Alright fellas,
I did a search on this but i'm a little confused. From what i've read, the best way to tell if the stock shocks are the basic FE4's or the upgraded FG2's is the label on the shock. From what i understand, the FE4's have the yellow sticker with the pink border and the FG2's have the yellow sticker with the pink border along with black dashed lines around it?? Is this right??

While i was under the car when i first got it doing the motor mounts and working on the header/steering shaft clearance, I took a peek at the driver front shock to see if i could figure out which shocks the car is equipped with. I wiped down the label on that driver front shock only to get a good look. I looked online and from what i read (stated above), it appeared that the shock was an FE4's which is what i figured it would have anyway. It was the yellow sticker with the pink border.

Today when i was pulling the front bumper cover off, i happened to notice the passenger side front shock had the yellow sticker with the pink border but with the black dash lines on it. I double checked both sides and i was right. The drivers front doesn't have the black dashed lines and the passenger side does. I laid down under the rear of the car to see what shocks were on the rear and both rear shocks appeared to have the black dashed lines around the bottoms of the labels (which is all i could see) as well.

So is this right?? Does this mean i have 3 FG2's and 1 FE4 shock on the car??

If so... Anyone have a good FG2 front shock laying around they'd like to sell so i can swap this one out??

I find this extremely odd because the car has a squeaky clean carfax and there are no signs of an accident. It was a single owner vehicle before my buddy bought it a little over a year ago and it was an older gentleman. Car was bone stock with 54k miles when he bought it at the local dealer.

If it is indeed an FE4 shock on the drivers front, i'm wondering if maybe he had a stock shock go bad/fail and took it to the dealer or to a shop and they put the wrong one on it as a replacement???

This is a pic of my passenger front shock...

 

They should probably put limits on # of threads you can make in a week or month. Sheesh.

Sounds like what you're seeing is what you're thinking. Did you really need confirmation on something that seems pretty cut and dry? Look up the part numbers if you need more convincing.

You don't know the full history of the car so who knows what happened. One of mine is leaking, so maybe that was happening before you bought yours and only one was replaced.

 

Yeah yeah... But then the people here on Tech wouldn't be as entertained with all the new threads to read. lol

I looked up part numbers. None of the numbers linked to anything. Found a thread where someone was asking the same question and someone chimed in with the dashes and no dashes on the label info. Just wondering if thats a confirmed way to tell or not?

And you're right, i don't know the entire history. I'm sure thats likely the case though with only one being replaced. Probably started leaking or something. Whoever the original owner was probably replaced it not realizing there was more than one factory shock or the shop he took it to made the mistake. Who knows??

Either way... If the dashed lines on the label means its def an FG2, does anyone have a good FG2 front shock they want to sell???

 

Dashed lines are definitely FG2. There are a couple of scenarios that left the car with a single FE4....the original probably started leaking and since I don't believe you can buy single FG2s, the owner may have decided to just get one FE4 instead of all 4 FG2s. Or, the shop that replaced it didn't know they were upgraded shocks and pulled the standard part # for FE4s.

I just sold all 4 of my old (and still good) FG2s about two weeks ago to a forum member....

Move fast on this, it looks like an FG2....http://www.ebay.com/itm/04-07-Cadill...ht_7070wt_1270

EDIT: MY BAD! That's a rear shock...


.

 

Ok. That makes sense and was likely the case. After searching for a used shock through google, i saw quite a few threads on cadillacforum where people said their drivers front FG2 failed and leaked at a low mileage. Not sure why it seems to be more common on the drivers front but it points me in the direction of the likely cause for the single FE4 on the car. Also read that the FG2's come in complete sets only for $1400 so i can see why someone who only needs one shock would buy a single FE4 to replace the bad one. Not a big deal but i'd still like to get another FG2 for the front if i can find a good used one so they all match as they should.

Wish i would have known about this mismatched shock when u were selling that set. I would have bought them.

And thanks for the link but thats a rear shock from what i can tell by the direction of the sticker. If it was a front, i'd be all about it.

 

I would imagine in 2012 there are better shocks then the ones that came on our nearly 8 year old cars.

maybe its time for some coilovers?

 

Oh i know that. No doubt that fully adjustable coil overs would be bad *** but for the price... i'd rather just get another matching FG2. A lot of guys still running around with high miles and no problems out of the stock shocks.

If i wanted to blow $2000 on some nice coilovers, i would. I just don't have the money or need for that nice of a suspension on this car. Its just my daily/toy. Im thinking I'll find the FG2 to match the rest and order the ground control kit for $500 just so i have the height adjustability...

 

Some dealer hosed somebody by replacing a fg2 with a fe4. Its no wonder more people don't buy bmw's how often do you think somebody brings in a m3 with comp package and the same thing happens, never because there would be a 30 page thread about it and somebody would be held responsible. If a previous owner did it and didn't tell you then that is another story as it probably shouldn't kill a sale but it should be disclosed.

The front FG2 shocks are 88962952
The rear FG2 shocks are 88962954

I believe you might be able to buy or perhaps 2 at a time try Luke or any other gm dealership with that front part#.

Here are fronts used don't know seller and no idea if they are any good
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cadillac-CTS...-/110873253237

If you go another route the kw v3 set is incredible and can be had for right under 2k.

 

Yeah... considering it was an original owner car when my buddy bought it early last year with just 54k miles on it, I'd bet the dealer replaced it at some point under warranty with the wrong part. I know for a fact my buddy never messed with it. Original owner may not have even noticed himself.

Thanks for the link and the part numbers! Ill watch that auction and possibly buy the pair if bidding doesn't get too high. At least that would leave me with a spare for the front after using the one i need since they don't appear to be side specific. Or I could even sell the other one along the the FE4 I'll be taking off to someone else that needs a single replacement and recoupe some of the cost.

KW V3's are def an option and would be nice but if i can get this one swapped out just so they all match for much less, i'd rather do that. If i have an issue with any of them failing, then i'll spend the money to upgrade to the KW V3's at that time. I don't track the car. Its a daily driver that sees the odd spurt of spirited driving from time to time.

 

FE4 vs FG2 is worthless on a non track driven car. No one would be able to tell a difference. Only reason you knew was because you saw it lol.

 

Lol! I'm sure you are exactly right but now that I've seen it, it's gonna bother the **** outta me if I don't make them all match. It's not so much that I even care to have the FG2's over the FE4's. I mean it's cool i guess since they are the more rare factory upgrade option of the two but I'm just wanting them to match on all 4 corners more than anything. Lol

 

easy young troll, a worthless thread to some may be beneficial to others

 

have you run both? I could tell a significant difference...but i don't drive like an illegal alien

 

Yes I test drove an 06 with the FG2 option that had less miles then the 05 I bought with FE4s and I drove them the same day. ZERO difference on the roads.

 

It would be hard to tell with only one fg2 like NS02 has, but change all 4 and you could tell. You would have enjoyed a set of new fg2s on your V.

fe4's suck *** performance wise but they are a good long lasting granny shock.

Remember, they didn't run the ring with those tampons installed...

 

Yup! I bought em and they are in fact in great shape! The FE4's and H & R Springs bounced and floated a lot and on decent bumps the fronts tires would contact the inner fenders. With the FG2's and H & R Springs it floats slightly and handles much better. The suspension is quieter too over rough potholes and such. Big improvement.

 

No way. There is totally a difference.

 

Awesome, I'm glad they worked out and you noticed an improvement over the FE4s. It looks like you shined them up nicely too, they look brand new in those pictures.

 

Yeah they do look brand new! Wish I would have been able to jump on those. From what I can see on my car, all the shocks are in good working shape. If I can just find that one FG2 to replace the FE4 on that front drivers side, I'd be set. I have a set of H&R's new in the box I'll be installing soon. Or I may sell them and go ground control since I could use the adjustment for those true forged staggered 20's I bought. Big Reg (previous owner of the wheels) said H&R's with mighty mouse spacers were a tad too low in the rear since she wide wheel sits exactly flush with the fender well. Might go GC on the FG2's just to be able to set it exactly where I need it.

 

l m a o !