01/29/2026
My name is Phil Errett and this is one of my pages. I am a 1984 GN owner since October 1988. I am not a trained mechanic; however, I am a backyard wrencher that has experienced a lot of challenges of ownership. As such I have learned a few things over the years as my ride has just up and died from time to time.
Now that our rides have been on the road for 42 years since the fall of 1983, it is likely that some parts are prone to failure just because of age.
I am building a list of common failures for new to hot air Regal owners to be aware of and hopefully plan for.
I wrote to a couple of professional wrenchers that I respect and have gotten some general info to share so far.
These are situations that will cause your engine to just up and die, not to merely run badly, like bad ground or vacuum leaks.
1 - Crankshaft sensor - when this one fails your dash will light up like a Christmas tree and the engine will not restart no matter how many times you try - you will only succeed in dumping fuel into your crankcase (I know it happened to me in 1992). Solution - change sensor.
2 - Fuel Pump Relay - this will be an intermittent failure problem. Engine will crack and seem to be trying to restart, but won't. Try again a few hours later and the engine will fire and try to stay running and it will if you keep cranking. Drive it home and go buy a new relay - they are still readily available (I know it happened to me in 2023). Solution - change sensor.
3 - No start condition because ECM thru' a code for "coolant temperature abnormally low". Solution - change sensor.
OK so this is getting long winded. I have more to add, but, I ask you, whether you follow this page or have just been lurking, to chime in with your own age related failure stories.
Phil Errett, GN owner and Registrar for the 1984 turbo Regal Registry (for the 5,401 turbo Regals built in 1984).