CAMPAIGN: 200-4R MANUAL VALVE LINK SEPARATION
MODELS AFFECTED: 1987 REGALS & LESABRES/ELECTRA ESTATE WAGONS WITH 200-4R TRANSMISSIONS
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 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 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.
DEFECT
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1987 Regals and LeSabre/Electra Estate Wagons equipped with the 200-4R Transmission. These vehicles may have a manual valve link in the transmission which was improperly formed. This condition could lead to the link separating, resulting in a gear selection different from what the driver selects with the shift lever and what appears on the shift indicator. Also, the car could be started when the transmission is in gear. Thus, when selecting a gear or starting the vehicle, it is possible for the vehicle to unexpectedly move in an unanticipated direction. Such unexpected movement could result in an accident without prior warning.
DEALER ACTION
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring on vehicles involved, dealers are to replace the manual valve link. Refer to the Technical Procedure of this bulletin.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Certain 1987 Regals and LeSabre/Electra Estate Wagons built within the following vehicle identification number breakpoints:
Models Through & Affected Plant From Including -------- ----- ---- --------- Regal Pontiac HP444378 HP450102
LeSabre/ Electra Estate Wagon Lakewood HA400091 HA400465
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 modification according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
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 the owners involved in this campaign.
These computer listings may cuntain 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.
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 (DCS) 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 DCS, the need to send a CVAR from that vehicle is eliminated. Terminal input instructions are covered in the DCS Manual under Section 9, Page 9-J01A and B.
PARTS INFORMATION
Parts required to complete this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). To ensure that these parts are obtained as soon as possible, they should be ordered as soon as possible. They should be ordered on a C.I.O. order with no special instruction code, but on advise code (2).
Part Number Description Quantity/Vehicle ----------- ----------- ---------------- 8634326 Manual Valve Link 1 8657387 Transmission, Oil Pan Gasket 1 NPN Dexron II Transmission Fluid 7.0 Pints or Equivalent
TECHNICAL PROCEDURE
CAUTION:
Take appropriate steps to ensure that vehicle does not move in an unanticipated direction during preparation for service--be prepared to apply service brakes any time engine is running.
1. Raise and support vehicle on hoist.
2. Remove transmission oil pan bolts, pan and gasket. Drain fluid.
3. Loosen bolt (80) and turn roller and sprirg assembly (708) aside so that inside detent lever (704) can be moved freely. Refer to Illustration.
4. Remove retaining pin (703) and loosen hex nut (707). Slide inside detent lever (704) inward on manual shaft (702).
5. Tip inside detent lever (704) away from control valve assembly (74). Remove/install manual valve link (705).
6. Tighten hex rut (707) and install retaining pin (703).
7. Align roller and spring assembly (708) ard tighten bolt (80).
8. Install new transmission oil pan gasket and install pan and bolts. Torque bolts 8.0-14.0 N.m (6.0-10.0 lb. ft.).
9. Lower vehicle and fill trarismission to proper level with Dexron II transmission fluid or equivalent.
10. Install 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 vehicle was campaigned. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or ballpoint pen. When installing label, clean the surface of the radiator support, and apply the campaign label where it is readily visible.
DISPOSITION OF PARTS
Replaced parts must be held for dispositiun by Buick Zone or 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
SUBLET PART FAILED PARTS FAILIJRE LABOR LABOR OTHER DEALER OPER. COUNT PART NO. ALLOW. CODE OP NO HOURS HOURS MTL TWG ---- ----- ------- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- -------
Replace Link, Oil Pan Gasket & Trans. Fluid
1 8634326 ** 96 V4260 .7 *.1 ---- 1 8657387 ** 7 Pints NPN **
* Dealer Administration Allowance ** List Current Dealer Price, Plus 30%
Dear Buick Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1987 Regals and LeSabre/Electra Estate Wagons equipped with the 200-4R transmission. These vehicles may have a manual valve link in the transmission wnich was improperly formed. This condition could lead to the link separating, resulting in a gear selection different from what the driver selects with the shift lever and what appears on the shift indicator. Also, the car could be started when the transmission is in gear. Thus, when selecting a gear or, Starting the vehicle, it is possible for the vehicle to unexpectedly move in an unanticipated direction. Such unexpected movement could result in an accident without prior warning.
To prevent this condition from occurring on your vehicle, your Buick dealer will replace the manual valve detent lever link. This service will be completed at no charge to you.
Instructions have been sent to your Buick dealer. The labor time to perform the correction is approximately forty-five (45) minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to process your vehicle.
Your Buick dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer or the agreed service date, and he does not remedy this condition on that date, or within five days, we recommend you contact the Buick 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, DC, 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, DC 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 inconvenier!ce; however, we have been this action in the interest of your safety, and continued satisfaction with our products.
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.
