All Entries Tagged With: "david caldwell"
Following Our Press Car’s Untimely Death, GM To Update All 2010 Cadillac SRX Turbos
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: IMG ADLX ::: 2010 Cadillac SRX Turbo
IT’S nighttime and I’m rather unnerved.
I’m on the 101 halfway up some mountain outside Ventura, California in a 2010 Cadillac SRX Turbo that has just died in the narrow meridian.
I’m barking at some nonplussed 9-1-1 dispatcher on the cell, OnStar’s on hold, and I’m ready to jump the jersey barrier if some dazed motorist drifts my way.
They all seem to brush by at light’s speed.
This broken press car is one of Cadillac’s latest midsize crossovers – a plush, Lexus RX fighter – that had just lapped its two thousandth mile before the car’s engine bought the farm.
In no time at all I had dropped from a comfy 65 mph cruise into a sputtering stop with black smoke billowing from beneath the silver hood and a long oily trail in my wake.
And now I’m awaiting rescue.
Minutes tick by endlessly. But the state police do arrive. The officer spies my precarious position and proceeds to snake his patrol car back and forth across the freeway- side-winder style.
Only then, does traffic slow to a grudging halt.
“If you can start your car, move it across to the right side.” The officer coolly broadcasts over the loudspeaker.
Now, all of Ventura seems to be waiting behind him. The cars are like greyhounds at the gate and I feel like the rabbit as – rattled and frozen – I climb behind the Caddy’s helm and press the start button.
Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk goes the mortally wounded motor.
Into drive.
We’re on borrowed seconds!
The SRX c-r-a-w-l-s across the freeway to the far side. The go pedal’s level with the carpet.
I reach the right side and the Caddy quits.
Traffic resumes its F1 pace, a discussion with the officer ensues, and ten minutes later the tow truck shows.
The driver shakes his head and says that only days prior some poor guy had similar trouble with his bike. When he tried crossing to the breakdown lane he got hit in roughly the same spot where I’d landed. He died.
So, what caused this fresh new Caddy to breakdown?
The answer arrived yesterday afternoon in a conference call with GM. Their findings are triggering a model-wide update to go into effect directly.
DAMAGE REPORT
On the phone is Tom Sutter.
Mr. Sutter is GM’s chief engineer for the automaker’s V6 engines. Also on the line is David Caldwell, Cadillac’s press manager.
Mr. Sutter leads headlong into a thorough explanation of the wheels that were set in motion following the incident.
“We took this very seriously,” he says. His tone is direct and earnest.
“As soon as it happened, we expedited the vehicle’s shipment back to our test center in Warren, Michigan. We’ve been at this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”
He and his team “tore down” the motor, analyzed the car’s black box data, and sent a fuel sample to a third party lab for analysis. Additional tests on a dyno replicated the failure, but they’ve yet to duplicate the incident in real life testing.
The SRX Turbo uses a 2.8 liter, 300 hp V6. This same engine has served for five years in Saabs including the upcoming 9-4X. The engine also powers Germany’s Opel Insignia.
THE BREAKDOWN
Mr. Sutter is describing my incident as a “Mega knock event.”
“We have a high degree of confidence that we’ve sourced the problem,” he tells me, getting down into the gory details.
What happened is as follows and was, apparently, a fluke:
The V6 in the Cadillac requires a minimum 91 Octane.
Lab tests had shown that the SRX was running on regular which meant that yours had inadvertently fed the car 88 Octane gas and not the factory mandated premium.
At some point during travel, between 2000-2500 rpm – or normal highway cruising speed – the engine’s management system had adjusted the air fuel mixture to work too lean causing a retarded spark – but crucially – it allowed for a simultaneous turbo boost which led to a catastrophic pressure build up in the cylinder chambers.
This caused cylinder six to fail quickly -leaving yours stranded.
Mr. Sutter’s team concluded that the resulting pressure in the chamber was four times greater than the stress during full throttle acceleration.
“We’ve been working on a new calibration which should be implemented in coming days,” he says, indicating that this will ensure proper engine management going forward during what we might describe as “lean times” during the fuel consumption of a given SRX Turbo.
Mr. Caldwell stresses that what happened was an extremely rare event and that they’ve had only a couple of incidents that resemble what happened to me in California.
He suggests that the low Octane gas could be considered a contributing factor and not the primary cause of the engine’s failure. But not everyone is careful with their choice of gas (as evidenced by this writer) and high Octane gas isn’t always available in some rural areas.
Surely the car must be engineered to compensate?
Both acknowledge this aspect and say that the SRX’s management system should have adjusted to accommodate for the lesser grade petrol and their system fix will ensure that it does going forward.
Nevertheless, Mr. Sutter maintains that the low Octane gas was the primary trigger in my car’s failure.
“Ever since we’ve switched to low displacement, turbocharged engines, we’ve noticed a sensitivity [to Octane levels].”
The 2.8 liter, turbocharged V6 was created at GM’s Pontiac, Michigan center in tandem with Saab staff in Sweden who engineered the turbo.
While most Saabs require only regular unleaded, the Cadillac SRX Turbo’s V6 represents the highest output version of this particular powerplant, hence the requirement for higher grade fuel.
NEXT STEPS
As this article posts, GM is conducting field tests on six SRX Turbos in Death Valley to ensure that the recalibration they’ve devised will prevent a repeat of the failure when the vehicle runs on regular unleaded.
Once finalized, Cadillac will implement the engine management adjustments to the SRX assembly line so that new SRX Turbo units rolling off the line going forward will benefit from the update.
Current SRX Turbo customers will receive the update at their Cadillac dealer during service, though the company has not yet decided how it will inform customers on the need to getting their car updated.
We should receive word on their customer plan within the week. Also, GM will provide Automobiles De Luxe with another press car to complete our review. Expect our full take on the 2010 Cadillac SRX Turbo next month.
Here’s hoping for a smoother road test.
—-
Ed. Note: Special thanks to OnStar, Chris at Page One, and California Highway Patrol for their greatly appreciated help.
Review: 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
“THAT’S a nice Cadillac.”
The black gentleman, mid-30s, gazed on astonished. He fixed intently on the 2010 Cadillac CTS sport wagon, a foray into heretofore unestablished territory for the marque to bear the “standard of the world.”
Remembering that no one believed the XLR-V cost $103,000 ($45K was the highest ballpark I’d get from a passerby), I asked this gent who was waiting for his own Dodge Charger wagon to emerge from the car wash on 138th Street in Queens, what he thought this Cadillac cost.
“Forty-five.” He said without hesitation.
In point of fact, the Sport Wagon starts at $38,265 in the States, though our test vehicle was closer to $50K.
“Would you pay sixty?” I asked, nodding toward the jet black over black CTS, whose xenon discharge lamps flickered through the mist of suds and spray.
“No,” again without a moment’s pause, “For sixty, you could get an Escalade.” The man was beaming.
In each Cadillac review, I’ve always gotten a feeling that the American public at large has this bond with Motown’s best brand. Of course, disparaging cynics will say that as tax payers, we’ve all got a vested interest in “Government Motors” – but – truly, more than any other car this side of a Ferrari, new Cadillacs fascinate.
Without beating about the bush, I’d say that onlookers’ uncanny interest – immediate and compelling – has everything to do with Cadillac designers getting it so right.
The CTS sports wagon is an example where Cadillac sought to cater to a niche but executed the product in a way that carried forward the sedan’s smart, business persona.
What we’re given is the first station wagon ever to look like it’s expressly made for men without hulking as if on steroids. Those cleaved edges, that high shoulder line, those broad wheel arcs, gorgeous aluminum 18″ rims and tall LED taillights bring purpose that telegraphs boardroom power more than PTA meetings.
Though, I think the taillights might owe some credit to the Volvo 850.
I asked Cadillac rep. David Caldwell who Team Cadillac saw as the CTS sport wagon’s typical driver.
“Most of these buyers are primarily luxury or sport sedan owners, or previous wagon owners. These are drivers who value driving dynamics of a lux/sport car primarily, but also have lifestyle needs for some cargo carrying space. [He/She] tends to be a very sophisticated and elite buyer, which is a key reason why we’ve chosen to develop our Sport Wagon. It elevates our brand to an extent, even though this is a market niche in the US currently.”
Mr. Caldwell went on to write that Cadillac sells a few hundred sport wagons per month in North America and the bulk or 75% of wagons sold are outfitted with all-wheel drive.
Our test vehicle was rear wheel drive, which in light of the blizzards that hit the Northeast in February, proved to be an interesting option. Luckily, the car was fitted with a fairly non-intrusive stability control program and Bridgestone Blizzaks on all four corners.
In days when the roads were dry, it was more possible to safely determine the “sport” extent in “Sport Wagon”. Needless to say, this proved a disappointment.
Much as I’d remembered in the CTS sedan test back in 2008, the same direct-injection 304 hp V6 lacked teeth thanks to a dithering six cog auto and an anemic powerplant whose maximum 273 pounds feet of torque happened at a lofty 5200rpm.
There’s no combination of Sport-mode or button-shifting yourself that can make the CTS Sports Wagon more responsive. Worse, the suspension does little to keep lean, yaw, and pitch in check during hard cornering nor especially planted at triple digit velocities.
Cadillac need only look to the tremendous Pontiac G8 GT to find a GM built car whose driving dynamics could provide the bridge template between the base CTS and the exceptionally potent CTS-V. The Pontiac’s powertrain proved far more responsive and the car’s rear wheel drive handling dynamics were tighter and far safer; being less prone to plodding understeer.
So, essentially, the CTS Sports Wagon would be better suited if pinned with the label “Luxury Wagon”. Pop-up GPS, Bose audio system, heated and cooled front seats, panorama moonroof, OnStar, indash CD, MP3, power liftgate, backup camera, adaptive headlights that corner according to the wheel position – the list of amenities was comprehensive and competitive.
The fit, finish, and materials were all of respectable grade (Caddy’s made long strides) if still not quite up to par with ze Germans, though, the Sapele wood trim was especially handsome.
Where does this leave us? Or more appropriately, the CTS Sport Wagon? In character, the CTS is a city slicker, a metro area only kind of ride – particularly in that smart shade of black in which the Caddy simply pops.
Does it match up with all those conservative New Englanders who view their vintage Mercedes diesel wagons, Volvo V70s, and Audi Quattros with such vaunted esteem? Not really, I don’t see much cross-shopping.
But for an entirely new customer, one inhabiting New York’s five boroughs perhaps, who wants wagon versatility -sans SUV height and weight – and the sleek edge and professionalism of a chalk stripe suit on wheels, the CTS Sport Wagon is a new cut from whole cloth.
“With a car like that,” the guy at the car wash marveled, “America could really come back. Our car industry. We could really comeback with a car like that.”
Cadillac In 2010: Placing The DTS
- 2010 DTS represents last of Cadillac’s old guard
- Cadillac’s largest sedan is overdue for replacement
- DTS, né Deville, satisfies a niche
By Gunnar Heinrich | IMG GM
IF the DTS were a salesman, he’d likely be the old wheel’em ‘n deal’em shark in the corner of the showroom floor; unimpressed with the new punks that the sales manager favors.
Once full of quick lines and ready handshakes, he’d remember better days when he was at the height of his game; when there wasn’t a customer he couldn’t sell, and a flash Rolex on his wrist – he got a good deal on that, too.
Time, like so many Caddys, floated on. The old shark pawned the watch years ago. Sure, he can sell a car or two to people his own age (that’s why they keep him around) but for the most part he sits back at his desk, reads the paper, and waits for the day when management will call him in for that last meeting.
Our salesman’s a relic from a completely different era. And so is the 2010 Cadillac DTS.
The DTS hails from a time when linear progression in the American automotive market meant that you stepped out of a Chevy and into a Buick; out of a Buick and into a Cadillac. Once enthroned in “the standard”, the DTS né Deville (and formerly Sedan de Ville) was the step up from the STS né Seville but the next rung down from a Fleetwood.
A DeVille was, in Cadillacese, a 750i to the 760Li. Thanks to foreign competition, this progression no longer applies.
Starting at $46,280, what replaced the old Fleetwood as Cadillac’s largest sedan and standard bearer of the old body-on-frame whales of yesteryear is now priced within range of the entry level CTS; below the STS and significantly below the marque’s current flagship – the $80K+ Escalade.
I asked GM’s David Caldwell where the DTS is situated in relation to the CTS and Escalade. He wrote:
“The DTS remains in production and is in good shape. Some might be surprised at how it is holding up in its market segment. I won’t get into numbers, but it maintains a solid position in its category. DTS offers a good solution for many consumers.”
The DTS’ competition? The Lincoln Town Car. But even Ford’s old Panther platformed exec hauler seems to have the DTS beat. A quick survey of mid-town NYC or downtown DC readily confirms this. What remains of the stretch limo market seem to have become Lincoln sole dominion, too.
I also asked Mr. Caldwell which model GM sees as Cadillac’s current flagship. He wrote:
“Flagship is a funny term…..we don’t really follow the conventional wisdom that a luxury brand’s flagship has to be it’s largest sedan. Flagship means standard bearer – the product that has the most significant reputation, heritage and overall recognizability among consumers. And the iconic status of Escalade makes it our de facto flagship by most any measure. It’s globally recognizable at a very high level, a status that it has earned due to its popularity and visibility. I don’t think that a brand alone gets to decide what the flagship is, a big part of it is consumer acceptance and cultural relevance.”
In light of this comment, this is where the DTS suddenly makes sense.
Without the DTS, Cadillac’s lineup has no link to its former heritage – which was, essentially, large, comfy, land yachts that in a conventional sense were classified as “luxury sedans”.
If a super-sized SUV based on the Chevy Suburban tops the range, and a more compact (for Cadillac) CTS sedan and sportswagon represents the marque’s best foot forward, then Cadillac cannot afford to displace the DTS for fear of alienating what remains of its traditional client base.
There is the STS, of course. But let’s not kid ourselves – the DTS is the last of the voluminous sedans with what look like fins for tail lamps. Without it, all that’s left to fill the void is the Town Car and maybe the Chrysler 300.
To wit, Cadillac must replace the DTS with a high rollin’ saloon that captures the flash of the Escalade, and the rear wheel drive swagger of the CTS. There is no official word on when such a replacement will happen.
But make no mistake, without the DTS or an heir apparent, the marque will have seen off the last of what makes Cadillac, Cadillac for so many.
