CAMPAIGN:STEEL WHEELS CRACKING (POLICE WAGONS AND SEDANS)

SUBJECT: STEEL WHEELS CRACKING

MODELS: 1991-92 Chevrolet Caprice Police Sedans (SEO 9C1) and Police Wagons (SEO 1A2)

TO: ALL GENERAL MOTORS DEALERS

General Motors of Canada Limited has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1991-92 Chevrolet Caprice Police vehicles (sedans and wagons) equipped with 15" x 7" steel wheels with the wheel code "RDL." These wheels could fracture and become separated from the vehicle due to a combination of lug nut over-torquing and wheel distortion caused by tire mounting equipment. Multiple tire changes and the severe police duty cycle tend to aggravate the condition. If wheel separation were to occur while a vehicle was in motion, steering and braking control of the vehicle could be affected and a vehicle crash without prior warning could result.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, redesigned 15" x 7" steel wheels are to be installed to replace the suspect (wheel code "RDL") 15" x 7" steel wheels.

VEHICLES INVOLVED:

Involved are CERTAIN 1991-92 Chevrolet Caprice Police vehicles (sedans and wagons) equipped with 15" x 7" steel wheels with the wheel code RDL and built within the following VIN breakpoints: PLANT YEAR MODEL PLANT CODE FROM THROUGH ---- ----- ----- ----- ---- -------- 1991 Chev Caprice Willow Run "W" MW234954 EOP 1991 Chev Caprice Arlington "R" SOP EOP 1992 Chev Caprice Willow Run "W" SOP NW134402

All affected vehicles have been identified by the VIN listing provided to involved dealers with this bulletin. Any dealer not receiving a listing was not shipped any of the affected vehicles.

DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY:

All unsold new vehicles in dealer's 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 perform this campaign on all involved vehicles at no charge to owners, regardless of kilometres traveled, 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, you are to ensure the campaign correction has been made before selling 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.

In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into your new or used 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.

CAMPAIGN PROCEDURE:

Refer to Section 4 of the Service Policies and Procedures Manual for the detailed procedure on handling Product Campaigns. Dealers are requested to complete the campaign on all transfers as soon as possible.

OWNER NOTIFICATION:

All owners of record at the time of campaign release are shown on the attached computer listing and have been notified by first class mail from General Motors. The listings provided are for campaign activity only and should not be used for any other purpose.

SPECIAL TOOLS

Each dealer will be shipped a Torque Stick (J-39544) tool for use in this campaign and for future use in tightening police wheel nuts. This tool is being furnished at no charge to dealers. Additional tools, if required, may be purchased by contacting the Kent-Moore tool company at 1-800-345-2233.

PARTS INFORMATION:

Parts required to complete this campaign should be ordered through regular channels, as follows:

Part Number Description Quantity/Vehicle ----------- ----------- ---------------- 12521214 Wheel Kit 1

Contains: 5 Replacement Wheels 20 Wheel Nuts 5 Valve Stems

PARTS AND LABOUR CLAIM INFORMATION:

Credit for the campaign work performed will be paid upon receipt of a properly completed campaign claim card or DCS transmission in accordance with the following:

Repair Code Description Time Allowance ----------- ----------- -------------- 2A* Inspect/No Wheels Replaced - Kit Provided to Fleet .4

3A* Inspect/One Wheel Replaced - Remainder of Kit .6 Provided to Fleet

4A* Inspect/Two Wheels Replaced - Remainder of Kit .8 Provided to Fleet

5A* Inspect/ Wheels Replaced - Remainder of Kit 1.0 Provided to Fleet

9A* Inspect/Four Wheels Replaced - Remainder of Kit 1.2 Provided to Fleet

AA Inspect/All Five Wheels Replaced 1.3

* For cases in which all five wheels are not replaced, dealers are to place the remainder of the unused wheel kit in the vehicle so the involved fleet may assure that all "RDL" wheels are accounted for. See step 10 of the service procedure and the letter on page 7 for additional details.

Time allowance includes 0.1 hour for dealer administrative detail associated with this campaign. Repair codes 3A, 4A, 5A, 9A and AA include $2.00 for balance weights per wheel replaced. Parts credit will be based on dealer net plus 30% to cover parts handling.

SERVICE PROCEDURE:

WHEEL INSPECTION

1. Remove wheel covers.

2. Inspect wheel code on each wheel INCLUDING THE SPARE (Figure 1).

- If a vehicle has any wheels with "RDL" wheel codes, the "RDL" wheels must be replaced with new design wheels following the "New Wheel Replacement" procedures in this bulletin.

- If no wheels (INCLUDING THE SPARE) have the "RDL" wheel code, no wheels require replacement. Reinstall wheel covers and continue to step 10 of the "New Wheel Installation" procedure.

NEW WHEEL INSTALLATION

(PERFORM THIS PROCEDURE FOR ALL WHEEL CODE "RDL" WHEELS)

1. Raise vehicle (remove spare prior to raising if it must be replaced).

2. Remove valve core to allow all air to escape.

NOTICE: 70 seconds is required for air to completely exhaust from a police tire. Always allow &U air to escape prior to breaking tire bead.

3. Remove tire/wheel assembly from vehicle.

NOTICE: Do not use torque stick to remove wheel nuts.

4. Remove tire from "RDL: wheel.

5. Install new valve stem (supplied in kit) into new replacement wheel.

NOTICE: Suspect wheels ("RDL") must be permanently disfigured so they can not be reused. It is suggested that, if possible, the wheel be cut with an oxygen/acetylene torch or that an air chisel be used to deform the valve stem hole. Note on repair order how the wheel was disfigured and how many "RDL" wheels were found and replaced.

6. Install tire onto new replacement wheel.

NOTICE: Do not stand over tire when inflating. The bead may break when it snaps over the safety hump and cause serious personal injury.

7 . Balance tire/wheel assembly.

8 . Reinstall tire/wheel assembly onto vehicle using new wide flange wheel nuts (supplied in kit) and the following procedure:

a) Snug wheel nuts down by hand.

b) Following star pattern (see Figure 2) and using torque stick (J-39544), tighten wheel nuts to approximately half of specified torque (approx. 68 N.m or 50 lb. ft.).

c) Again, using star pattern (see Figure 2) and torque stick, tighten wheel nuts to 135 N.m (100 lb. ft.).

NOTICE: Never use lubricant or penetrating fluids on wheel studs, nuts or mounting surfaces since this can raise the actual torque on the nut. Wheel nuts, studs and mounting surfaces must be clean and dry.

Also, since a new wide flange wheel nut is being used with the replacement wheel, every effort should be made to assure that during future tire changes the wide flange wheel nuts remain with the replacement wheel.

9. Repeat steps 2 through 8 as required for each wheel code "RDL" tire/wheel assembly.

10. FOR VEHICLES WHICH DO NOT HAVE ALL FIVE WHEELS REPLACED:

DUE TO INDIVIDUAL TIRE CHANGING PROCEDURES, INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY NO LONGER BE EQUIPPED WITH THEIR ORIGINAL SET OF FACTORY INSTALLED WHEELS. FOR THIS REASON, WHENEVER AN INVOLVED VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ALL FIVE WHEELS REPLACED, THE REMAINDER OF THE WHEELS, VALVE STEMS AND LUG NUTS FROM THE WHEEL KIT ARE TO BE PLACED IN THE VEHICLE (EITHER IN TRUNK OR REAR SEAT) ALONG WITH A COPY OF THE LETTER ON PAGE 7 (REPRODUCE LOCALLY). THIS WILL ALERT FLEET PERSONNEL TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN "RDL" WHEEL FROM AN INVOLVED VEHICLE'S ORIGINAL SET OF WHEELS MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ON ANOTHER POLICE VEHICLE OUTSIDE THE INVOLVED VEHICLE VIN RANGE, AND WILL ALSO ALLOW FLEET PERSONNEL TO REPLACE SUCH A WHEEL. NOTE THAT IF A FLEET DISCOVERS AN "RDL" WHEEL WHICH HAS BEEN INSTALLED ON ANOTHER VEHICLE THEY ARE TO RETURN THE "RDL" WHEEL TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DISFIGURATION AND PROPER CAMPAIGN PART DISPOSAL. FOR VEHICLES WHICH HAVE NO WHEELS REPLACED AFTER INSPECTION, INCLUDE AN ENTIRE WHEEL KIT AND A COPY OF THE LETTER ON PAGE 7 WITH THE VEHICLE.

NOTICE: Some involved vehicles were not manufactured with 5 "RDL" wheels. As a result, it is possible that a fleet which is provided extra wheels will not discover additional "RDL" wheels within the fleet.

11. Install Campaign Identification label.

NOTICE TO FLEET PERSONNEL

ATTENTION

FLEET PERSONNEL

This vehicle has been inspected in accordance with General Motors of Canada Limited product safety recall 2D18. Inspection indicates that not all of the wheels were suspect "RDL" code wheels and any suspect wheels found have been replaced. However, it is possible that this vehicle was built with 5 suspect wheels (including spare) and that as a result of tire changing procedures the original wheels may have been installed on another police vehicle outside the recall parameters.

For this reason, we have provided you the remaining wheel(s), valve stem(s) and wheel nuts from the replacement 5 wheel kit obtained for this vehicle. Please use these wheels to assure that your police vehicles do not have a suspect wheel from this vehicle. Police vehicles with the last eight digits of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) prior to MR100001 or MW234954, or after NR133789 or NW1134400 are outside the recall parameters and should be checked. The VIN is located at the upper left of the instrument panel and can be viewed from outside of the vehicle (see Owner's Manual page 205 for 1991 vehicles or page 269 for 1992 vehicles.

Notice: Please be certain to remove any additional wheels provided by your General Motors dealer from this vehicle as soon as possible.

The diagram below shows the location of the wheel code ("RDL") which identifies the suspect wheels. If a suspect wheel is found and replaced, be certain to retum the suspect wheel to your dealership for proper disposal. DO NOT REUSE A SUSPECT WHEEL.

If no suspect wheels are found, your fleet may keep the replacement wheel(s) for your service use. Note that it is possible that this vehicle was not built with five suspect wheels.

Notice: Since a new wide flange wheel nut is being used with the replacement wheels, every effort should be made to assure that during future tire changes the wide flange wheel nuts remain with the replacement wheels.

Thank you for your cooperation and for assisting us in this important matter. We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused; however, we have taken this action in the interest of your safety and continued satisfaction with our products.

Customer Support Department General Motors of Canada Limited

INSTALLATION OF CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL

Clean surface of radiator upper mounting panel and apply a Campaign Identification Label. Make sure the correct campaign number is inserted on the label. This will indicate that the campaign has been completed.

COPY OF LETTER TO OWNERS

VEHICLE RECALL NOTICE

Dear General Motors Customer:

General Motors of Canada Limited has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1991-92 Chevrolet Caprice Police vehicles (sedans and wagons) equipped with 15" x 7" steel wheels with the wheel code "RDL." These wheels could fracture and become separated from the vehicle due to a combination of lug nut over-torquing and wheel distortion caused by tire mounting equipment. Multiple tire changes and the severe police duty cycle tend to aggravate the condition. If wheel separation were to occur while a vehicle was in motion, steering and braking control of the vehicle could be affected and a vehicle crash without prior warning could result

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, redesigned 15" x 7" steel wheels are to be installed to replace the suspect (wheel code "RDL") 15" x 7" steel wheels.

This service will be provided for you at no charge.

Please contact your GM dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date.

If parts are required, ask your dealer for details regarding their availability. If parts are not in stock, they can be ordered before scheduling your service date.

This letter identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this letter to your dealer will assist their Service personnel in completing the necessary correction to your vehicle in the shortest possible time.

We are sorry to cause you this inconvenience; however, we have taken this action in the interest of your continued satisfaction with our products.

Customer Support Department General Motors of Canada Limited

2D18 JD:vt

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.