CadillacSeville1985Overview/cadillac/seville/1985/base/

1985 Cadillac Seville

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

The 1985 Cadillac Seville, requiring 4.5 quarts of oil with a choice of 20W-20, 15W-40, or 10W-30 viscosity, recorded only six owner complaints and a single recall, the top complaint area being Vehicle Speed Control. This low complaint count places the 1985 model year well below the peaks seen in the model's later history, such as the 131 complaints for 1996, and even below the lowest recorded year of 2004 with 17 complaints, indicating that this early Seville is a notably trouble-free example within the model's overall reliability record.

Model year200420032002200120001999199819971985

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type20W-20 / 15W-40 / 10W-30OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731179
Engine air filter06424140 discontinued · alt 06483645
Fuel filter22522452 alt 25055001
Spark plug19354416
Front wiper blades15184702 alt 05049938
Serpentine belt09433885 alt 09433743
Thermostat10207373 alt 01623547

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length204.7 in
Overall width70.9 in
Overall height54.3 in
Wheelbase114.2 in
Curb weight3803 lb
Weight distribution (front / rear)59/41

Performance & power Independent road tests

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

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

6.4–19.7 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 1995 STS Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1986Elegante Sedan 4.1L V811.70 sec18.20 sec130 hpFWD
1989STS Sedan 4.5L V88.90 sec16.80 sec180 hpFWD
1980Elegante Diesel Sedan 5.7L Diesel V819.70 sec21.50 sec105 hpFWD
1990STS Sedan 4.5L V89.20 sec17.00 sec180 hpFWD
1979Diesel Sedan 5.7L Diesel V816.80 sec21.10 sec120 hpRWD
1992STS Sedan 4.9L V88.60 sec16.80 sec200 hpFWD
1976Sedan 5.7L V814.00 sec19.00 sec180 hpRWD
1995STS Sedan 4.6L V86.40 sec14.70 sec300 hpFWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 20W-20 / 15W-40 / 10W-30 engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity4.3 qt
Engine CoolantETHYLENE GLYCOL
Engine Oil20W-20 · 15W-40 · 10W-30
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt
Engine OilAPI · 15W-30 · 10W-30
Engine Oil Capacity7 qt

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 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.

At 5,000 miExhaust Pressure Regulator (inspect) · Universal Vehicle Operation (inspect idle speed)
Every 5,000 miBody Latches, Locks & Hinges (inspect) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Fuel Filter Water Separator (inspect) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Weatherstrip Seal (inspect)
At 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Throttle Body (torque) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 7,500 miBrake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Final Drive (inspect fluid level) · Shift Linkage (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect)
Every 15,000 miEngine Oil Filter (replace) · Exhaust Pressure Regulator (inspect) · PCV System (inspect) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 30,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Diesel Fuel Injection Pump Timing (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Breather Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
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.

The 1985 Cadillac Seville lists five specific complaints across four categories in this record, with Vehicle Speed Control representing the primary concern at two instances alongside single reports in Fuel System, Engine Cooling, and Steering. However, the provided year-by-year federal record begins in 1990, which prevents a direct comparison to immediately adjacent model years within this specific dataset. In the available 1990–2004 period, complaints escalate from 23 in 1990 to a high of 131 in 1996, while Technical Service Bulletins increase substantially to 473 by 2003. The 1985 model exists prior to this recorded upward arc, presenting a significantly lower complaint volume than the 1990 baseline and the subsequent peak years. Based on the lower complaint frequency relative to the provided later models, this represents a statistically favorable year to purchase within the limits of this data.

1
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
6
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 6 complaints on record, top 5 components.

Vehicle Speed Control2
Fuel System, Gasoline1
Engine & Engine Cooling1
Steering1
Latches/Locks/Linkages1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 1 of 1 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.

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 Seville. 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 Seville take?

4.5 qt of ABOVE 40 degrees F: 30, ABOVE 20 degrees F: 20W-20, ABOVE 10 degrees F: 15W-40, ABOVE 0 degrees F: 10W-30,, per the factory manual.

Does the 1985 Seville have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.