1989 Chevrolet Caprice - Answered Questions & Fixed issues

What has happened more than likely, unfortunately, the internal piston seals on the servo controls have gotten hard and not usable after this period of time sitting still. The answer is to remove and replace all the seals inside the transmission. Sorry this is the answer, but that is from my 35+ years experience in trans. overhauls. You should not have to replace clutches and plates, also make sure there is no rust on the internal drums from sitting still.

cycle key and have someone listen to the tank to see if pump is starting. sometimes new pumps go bad. check fuel filter to

Check distributor cap, plug wires, cracked coil and coil wire.

might have to look and check the connections behind head unit to dash

I had the same issue on my 88 caprice many years back. With no access from the rear seat, I had to drill straight through the lock and replace the lock cylinder.

Have to pull the instrument panel out. Little lights twist in back of it.

If it is just the the side that means you
A burnt out turn signal

you may wanna replace your injectors them self

If the problem is a leak between the pitman shaft and the steering gear box, you can replacement pitman shaft seals from RockAuto Parts Catalog If the arm is bent or worn, ask Rock Auto if they have one. Otherwise, your alternatives are a dealer that's been selling Chevrolet since 1989 or longer (there might be one on the shelf) or a junkyard. I don't do that much front end work, but I haven't heard of pitman arms going bad for a long time. They may be special order items only from the dealers rather than stocked spares..

I would split your problem into three: 1. "smoke started coming from my tailpipes and my engine." 2. "I checked my oil and there wasn't any in there." "The car would crank and stall making a rattling noise." 3. "After i put oil in the car and go to crank it my lights would dim and it wouldnt crank." 1. Depending on the color of the smoke, it could've been burned oil (blue-ish) or coolant (white with sweet-ish smell if you use antifreeze). Neither of these should be exititing you tailpipe though... It might be a sign of a blown head gasket. 2. This too can be a sign of a blown gasket. No oil can cause rattling engine noises as your valvetrain has hydraulic lifters which need oil pressure to operate properly. No oil => no pressure => rattling. 3.a. You're not mentioning whether or not you have overheated the engine. Neither are you mentioning whether you were experiencing no-crank condition on hot/warm engine or on cold engine. 3.b. If no crank happend pretty much right after the whole situation, the engine might have still been way too hot to operate normally and the pistons extended to the point that there was too much friction between them and the cylinder walls. It hapens rarely if you don't super-overheat it. 3.c. This might as well be the overly popular hot start problem many SBCs from those years are experiencing. I had it with my '89 camaro and solved it with a remote starter solenoid / relay. On cold engine you can start no-problemo but on warm or hot engine you need to wait till it cools down. Let me know if it's it and I can guide you through a solution. 3.d. It might be a more typical problem with your starter. When they get worn out, they may be more sensitive to temperature, they may need some slight punching with a hammer (pretty typical stuff with old cars). Locate the starter - it should be on the passenger side, can be reached from the top or from under the car, behind passenger's side front wheel. Don't let this situation get you down. It's a decent automobile which just needs a little care and attention at this moment. If you clean up these small issues with it, you'll never regret you did.

Did you check wiring circuits to and from alternator before you replaced it? The bat terminal at the alternator should be hot all the time, even with key off. Your alternator needs excite voltage or it won't operate. That is usually the L terminal at alternator. Does your charge lite work?

Injectors are timed from the crank sensor

Thats an electrical issue, check the fuse panel, a relay? Your going to have too track it down but definately electrical

I am guessing you mean the ceiling light. most of the covers just pop on and with a few seconds looking at it. you should be able to figure out how it pops off. most I would think you can grab with your hand and tug on it and it should come off. if not. do a little prying and see what moves and what does not.

not the same fuse. in the electrical box under the hood for the headlights. in the fuse box inside for the tail lights

Wow..if I remember right, open the trunk and disassemble the tail light assembly(screws or small bolts are located on top edge) and replace the bulbs If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/david_4c166ba81493f541

got to an accredited steering specialist and have a pressure test done to determine the cause of the problem

Not too tough to do. Most pumps are mounted on the wiper motor.

what seems to be the problem with the relay

The breaker for the headlights is inside the headlight switch.You should have a fuse and relay for the horn. Could be a problem with the wiring harness for the steering column.