1999 H Car 4T65-E Manual Valve/Link Kit Replacement
| Subject: | 99011 -- 1999 H CAR 4T65-E MANUAL VALVE/LINK KIT REPLACEMENT |
| Models: | CERTAIN 1999 PONTIAC BONNEVILLE; OLDSMOBILE EIGHTY EIGHT; AND BUICK LESABRE (H CAR) EQUIPPED WITH 4T65-E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (RPO M15, MN7, OR MN3) |
The Highway 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 customer has tendered it for repair. A failure to 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 customer 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 remedies, every effort must be made to promptly schedule an appointment with each customer and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the divisional letter that is being sent to customers, the customers are being instructed to contact the appropriate Customer Assistance Center if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five (5) days of the mutually agreed upon service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, they are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Defect Involved
General Motors has decided that certain 1999 Pontiac Bonneville; Oldsmobile Eighty Eight; and Buick LeSabre (H-Car) model vehicles equipped with 4T65-E Automatic Transmission (RPO M15, MN7, or MN3) fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence". A retaining clip, which secures the manual valve to the linkage of the transmission detent lever, may become loose under a combination of possible driver shifting maneuvers and allow the link to become disconnected from the manual valve. If the link disconnects, the driver's indicated 'PRNDL' state may differ from the hydraulic state of the transmission. This does not affect operation of the park position, but if a driver selects 'drive' and the transmission is actually in 'reverse', a crash could occur without warning.
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to replace the manual valve/link assembly with a replacement manual valve/link kit, featuring a spring-type fastener.
Vehicles Involved
Involved are certain 1999 Pontiac Bonneville; Oldsmobile Eighty Eight; and Buick LeSabre (H-Car) model vehicles equipped with the 4T65-E Automatic Transmission (RPO M15, MN7, or MN3) and built within the following VIN breakpoints:
Year | Division | Model | Plant | From | Through |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | Pontiac | Bonneville | Buick City | XH200011 | XH231148 |
1999 | Oldsmobile | Eighty Eight | Orion | X4800003 | X4840743 |
1999 | Buick | LeSabre | Buick City | XH400006 | XH476334 |
Important: Dealers should confirm vehicle eligibility through VISS (Vehicle Information Service System) prior to beginning campaign repairs. [Not all vehicles within the above breakpoints may be involved.]
Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number. Computer listings containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data have been prepared, and are being furnished to involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. The customer name and address data furnished will enable dealers to follow-up with customers involved in this campaign. Any dealer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin has no involved vehicles currently assigned.
These dealer listings may contain customer 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.
Parts Information
Important: An initial supply of manual valve kits, equivalent to 20% of involved vehicles, will be pre-shipped to involved dealers of record. This pre-shipment will occur the week of May 10, 1999. Pre-shipped parts will be charged to dealer's open parts account.
Additional parts, if required, are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). Please refer to your "involved vehicles listing" prior to ordering parts. Normal orders should be placed on a DRO = Daily Replenishment Order. In an emergency situation, parts should be ordered on a CSO = Customer Special Order.
Part Number | Description | Qty/ Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
24215610 | Kit, Manual Valve | 1 |
12346145 | Fluid, Transmission (55 gal. drum) | up to 6 quarts |
Customer Notification
Customers will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by General Motors (see copy of typical customer letter included with this bulletin - actual divisional letter may vary slightly).
Dealer Campaign Responsibility
All unsold new vehicles in dealers' possession and subject to this campaign MUST be held and repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin BEFORE customers take possession of these vehicles.
Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this campaign at no charge to customers, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.
Customers who have recently purchased vehicles sold from your vehicle inventory, and for which there is no customer information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer. Arrangements are to be made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. This could be done by mailing to such customers a copy of the customer letter accompanying this bulletin. Campaign follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the customer may not as yet have received the notification letter.
In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership for service in the future, please take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with the standard identified above. Under 41 U.S.C. section 30112 of the Highway Safety Act as amended, it is illegal for a dealer to sell a new motor vehicle which the dealer knows does not comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. As a consequence, if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the campaign correction, your dealership may be subject to a civil penalty up to $1,100 for each such sale.
Service Procedure
