my dad said that i should tune it up and asked if 1988SE bonnevilles have rotors or distributer caps as we were "temporarily fixing" the emergency break problem where it didnt want to shut all the way off. i was trying to search online for replacement parts thinking well if it has a replacement part, then it has that part idea, but i found this distributer O-Ring and i have no idea what that is. any help is greatly appriciated and happy memorial day.

Your car has a DIS, distributorless ignition system. You have coils, that hook directly up to spark plug wires, and then to the spark plugs. Usually you don't change the coils unless there is a problem. The plugs and wires on the other hand should be part of a tune up depending on how long it has been since they were changed.

I do believe there may be a distributor shaft (or hole) in there somewheres, that has a cover, and a bolt. Thats probably where the o ring goes. Theres no distributor except for the 1985 models i believe.

1985 was a RWD car, NOT a FWD car. As for there being a shaft, I don't think so. I would have seen this "cover" when I stripped my engine down out of my 90SSE.

A good tuneup should include plugs, wires, filters, pcv and a throttle body cleaning.
An 02 sensor @ recommended interval also or if fuel mileage has dropped off.

No 1985 was FWD. My boss has a 1985 PA with the 3.8 and a distributor. It comes out right at the front of the motor, kind of at an angle, on the passenger side. Weird setup.

We are talking about a 1988 BONNEVILLE here folks. Remember that. IN 85 the BONNEVILLE was RWD.

1985 bonneville -



1985 buick -



1988 Bonneville:



/end thread hijack.

Thanks Hans, I was just too lazy to find actual pics. I am very aware that other GM vehicles used the same engine in different years, but as the first post asked, he wanted to know about an 88 Bonneville.