alright thanks that very helpful other wise i probly would riped my whole dash apart thank you much and im pretty sure im gonna get another car sometime soon ill probly get one of both it doesnt hurt any to have spares of things im gonna need help with switching the proms thing i have no clue how to do that but thatll be at a later date thank you very much guys you are a great help and will probly hear from me at some point in the future, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. You will probably need to swap the PROMs (2 in BCM) but if the major assembly is the same part number, it will work. Buick Reatta The 1988-91 Buick Reatta Is an Underappreciated Classic The halo effect didn't quite materialize for Buick's two-seat luxury cruiser. For reference, the same-era Regal Grand National coupe was 200.6 inches long and rode on a 108-inch wheelbase. 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 . So, in 1990 the touchscreen was gone and you could now get your Reatta as a coupe or convertible. Worst Car Wednesday: 1988-91 Buick Reatta - MotorBiscuit i pulled the vacuum hose off the FPR and no fuel came out so i presume thats working properly. 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. Red 1988 Buick Reatta Coupe with two doors and a sunroof. The 1990 and 1991 Reattas instead got a more typical interface for the time, and GM subbed in vacuum-fluorescent gauges. A week later the oil pressure gauge started fluctuating from 0 to 19 psi if I recall rightly and then came to a complete stop. You may remember our complaints about this feature. 82,095 littlehorn answered 14 years ago This is a very common problem with the digital dash. It just makes alignment of the parts more difficult and supports nothing. also the blower motor at one point decided to randomly turn on and stay on so we unplugged it for now. The car is doing fine on fluids now, no burn on coolant or oil anymore, and again no contamination. And NCReatta it says you can find complete cars id be interested in haveing another one if the price is right maybe one for parts or one that needs some parts that i can use parts off of mine to fix if you have anything like that id be very interested id like to have another 88 but really anything would be fine with me thank you much, yea it thinks its in park thats why only the radio screen works but also none of the inside lights come on or the speedo and the defroster doesnt work and the headlights only work on low beams but thanks Daves 89 ill look into that, Here you go: http://forums.aaca.org/f116/reatta-resources-287447.html. 145k miles is relatively low and should be of no cause for concern unless it was abused in a past life? Reatta Owners Journal isa group of Buick Reatta owners and enthusiasts who enjoy discussing the Buick Reatta automobile and sharing information about it. "They're not on a spreadsheet. 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. we replaced the plugs, wires, air filter, fuel filter, and the injectors, we also noticed the cat was clogged (especially apparent when we ran some berryman through the intake (like seafoam)), so we removed it though it didn't look as bad as i expected, taking it off helped a little but not much. Las mejores ofertas en Cinturones de accesorios para automviles y Watch the gauges screen and see if the pusher fan comes on when you see the temperature go up to about 240 degrees. But Buick tried. Do you mean the defroster doesn't work or that you can't run the climate and other controls thru the touch screen? "The ones that run best are the ones with over 100,000 miles on them," he claimed. . In order to make the car even more halo-worthy, the Reatta was built in a specially repurposed production facility in Lansing, Michigan, known as the Reatta Craft Center. ok i just tried that scrubbed the crap out of the terminals and put new bolts on it and tightened them down ok nothing on the instrument panel is working besides the lights the rear and front defrost isnt working and nuthing lights up inside not the panel lights or the touch screen. The result was a dismal 6,383 combined Reattas sold. Free shipping for many products! No puddle underneath and no dripping down the side of the engine that I could see. The car is only running on 4 cylinders and is not happy. Dave Rand was principally responsible for the design. 1988 Buick Reatta Base | Hagerty Valuation Tools Below are instructions for testing the Fuel Pump operation on 1988-1990 Buick Reatta. Your problem could also be the CPS (Central Power Supply) that supplies power to those items that are not working. As we rolled up the miles in comfort, however, it occurred to us that somethingsomething importantwas missing. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies. Copyright 2023, Antique Automobile Club of America. Ahead of its time and too far off-brand. Is my radiator fan working? - Buick Reatta - Discussion Forums "They were all handcrafted at the Reatta Craft Center in Lansing. This meant the utilization of the new LN3 3.8-liter V-6, one of the first GM engines with port fuel injection and a counter-rotating balance shaft to aid smoothness. The matter was settled when the Allant was approved by the GM brass, who felt that two new luxury roadsters would be one too many. Be prepared to write down the codes. After living with a pre-production Reatta for a week, we have much to report. The car Buick wanted, Qualman says, would appeal to "people who really enjoy driving from point A to point B" when those two points are separated by hundreds of miles. If no codes it could be anything weak in secondary ignition (ICM, coils, plug wires, plugs. Most people, including me, keep a trickle charger on the battery if the car is going to be parked for an extended period. It wasnt a bad design but just imagine it with a lower top and wheels pulled out further at each end. This car also moves along pretty well, posting a 0-to-60 time of 9.1 seconds and a top speed of 122 mph. checked lots of wiring to parts of the engine/sensors and the engine harness all appears to be just fine. 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. I personally am think the CPS. "So they took that product concept away and gave it to Cadillac." first it would do it all the time, now it idles fine, but doesn't run super smooth under light throttle (slight cutting out) and will act as if its running on 3 cylinders when you go past say 1/4 throttle and beyond. Maybe I am not quite understanding the post above? also couldn't tell you as i didn't know what to look for yet for it, they were working fine for the drive home in it and for about a week, then only the dummy lights worked, now nothing does but the CRT. The issue was in the factory power supply to the digital dash. 1989 Won't Start. - Reatta Owners Journal 'Instructions can be found on Ronnie's site at: Negative Junction Box Location-ReattaOwner.com. 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 was also meant to help Buick retain, or gain, consumers who were fleeing GM for import brands, and to lower the median buyer age without alienating the core cohort. 1) read and record codes (C)urrent are more important than (H)istory. Slide behind the wheel and you'll swear you're sitting in a Riviera. Share More sharing options. "But when we went to get corporate approval, the management said, Cadillac really needs a car to go against the Mercedes SL," Qualman said. It is of unit-body construction and is stamped from galvanized steel for rust protection. The removal of the finicky touchscreen and the addition of a convertible in 1990 didn't help; sales fell to 6,383. Now we're up to the how and the where of the development saga. He admits that he had to put his personal carguy preferences on hold to head the project. The instrumentation featured digital cathode-ray tube (CRT) gauges, and the center console housed a shockingly complex CRT touchscreen that controlled HVAC, entertainment, diagnostic, and supplemental gauge functions. Add the good-size trunk and there is plenty of luggage room for those long point-A-to-point-B journeys. August 1, 2021 in Reatta Owners Journal Forum. Notably, the GN stopped selling well whenitwas downsized. Now dedicated solely to building Buick two-seaters, the plant was renamed the Reatta Craft Centre in recognition of the fact that it operates without a traditional assembly line. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. Given sporadic lights, speedo, and CRT it sounds more like a bad connection. Common problem is the fan will not shut off when the ignition is turned off. Qualman looks away when asked if there was much in-house controversy about having the CRT in the Reatta. By Seth Rose January 30, 2011 in Buick Reatta. Which is really another way of saying comfort. It attracted younger and import-oriented buyers, as well as women, who represented nearly half of primary drivers. By being a two-seater it had limited buyers. But its technological zenith was in its dash and display. Even with the key off there is power being used by the computers. I was tired, added the stop leak and more oil, and within I want to say 15 miles everything seemed to be righted. Keep in mind that the touchscreen is a seperate device from the CRT. A more detailed list of symptoms might shed some light on which one it is more likely to be. "CRT is working and shows nothing for the engine " - do you know about the diagnostic capability ? The manual is a must and contains all the basic information that will help understand the terms and key abbreviations etc.. ok all the connections are clean and tight and the fuse is fine ill take the one out of my park ave and see if there the same and if not ill have to get one off ebay i guess but i checked the connections idk what to do now. Convertible Reattas were known for their cowl shake and flexi ride. "And, pretty important for the Buick demo, we were also seeking the older retired buyers who would be purchasing it as sort of a reward.". How to Check CRT Codes for an Electrical Issue -- Forum Advice Otros accesorios y piezas para Buick Reatta - eBay Now it needed something whiz-bang-like. Calibradores traseros y soportes para Buick Reatta The Reatta lasted from 1988 to 1991 and was originally intended to build upon Buick's resurging performance brands, such as the Regal Grand National and GNX. But Buick had a plan. 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. 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 recently replaced the cam magnet proper, as well as the timing set shortly after since I was now confident in how to quickly and properly replace everything in that area. /*1988 buick reatta: control unit..problems with these vehicles 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. only things i can think of are: ignition coil pack, ignition control module, map sensor, dirty or bad MAF, cam position sensor (if these had those?) The new production equipment was installed in a renovated Oldsmobile axle-and-forge plant in Lansing, Michigan. It was wasted tech Buick customers could care less about. But as we said that went to Cadillac with equally dismal results. He thinks that the leak must be under the dashboard. It was paired with an electronically controlled four-speed automatic. Its basic design still thwarts easy control of subsystems; you can't, for instance, adjust the climate control or the stereo when the engine gauges are on the screen. / Buick Reatta eBay. 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. Buick sent Hawtal back to the computer repeatedly, until the Reatta's structure was more rigid than that of any other car it sells. From the Archive: Sports-car style without sports-car pain. But for me that's part of the fun. 2, penned a concept sketch for a bullet-shaped two-seater in early 1982. The Reatta is Buick's all-new two-seater, and it's aimed squarely atwell, that's what we're here to find out. 's, The Greatest Cars of All Time: The Seventies, Watch Out Casey Jones: We Drive a Locomotive, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. "We had to slot something in there that wouldn't compete with Corvette or Fiero, so it couldn't be a pure sports car," Qualman said. It stood for real comfort, for something sporty, for being accommodating. Tenemos la seleccin ms grande y las mejores ofertas en Cinturones de accesorios para . It is a sort of ball and socket arrangement. Consult the 1991 Reatta service manual for more information. It felt great to have power and mileage back, but I didn't have that for long. 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. Lifter tick was there from low oil, but left once I'd added things. Top speed was close to 130 mph. Buick went to Japan, to the Ogihara Iron Works, for sheetmetal dies. 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? How about a digital cathode-ray tube gauge panel? All of Gomberg's Reattas are runners, and none of them was purchased for more than $5,000. Goodyear Eagle GT +4 all-weather performance radials, size 215/65R-15, hug the pavement. It has an electrical problem detection light on every time I start the engine. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Contains hate speech or attacks an individual, Nudity, pornography, or sexually explicit content. Contact Us - DO NOT EMAIL CAR QUESTIONS. But it had size which provides the room. Is Mass Immigration Killing Two-Party Democracy in the U.S.. Cadillac had the Allante, which arrived two years later. Flint's finest was missing a specialty niche vehicle, according to Jay Qualman, who worked in strategic planning for the brand during that era. Find company research, competitor information, contact details & financial data for DOROTA URBANIAK DOROTA of Wrocaw, dolnolskie. It could be as simple as a bad wire or connector in my case. Made quick stop and on the above poster is right it sounds like you are losing connection with the battery. The first scale model of Buick's proposed baby was completed in July 1982. I ask Gomberg if he has some kind of standardized rotation schedule to ensure that each member of his fleet gets driven regularly. Each Buick Reatta also came with a special leather-bound owner's manual. I recently got into a small accident and dented in the right side of my Reatta's hood and light. 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. The Reattas real problem was probably its size. Splices on the floor usually have more to do with body electrics, not the instrument panels. I'd just like to have an idea when I do have the time in the future to sit down with this thing, a Haynes Manual, and a rebuild kit. It was wasted tech Buick customers could care less about. I have an 88 Buick Reatta, I was having the same problem this weekend. At the very least, remove the hose between to the engine and the air filter housing. Had it towed home at that point. Buick sold plenty of Rivieras back in the day, and it had no troubles selling the Regal Grand National in the same day. a group of Buick Reatta owners and enthusiasts who enjoy discussing the Buick Reatta automobile and sharing information about it. There is no stop or other indicator that they are tight, just a feel and then test for leaks. But there were guys 15 years older than me in the car's brochures, and I thought, obviously these guys don't care about driving fast. The Buick Reatta was first conjured in the early 1980s in response to a perceived gap in the marque's lineup. ok the head lights and blinkers work and so do the wipers but the defrost and the speedometer and crt dont illuminate. Mileage back in the twenties and power restored. What happens when you press the "hard" buttons on the CRT (i.e. I'm going to check the distributor and starter. Buick Reatta But he has more than rectified that now. It is a sort of ball and socket arrangement. Powered by Invision Community. 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. I pulled all of the plugs to check and there wasn't oil on any of them, and no oil along the valve cover surfaces. By ditching the glitchy touchscreen and making it a convertible it would rise to its expectations. RyanCooper no i dont have one of thoes laying around im 19 and use the car as the commuter it sounds like there is a clicking sound comeing from the relays down by the fuse block. They deliver sports-car style without sports-car pain. (You can unsubscribe anytime). I pulled plugs to see if it was valve covers, they were clean, checked my lines and they were secure. I would do the Ignition Control Module/Coil Pack. 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. The Reatta is nearly viceless, all right, but also nearly soulless. The Reattas last year 1991 was actually just five months. They told us that what they wanted was an affordable Mercedes 560SL. 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. All the sound is directed away from the driver/passenger so one has to turn up the volume to the maximum which causes distortion. Do you have a spare of either on hand to swap out? 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. 20 Most Recent 1989 Buick Reatta Questions & Answers - Fixya the car of course has been sitting a while so i just assumed that had a major play in it. Not saying it's the BCM, just that was my case and I checked everything out before hand. It was based on an aging rear-drive platform (also used to build the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Pontiac Grand Prix) with a primitive suspension, plasticky dashboard, analog gauges, and none of the high-tech features that abounded inside the Reatta. would seem to indicate it leaked out unless you are indicating it somehow held two qts inside the valve covers or the valley.