1988 buick reatta problems

He enjoys the give-and-take with hard-bitten magazine types like us. What plugs get pulled to check valve covers? The Reatta, Qualman counters, is a good fit because it's not a pure sports car: it's a two-seater done the Buick way. I assumed when y'all say it will show codes on the CRT that it just shows diagnostics or warning info when something is wrong. So, in 1990 the touchscreen was gone and you could now get your Reatta as a coupe or convertible. I Reatta driven a couple hours using cruise control. It was christened the Reatta Craft Center. Built on computer-controlled platforms the assembly at each station was not rushed as with a typical assembly line. Fluids weren't contaminated, so I was beginning to worry about the bottom end. I'd switch to a Delco ignition, quality 8mm plug wires, and Delco Rapidfire (platinum) or Iridium plugs. Sign up for a new account in our community. Not saying it's the BCM, just that was my case and I checked everything out before hand. I sympathize completely as my 88 is currently operating in limp home mode which happens when the ECM is not getting a good signal from the ICM. we were wanting to get the important (mechanical) side done first before moving on to electrical. A little more to the rear above the coolant overflow tank is another Power Junction Block. Underhood, it's one-size-fits-all: the only engine offered is GM's new 3.8-liter V-6, called the 3800, which is smoothed by a balance shaft and produces a respectable 165 hp at 4800 rpm. That's what we're gonna try next. We challenge Qualman by asking him what, precisely, the Reatta is doing in the 1988 Buick lineup. Which is really another way of saying comfort. I'm not that organized," he said, laughing. The Reatta also had four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS. In part this was because it was light about 3,400 pounds. They were known for this and the best solution is to get a rebuild digital dash that may have a warranty, which should correct the problem. "I was interested back in 1989, and even went to a showroom in Houston. The bad news is that you're confronted by a duplicate of the Riv's poorly designed instrument panelright down to the touch-screen CRT. Finally replaced the BCM and everything worked as it should. Do the same for this block, and check the condition of the fuseable links that enter it. The result, says Jordan, is a car with "sporty elegance"more like a Mercedes 560SL than a Corvette. and can someone please explain to me what the BCM is and the general area of its location im not say thats it im just wondering. Sign up for a new account in our community. He offered $500 for just the book, but the owner insisted that he had to sell the whole car, so Gomberg ended up acquiring the vehicle, and the contents of its glove box, for just $700. The car itself was built on a shortened version of GMs E-Body platform, which dated back to the 60s and was used over the years as the basis for both rear-drive and front-drive vehicles, most notably for personal luxury coupes like the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado and (later) the Cadillac Eldorado. Then the Reatta came along. As we rolled up the miles in comfort, however, it occurred to us that somethingsomething importantwas missing. I assume the coil pack should also be replaced at the same time, definitely couldn't hurt since it too looks quite old etc. While the Reatta wasn't very powerful or very quick the 3.8 V6 never exceeded 170 horsepower in factory-built trim it wasn't slow. Splices on the floor usually have more to do with body electrics, not the instrument panels. Back to the drawing board. Ive read that it might be the BCM or the splices under the passenger seat i just have no clue what the problem could be. We could somewhat understand if it was a Cadillac, but Cad had its own expensive two-seat loser called the Allante. only wiring i can see thats questionable is the hanging relays at the firewall, looks like they might've gotten hot or something, connectors and plastic all looks fine but the insulation looks a bit weird, no touching/crossed wires though. I personally am think the CPS. When starting the 1988 buick reatta , sometimes the digital dash will not come on at first and if and when it does come on it pops off and then after an hour or two all of a sudden it pops on and may or may stay on. Envo gratis en artculos seleccionados. Location of the blower motor relay on 1989 buick reatta There is no relaythere is a motor controller. If the pusher fan comes on the system is probably working properly. The car also had had an Interlock device installed which I believe damaged the electrical I'm having that removed this Friday. located in the duct work, on the firewall, passanger side. Hopefully the codes stay history, but you may want to do the oxygen sensor as well as cleaning the idle air control as well as the idle air control housing. The Reatta Is The Coolest Affordable Buick You Forgot About. It stood for real comfort, for something sporty, for being accommodating. Buick had hoped the Reatta would sell about 20,000 copies annually when the project was green-lighted in the summer of 1986 and the first pilot car assembled. Welcome to the forum Ryan. Have you cleaned and tightened the grounds in the junction box near the battery as suggested by Mc_Reatta in a previous post? All traces of sports-car crudity have been filtered out. Hawtal Whiting Design and Engineering, a British company that has worked for the Corvette group, performed all the necessary structural analyses. Was the Reatta ahead of its time, or just perceived as a budget Cadillac Allant?Show 719 | Originally Recorded 02-04-1989Want to help keep our weekly Retro . But its technological zenith was in its dash and display. Intake manifold vacuum leak? With no logic to why Buick needed a hyper-expensive two-seater with a crapcan engine it came and went without hardly a memory of its existence. For all of the hoopla and marketing hype when it debuted in 1987 as a 1988 model it fell with a thud. Qualman's business card says he's the advertising manager for the .css-xtkis1{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#1C5f8B;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;font-weight:bold;}.css-xtkis1:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Buick Motor Division, but never mind that. I forgot to mention we checked fuel pressure, it went up to 47psi at prime at settled at 42psi. I would do the Ignition Control Module/Coil Pack. car looks like it had a lot of highway miles and very basic maintenance done. "though the dash gauges have been inconsistently working at all lately" - is the jumper cover marked "do not remove" in place on the ALDL connector under the dash ? There is no gasket used at the forward end of the crossover. Rock Auto 5% Discount Code - But Beware of Returned Part Costs, Drivers Door Lock Cylinder is Loose on my 91, Reatta Diagnostics Instructions - 1990 & 91, Reatta Owners Journal Forum Latest Topics. And what of the new breed coming out of the Craft Centre? Any beeps? Common problem is the fan will not shut off when the ignition is turned off. It is a sort of ball and socket arrangement. And aft of the seats, under the sloping rear window, is the kind of storage space you find in king-cab pickups. Asked by MissReatta Jul 25, 2016 at 06:08 PM about the 1988 Buick Reatta. Today the 2020s coupes are pretty uncommon. Qualman has the imposing stature of a retired NFL linebacker and the earnest face of an all-American kid grown up. I use carb cleaner and an old tooth brush. And maybe a bit more mass through the midsection. The crossover pipe is relatively easy to access. It didnt need another. Golden! The Reatta was just 183.7 inches long and rode on a 98.5 inch wheelbase. He admits that he had to put his personal carguy preferences on hold to head the project. Will help you a lot and it is FREE! 1990 Buick Reatta Coupe FWD-Maintenance & Repair. This startled me, and It is of unit-body construction and is stamped from galvanized steel for rust protection. But the same thing marketed by Buick just didnt click. checked lots of wiring to parts of the engine/sensors and the engine harness all appears to be just fine. 1988 Buick Reatta VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE AS TESTED (C/D EST) $29,000 ENGINE TYPE pushrod 12-valve V-6, iron block and heads, port fuel. From what I can find, the BCM from the Park Avenue or other full size Buick will not work in the Reatta or any other E platform car even from the same year. He works as a real estate agent in Houston and Beverly Hills, and between the two cities, he now owns a total of six Reattas: an '88, two '89s, a '90, and two '91sone convertible and five coupes. It is a sort of ball and socket arrangement. But although the program wasn't a major sales success, it managed to accomplish some of its goals. The next issue to be resolved was body style: McIntosh's early sketches portrayed both convertibles and coupes. "The ones that run best are the ones with over 100,000 miles on them," he claimed. Thanks to plenty of steadying understeer, even drivers of modest talent will find the Reatta difficult to upset in hard corners. "At my office, they always say, how many of these things do you have?". it has two connectors and 3 screws that hold it into the ductwork. Buick targeted younger buyers on their way up that had the wherewithal to buy a $25,000-30,000 car but also older retired buyers who could be purchasing it as sort of a reward. Buick forgot one of the main tenets of GM marketing: You can sell an old man a young mans car, but you cant sell a young man an old mans car. What was Buick thinking? When it came time to engineer the Reatta, Buick was plumb out of manpower: The division managed to get the exterior and interior styling done in-house, but it farmed out most of the engineering. It just makes alignment of the parts more difficult and supports nothing. after we drove it back from a little wash it was hunting in idle (said CEL came on but we didn't get a chance to check the codes) but on the way out to the wash i pulled the codes and they were all history codes and were: E041, B448, B552, C553. ok thanks ill be sure to check that to if it does come down to the bcm or the cps would either one of thoes off of a 1988 park avenue work i know that might be a dumb question but i dont know much about my reatta and i have a park avenue sitting in my back yard. Simple 3800 Cam Magnet Replacement Replacing Magnavox Ignition With Delco Cleaning the IAC (3800) Padgett's Electronic Parts Reference More Info . All the sound is directed away from the driver/passenger so one has to turn up the volume to the maximum which causes distortion. A worthy candidate for any Worst list, we present the 1988-91 Buick Reatta. Qualman emphasizes that the two cars were developed independently and are different in critical dimensions. Get free expert troubleshooting help, support & repair solutions for all Reatta Car and Truck. That's the why of the Reatta. http://forums.aaca.org/f116/reatta-resources-287447.html. Something not as flamboyant but more luxurious." The peak sales year was in 1989 when Buick sold 7,000 of these turkeys. Keyless entry another unusual feature during the late Reagan Era was available, and four-wheel disc brakes were standard, with wheel-lock during panic braking eliminated by ABS which was then a very new technology and available in only about 25 percent of new cars. Total production was 1,519 cars, 305 of them convertibles. The top cloth or vinyl was manually lowered and closed and had a glass rather than plastic rear window, with an embedded electric defroster grid. These are two-seaters with the hard sports-car edges polished off and plenty of luxury gear pumped in. Now it needed something, not like the Allante, Corvette, or Fiero. My Reattas: 1988 Posted February 6, 2020 The battery drain is pretty normal for a Reatta. "Sometimes in a day, I might drive two or three," he said. It powers the front wheels through a four-speed automatic transaxle. I'm changing out the MAF , but what is the cure for the Cam Sensor Circuit? Do you have a spare of either on hand to swap out? We just can't find anything in the Reatta that makes the editorial heart race to the redline. En eBay encuentras fabulosas ofertas en Calibradores traseros y soportes para Buick Reatta. It felt great to have power and mileage back, but I didn't have that for long. The engineers also wanted to avoid the quality headaches associated with introducing fresh hardware on a new limited-production car. Contact Us - DO NOT EMAIL CAR QUESTIONS. no warning.. then it wont start for 10 or 15 minutes then it startsand does it again.. anyone Good afternoon, Contact Us - DO NOT EMAIL CAR QUESTIONS. Past that I do know it was a garage queen. lots of things appear to be very old or original. A design engineer was assigned to the studio to help with the final stages of development, but throughout its evolution the Reatta's styling remained in the hands of the advanced-design team. Thats basically how it was designed, then it got productionized to fit its E/K platform and taking into account assembly line restrictions. That way you won't waste time replacing the working unit and only replace the bad one. In the end, it all fit and the project got green-lighted by upper management. By Seth Rose January 30, 2011 in Buick Reatta. After intensive consumer research, Buick settled on a two-place convertible with a removable hard top. In between his two C/D postings he served as executive editor of Automobile Magazine; was an executive vice president at Campbell Marketing & Communications; worked in GM's product-development area; and became publisher of Autoweek. Sales peaked in 1989 when slightly more than 7,000 Reattas moved off dealer lots (the Mercedes SL sold about 9,000 units that year.) In other words: a low bar. Each Buick Reatta also came with a special leather-bound owner's manual. Find company research, competitor information, contact details & financial data for DOROTA URBANIAK DOROTA of Wrocaw, dolnolskie. The historical record indicates Buick thought it needed a halo car but not as good as a Corvette nor as bad as the Pontiac Fiero. Share More sharing options. Powered by Invision Community. GM fixed the problem by returning to physical knobs and buttons for the climate control and stereo in the Reattas third year of production (1990), which, as it turned out, would be the Reattas second-to-last year of production. And the Porsche 911 from which the Reatta team cribbed some design cues, including the wide-panel single tail light and some pleats to straighten the curves a bit. It would be front-wheel-drive, like the Allante but not as flashy or as costly. Like the Allant, it's built on a shortened version of the Riviera/ Toronado/Eldorado/Seville chassis, but any other similarity to Cadillac's two-seater is pure coincidence. (The front fenders are injection-molded thermoplastic.) The Reatta is nearly viceless, all right, but also nearly soulless. This meant that the car had to feature decent (but not blistering) performance, along with competent handling and refinement, voluminous cargo space, and a spacious interior. Add the good-size trunk and there is plenty of luggage room for those long point-A-to-point-B journeys. But in the mid-1980s, they were common. We'll start with the styling: we think it's nice. [CDATA[*/Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-1");Insticator.ad.loadAd("div-insticator-ad-2");Insticator.load("em",{id : "6cf39429-6912-4a91-b1e2-3e9365a5e9c6"});/*]]>*/. Update: the ICM and Coil pack did fix the issue, however it still has a light throttle misfire/hiccup but otherwise it has good power and responds to more load and throttle/rpm etc now and does so smoothly and cleanly. 1988 Buick Reatta won't start 2 Answers. The only issues he has with his cars are electrical gremlins that seem to occur if he lets them sit for more than a month: stalling and hesitation with the computer fuel injection, and the need to replace mass airflow and O2 sensors. He admits that he would have preferred conventional gauges and controls as standard equipment, but the cost of retooling the dash and the cowl and reworking the wiring would have sunk the project. There is no gasket used at the forward end of the crossover. Even with the key off there is power being used by the computers. In reguards to the exhaust, I do have a moderately strong, rich exhaust smell in the bay and a wee bit in the cabin, along with an occasional pop around the crossover when pressing the throttle. We have a 1990 Buick Reatta that had a door glass be replaced due to shattering while having dent-less repair being done. Seth Rose But it had size which provides the room. also the blower motor at one point decided to randomly turn on and stay on so we unplugged it for now. You will hear the clicking sound when the terminals are not quite tight and yours are most likely corroded and loose. The rear connection is secured by two long bolts under the heat shield for the throttle cables. Models like the Riviera and Regal were mid-sized or even full-sized cars, while the Reatta was a compact, a type of car that didnt jibe with the Buick ethos. After the fasteners are removed, lift the front connection up first and then pull the pipe out of the rear. 2023 CarGurus, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Question type: Maintenance & Repair. Just 2,132 convertible Reattas were made in 91 in addition to 6,383 hard-top coupes pushing the total production run that year to 8,515 cars. The Reatta is offered only as a coupe; a convertible will come later, probably in the 1989 model year. The then-head of the Design Studio, David North, said, We had a cartoon in the studio that illustrated our dilemma it showed a [top view] plan of the rectangular chassis with this almost circular car on it, with four corners where the frame stuck out beyond the body. It may not have been as stylish as the Reatta, but it had more presence. Had it towed home at that point. The Reatta was one of those oddballs that got through the pipeline only to find no one there. November 10, 2021 in Buick Reatta. I having a problem with digital dash and electric climate control unit. In 1979, the E-Body platform was downsized to fit the times, and this revised version now entirely for front-wheel-drive cars became the starting point for what became the Reatta. From what I do remember of all the components from old to new, the old damper quite literally fell apart once it had tension off the chain, and the timing set itself had heat scoring on the chain, so perhaps it had some heat issues in the past. the above poster is right it sounds like you are losing connection with the battery. Tested: 1988 Buick Reatta Has Two Seats, But Isn't a Sports Car, Best (and Forgotten) Coupes and 1970s G.O.A.T. Now it needed something whiz-bang-like. Whew lord, sorry about that mess of text, I wasn't watching how I was typing and was quite tired from work. It attracted younger and import-oriented buyers, as well as women, who represented nearly half of primary drivers. It just makes alignment of the parts more difficult and supports nothing. Although the expensive, optional sixteen-way driver's seat (also Riv-derived) still needs improvement, the Reatta's two passengers enjoy sedan-style comfort. Buick sold plenty of Rivieras back in the day, and it had no troubles selling the Regal Grand National in the same day. Compra con confianza en eBay! He was in music school when he realized what he really wanted to do in life and, somehow, it's worked out. couldn't tell you as i didn't know what to look for yet for it. Checked all fuses and relays and ground connections to no avail. Reatta Owners Journal is a group of Buick Reatta owners and enthusiasts who enjoy discussing the Buick Reatta automobile and sharing information about it. Copyright 2023, Antique Automobile Club of America. The small bracket attached to the front head and the pipe connection must be removed. There was another series of posts on that. eBay Buick Reatta. "We were looking for younger buyers on their way up, that had the wherewithal to buy a $25,000 to $30,000 car," said Qualman. It's easy! The concept was for a two-place personal luxury car, targeting the contemporary Mercedes-Benz 380SL roadster but taking inspiration from the 1955-57 Ford Thunderbird. The 88 is different from other years and has jumpers for the data line in the cover. By The car is doing fine on fluids now, no burn on coolant or oil anymore, and again no contamination. Really? Assuming that won't fix anything, when you get the spares in, you can just disconnect the plug(s) from the installed units and connect the plug to your spare and test before you remove the module from the car. acceleration to re-enter highway, my car lurched forward. 2, penned a concept sketch for a bullet-shaped two-seater in early 1982. From the February 1988 issue of Car and Driver. Like the Allante, the Reatta was a very expensive car to make, and while it did share its drivetrain the 3.8 V6 with other Buick (and GM) models, which helped to tamp down production costs, its model-specific bodywork, trim, and many other parts made it hard to make a profit selling the ensemble unless it sold in sufficient volume. By ditching the glitchy touchscreen and making it a convertible it would rise to its expectations. as for the fuse thing if a fuse went bad it wouldnt flash it just be shut off fuses are either good or not good no in between im in aircraft electronics now so this wireing and fuse's are not that big of deal to me I have some what of an understanding of how it works all the connections are good me and everyone in my Airframe and Powerplant class checked I guess ill have to get a BCM or CPS and swap it in and see if that works but thanks for the input. It was paired with an electronically controlled four-speed automatic. Powered by Invision Community, Reatta Diagnostics Instructions - 1990 & 91. "If you were a typical Buick buyer coming out of a Park Avenue, that may have been a touch ahead of its time," said Qualman. Good luck. Hello I have a 1988 Buick Reatta that won't start. An underwhelming total of 21,000 Reattas were sold over four model years before itwas discontinued after 1991, in part because the underlying E/K platform on which it was built was scrapped. Posted by daniel simms on May 27, 2014 Open Questions: No more oil loss and performance restored. Happen. Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. I thought it had something to do with a switch on the steering column. "CRT is working and shows nothing for the engine " - do you know about the diagnostic capability ? But Buick tried. Every time I have the car towed it warps the frame so it looks like I'm going to have to learn how to do this myself. Under the hood, a transversely mounted version of Buicks 3.8-liter overhead valve V6, styled the 3800. This was essentially the same engine that Buick was using to power the rear wheels in itsotherhoped-for demographic-changer, the Regal Grand National. They will start being displayed as soon as you enter diagnostics. Buick got dead serious about the Reatta and even built a special assembly line at its Lansing, Michigan, facility. Before I would buy my parts on ebay, I would try one of the suppliers listed at the top of the Reatta forum page, [The page you are on now]. What happens when you press the "hard" buttons on the CRT (i.e. The problem was 1) the technology wasnt quite up to the task and 2) the typical Buick buyer got scared away from blinking digital information blasting from the instrument panel. I check it out, it's a real unique looking car and. Voltaic Everyone said, Its never going to work. . It seems like one thing after another with this engine. There is a Ground Junction Block above and behind the battery. 5/21/2014 3:01:17 AM 1989 Buick. The 1990 and 1991 Reattas instead got a more typical interface for the time, and GM subbed in vacuum-fluorescent gauges. One other thing; if there is a substantial exhaust leak at the crossover, which is unusual, it can introduce ambient air into the exhaust upstream of the O2 sensor at the rear and interfere with a correct reading and fuel correction. My 88 reatta touch screen wont light up but all functions work just cant c them do you know how to fix? Which brings us back to the who of the Reatta, and it isn't us. Ahead of its time and too far off-brand. "Wide enough that you weren't bumping elbows with your passenger," Qualman said. Please type so that we might understand you better. But is the design too radical for the average Buick buyer? I found a 1988 model that is the same color, but would this hood and light fit into my 1990 version? This was called the Electronic Control Center (ECC), and, among other things, the driver could use it to visually access and scroll through diagnostic information about the drivetrain and other vehicle operating parameters, as well as operate the cars climate control system and stereo something common in 2020s cars but extremely uncommon in mid-to-late 1980s cars, some of which still had carburetors. As far as I'm aware, the bottom end is entirely original. It was wasted tech Buick customers could care less about. With a tow from AAA, and a new battery and fuel pump, the 105,000-mile vehicle came to life. The what is a bit simpler. Please make yourself at home. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for FRAM Air Filter for 1988-1991 Buick Reatta - Intake Inlet Manifold Fuel ps at the best online prices at eBay! This was well shy of the return Buick had in mind back in 86 at the projects genesis and far short of what GM corporate was willing to float. Options for replacing rear struts needed. Mileage back in the twenties and power restored. Convertible Reattas were known for their cowl shake and flexi ride. (The goal is 15,000 Reattas a year.). The problem was 1) the technology wasn't quite up to the task and 2) the typical Buick buyer got scared away from blinking digital information blasting from the instrument panel. Workers could take their time. Knowing that Buick was on the lookout for a new two-seat, sports-luxury design, David S. McIntosh, assistant chief designer in GM's Advanced Design Studio No. . but as to why it I'd switch to a Delco ignition, quality 8mm plug wires, and Delco Rapidfire (platinum) or Iridium plugs. This car also moves along pretty well, posting a 0-to-60 time of 9.1 seconds and a top speed of 122 mph. Buick sent Hawtal back to the computer repeatedly, until the Reatta's structure was more rigid than that of any other car it sells. We should probably start up a pool as to which one will be the problem unit. He has raced continuously since college, held SCCA and IMSA pro racing licenses, and has competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona.

Shaye Saint John Death, Articles OTHER