1989 Chevy Suburban

1989 Chevy Suburban questions and answers

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Q: 1989 chevy suburban 350 transmission work in a 1993 GMC 4.3?
Wondering if a transmission out of a 1989 chevy suburban with a 350 in it will work in a 1993 GMC sonoma 4x4 with a 4.3 in it?

A: no the 93 tranny is computer controlled also u would need a different driveshaft

Q: trouble with 1989 chevy suburban?
i have a 1989 chevy suburban that until recently has ran fine. the last time i tried to start it, it made a strange noise and then did nothing. i checked the battery and its fine. i have ran through all the fuses and wires and found nothing wrong. it looks like it should run but it does nothing. lights, radio, horn, nothing works. i have heard about fuse links by the starter but have yet to check that. Also the battery is brand new and all ground wires are fine

A: i own a shop ,and first off check the fusible links down by the starter on it and also check to see if all the ground wires are good,it sounds like you just have a bad connection on it, but you can also have a bad solenoid switch there at the starter or the wires that connect on at the positive post of the starter have come loose or have gotten really corroded ,you need to check all of this ,if you have nothing working its usually a really dead battery or a bad connection on it,good luck i hope this helps.

Q: will rims off a 1989 chevy suburban fit a 1998 chevy suburban?


A: all 2500 would be 8 lugs, so a 2500-1500 wouldnt work. if the rims are the same amount of lugs, then they will fit.

Q: 1989 Chevy Suburban will turn over but won't start?
Running great, stopped to buy gas, pulled back onto highway and it just quit. Turns over good. Haven't checked anything yet (it's still on the side of the road I hope). If it's not getting a spark what would I check? A friend said it was probably an electronic part in the distributor. I will pull a plug to check for a spark but after that I don't have a clue. Thanks Great info, I'm on my way with some carb cleaner and a hammer plus some other simple tools. I'll post an update when I get back. Thank you all so much for the help. If you are on your way the the Barber Motorsports Park for the bike races, I'll be the guy with the hood up by the Chevron station. ps. I didn't put diesel in the tank, but I did once put gas in a diesel rabbit. That was not good. Used a little starter fluid and it cranked and ran for almost exactly 10 mins. Died and wouldn't crank again. Lifted the distributor cap but couldn't move it enough to see much without removing wires which I did not do. Did pull the coil wire. If what it is connected to is the coil, then the coil had a lot of white powder on the connector the wire slips onto. I did sand some of the powder off but it didn't make any difference. I have only worked on old VW's so none of this is familiar to me. The thing the coil wire is connected is a square black thing with smaller wires coming out the back side. I am thinking I'll just get it towed since the road to the mechanics is too dangerous for an engine failure. Thanks again to all that responded.

A: If it's turning over, that rules out a problem with the battery or the battery connections. I doubt it would be a sudden loss of compression in the engine, that usually comes on gradually until one day it won't start after days of hard starting. So that leaves spark, or fuel. First, before you do anything else, call whatever law agency patrols that place where the Burbie is, and tell them it's not abandoned and you will be moving it, so it doesn't get towed. Now, go out there, put the key in and just turn it on, not to start and listen. Did you hear the fuel pump run, and stop? If not you found your problem. Open the hood, look for a box which will contain master fuses and relays. It could be the relay. Read the legend, usually on the box lid to find the fuel relay. Pull it out, and look for another, perhaps the A/C relay that is exactly the same. Pull it and put it where the fuel relay was. Will it start now? If yes, drive it home and get another relay for the A/C. If not, one more thing to try. Slide under, find the tank, and beat on the bottom of it. Preferably with a rubber hammer, but even your fist or a rock will do. Sometime the fuel pump will freeze up and a bit of vibration will knock it loose, don't dent up the tank of course, but use some degree of hostility on it. Try again. If it starts, take it in to get a new fuel pump, because that trick doesn't work long. On the other hand, if the fuel is not the problem, it's spark and that system is a bit much for side of the road fixes. Call the tow truck, and have them take it directly to your mechanic.

Q: what is a good website to sell my chevy suburban 1989?
it is red,air condition,trailer hitch , 100,000 miles

A: Try www.autotrader.com

Q: can someone tell me where i may find a 1989 CHEVY SUBURBAN TAIL GATE that is not rusted ,?
Need compleate internal machanisim to this TAIL GATE, need not have a rusted internal machanisim, do not care if tail gate is dented or itself rusted, realy need machanisim, and chanels guides.

A: #1. Call your automotive "grave yards" and ask them to run your tailgate on their computer. They may find one at another yard and it'll be shipped to your local parts yard. #2. Most large automotive paint stores sell OEM or off shore body parts. You can also check with local body shops as they have connections for the same parts as above.

Q: What type of radiator coolant do I use for a 1989 Chevy 350 throttle body engine? Green stuff or the orange?
Some cars and trucks use the orange looking coolant while others use the regular green glycol type. Which is the right type for a 1989 chevy suburban with a 350 throttle body engine? just got the truck, no coolant, no manual, bought it to go in my 1968 chevy truck but want to make sure I use correct coolant.

A: Using either is supposedly fine for any vehicle. They cannot be mixed at all. System would have to be flushed VERY well to change coolant types. The orange (Dexcool) lasts much longer but has been suspected of being hard on some cooling system parts. (eating at some parts and clogging others) Some people switch to using the regular green stuff on vehicles that come with Dexcool. Think that voids the warranty on new vehicles though. My warranty is up, I do smell a whiff of coolant on occasion, although the coolant level hasn't dropped low... I don't trust Dexcool and feel it does seep through gaskets and shorten the life of the cooling system. It's on my list to change over to the green stuff and a little sealer. When there's no warranty involved... Always use the green stuff!!! http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/gm_dexcool.html http://www.injuryboard.com/view.cfm/Topic=1095

Q: wiring diagram for a 1989?
im trying to find a wiring digram (on line) for a 1989 chevy suburban to troble shoot a electrial shotrt. are there any free websites to go to for a print out?

A: Look for a Chilton's (or Haynes) manual at your local autoparts store. They are only about $10, and will not only have your diagram, but any other information you might need to fix your suburban in the future.

Q: what needs to be done to diagnose a transmission?
my automatic tranny is shifting sparatically and its driving me insane. ill be going the same speed, and it will downshift out of nowhere, then upshift constantly. it dosent shift very easily, seems to get stuck in nuetral. also, when it is cold, it takes about 45 seconds to shift into drive, then when its warm, it takes about 5-10 seconds for it to shift from park to drive. I have a 1989 chevy suburban v2500. i put a turbo hydramatic 400 tranny in it, and this will have been my second rebuild. the modulater is in working conditions, and im pretty sure the vacuum is working, more testing is required. tranny fluid is clean, but i have yet to check the magnet in then tranny pan. the level of fluid was constantly monitered due to its rebuild. its only 2 years old, and ive already rebuilt it before. any diagnostic tips would work wonders for me. i would also like a link to a troubleshooting chart if anyone knows where one exists.

A: Sounds like you have a sticky valve in the valve body. YOU rebuilt it? Is the sprague in correctly? Other than the valve body having a problem or the governer being damaged, that's about it. Does it have an anti-clunk spring in it? That could cause problems too. Not too much else. Need a little more info on this rebuild.

Q: Extremely rusty '89 Suburban: What price to sell it for?
Hi, I have a friend with a 1989 Chevy Suburban 1500 diesel. Its one of the rustiest vehicles I have ever seen, about a foot of sheet metal is just gone in a circle around where the rear wheel hubs used to be- it looks kinda like a dune buggy. The rear doors have to be tied shut with a rope. And it has 340,000 miles on it. The interior is a grubby, torn mess. And it puts out lots of smoke when you start it. But, the rust isn't structural, the engine has plenty of power, the tranny is a rebuilt with 30K on it, and its still fairly reliable and gets 20mpg. And wow is it roomy and rugged. His wife had to force him to get rid of it. How much should they sell it for? Is $500 too much?

A: I think $500 is a good buy for a Suburban, they do hold their value pretty well and they're reliable SUV's.

Q: Looking for a door striker, can anyone help?
We have a 1989 chevy suburban that needs a door striker for the cargo door and can't find one other than going through a dealer. Anyone out there know of another place? We have checked all the parts books and are having no luck what so ever.

A: Umm unless the price from the dealer is insane which it might be. The dealer is really your best bet and really your only bet. Strikers are not a common aftermarket item and a junkyard striker for that would be almost 20 years old and probably wore out.

Q: for the love of god! leaking transmission turbo hydramatic 400. please help!?
this is driving me insane. i can't go far distances in this damned 1989 chevy suburban. the tranny drips fluid at normal capacity, city driving. on high loads, like hills and freeway speed, it just dumps fluid. i need to travel to sacremento from south lake tahoe, and, i cant! the pan is not warped, i glued that mother shut with avaition gasket and a gasket, and did the correct torque specs in the star pattern. the leak could be coming from the steel cooler lines, but i would think they would be sopping wet from, all the fluid its been dumping.i could swear that it was coming from the pan. the vacuum modulater looks to be the culprit, but i just pulled it, and it still has a nice o-ring on there (i just replaced the mod 2 weeks ago). that big plastic line might be it too, but i dont have an idea how to check/pull that piece out... any input on the situation?anything would just be awesome. im willing to try almost anything short of replacing the tranny. thanks.

A: several places it could be leaking from the shifter shaft seal usely a small leak,the input seal usely a big leak if the seal is pushed out it could leak about a quart every 30 seconds,the dipstick tube the o-ring may be leaking or the tube is cracked usely a small leak again, the pan or the pan rail may be cracked, the speedo bullet o-ring maybe leaking the cooler lines also and the rear seal ALL THESE LEAKS YOU CAN SEE.

Q: Does anyone know of any websites that sell inner wheelwell repair kits for 1989-1991 Suburbans?
I have a 1990 Chevy Suburban 4x4 that I'm in the process of restoring. I have found places that sell replacement front fenders and front inner fender wells, but I can't seem to find anyone that sells/makes rear inner fender well repair kits.

A: contact JEGS or SUMMIT racing

Q: Rims - Weight ratings (what dealer says vs common sense)?
I was given a set of aluminum 8 lug rims that are 16.5" x 12" for my 1989 Chevy Suburban R2500. The rims are identical to the ones in the link below, except they are just bright aluminum rather than chromed. Any ways, there is a sticker on in rims that say "max load 2000lbs". This is where I am concerned, the Suburban I have is a 3/4-ton, however it is a HD model and according to vehicle scales it weighs 10,436lbs. It was a custom ordered vehicle with a one ton frame and rear end and massive suspension, if you do the math and distribute 10K lbs to 4 wheels, that exceeds what the rims state they are limited to. Now I know there is more weight on the front than the rear, but it still comes out as exceeding what the manufacturer says. Yet every tire dealership I have been to says it doesn't make any difference and it's safe to use these tims on this truck. Are they full of it and just tyring to make a sale or what? http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/foxiemeep/rims.jpg

A: they will be just fine. edit: and if they safeguard at 60%, then it should be good for 3300+

Q: blown guage fuse?
i have a 1989 chevy suburban and it keeps blowing my guage fuse and it will drain down my battery after a few days. my altenator is good i had it checked.you know that lil trick when you pull your neg battery cable off it will keep runing.when that guage fuse blows and i pull off the neg cable it will die.i will replace the fuse and it keeps blowing them.but after a couple of days put a fuse in it and every thing will be just fine for a couple of weeks or longer and it will do the same thing over agin.i have been told i have a short some where but why does it die when i pull off that neg battery cable

A: The car dies because alternators (your cars power supply) require a field current to produce power. When you disconnected your battery (the other source of power) the engine could not produce a spark or run the computer and fuel system. Disconnecting either battery terminal effectively removes the battery from the system. Its always safest to remove the negative terminal first. You have a serious short in your gauge wiring. I would check the fuel pump wiring. The fuel gauge sender is in your fuel tank with the electric fuel pump. One of my chevy pickups had the bed removed for work. When they replaced the bed they pinched the wire from the tank and shorted it to the frame. It only shorted out when I put something heavy in the bed.