INFORMATION ON UPDATED BATTERY REPLACEMENT CATALOG NUMBERS. Buick LeSabre 1996

SUBJECT: INFORMATION ON UPDATED BATTERY REPLACEMENT CATALOG NUMBERS

MODELS: 1988-96 PASSENGER CARS AND TRUCKS

********************************************************************** IMPORTANT:

"GM OF CANADA DEALERS" AND "NAES DEALERS" ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO UTILIZE THIS SERVICE BULLETIN. **********************************************************************

REPLACEMENTS FOR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) BATTERIES ==================================================

IN FEBRUARY OF 1995, THE CATALOG NUMBERS OF SOME REPLACEMENT BATTERIES WERE UPGRADED TO REFLECT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BATTERIES. BECAUSE OF THIS CHANGE, IT IS NECESSARY TO REFER TO THE CURRENT ACDELCO CATALOG (7A-100 OR EQUIVALENT) WHEN ORDERING A REPLACEMENT BATTERY. DO NOT USE THE NUMBER ON THE OLD BATTERY!

IMPROVEMENTS ============

IN ORDER TO ADD A LINE OF MAINTENANCE-FREE BATTERIES WITH 84-MONTH WARRANTY FOR AFTERMARKET RETAIL CUSTOMERS, SEVERAL OF THE REPLACEMENT BATTERY MODELS UNDERWENT DESIGN MODIFICATIONS TO LENGTHEN THE AVERAGE SERVICE LIFE. THESE MODIFICATIONS HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON THE COLD CRANKING AMPERE (CCA) AND RESERVE CAPACITY (RC) RATINGS OF THE BATTERIES.

CATALOG NUMBERING SYSTEM ========================

BECAUSE THE CATALOG NUMBERING SYSTEM USED BY ACDELCO INCLUDES THE AFTERMARKET WARRANTY PERIOD FOR RETAIL CUSTOMERS, SEVERAL OF THE CATALOG NUMBERS OF ESTABLISHED BATTERY MODELS WERE CHANGED TO REFLECT THE LONGER WARRANTY PERIOD. IN A CATALOG NUMBER LIKE 78A-72, THE "72" REFERS TO THE WARRANTY PERIOD APPLICABLE TO A RETAIL BATTERY PURCHASER. WITH THE BATTERY IMPROVEMENTS, A BATTERY THAT WAS 78A-72 WAS MODIFIED FOR LONGER LIFE, AND THE NEW NUMBER CATALOG NUMBER IS 78A-84. AT THE SAME TIME, HOWEVER, A NEW BATTERY WITH DIFFERENT SPECIFICATIONS FOR CCA AND RC WAS INTRODUCED AND GIVEN THE NUMBER 78A-72.

NOT ALL BATTERY MODELS WERE AFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES, SO SOME CATALOG NUMBERS WERE CHANGED, WHILE OTHERS REMAINED THE SAME.

DO NOT RELY ON "RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT" CATALOG NUMBERS ON ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT (OE) BATTERIES BUILT BEFORE FEBRUARY, 1995, OR ON THE INFORMATION IN SECTION 6D OF THE SERVICE MANUALS FOR 1996 AND EARLIER VEHICLES. USING THESE FORMER CATALOG NUMBERS COULD, IN SOME CASES, RESULT IN THE USE OF A BATTERY WITH LOWER CCA AND RC RATINGS THAN IS RECOMMENDED FOR THE VEHICLE. REFER TO THE LATEST ACDELCO RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT CATALOG INSTEAD AND USE THE BATTERY LISTED AS BEING EQUIVALENT TO THE OE BATTERY.

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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.