You rely on your Cadillac to give you the best performance it can while you are driving it. RB Auto Service is an expert in Cadillac maintenance and repair, and we can help keep your Cadillac running in tiptop shape. Over time, your engine can develop a vacuum leak through one of the vacuum hoses. Listed below are signs that your Cadillac’s engine is suffering from this fate.
Acceleration Loss
Your Cadillac’s engine uses vacuum to transfer power to other portions of the engine. If you have a vacuum leak, you might notice that your acceleration is sluggish or nonresponsive. This is because the engine is losing power through the vacuum leak, and it is also getting too much air in it because of the vacuum leak. The acceleration loss is caused by the lean air-to-fuel ratio in the engine.
Engine Sputters
This will also make your engine sputter and hiccup as you drive along. If the vacuum leak is severe, your engine might stall, especially when you are sitting and idling. You may also notice that it sounds like your engine is misfiring. You may hear engine knocks, which are a result of multiple small detonations in the cylinders caused by too much air.
High RPMs
Take a look at your tachometer to see what your RPM reading is. Do this especially when you are sitting idle. If your Cadillac’s RPMs are too high, this is another sign of a vacuum leak. The excess air that is being released into the engine will make the RPMs higher than normal. They can also make the RPMs go from high to low sporadically.
Hissing Sounds
You might be able to hear the vacuum leak if you hear hissing or sucking sounds coming from your engine. You can try to find the vacuum leak with your Cadillac parked safely and the parking brake set. Pop the hood while the motor is running and listen for any hissing, squealing, or sucking sounds. Follow the sounds to the hoses and you might be able to identify which vacuum hose is leaking.
Warning Light
Finally, all of the above will cause your Cadillac’s engine control unit, which is the main computer chip, to turn on the check engine light. The engine control unit is warning you that there is too much air in the engine because of the vacuum leak. If the vacuum leak is minor, you may not notice any of the other signs above. You may just get a dashboard warning.
Bring your Cadillac into RB Auto Service in Pinellas Park, FL, so we can inspect your engine to make sure you don’t have a vacuum leak.