CAMPAIGN: SECONDARY ACCEL. CONTROL RETURN SPRING. Buick Century 1994

SUBJECT: SECONDARY ACCELERATOR CONTROL RETURN SPRING

MODELS AFFECTED: 1994 CENTURYS WITH 3.1L (RPO L82) (VIN CODE M) ENGINES

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 certain 1994 Century model cars equipped with 3.1L L82 engines fail to conform to Federal Motors Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."

In the event of a primary accelerator control return spring failure, these vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the secondary (back-up) accelerator control return spring may not return the throttle to the fully closed position. 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 brakes, loss of accelerator control could result in a vehicle crash, without prior warning.

VEHICLES INVOLVED:

Involved are all 1994 Buick Century model vehicles with the 3.1 liter engine built within the following VIN breakpoints:

PLANT THROUGH AND PLANT CODE FROM INCLUDING ----- ----- ---- ----------- Oklahoma City 6 R6400001 R6422032 Ramos Arizpe S RS600002 RS605870

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.

This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with the standard 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 for each such sale.

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 the campaign MUST be held and 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 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.

PARTS INFORMATION:

A pre-shipment of spring, accelerator control will be sent to involved dealers on February 10, 1994. Pre-shipment will equal parts for 25% of the number of vehicles to be repaired. A minimum of one will be sent to dealers with involved vehicles. Pre-shipment parts will be charged to the dealers' open parts account.

Additional parts required to complete the campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operation (GMSPO). To ensure that these parts are 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).

DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER QUANTITY/VEHICLE ----------- ----------- ---------------- Spring, accelerator control return 12551606 1

IMPORTANT: THE ORIGINAL SPRING IS "SILVER" IN COLOR. THE REPLACEMENT SPRING WILL BE COLORED "BLACK" FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS CAMPAIGN.

SERVICE PROCEDURE:

Refer to figures shown in this bulletin.

ACCELERATOR CONTROL RETURN SPRING REPLACEMENT

REMOVE:

------ 1. Throttle modulator cable end fitting (1) from throttle lever stud (4). NOTICE. DO NOT UNLOCK CABLE ADJUSTER.

2. Throttle modulator cable (1) from throttle body bracket (5).

3. Cruise control cable end fitting (2) from throttle body throttle lever stud (4).

NOTICE: DO NOT REMOVE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE (2) FROM THROTTLE BRACKET (5).

4. Spring (6) from throttle body bracket (5) and throttle body lever (4).

INSTALL:

------- 1. New spring (6) to throttle body bracket (5) and throttle body lever (4).

2. Cruise cable end fitting (2) to throttle lever stud (4).

3. Throttle modulator cable (1) to throttle body bracket (5).

4. Throttle modulator cable end fitting (1) to throttle lever stud (4).

VERIFY THROTTLE ANGLE:

1. With key on, engine off, use a Tech I to monitor throttle angle.

2. Depress on accelerator pedal to full throttle position and release. Perform this procedure three (3) times.

- Throttle angle must read 100% at full throttle and return to zero (0) each time the throttle returns to the fully closed position.

3. If above readings cannot be obtained, inspect for mispositioned or kinked cables.

4. 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 and the five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a ball point 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.

DISPOSITION OF PARTS:

Replaced parts must be held for disposition by Buick Zone/Branch 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:

PART FAILED PART FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER OPER COUNT PART NO. ALLOW CODE OP NO. HRS. HRS. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- o Replace spring, accelerator control return.

1 12551606 ** 96 V8490 0.3 *0.1

* 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 1994 Buick Century Owner:

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

SAFETY NON-COMPLIANCE DEFECT:

General Motors has determined that certain 1994 Century model cars equipped with 3.1L L82 engines fail to conform to Federal Motors Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."

ACTION:

------ To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, your Buick dealer will install a replacement secondary accelerator control return spring. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

CONTACTING YOUR DEALER:

Please contact your Buick dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date and so the dealer may order the necessary part to perform this service. Instructions for making the correction have been sent to your dealer and parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform this service correction is approximately twenty (20) minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle.

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

Object Number: 82497 Size: FS

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.