Guest Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 found and purchased a 88 reatta the other day and will need to replace the tires. can any of you suggest a good tire for this car?<BR>also the 16 way seat on the passenger side is stuck in the highest position, can the seat be lowered manually?<BR>also the dash pannel lights do not work and no it is not the fuse. i think i need the low to high light switch as there is no resistance when you move it.<BR>also the seat backs do not lock so when you stop the seat folds forward (passenger side)<BR>am i not finding a lock?<BR>i also need a service manual, is this available from buick? <BR>lastly, i want to thank all of you. i have been reading your posts for months now and your info to each other has helped me find a great car.it is not perfect (yet) but with your help, i should be able to repair anything that goes wrong.<BR>i can't wait to drive to work tomarrow, not because i enjoy my job but rather i enjoy driving the reatta.<BR>Jerry<BR> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Hi JP -<BR>The seats on the Reatta will NOT lock - they just push forward. ... at least I've never seen on that has.<BR>Tires - Stick to something with at least a 'T' speed rating, else you're likely to spend more time on the sidewall than on the tread if you like fast cornering.<BR>~Brenda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 The slider for the bright/dim of the dash lights has almost no resistance normally, so I doubt that's your problem. I thought the control was broken in a "new" 88 Reatta tht I bought (the panel lights were bright all the time, on mine) but I took the switch apart and found it just needed to be spray cleaned and the lack of physical resistance was normal, in this case. The panel lights on this car are complicated. Check with past posts regarding your light problems. <p>[This message has been edited by jfriese (edited 02-11-2001).] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 11, 2001 Share Posted February 11, 2001 Here is a link where you can buy the original GoodYear GT+ 4 tire that came on your car. They also have serveral replacements <A HREF="http://www.tirerack.com/index.jsp" TARGET=_blank>http://www.tirerack.com/index.jsp</A> <BR>I suggest you watch ebay for a Reatta Manual. You will need it to trouble shoot the dash light problem. I had the seat stick in one position on an 89 and ended up with the dealer fixing it. Don't remember the cost but I think they replaced a motor too.<BR>Good luck. <P>------------------<BR> My Topless Reatta<A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/drbuch2000/TheReatta.html" TARGET=_blank>http://hometown.aol.com/drbuch2000/TheReatta.html</A> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2001 Share Posted February 12, 2001 brenda, i will look for a T rating when purchasing tires, thanks for the info. how about a brand of tire.<BR>j friese, how do i get the dash apart to get to the switch to fix it, if this is my problem. and i will chech e-bay for a manual, thanks<BR>dave (topless) i have been to your web site and have read a lot of your postings over the months, thanks for all your info.<BR>again the reatta drivers have the answers.<BR>Jerry<BR> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greg Ross Posted February 12, 2001 Share Posted February 12, 2001 Your Passenger seat control could be the problem. At one point I had two functions that would work in one direction and not the other, once you were to the limit of travel that was it.<BR>The triple switch set is removeable from the door via a spring tab, rear edge as I recall, with a dull blade screw driver push it toward the switch body and you should be able to lift the assembly out.<BR>Have a look at the underside where the wiring harness meets it and you will see tabs where it clips to the switch. Gently pry those clips and unplug the switch. <BR>Take the switch to a work surface (small parts inside) you will see the switch body is two piece, it's been a while since I did mine but there are tabs or clips holding the two halves together. When you begin to separate the two halves be very careful, multiple copper contacts inside can fall out of place. It's quite possible you've got some corrosion on those contacts. After cleaning and reassembly mine worked like a charm.<BR>Good Luck<BR>E-mail if you get stuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2001 Share Posted February 12, 2001 gm-ross, thanks for the info. i will attempt to remove the control from the door pannel tomarrow and see if this is my problem. the seat is as high as it will go and with the head liner saging (will be fixed when the weather is warmer), the person in the passenger seat's hair (my wife) is getting messed up. you don't want to go anywhere with your wife if her hair might get messed up.<BR>Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2001 Share Posted February 12, 2001 Hi JP -<BR>As for tire brand - go with whatever you perfer. Be it a performance or more of a touring tire. In my opinion, type, rather than brand, will make more of a difference. Personally, I usually end up with the least expensive I can find with a minimum of a 'T' rating.<BR>~Brenda<P>------------------<BR>REATTA SITE:<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank><BR>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 What is a "T" rating? That's below the 112 mph "S" rating, isn't it? The stock tires are "H" rated, 130 mph, and are recommended for their stiffer sidewalls.<P>------------------<BR>Hal, btk@vbe.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRP Posted February 13, 2001 Share Posted February 13, 2001 I've been very happy with Michelin tires on my 91 Reatta. Had bad luck with Firestones on it in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 ok, ok - ya made me look up speed ratings ... and yes, you're sorta right. Both the 'S' & 'T' ratings are lower than the 'H', however, the 'T' is between them (not under an 'S' rating). <BR>Here's the list, for those that are curious ...<P>rating=mph<BR>N=87<BR>P=93<BR>Q=99<BR>R=106<BR>S=112<BR>T=118<BR>U=124<BR>H=130<BR>V=149<BR>W=168<BR>Y=186<BR>Z=149+<P>Guess I'll have to be having a serious chat with the boys taht sold me tires .... I didn't know the Reatta was rated for a minimum of 'H'.<P>... ya learn something new every day 8-)<P>------------------<BR>REATTA SITE:<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank><BR>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 Well, I learned something too. I didn't know there was a rating between "S" and "H". Thanks for the list.<P>------------------<BR>Hal, btk@vbe.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2001 Share Posted February 14, 2001 anytime 8-)<P>------------------<BR>REATTA SITE:<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html" TARGET=_blank><BR>http://members.aol.com/gohighr/reatta.html</A> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 as usual you have all steered me in the proper direction. i will shop for H rated tires. thanks again for the information.<BR>Jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greg Ross Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 As for seatbacks, the Reatta from Day 1 has been fitted with inertia locks. There was a service advisory issued on them early on in production. My '88 the passenger side seems to latch occasionally, I've not gone to the trouble to attempt to service it, have probably like other owners just developed that habit of reaching over and catching it during hard braking-LOL The '88 Service Manual has minimal info Page 10-9-13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 15, 2001 Share Posted February 15, 2001 thanks gm ross for the seat info. i'm just use to reaching around the passenger seat with my right arm when backing up. i will either have to break this habit or repair the seat.<BR>as for the tires, found a good web site <A HREF="http://www.tirerack.com" TARGET=_blank>www.tirerack.com</A> with rating info.<BR>jerry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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