Cadillac›Seville›1998›Overview/cadillac/seville/1998/base/

1998 Cadillac Seville

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

Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 1998 Cadillac Seville is a model-year entry in Cadillac’s 1990–2004 Seville run, paired with an automatic 4-speed transmission and rated at 15 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined; routine oil service calls for 8 quarts of 5W-30 API oil. In the model’s reliability record, the 1998 example generated 66 owner complaints, with Engine & Engine Cooling cited as the top concern and two recalls issued. That complaint count sits below the 1996 high of 131 yet well above the 2004 low of 17, positioning the 1998 Seville around the middle of the model’s reported reliability range and making engine-cooling issues the area to inspect first when evaluating a survivor.

Model year2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

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 79 · 800 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731179. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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.

Battery groupBCI 79 · 800 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnLAMPSOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731179
Engine air filter	19166106
Fuel filter	25121293 discontinued · alt 25335945
Spark plug	19208535
Front wiper blades	15214346
Serpentine belt	12588412 alt 12569505
Thermostat	12559807 alt 03522676
Cabin air filter	52455790 alt 52482840

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	201.2 in
Overall width	74.8 in
Overall height	55.5 in
Wheelbase	112.2 in
Curb weight	3973 lb
Track (front / rear)	61.4 / 61.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	15 / 24 / 18 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	104 cu ft
Cargo volume	16 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

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.

6.6–6.8 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.60 sec — 1998 STS Sedan

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
1998	STS Sedan 4.6L V8	6.60 sec	15.00 sec	300 hp	FWD
1998	STS Sedan 4.6L V8	6.80 sec	15.30 sec	300 hp	FWD
1998	STS Sedan 4.6L V8	6.80 sec	15.10 sec	300 hp	FWD
1996	STS Sedan 4.6L V8	6.40 sec	14.70 sec	300 hp	FWD
1995	STS Sedan 4.6L V8	6.40 sec	14.70 sec	300 hp	FWD
1995	STS Sedan 4.6L V8	6.60 sec	15.10 sec	300 hp	FWD
1995	SLS Sedan 4.6L V8	7.30 sec	15.40 sec	275 hp	FWD
1992	STS Sedan 4.9L V8	8.60 sec	16.80 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	118 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	2.00-2.45 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	7.00-8.00 oz
Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	2.00 lbs
Oil Group	PAG

Service checks

Pressure Test	15; Do not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	41-47
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 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 mi	Brake System (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Parking Brake Cable (lubricate) · Shift Linkage (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect)
Every 30,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace) · 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	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Engine 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.

From 1990 to 1996 the federal record shows a steady rise in complaints, peaking at 131 in 1996, with recalls generally holding around two per year. Complaints then declined to 105 in 1997 and further dropped to 66 in 1998, marking the lowest point since 1993. In 1998 the vehicle had 2 recalls and 1 investigation, comparable to the surrounding years (1997: 2 recalls, 2 investigations; 1999: 1 recall, 1 investigation). Although complaints rose again to 75 in 1999 and technical service bulletins increased sharply from 43 in 1997 to 85 in 1998 and 87 in 1999, the 1998 model year sits in a temporary dip in the overall complaint trend. Given its relatively low complaint count and recall frequency relative to adjacent years, the 1998 Cadillac Seville represents a comparatively favorable choice among the generation, though buyers should still verify service history for any outstanding issues.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

3 involved a crash · 3 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97’98’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 66 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling18

Steering7

Exterior Lighting6

Suspension5

Visibility4

Air Bags4

Electrical System3

Seat Belts3

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

99V070000Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/RegulatorReported 12/04/1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAN DEVELOP IN THE GENERATOR, EVEN WHEN THE ENGINE IS OFF. Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE GENERATOR.

98V144000Visibility:Windshield Wiper/WasherReported 26/06/1998

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR 'LOW' SPEED FUNCTION CAN BECOME INOPERATIVE WHEN THE MOTOR IS SWITCHED FROM 'HIGH' TO 'LOW' SPEED. Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR COVER WHICH CONTAINS THE MICROPROCESSOR.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 85 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 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.

Group 79 battery Vehicles taking 8 qt Engine oil filter 12731179 Engine air filter 19166106 Fuel filter 25121293 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 1998 Seville take?

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

Does the 1998 Seville have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the Seville get?

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