CAMPAIGN:BRACKET INTERFERENCE RUBBING THROUGH BRAKE LINE
MODELS AFFECTED: 1983 Regals Equipppd with 5.7L V-8 Diesel 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 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 the 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 nearest Buick Zone Office if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five days of the agreed service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, the ownprs are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
DEFECT INVOLVED
General Motors has determined that a defect which relatps to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1983 (G) cars equipped with 5.7 liter V-8 diesel engines. The rear brake master cylinder brake pipe may rub on the air cleaner resonator bracket. Over an extended period of operation, the brake pipe could wear through, resulting in a brake fluid leak and loss of the rear brakes. These vehicles are equipped with dual braking systems, part of the system will still work and allow the vehicle to be stopped, but over a greater distance. Loss of rear braking at a time when minimum stopping distance is required could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
DEALER ACTION
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring on vehicles involved, dealers are to make sure there is a minimum of 19mm (3/4 inch.) clearance between the brake pipe and resonator bracket. If there is not, they must reposition pipe to provide this clearance. Also if this pipe is worn due to contacting the bracket, the pipe is to be replaced.
DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY
Dealers are to service all vehiclps 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 has 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.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
1983 Regals equipped with 5.7L (VIN code N) V-8 diesel engines within the following serial numbers:
Assembly Plant Beginning Up to and Including
Flint DH800001 DH 970721
Arlington DR400001 DR 421521
DEALER MATERIAL
If your dealership has vehicles involved in this campaign, you will receive the following items:
List of all vehicles involved in their campaign shipped to your dealership.
One (1) campaign identification label per vehicle involved.
Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Idpntification Number Computer Listings. Computer listings contain the complete Vehicle Identification Number, Owner Names and Address Data, and are furnished to the 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 for the follow-up necessary to complete this campaign.
TRANSFER OF VEHICLE
If a vehicle has been transferred or sold to another location, please forward Campaign Identification Label and vehicle information for this vehicle to your Buick Zone Office for handling with the proper dealer.
CHANGE OF OWNER INFORMATION
Dealers are to use the Dealer Communication System (D.C.S.) 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 D.C.S., the need to send in an S-866 Form for that vehicle is eliminaepd. Terminal input instructions are covered in the D.C.S. Manual under Section 9, Page 9-J01A and B.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners of vehicles involved in this campaign will be notified by Buick Motor Division (See copy of owner letter included with this Bulletin).
PARTS INFORMATION
Brake Pipe, Part Numbpr 25513371, if required for this campaign is to be obtained from WDDGM. Very few pipps will require replacement on vehicles inspected.
To ensure this part will be obtained as soon as possible, it should be ordered from GM Part (WDDGM) on a C.I.O. ordpr with no special instruction code, but order on an advised code (2).
Parts will be available approximately October 31, 1983.
TECHNICAL PROCEDURE
1. Open vehicle hood and check to determine if the rear brakp system pipe from master cylinder to proportioner valvp has a minimum clearancp of 3/4 " to the air cleaner resonator bracket. Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 - View A.
2. If the brake pipe has been contacting the bracket and has a shiny or worn spot due to this contact, replace pipe with part number 25513371 Refer to Section 5 of the 1983 chassie Service Manual for brake bleeding information and Figure 2 - for required pipe clearances.
3. If clearance is less than sppcified, reform the pipe to provide 3/4-inch clearance. If the pipe is replaced due to wear, be sure to provide 3/4-inch clearance between it and the resonator bracket, and properly refill the system with brake fluid and blead to insure performance.
4. Install campaign identification label.
Each vehicle modified in accordance with the instructions outlined herein will require 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 insprted with a typewriter or ballpoint pen. When installing label, clean the surface of the fan shroud and apply the Campaign Label.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
Dealers are to submit each campaigned vehicle as a separate case on the one-line Warranty Document Form S-764. Dealers submitting warranty claims by teletype terminal are to transmit campaign completions as a separate case also.
List the one applicable labor operation.
SUBLET PART FAILED PARTS FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER DEALER OPER COUNT PART NO. ALLOW. CODE OP. NO. HOURS HOURS MTL.TWG
Inspect & Reposition Brake Pipe 96 V1830 .2 .1
Inspect & Replace Brake Pipe 1 25513371 96 V1831 .5 .1 $1.02
* .1 hour for administration
** List current dealer price of brake pipe number 25513371. plus 30%.
***Allowance for 1/2 pint of brake fluid.
To assure accurate records of all transactions on this Campaign, it is recommended that Campaign repairs for each vehicle be listed on a separate repair order. Other repairs performed to the vehicle may be listed on the same repair order, and warranty cases other than Campaigns may be listed on the same warranty document.
Zone authorization is not required.
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 1983 (G) cars equipped with 5.7 liter V-8 diesel engines. The rear brake master cylinder brake pipe may rub on the air cleaner resonator bracket. Over an extended period of operation, the brake pipe could wear through, resulting in a brake fluid leak and loss of the rear brakes. These vehicles are equipped with dual braking systems; part of the system will still work and allow the vehicle to be stopped, but over a greater distance. Loss of rear braking at a time when minimum stopping distance is required could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
To prevent this from occurring on your vehicle, your Buick dealer will inspect for proper clearance between the master cylinder brake pipe and the resonator bracket. If necessary, they will make modifications to provide proper clearance. If the pipe is worn, due to contacting the bracket, the pipe will be replaced. This service will be performed at no charge to you.
Instructions for making this inspection and modification have been sent to your Buick dealer. Parts will be available approximately October 31, 1983. Please contact your dealer to arrange a service date. The labor time necessary to perform this inspection and modification is approximately 15 minutes. Brake pipe replacement, if required will take about half an hour. Please allow additional time for the dealer to process your vehicle.
Until you have had an opportunity to have this service completed, you should be alert for an increase in brake pedal travel during brake application and illumination of the brake warning light on the instrument panel.
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 on the agreed service date, and they do not remedy this condition on that date or within five days, we recommend you contact the nearest Buick Zone Office, either in person or by telephone. The zone office will assist you and the dealer in getting your vehicle corrected. The locations and telephone numbers of the zone offices are listed in your Owner's Manual.
After contacting your dealer and the zone 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, D.C. 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 416-0123).
The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this 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 inconvenience; however, we have taken 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.
