle body fuel injectors, Throttle position sensor (twice), Throttle body gasket, Throttle body (tps?), ECM control module (twice), EGR gasket (twice), EGR valve (twice), EGR valve control solenoid, idle speed control motor (twice), JTT 2824F sensor, spark plug wires, spark plugs, AC Delco parts 214-2287 plus another part, Brake booster, Fuel Sending Unit (twice), vacuum tubing, TBI gasket, Orifice tube, crbcin, 3 V belts 219-586, air smog pump, O2 sensor, wire harness connector plug socket. Someone re-connected a ground to the gas tank. In addition to all that, after one of the earlier mechanics told me he fixed the Cadillac, I replaced the suspension as a result of the steering being loose. I replaced the steering gear box, front Pittman arm, front idler arm, upper & lower control arm bushings, front upper and lower ball joints, steering gear seal kit, inner tie rods, outer tie rods, adjusting sleeves, sway link kit, tie rod ends, sway bar links, and alignment. Several years ago, once I got the green light from my mechanic (😅) and got the suspension done, I was so exited the car was finally fixed. I breathed a sigh of relief and joy as I drove it off their lot...but...the steering was still loose, and the car surged and sputtered and cut out...again...before I could even drive it home. It is true I have wasted time and money on this car that I probably shouldn’t have. I think it’s kind of like an addiction to gambling. I keep thinking...the car starts and runs good for 20 minutes. It has already had every part replaced in it, surely someone is going to find the source of why it surges and sputters after 20minutes. And then I’ll have a nice running beautiful car. And I do have an emotional tie to this car. I bought it for my son for his 18th birthday because he was crazy about it and wanted it so badly. And I wanted leverage past his 18th birthday. I told him I would put the title in his name after he was tested and stayed clean from pot and alcohol for 6 months. Pot and alcohol made him suicidal and we almost lost him. The car never worked right and it was worthless as leverage. But after 5 years, our son has finally been sober for 5 months. I would sure love to surprise him with this car finally working, after he has been sober for 6 months!

I contacted the auto house of Clovis first. They said they don’t do smog repairs and referred me on. I ended up with Contreras Smog Repair in Fresno. I take it in Monday. They are star certified & they had me call & get a $500 voucher for repairs. If it costs more, they will pay as much as $850 towards repairs. If it needs more than that, they can help me give it to the junkyard for $1000 (it has all new parts inside & cost me so much more than that!), or I hope they can waive the smog requirement. Thank you you so much for your referral! I appreciate your kindness and the kindness of everyone on this forum who responded. Thank you!!! 😃👍

Thanks for the suggestion to sell it to someone in a different state. I don’t know how to do that. It keeps looking like ongoing repairs may be too costly. I might be willing to try a California cat, but I don’t know if that will help and I need a much cheaper source than I have found so far.

Thanks for your suggestions! I have spent lots of money on repairs that did not fix this problem. If I do need another new cat, the ones rated for California were around $1500 not including labor. That is a lot of money for me and I don’t know if it will fix it. I really like the car. I hope I can find a less expensive way to fix it. After all the work that’s been done to it, all the parts that have been replaced, and all the money that has been spent, I hate to have to have to just give it to the junk yard for parts because I can’t smog it. But I can’t see paying another $2-3,000 to hopefully, maybe, possibly fix it.

Thanks! Thanks to all of you for your wonderful responses! I just joined today and I am not sure how to reply the right way, but thanks to all of you!

Come buy & fix up this one!

Thanks! It has failed smog 3 times, and turned away once because the idle was too high.

I might be willing to sell it.

I am looking for inexpensive smog repair in Fresno County, California. Clovis or Fresno.

Thank you so much for your response! 😃👍 I don’t know cars, but I was told the Nox is very high. I don’t know any smog mechanics. Do you know a smog mechanic over 55? Also, do you know an inexpensive place to get a cat if I need it?

I have a 1983 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz that won’t pass smog. It has high Nox and a big vacuum leak. I spent too much money with backyard mechanics trying to fix it cheap. I need a smog repair shop that can do vintage cars that is inexpensive. Can you please recommend?