1990s 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood Project

[MercMontMars]

Hi there, this is my first time posting here. I just bought my first Cadillac today, a 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood. It's in overall great shape, I paid $700 and it has 80,300~ miles on it. Elderly owned with regular maintenance. The car sat for 5+ years after the previous owner passed, the seller claimed it ran when parked and said they've tried using starting fluid to get it going with no success.

After buying the car and towing it to my shop I looked everything over and found some wires chewed up by mice. My ignition system works just fine, I've already discovered that the car will run on starting fluid but my fuel pump is apparently not working.

Basically what I need is some general advice on this car, some wiring diagrams if anyone has them and suggestions on what to do to get this car running it's best. Only things that are apparently not working on the car is the radio and fuel pump. I have already checked the fuses and they appear to be good.

Thank you for any help!

[MercMontMars]

Also, do I need to drop the fuel tank to replace the fuel pump? Not sure where that is located on this car yet.

[Roger Zimmermann]

A Cadillac shop manual is mandatory to repair and maintain that car! Faxon Auto literature is a good source; eBay too. good luck!

[James Landi]

Old Ethanol fuel turns to a mix of WATER laced with ethonal and fine SAND (fuel separation) substance.  You CAN NOT and Should NOT attempt to start the car--    You'll need to get at the fuel pump/fuel gauge sending unit, you'll need to clean the gas tank, you'll need to replace fuel filters, you MAY need to pull the injectors and have them cleaned -- assume any old gas that's in the fuel rail, fuel lines, fuel filters, fuel pump and fuel tank require a complete and thorough cleaning, flush out, and/or replacement.  Trying to get the car started with whatever garbage is left in the fuel tank will only create other VERY costly problems for you.  You might check on You Tube for dyi folks who have  successfully accomplished  this work with cars of your era.  And as mentioned above, get that service manual.  Hope this helps, James

[TJ Hopland]

94 is still a year where the printed manuals were decent and it looks like there are several used ones available still. Note that the Fleetwood was its own car and manual that year.

Its probably worth just dropping the tank to clean and inspect things.  Sitting for 5 years isn't good with the fuels of the day plus you don't know how often it got driven even before that 5 year point.  It could have been 10 years since it burned a whole tank. 

[dn010]

Not sure where you are located but that car would appear to me as if it was driven during winter months in the north. If that is the case, I hope the underside isn't too bad should you need to drop the tank.