Cadillac›Eldorado›1996›Overview/cadillac/eldorado/1996/base/

1996 Cadillac Eldorado

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1996 Eldorado.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1996 Cadillac Eldorado, a two-door luxury coupe built on GM's front-wheel-drive platform, came equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission and achieved EPA fuel economy ratings of 15/24/18 mpg across city/highway/combined driving cycles; for routine maintenance, the vehicle requires 8 quarts of 5W-30 API-rated engine oil. Within the broader context of the Eldorado's 1990–2002 production run, the 1996 model year represents the peak of owner dissatisfaction, accumulating 81 total complaints—the highest of any model year in the series, with the electrical system emerging as the primary concern area, and two recalls issued for the model year. This stands in notable contrast to the model's cleanest record in 1991, which recorded just 13 complaints, making the 1996 Eldorado the year most frequently cited by researchers investigating systemic durability issues in this generation.

Model year2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity8 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy15/24/18 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 770 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 770 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731179
Engine air filter	19259030
Fuel filter	25121468 alt 25160600
Spark plug	19208535
Front wiper blades	25689175 discontinued
Serpentine belt	12588412 alt 19172679
Thermostat	12559807 alt 03522676

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	202 in
Overall width	75.6 in
Overall height	53.9 in
Wheelbase	107.9 in
Curb weight	3765 lb
Track (front / rear)	61 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 24 / 18 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Premium Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Eldorado of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.4–7.9 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 1995 Touring Coupe

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1995	Touring Coupe 4.6L V8	6.40 sec	14.80 sec	300 hp	FWD
1995	Touring Coupe 4.6L V8	6.60 sec	14.80 sec	300 hp	FWD
1995	Touring Coupe 4.6L V8	7.20 sec	15.30 sec	300 hp	FWD
1993	Touring Coupe 4.6L V8	6.40 sec	14.90 sec	295 hp	FWD
1993	Touring Coupe 4.6L V8	6.70 sec	14.80 sec	295 hp	FWD
1992	Touring Coupe 4.9L V8	7.90 sec	16.10 sec	200 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 8 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	8 qt
Power Steering Fluid	USE GM PART NO. 1052884 OR EQUIVALENT

Engine torques

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Bolt(s)	7.4 ft-lbs
Camshaft Sprocket and/or Gear Bolt(s)	90 ft-lbs
Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Bolt(s)	15 ft-lbs
Oxygen (O2S) Sensor Bolt(s)	30 ft-lbs
Knock Sense (KS) Bolt(s)	14 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	107 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance	5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	AC 41-929
Spark Plug Gap	0.050 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Capacity	8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	770 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	170-190 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	48-55
Injector Primary Resistance	8-25 na ohms
Engine Compression	140

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	20 ft-lbs / 137 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	94 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To	1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining	1.224 in / 0.404 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

37 ft. lbs., step 2: 120

37 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages

1	M11 bolts	30 ft. lbs
2	M11 bolts	70 degrees
3	M11 bolts	60 degrees
4	M11 bolts	45 degrees
5	8.9

Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages

7 ft. lbs., Step 2: 35

7 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 100,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 100,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Final Drive (inspect fluid level) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate)
At 15,000 mi	Throttle Cable (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Throttle Cable (inspect)
Every 60,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 1996 Eldorado sits at the apex of the generation's complaint curve with 81 reports — the highest single-year total across the 1990-2002 span — matching a concurrent peak in federal investigations (three) that began rising in 1995 and disappeared after 1997. Recalls remain flat at two, consistent with the 1-2 range seen in most surrounding years, while TSBs climb to 37, marking the acceleration of a steady upward trend that would explode to 210-plus by 2000. Electrical System complaints dominate at 20, nearly triple the next category (Engine & Engine Cooling at 12), with Fuel System and Visibility rounding out the top four; the data does not specify root causes for any category. Crash and fire reports are low at two and five respectively, but the sheer volume of electrical and powertrain complaints in this model year exceeds all predecessors and successors until the final production years. The 1996 model represents the most complaint-intensive year of the pre-2000 era, suggesting concentrated quality-control or design-validation gaps that were subsequently addressed. This is not a good year to buy without documented resolution of electrical and cooling system campaigns.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

2 involved a crash · 5 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95’96’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 81 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Electrical System20

Engine & Engine Cooling12

Fuel System, Gasoline11

Visibility8

Steering4

Equipment3

Tires2

Service Brakes, Hydraulic,Engine & Engine Cooling2

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

04V110000Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And FittingsReported 04/03/2004

SOME PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L V8 ENGINES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH THE NYLON TUBING USED IN THE FUEL RAIL CONSTRUCTION MAY DEGRADE AND CRACK. ADDITIONALLY, THE 1995 MODEL YEAR USES A UNIQUE UNDERHOOD FUEL… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE ENGINE FUEL RAIL WITH A NEW STAINLESS STEEL FUEL RAIL. DEALERS WILL ALSO INSTALL A REVISED CHASSIS FUEL RETURN LINE. THE RECALL…

95V224000Equipment:ElectricalReported 30/11/1995

THE ANALOG INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER ON THESE VEHICLES COULD HAVE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT DISRUPTING THE PASS KEY SYSTEM, CAUSING FAILURE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES AND TELL-TALES, AND A POSSIBLE NO-START… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 37 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4723D	2020-01-31	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIC4696E	2019-11-22	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073	2019-09-18	Equipment	This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
PIC4696D	2019-09-05	Equipment	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA073	2019-02-15	Equipment	This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Eldorado. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 78 battery Vehicles taking 8 qt Engine oil filter 12731179 Engine air filter 19259030 Fuel filter 25121468 Spark plug 19208535

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1996 Eldorado take?

8 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1996 Eldorado have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Eldorado get?

EPA figures are 15 city / 24 highway / 18 combined mpg.