CadillacEldorado1998Overview/cadillac/eldorado/1998/base/

1998 Cadillac Eldorado

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1998 Eldorado.

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1998 Cadillac Eldorado runs a four-speed automatic transmission and holds eight quarts of 5W-30 API oil, with EPA ratings of 15/24/18 mpg. Within the 1990–2002 complaint history, the 1998 model’s 56 reported issues sit between the 1991 low of 13 and the 1996 high of 81, indicating moderate reliability. With fuel system concerns leading the complaints and only one recall on record, this model year avoids the severity of the generation’s peak trouble years yet remains distinct from its most trouble-free period.

Model year200220012000199919981997199619951994

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 Note the factory front wiper blades is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 filter12731179
Engine air filter19259030
Fuel filter25163684 alt 25178753
Spark plug19208535
Front wiper blades25689175 discontinued
Serpentine belt12588412 alt 12569506
Thermostat12559807 alt 03522676

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length200.4 in
Overall width75.6 in
Overall height53.5 in
Wheelbase107.9 in
Curb weight3843 lb
Track (front / rear)61 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)64/36

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined15 / 24 / 18 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular 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
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1995Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.40 sec14.80 sec300 hpFWD
1995Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.60 sec14.80 sec300 hpFWD
1995Touring Coupe 4.6L V87.20 sec15.30 sec300 hpFWD
1993Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.40 sec14.90 sec295 hpFWD
1993Touring Coupe 4.6L V86.70 sec14.80 sec295 hpFWD
1992Touring Coupe 4.9L V87.90 sec16.10 sec200 hpFWD

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 FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity8 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE 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 Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-7-3-4-5-6-8
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance5,000-8,000 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug TypeAC 41-929
Spark Plug Gap0.050 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Capacity8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance770 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)41-47
Injector Primary Resistance8-25 na ohms
Engine Compression140

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs / 137 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle94 ft-lbs / 100 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.267 in / 0.433 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.224 in / 0.404 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
137 ft. lbs., step 2: 12037 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 5 stages
1M11 bolts30 ft. lbs
2M11 bolts70 degrees
3M11 bolts60 degrees
4M11 bolts45 degrees
58.9
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs — tightening sequence 1 stages
17 ft. lbs., Step 2: 357 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 at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 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 miAxle 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)
Every 30,000 miEGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap (inspect) · Throttle Cable (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

Across the 1990-2002 generation, federal records for the Cadillac Eldorado show a distinct arc: complaints and investigations peaked in the mid-1990s (reaching 81 complaints and 3 investigations in 1996) before steadily declining, while technical service bulletins (TSBs) consistently increased. The 1998 model year sits at a critical inflection point in this arc, where overall complaints dropped to 56 and investigations fell to zero, indicating the resolution of the era's most severe regulatory scrutiny. However, compared to the subsequent 1999 model year which saw complaints plummet to 25, the 1998 figure implies lingering vulnerabilities as the generation matured. Specifically, the 1998 Eldorado's top complaint areas are the fuel system (7), engine and cooling (6), electrical system (5), and suspension (5), though the data does not specify the root causes for these issues. While the 59 TSBs reflect ongoing manufacturer refinements, the relatively elevated complaint volume compared to later years makes the 1998 a moderate choice rather than a standout buy.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
59
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
56
Owner complaints
2 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 56 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Fuel System, Gasoline7
Engine & Engine Cooling6
Electrical System5
Suspension5
Wheels4
Structure4
Steering3
Service Brakes, Hydraulic3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

97V183000Vehicle Speed ControlReported 27/10/1997

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES, HEARSES AND LIMOUSINES. THE CANISTER PURGE EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS HARNESS ON THESE VEHICLES WAS MISROUTED. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE FOR PROPER ROUTING OF THE HARNESS, CORRECT AS NECESSARY, AND INSTALL A PLASTIC TIE STRAP TO THE HARNESS.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 59 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP4723D2020-01-31Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIC4696E2019-11-22EquipmentThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA0732019-09-18EquipmentThis warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action…
PIC4696D2019-09-05EquipmentThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how…
17NA0732019-02-15EquipmentThis 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.

Reference guides

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

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1998 Eldorado take?

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

Does the 1998 Eldorado have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 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.