1986 Chevrolet Nova Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 1986 Chevrolet Nova covers two body styles built on the same mechanical package: a four-door hatchback and a four-door sedan, each offered in Base and CL trim. Power comes from a single 1.6L inline-four of 98 cubic inches, a naturally aspirated single-overhead-cam gasoline engine. The second body is where the manual widens, since the rear structure, glass and the wiring that runs into it differ between hatchback and sedan, while every engine and driveline procedure applies equally to both.

Engines covered

• 1.6L inline-four (98 cu in) — SOHC, naturally aspirated, gasoline

Body styles covered

• 4-door hatchback
• 4-door sedan

Trims covered

• Base
• CL

Known issues on the 1986 Nova. Owners have logged four complaints against this model year, single reports on the seat belts, the fuel system, and engine and cooling. Those are thin numbers to reason from, but they point at systems worth having documented: belt anchorage and retractor service, fuel delivery from the tank forward, and the cooling circuit that keeps a small four from running hot. Each is covered here with procedures, specifications, torque values and wiring diagrams, and the diagnostics that go with them, so a fault is traced rather than guessed at.