OldsmobileCutlass Calais1985Overview/oldsmobile/cutlass-calais/1985/base/

1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1985 Cutlass Calais.

The 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais is defined in part by its engine specifications, requiring exactly 3 quarts of oil and utilizing 20W-20, 20W-40, or 20W-50 viscosity grades for proper lubrication. Within the model's reliability history, this year sits with a specific record of 21 total owner complaints and 3 recalls. Given that the top complaint area centers on Engine & Engine Cooling, these exact engine oil requirements are highly relevant, meaning that maintaining proper fluid levels and viscosity is a critical factor for researchers assessing this vehicle's operational longevity.

Model year1991198919881987198619851984

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity3 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory engine air filter and fuel filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175
Engine air filter25040881 discontinued · alt 25043334
Fuel filter25171792 discontinued
Spark plug05614046 alt 19300749
Front wiper blades22155381
Serpentine belt25534241 alt 10032615
Thermostat24506986 alt 10192505

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length190.6 in
Overall width69.7 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase104.7 in
Curb weight2709 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)63/37

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 3 qt of 20W-20 / 20W-40 / 20W-50 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity3 qt
Engine Oil20W-20 · 20W-40 · 20W-50 · 15W-40 · 10W-30 · 10W-40 · 5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4 qt
Power Steering FluidUSE GM PART NO. 1050017 OR EQUIVALENT

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter at 7,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 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 5,000 miClutch Pedal Assembly (inspect)
At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Axle Shaft Oil Seal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miDistributor Cap (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 100,000 miTransmission Fluid & Filter (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.

Owner complaints about the 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais lead in one area — the engine & engine cooling, 5 of 21 reports (24%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 3 recall campaigns target the engine & engine cooling, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 3 of the reports describe a crash and 3 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine & engine cooling pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
6
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
21
Owner complaints
3 involved a crash · 3 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 21 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling5
Power Train4
Steering3
Vehicle Speed Control3
Tires2
Suspension2
Seat Belts,Vehicle Speed Control1
Parking Brake1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

89V102000Vehicle Speed ControlReported 16/06/1989

A SMALL NYLON BUSHING IN THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL MAY SLIP OUT OF PLACE, CAUSING INTERMITTENT AND UNEXPECTED INCREASES IN ENGINE SPEED OR DIESELING (ENGINE RUN ON WITH IGNITION OFF). Remedy: INSTALL A NEW BUSHING IN CRUISE CONTROL SERVO BAIL.

84V124000Steering:Linkages:Tie Rod AssemblyReported 10/10/1984

THE TIE RODS ARE PART OF THE STEERING LINKAGE AND TRANSMIT TURNING MOVEMENTS TO THE WHEELS. THE BOLTS THAT FASTEN THE TIE RODS TO THEIR ADJUSTERS MAY NOT BE TIGHT ENOUGH. THIS COULD ALLOW THE TIE ROD TO LOOSEN AND… Remedy: THE TIE ROD END BOLTS WILL BE TIGHTENED WITHOUT COST TO THE OWNER.

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 Cutlass Calais. 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 1985 Cutlass Calais take?

3 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, 20W-40, 20W-50, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, ABOVE 0 degrees F: 10W-30 OR 10W-40, BELOW 60 degrees F: 5W-30, per the factory manual.

Does the 1985 Cutlass Calais have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.