CAMPAIGN: PARKING BRAKE CABLE DISCONNECTED FROM BRAKE
MODELS AFFECTED: 1988 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX EQUIPPED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION
To: All Pontiac Dealers
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 adeequately repaired within a reasonable time after the owner has tendered it for repair. A failure to repair within sixty 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 that is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five 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 determined that certain 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix models equipped with manual transmissions fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 105, "Hydraulic Brake Systems". In some of these vehicles, the parking brake cable may be disconnected from the left rear brake caliper. With a disconnected cable, the parking brake cannot be properly applied, and the vehicle will not meet the grade holding requirements specified in FMVSS 105.
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to install a retainer on the left rear caliper of those vehicles on which the cable is not already retained with a cotter pin and adjust the parking brake system using the procedure described in this bulletin. In addition, to improve durability of the parking brake pedal assembly, a new one will be installed.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are certain 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix model vehicles equipped with a manual transmission and produced within the following VIN breakpoints:
Up To Plant Beginnig And Including ----- --------- ------------- Fairfax JF224259 JF278084
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 involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. Owner name and address data furnished will enable dealers to follow-up with owners involved in this campaign.
These 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 reason 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. Any dealer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin has no involved vehicles currently assigned.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Pontiac Division (see copy of owner letter included with this bulletin).
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 as 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 correction according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with the standard previously identified. Under Section 108 of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, 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 $1,000.00 for each such sale.
PARTS INFORMATION
Parts required to complete this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). To ensure that these parts will be obtained as soon as possible, they should be ordered from GMSPO on a "C.I.O." order with no special instruction code, but on an advise code (2).
Quantity/ Description Part Number Vehicle ----------- ----------- -------
Lever, Park Brake 10130137 1
Retainer, Park Brake Cable 18016553 1 As Required
SERVICE PROCEDURE
1. Replace park brake pedal assembly with new assembly (P/N 10130137) per 1988 Grand Prix Service Manual, Section 5, Page 13.
2. Pull park brake release handle out and hold in release position by tying to steering wheel or clamping vise grip on handle close to dash bracket (see Figure 1).
3. Raise and suitably support vehicle.
4. Install park brake cable retainer (P/N 18016553) on left hand caliper lever and park brake cable. If lever has a cotter pin installed, do not install retainer (see Figure 2).
5. To insure proper adjustment, the caliper levers must not move. To insure caliper levers do not move, perform the following:
A. Block left hand lever with either a 5/8" or 3/4" hex nut (see Figure 2). Use nut that fits tightest.
B. Clamp right hand lever as shown in Figure 3.
6. Disconnect equalizer retainer spring (see Figure 4).
NOTICE: Before proceeding, apply lubricant between nut face and equalizer surface to prevent galling of these surfaces (see Figure 4).
7. Hold cable firmly with locking pliers and rotate adjustment nut to obtain a 35 MM (1-3/8") measurement from nut face to swaged end of adjuster rod (see Figure 4).
8. Release clamp on hand lever only. Also, make sure left hand lever is in fully released position (pulled back against caliper stop).
9. Reverse rotation of equalizer nut until a measured gap of 0.5 MM (.020") is obtained between right hand lever and caliper stop (see Figure 5).
10. Remove hex nut from left hand caliper lever.
11. Reconnect equalizer retainer spring.
12. Release park brake release handle.
13. Install Campaign Identification label.
CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL
Each vehicle corrected in accordance with the instructions outlined in this Product Campaign Bulletin will require a "Campaign Identification Label." Each label provides a space to include the campaign number, the five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service and the date the vehicle was campaigned. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a ball point pen. Install the label only on a clean, dry surface of the radiator baffle where it is readily visible (additional campaign labels are available on stationary order as Form 7901-709).
CLAIM INFORMATION
A separate repair order must be kept for each vehicle. A completed warranty claim is to be kept as a permanent record of completion.
DEALERS SHOULD SUBMIT WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR CREDIT IN THEIR NORMAL MANNER WHEN THEY PERFORM THE SERVICE AS FOLLOWS:
*Other Failure Labor Labor Labor Operation Code Operation Hours Hours --------- ---- --------- ----- ------ Install Park Brake Lever, Retainer & Adjust 96 V4940 1.4 0.1
Install Park Brake Lever & Adjust 96 V4941 1.4 0.1
*In addition, dealership will receive 0.1 hours credit for dealer administrative services associated with this campaign. The 0.1 hours allowance is to be entered in the "Other Labor Hours" field with each campaign repair listed for credit. This entry will not require authorization.
FAILURE CODE 96 MUST BE USED WITH THIS LABOR OPERATION.
Parts required are to be listed in your warranty claim in the normal manner. Parts will be credited at dealer net plus 30% dealer handling allowance.
Dealers will be credited via Warranty Document or Terminal Transmission, whichever is their normal method of submission for payment. Claim must contain all information required and should list the proper labor operation as outlined.
RECORDING COMPLETION
Repairs submitted for vehicles not involved in this campaign will not be paid.
Campaign completion will be recorded from "PROPERLY COMPLETED AND PAID WARRANTY CLAIMS." Owners are being asked to present the owner reply card for identification to their dealer at the time they bring in their vehicle to have the campaign performed.
Dear Pontiac Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
REASON FOR THE RECALL
General Motors has determined that certain 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix models equipped with manual transmissions fail to conform to the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 105, "Hydraulic Brake Systems". In some of these vehicles, the parking brake cable may be disconnected from the left rear brake caliper. With a disconnected cable, the parking brake cannot be properly applied, and the vehicle will not meet the grade holding requirements specified in FMVSS 105.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring on your vehicle, your dealer will install a retainer on the left rear caliper, if the cable is not already retained with a cotter pin, and adjust the parking brake system. In addition, to improve durability of the parking brake pedal assembly a new one will be installed.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please contact your Pontiac dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer. It is estimated that parts will be available on or about November 22, 1988. The labor time necessary to perform this service is approximately one (1) hour and twenty-five (25) minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle.
Your Pontiac dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to insure that your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. If, however, you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date and they do not remedy this condition on that date or within five days, we recommend you contact the Customer Assistance Department, Pontiac Home Office, by calling 1-800-762-2737.
After calling the Customer Assistance Center and the Pontiac Home Office, if you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition without charge, within a reasorable time, you may wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 366-0123).
The enclosed owner reply card identifies ycur Pontiac 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 reply card and returning 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.
PONTIAC DIVISION General Motors Corporation
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.
