CAMPAIGN: TRANSMISSION SHIFTCABLE ATTACHMENT
MODELS AFFECTED: 1988 REGAL
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.
CONDITION
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain 1988 Buick Regal model vehicles. A potential interference between the transmission shift cable and the bellcrank clip, in the steering column, can result in disengagement of the transmission cable. This could allow the transmission to be in a gear other than that displayed by the shift indicator. This condition could cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction and cause a vehicle crash without prior warning.
DEALER ACTION
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, a newly designed bellcrank clip will be installed on all involved vehicles.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are certain 1988 Buick Regal model vehicles produced within the following VIN breakpoints:
Plant From Through and Including ----- ---- --------------------- Oshawa J1400064 J1417960
DEALER CMPAIGN 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 has been mad 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 owners involved in this campaign.
These computer 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.
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).
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 for that vehicle is eliminated. Teminal input instructions are covered in the DCS Manual under Section 9, Page 9-JOlA and B.
PARTS INFORMATION
Parts required to complete this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). To ensure these parts will be 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).
PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION QUANTITY/VEHICLE ----------- ----------- ---------------- 25089331 Clip - Bellcrank 1
SERVICE PROCEDURE
Bellcrank Clip Replacement
1. Place shift lever in "Park", disconnect negative battery cable and remove lower dash panel.
2. Remove shift cable from steering column ball stud.
3. Remove bellcrank clip (with shift indicator cable still attached) from bellcrank hole.
4. Disconnect shift indicator cable from removed bellcrank clip and reconnect it to new clip (Part Number 25089331) being careful to use correct hook (See Figure 1, View B).
5. Install (snap) new bellcrank clip in bellcrank hole. While pushing clip into hole it may be helpful to apply a simultaneous side load.
6. Reinstall shift cable on steering column ball stud.
7. Set parking brake, place shift lever in "Neutral" and check alignment of shift (PRNDL) indicator. Shift indicator needle should be between both alignment dots over the "N". If adjustment is necessary, loosen T-adjuster and adjust fore or aft until proper alignment exists. Hand tighten screw and place shifter in "Park".
8. Reinstall lower dash panel and reconnect negative battery cable.
9. 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, the five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service and the date the vehicle was campaigned. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a ball point pen. Install the label only on a clean, dry surface of the radiator baffle where it is readily visible.
DISPOSITION OF PARTS
Replaced parts must be held for disposition 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 PART FAILURE LABOR LABOR OTHER DEALER OPER COUNT PART NO ALLOWANCE CODE OP NO HOURS HOURS MTL TWG ---- ----- ------- --------- ---- ----- ----- ----- ------- * Replace Bellcrank Clip 1 25089331 ** 96 V4620 0.3 *O.l ---
* Dealer Administrative Allowance ** List Current Dealer Price of Clip, 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.
REASON FOR THE RECALL
General Motors.has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety may exist in certain 1988 Buick Regal model vehicles. A potential interference between the transmission shift cable and the bellcrank clip in the steering column can result in disengagement of the transmission cable. This could allow the transmission to be in a gear other than that displayed by the shift indicator. This condition could cause your vehicle to move in an unexpected direction and cause a vehicle crash without prior warning.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, a newly designed bellcrank clip will be installed on your vehicle at no charge to you.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Until you have had an opportunity to have your vehicle serviced, please be aware of the possibility of this condition occurring. When parking your vehicle, always use your parking brake to prevent vehicle movement.
Please contact your Buick dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer. It is estimated that parts will be available on or about April 15, 1988. The labor time necessary to perform this service is approximately eighteen (18) 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 Customer Assistance Center, Buick Home Office, by calling 1-800-521-7300
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 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 366-0123).
The enclosed Owner Reply Card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of the 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 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.
