BuickElectra1978Overview/buick/electra/1978/base/

1978 Buick Electra

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1978 Electra.

Model year19801978

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Electra of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

9.5 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.50 sec — 1972 225 Hardtop Sedan
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
1972225 Hardtop Sedan 7.5L V89.50 sec16.62 sec250 hpRWD

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Electra. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.