HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT INOP. TERMINAL MISPOSITIONED
CENTER HIGH MOUNTED STOP LAMP WIRING HARNESS TERMINALS MISPOSITIONED
MODELS AFFECTED: 1986 CENTURYS EQUIPPED WITH OPERA LAMPS --------------- (RPO C93) AND LUGGAGE RACK (RPO V56/V58)
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 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 owners 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.
CONDITION INVOLVED
General Motors has determined some 1986 Buick Centurys fail to conform to the requirements of FMVSS 108 "Lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment". The above referenced vehicles equipped with luggage rack and opera lamp options may have an incorrectly indexed wiring harness. This condition may cause the center high mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) to remain illuminated when the headlamps or parking lamps are on. FMVSS 108 requires that the center high mounted stop lamp be lighted only when the brakes are applied. In addition, the opera lamps may come on when the brakes are applied.
To correct this condition, the CHMSL wiring harness terminals will be correctly indexed on each affected vehicle.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Certain 1986 Centurys equipped with Opera Lamps (RPO C93) and Luggage Rack RPO V56/V58) within the following vehicle breakpoints:
PLANT FROM THROUGH AND INCLUDING ----- ----- ---------------------
Doraville GD415313 GD421265 Oklahoma City G6407238 G6411882
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.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with the standard identified above. 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 for each sale.
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 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. Any dealer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin was not shipped any involved vehicles.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
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 (D.C.S.) 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 D.C.S., the need to send in a C.V.A.R. form for that vehicle is eliminated. Terminal input instructions are covered in the D.C.S. Manual under Section, Page 9- J0IA and B.
PARTS INFORMATION
It will not be necessary to order parts in order to make this correction.
TECHNICAL PROCEDURE
1. Check operation of the CHMSL (center high mounted stop lamp).
a) If lamp operates correctly ("light" on only when the brakes are applied), no further action is required except to apply a campaign identification label, Step 9.) b) If operation is not correct, proceed with Step 2.
2. Disconnect battery cable.
3. Open deck lid and locate connector at left rear of trunk. Refer to Illustration.
4. Disconnect CHMSL (center high mounted stop lamp) harness connector from main harness. Remove terminals from CHMSL connector.
5. Reinstall wire terminals in proper cavity:
Cavity A - Black Wire Cavity B - Brown Wire Cavity C - Lt. Blue W/double Black Stripe Wire.
6. Reconnect connector to body harness.
7. Reconnect battery cable.
8. Test CHMSL for proper operation. Correct if required.
9. Install a Campaign Identification Label.
Each vehicle modified 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 five digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or ballpoint pen.
Each "Campaign Identification Label" is to be located on the radiator core support in an area which will be visible when the vehicle is brought in for periodic servicing by the owner.
Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean dry surface.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
LIST THE ONE APPLICABLE LABOR OPERATION
SUBLET PART FAILED PARTS FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER DEALER OPERATION COUNT PART NO. ALLOW. CODE OR NO. HOURS HOURS MTL TWG --------- ----- ------- ----- ------- ------ ----- ----- -------
Check Lamp Operation Only - - - 96 V3310 .2 *.l -
Check and Correct Lamp Operation - - - 96 V3311 .2 *.l -
* Campaign Administrative Allowance.
Dear Buick Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Safety Act.
General Motors has determined some 1986 Buick Centurys fail to conform to the requirements of the FMVSS 108 "Lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment". The above referenced vehicles equipped with luggage rack and opera lamp options may have an incorrectly indexed wiring harness. This condition may cause the center high mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) to remain illuminated when the headlamps or parking lamps are on. FMVSS 108 requires that the center high mounted stop lamp be lighted only when the brakes are applied. In addition, the opera lamps may come on when the brakes are applied.
To correct this condition on your vehicle, please contact your Buick dealer to arrange a service date to have the wiring harness correctly indexed. This service will be performed at no charge to you.
Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your Buick dealer. The labor time necessary to complete the correction is approximately 15 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 provide service to ensure your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed 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, within a reasonable time; you may wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 426-0123).
The enclosed Owner Reply Card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of the card to your dealer will assist in making the 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 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.
BUICK MOTOR DIVISION General Motors Corporation
Enclosure
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.
