1988 GMC Safari Service and Repair Manual

This factory service and repair manual for the 1988 GMC Safari pairs the 4.3L V6 with the smaller 2.5L inline-four, both overhead-valve gasoline engines fed without a turbocharger or supercharger. Bodies run to two, a three-door standard cargo van and a three-door standard passenger van, and four trims are listed: Base, SLE, SLT and SLX. Whichever combination is in the bay, the manual's procedures, specifications, torque values, wiring diagrams and diagnostics are indexed by system rather than by model, which keeps the lookup short on a mixed fleet.

Engines covered

• 4.3L V6 (262 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline
• 2.5L inline-four (151 cu in) — OHV, naturally aspirated, gasoline

Body styles covered

• 3-door standard cargo van
• 3-door standard passenger van

Trims covered

• Base
• SLE
• SLT
• SLX

Known issues on the 1988 Safari. Three recalls stand on the federal record. Road salt attacking the joint between a brake rotor's stamped steel center and its cast outer section can corrode it badly enough for the two halves to separate, costing braking at that wheel. Replacement fuel filters that do not seal at the connection can leak fuel toward an ignition source. Seat recliner bolts clamped over foam or vinyl fall short of specified torque and eventually fatigue and snap. Seven owner complaints are logged, led by the steering and the seat belts with two each and the seats with one, all systems this manual specifies.