1988 Chevrolet Cavalier Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 1988 Chevrolet Cavalier covers four bodies, sedan, coupe, convertible and wagon, and four trims, Base, RS, VL and Z24. Two naturally aspirated gasoline engines are documented: the 2.8L overhead-valve V6 of 173 cubic inches and the 2.0L overhead-valve inline-four of 122 cubic inches. Since the convertible and the wagon carry very different rear structures on the same floorpan, the body, glass and trim sections matter as much here as the mechanical ones, and the wiring diagrams are drawn for the whole range.

Engines covered

• 2.8L V6 (173 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline
• 2.0L inline-four (122 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline

Body styles covered

• 4-door sedan
• 2-door coupe
• 2-door convertible
• 4-door wagon

Trims covered

• Base
• RS
• VL
• Z24

Known issues on the 1988 Cavalier. Three recalls stand on the federal record. One concerns the bond between the windshield glass and its mounting, which may be weak enough that the glass separates in a frontal impact and an unbelted occupant is thrown out. Another covers the rear lamp harness, where open or intermittent circuits leave the backup and license plate lamps flashing or dead. The third is a replacement fuel filter that can leak at its connection. Twelve complaints have been logged, three on the electrical system and two each on visibility and steering; glass installation, rear harness routing and lamp circuit diagnosis are all covered.