CAMPAIGN: THROTTLE RETURN SPRING MAY FAIL
MODELS AFFECTED: 1985 SOMERSET REGALS EQUIPPED WITH 2.5L ENGINES (ENGINE VIN CODE U)
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, provides that each vehicle which is subject to a recall campaign of this type, must be adequately repaired within a reasonable time after the owner has tendered it for repair. A failure to adequately repair within sixty (60) days after tender of a vehicle is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time. If the condition is not adequately repaired within a reasonable time, the owner may be entitled to an identical or reasonably equivalent vehicle at no charge or to a refund of the purchase price, less a reasonable allowance for depreciation.
To avoid having to provide these burdensome solutions, every effort must be made to promptly schedule an appointment with each owner and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the letter which is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the Buick Home Office if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five (5) days of the agreed service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, the owners are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
DEFECT INVOLVED
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1985 Somerset Regals equipped with 2.5L 4 cylinder engines.
The throttle return spring assembly may fail. If this occurs, it could prevent the throttle from returning to the closed (idle) position when the accelerator pedal is released. In this event, engine speed may not decrease to a level anticipated by the operator. Although the vehicle can still be stopped with the service brake, loss of accelerator control could result in a vehicle crash, without prior warning.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Certain 1985 Somerset Regals equipped with 2.5L engines (engine VIN Code 0) with automatic or manual transmission within the following serial numbers:
FROM THROUGH AND INCLUDING ----- --------------------- FM400001 FM467530
DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY
Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this campaign at no charge to owners, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.
Whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into your new or used vehicle inventory, or it is in your dealership for service in the future, you should take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before reselling or releasing the vehicle.
Owners of vehicles recently sold from your new vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the dealer and arrangements made to make the required modification according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
DEALER MATERIAL
If your dealership has vehicles involved in this campaign, you will receive the following items:
- List of all vehicles involved in this campaign shipped to your dealership.
- One (1) campaign identification label per vehicle involved.
Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number computer listings. Computer listings contain the complete vehicle identification number, owner name and address data, and are furnished to the involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. Owner name and address data will enable dealers to follow-up with owners involved in this campaign.
These computer listings may contain owner names and addresses obtained from State Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any other purpose is a violation of law in several states. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this listing to the follow-up necessary to complete this campaign.
OWNER NOTIFTCATION
Owners of vehicles involved in this campaign will be notified by Buick Motor Division (see copy of owner letter included in this bulletin).
CHANGE OF OWNER INFORMATION
Dealers are to use the Dealer Communication System (DCS) to provide Buick Motor Division with subsequent Buick owner information. By reporting a change of owner name or address of a vehicle in campaign status over the DCS, the need to send in a C.V.A.R. form for that vehicle is eliminated. Terminal input instructions are covered in the DCS Manual under Section 9, page 9-J0lA and B.
PARTS INFORMATION
Parts required to complete this modification are to be obtained from General Motors Warehousing and Distribution Division (GMWDD). To ensure that these parts will be obtained as soon as possible, they should be ordered from GMWDD on a CIO order with no special instruction code, but on an advise code (2).
PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION QUANTITY REQUIRED ------------ ----------- ------------------ 14105794 Throttle Return Spring 1 per vehicle
TECHNICAL PROCEDURE
1. Open hood, install fender covers.
2. Remove air cleaner assembly.
3. Locate and remove existing throttle return spring (refer to illustration).
4. Install new throttle return spring, Part Number 14105794.
5. Reinstall air cleaner assembly.
DISPOSITION OF PARTS
Replaced parts must be held for disposition by Buick contact personnel. Parts must have a claim tag attached showing the repair order and the VIN of the vehicle from which they were removed.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
Dealers are to submit each campaigned vehicle as a separate case on the one-line Warranty Document Form S-764. Dealers submitting warranty claims by terminal are to transmit campaign completions as a separate case also.
LABOR AND PARTS CREDIT
SUBLET PART FAILED PARTS FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER DEALER OPER. COUNT PART NO. ALLOW CODE OP. NO. HOURS HOURS MTL. TWG. ----- ----- -------- ----- ---- ------- ----- ----- ---------- Replace 1 14105794 * 96 V3190 .2 ** - Throttle Return Spring
* List current dealer price, plus 30% of installed part. ** .1 hour for administration.
Dear Buick Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle e safety exists on some 1985 Somerset Regals equipped with 2.5L engines.
The throttle return spring assmbly may fail. If this occurs, it could prevent the throttle frm returning to the closed (idle) position when the accelerator pedal is released. In this event, engine speed may not decrease to a level anticipated by the operator. Although the vehicle can still be stopped with the service brake, loss of accelerator control could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
To prevent this from occurring on your vehicle, please contact your Buick dealer to arrange a service date. The dealer will replace the throttle return spring. This service will be completed for you at no charge.
Instructions have been sent to your Buick dealer. The labor time to do the work will be about 20 minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be necessary to process your vehicle.
Your Buick dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agree service date, and he does not remedy this condition on that date, or within five days, we recommend you contact the Customer Assistance Department, Flint Home Office by calling 800-521-7300.
After contacting your dealer and the Buick Home Office, if you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition without charge and within a reasonable time, you may wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 426-0123).
The enclosed owner reply card identifies vour vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage paid owner reply card and returining it to us.
We are sorry to cause you this inconvenience; however, we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and continued satisfaction with our products.
General Motors bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, not a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions and know-how to do a job properly and safely. If a condition is described, do not assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition. See a General Motors dealer servicing your brand of General Motors vehicle for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.
