CAMPAIGN:RIGHT SIDE SPINDLE NUT UNDER TORQUE. Buick Century 1994

SUBJECT: RIGHT FRONT SPINDLE NUT UNDER-TORQUE

MODELS AFFECTED: CERTAIN 1994 BUICK CENTURY MODELS

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 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 that is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the Buick 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 determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1994 Buick Century model vehicles. Some of these vehicles were assembled with low torque on the right front spindle nut. This condition could result in premature wheel bearing failure and, over time, the spindle could fracture. If this happens, the wheel could separate from the vehicle, and a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to inspect the torque on the right front spindle nut and, if the nut is under-torqued, the right front wheel bearing assembly and nut will be replaced on sold vehicles. On dealer stock vehicles, the nut will be re-torqued.

VEHICLES INVOLVED:

Involved are certain 1994 Buick Century model vehicles built at the Oklahoma City Assembly Plant within the following VIN breakpoints:

Plant Plant Code From Through & Including ----- ----- ---- ------------------- Oklahoma City 6 R6504466 R6505075

Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN's) of Involved Buick Century Vehicles:

R6504466 R6504710 R6504728 R6504742 R6504760 R6504780 R6504811 R6504946 R6504505 R6504712 R6504730 R6504745 R6504761 R6504782 R6504816 R6504954 R6504519 R6504713 R6504732 R6504746 R6504762 R6504785 R6504823 R6504976 R6504558 R6504717 R6504733 R6504747 R6504765 R6504786 R6504824 R6504992 R6504647 R6504719 R6504734 R6504748 R6504766 R6504787 R6504827 R6504997 R6504704 R6504720 R6504736 R6504750 R6504769 R6504789 R6504829 R6505005 R6504705 R6504721 R6504737 R6504753 R6504771 R6504801 R6504858 R6505028 R6504707 R6504722 R6504738 R6504754 R6504772 R6504802 R6504886 R6505029 R6504708 R6504723 R6504739 R6504756 R6504777 R6504803 R6504910 R6505031 R6504709 R6504724 R6504741 R6504758 R6504778 R6504806 R6504911 R6505042 R6505075

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 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 has no involved vehicles currently assigned.

PARTS INFORMATION:

Each involved dealer will be pre-shipped the week of October 10, 1994, the required number of parts equal to 100% of the number of vehicles to be repaired. Pre-shipped parts will be charged to the dealer's open account. If additional parts are required to complete this campaign, they may be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). To ensure 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). Any unused parts may be returned to GMSPO for credit or retained for dealer stock.

Part Number Description Quantity/Vehicle ----------- ------------ ---------------- 07466976 Bearing Assembly 1 as required 10251766 Nut 1 as required

OWNER NOTIFICATION:

Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Buick Motor Division (see copy of owner letter included with this bulletin).

DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY:

All unsold new vehicles in dealers' possession and subject to this campaign MUST be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin BEFORE owners take possession of these vehicles.

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.

Owners of vehicles recently sold from your new vehicle inventory, with no owner information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer, and arrangements made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. This could be done by mailing to such owners a copy of the owner letter accompanying this bulletin. Campaign follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose since the owner 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.

SERVICE PROCEDURES:

1. Raise vehicle.

2. Remove right front wheel cover (passenger side) or right front wheel for vehicles equipped with aluminum wheels.

3. Check torque on right front spindle nut.

NOTICE: TORQUE MUST BE CHECKED IN THE TIGHTENING DIRECTION TO GET AN ACCURATE READING. THE TORQUE SPECIFICATION FOR THE NUT IS 145 N.m +/- 30 N.m (107 lb. ft. +/- 22 lb.ft,). IF TORQUE IS LESS THAN 115 N.m (85 LB. FT.) PROCEED TO STEP 4. IF TORQUE IS AT SPECIFICATIONS PROCEED TO STEP 6.

4. New vehicles not yet delivered - Tighten axle nut to 175 N.m (129 lb.ft.).

Delivered vehicles - Replace wheel bearing assembly and nut per Service Manual procedures.

5. Reinstall wheel cover and/or wheel.

When re-installing wheel, use torque stick J39544-15 and impact gun to tighten lug nuts to appropriate torque.

This should be done in two steps using the star pattern. First, snug the nuts down by hand. Then using the star pattern and a torque stick or torque wrench, tighten the wheel nuts to about half the final torque. Finally, tighten the wheel nuts to specification using the star pattern and the torque stick/wrench. Use the same amount of impact wrench operating time as would normally be used without a torque stick.

6. 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 5 digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a 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 of the owner.

Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean, dry surface.

WARRANTY CLAIM INFORMATION:

Submit a Product Campaign Claim selecting the one appropriate information indicated below:

PART FAILED PART FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER OPER COUNT PART NO ALLOW CODE OP NO HRS HRS -------------------------------------------------------------------- o Inspect right front spindle nut torque - nut properly torqued

- - - 96 V9130 0.3 *0.1

o Inspect right front spindle nut torque - retorque on new vehicle not yet delivered

- - - 96 V9131 0.3 *0.1

o Inspect right front spindle nut torque - nut under torqued - new bearing assembly and nut installed

2 7466976 ** 96 V9132 0.6 *0.1

Add: For locking wheel cover, add 0.1 hours to the Labor Hours for wheel cover lock removal/reinstall. May be added to. all three operations above.

* Campaign Administrative Allowance

** The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current GMSPO Dealer Net price plus 40% of all parts required for the repair.

Dear Buick Century Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

SAFETY RECALL FOR:

ACTION:

------ To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, your dealer will inspect the torque on the right front spindle nut and, if the nut is under-torqued, the right front wheel bearing assembly and nut will be replaced. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

HOW LONG WILL REPAIR TAKE:

The labor time necessary to perform this service inspection/correction is approximately forty-five (45) minutes Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle.

CONTACTING YOUR BUICK DEALER:

Please contact your Buick dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer and parts are available.

Your Buick dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure 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 (5) days, we recommend you contact the Buick Customer Assistance Center by calling 1-800-521-7300.

After contacting your dealer and the Customer Assistance Center, 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 Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 366-0123).

OWNER REPLY CARD:

The enclosed owner reply card identifies your 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.

Buick Motor 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.