1990 Technical Manual

[Guest]

Where can I get a copy (at a reasonable price)?

[padgett]

Several ways. Usually cheapest is at an auto swap meet. Larger ones have several vendors dealing in shop manuals. $30-$45 range.<P>Second is on e-Bay a 1990 is there now <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=596559190" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=596559190</A> <BR>- have seem manuals bid up to new price but can get lucky.<P>Third is online dealers such as at <A HREF="http://www.factoryautomanuals.com/products.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.factoryautomanuals.com/products.htm</A> <BR> however the availability is erratic.<P>Finally you can go to Helm - the official GM supplier - <A HREF="http://www.helminc.com/." TARGET=_blank>http://www.helminc.com/.</A> These are new but also the most expensive. They also have owner's manuals and other printed items.<P>For a used one I would expect to pay half of the Helm price. Just make sure it is the "Final edition" and not the "Preliminary" - "Preliminary" is generally about half the size of the "Final" and only contains what changed from the previous year.<P>Caveat Y'all

[Barney Eaton]

Padgett is correct on the prices, there seems to always be one on ebay and the prices are fair. Even at $50-$60 the manual can save you that the first time you have a problem.<P>There are three versions for each year...<BR>NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION is the early version with the changes for that year and is not very good unless you can pick it up for $10-$20.<BR>FINAL EDITION is the latest and greatest.<BR>The version that has neither of the above is a perfectly good manual but might be missing some minor changes that will appear in the Final Edition.<P>You can do a SEARCH on manuals and use my number (19), I had a list of vendors that sell manuals. The vendors in Canada have better prices because there is about a 40% difference in the $$$.<p>[ 10-13-2001: Message edited by: Barney Eaton ]

[padgett]

Much as I hate to disagree with our peerless feeder 8*), the "Preliminary" service manuals from GM in the Reatta period have a big "Preliminary Service Information" on the front cover, the end paper, and the contents page (at least the two - '86 Fiero amd '88 LeMans - I have are so marked).<P>As mentioned, the "preliminary" is generally about half the size of the full manual and leaves out anything that was in the manual for the previous year.<P>"New Product Information" is generally a loose leaf book the dealers are provided for the salesmen to use. This often has paint charts and uphoslery swatchs inside. This is often referred to as a "dealer showroom manual".<P>Then there are the "Long Lead Press Kits" which are somewhat rarer. These range from staped together fact sheets to folders including descriptions of anything remotely interestingwith photographs ans often a page or two of slides. These are of interest primarily to restorers as are the factory assembly manuals.<P>More interesting to the owners are the collection of Technical Service Bulletins - these are issued throughout the life of a car.<P>TSBs are massive loose leaf collections - three to four inches thick and typically cover the entire car line. It is useful to at least look through the whole book because a problem sheet for a Regal may well apply to the Reatta particularly if it involes the 3800.<P>Next there are the parts books (P&A aka P&I aka "44E". The last paper edition was published in 1993 and covers 1986-1993 "E" bodies (Reatta and Riviera). After 1993 all parts books were on microfiche and require special readers. <P>If you need to know the exact part number for a widget (and understand that GM often has strange names for parts - for many years a "chromed styling panel" was perhaps a more accurate term for a bumper) you need access to a parts book.<P>These have two sections - part numbers and listings and illustrations. Make sure you get both sections. These generally go in the $20 to $40 range for the book and $8-$20 for the 'fiche.<P>Then there are the individual component manuals such as TEVES training manuals, Delco-Morraine brake books, and the Radio Service Manuals produced by Delco Radio. All of which will have elements not found in the service manuals (nor in Dealer service departments - why Radios must be "sent out" for repair.<P>Finally there are the internal manuals which GM considers "proprietary" such as the ECU and BCM. This is more annoying than a hinderance since it serves no real purpose except to enrich chip manufacturers and to create an entire underground culture.<P>(I would like to know why the ASCII "LOVE MADONNA" is repeated twice in a 28C16 BCM EEPROM).<P>So there is a lot of information out there but as Barney says, investing $100 for a FSM (factory service manual) and parts book covering your car can save really big money later even if you never turn a wrench of your own.

[padgett]

I should know better and Barney is right. Buick apparently did have a "New Product Information" manual intended for the service department.<P>Am really confused though since the cover is not the same as the "Preliminary Edition" service manual which I am used to. Which again is different from the "Final Edition" (and the one you really want to have since has the production updates and has all of the sections, not just the ones that changed from the previous year).<P>Barney: what is the difference between the "New Product" and the "Preliminary" for 1988 ?