CAMPAIGN: SHOULDER BELT BRKT. INSTALL NEW ROTATION BRKT.
SUBJECT: FRONT SHOULDER SEAT BELT CONTROLLED ROTATION BRACKET (CRB)
MODELS AFFECTED: 1990 AND 1991 REGAL SEDANS (4-DOOR MODELS)
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.
DEFECT INVOLVED
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1990 and 1991 Buick Regal Sedan (4-Door) model vehicles. The front seat shoulder belt webbing in these vehicles may separate at the front seat shoulder belt upper guide loops (driver and/or passenger side). Separation of the webbing would occur without prior warning and could increase the risk of injury to belted front outboard occupants in a high energy vehicle crash. During a high energy crash event, this condition may occur if the front seat shoulder belt upper guide loop "dumps" the seat belt webbing into one corner of the guide loop and cuts the webbing.
To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to install a controlled rotation bracket on both the driver and passenger side front seat shoulder belt upper guide loops. This bracket will limit the front seat shoulder belt upper guide loop's range of travel, preventing the webbing from being cut.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are certain 1990 and 1991 Buick Regal (4-Door) Sedan model vehicles built within the following VIN breakpoints:
PLANT YEAR MODEL PLANT CODE FROM THROUGH ---- ------- ------ ---- -------- -------- 1990 Regal Oshawa #2 1 L1429016 L1430667 Sedan
1991 Regal Oshawa #2 1 M1400052 M1800044 Sedan
NOTICE: Regal Coupe (2 door) models are not involved in this recall campaign.
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 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 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 will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles 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 (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 a CVAR form for that vehicle is eliminated. Terminal input instructions are covered in the D.C.S. Manual under Section 9, Pages 9-J01A and B.
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 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 correction according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
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).
Quantity/ Part Number Description Vehicle ----------- --------------------- --------- 10192005 Controlled Rotation Bracket 1 Kit - Each Kit Contains 2 Brackets and 2 Nuts
SPECIAL TOOLS
Each dealer will be shipped a Shoulder Belt Guide Loop Holder tool, J-39049, during the week of February 11, 1991. The tool is being furnished at no charge to the dealer. Each tool package will be identified with Buick Campaign Number 91-C-01. Additional tools, if required, may be ordered from Kent-Moore.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
NOTICE: Figure 1 below illustrates all required parts/changes to complete the campaign procedure. All parts required for this procedure are included in the service kit.
1. Lower front door window glass and remove (pry off) plastic shoulder belt plug cover working from the outside of vehicle (Fig. 2, View "A").
2. Remove nut and rubber washer from guide loop stud using tool J-39049 (Fig. 3, View "B") to prevent guide loop from turning while removing nut. Retain rubber washer for reinstallation.
NOTICE: Certain early production vehicles may utilize a shoulder on trim cover in place of rubber washer. This condition is normal. For vehicles with this style trim cover, disregard references to rubber washer and proceed with remainder of repair.
3. Select bracket designated by the word "LEFT" for the driver's side front door and the bracket designated by the word "RIGHT" for the passenger's side front door (Fig. 4, View "C").
4. Working on the outside of vehicle, install appropriate bracket for the door being repaired onto back side of shoulder belt guide loop. Insert locators on bracket into the depressions in the back of the shoulder belt guide loop (Fig. 5, View "D").
NOTICE: If the depressions in the back of the shoulder belt guide loop have plastic "flashed" in the holes from the molding process, it will be necessary to remove these "flashings" with a drill bit (5 mm) or a knife. This allows the bracket to sit flat against the shoulder belt guide loop. If a drill bit is used for this procedure, turn the drill bit by hand. Do not drill through front of guide loop (Fig. 6, View "A").
5. Insert new, larger diameter nut (with plastic silencer) through anchor plate and place rubber washer over shoulder of nut (between anchor plate and guide loop with bracket installed).
6. Put guide loop with bracket into place and thread new nut onto the guide loop stud (Fig. 7, View "B"). Torque nut to 28 Nm (21 lb. ft.).
NOTICE: To prevent guide loop from turning while installing nut, use tool J-39049. DO NOT USE BRACKET STOP TABS TO HOLD SHOULDER BELT GUIDE LOOP WHILE TIGHTENING NUT AS THIS MAY DAMAGE THE BRACKET.
7. Rotate safety belt guide loop and verify that it rotates freely between the bracket stop tabs.
8. Using a sharp knife or razor blade, remove retaining tabs from plastic anchor nut cover. Be sure to remove entire tab so that a flat surface remains as shown in Figure 8, View "C".
9. Lightly sand face of shoulder belt cover plug so that surface is flat and free of burrs.
10. Lightly sand face of trim cover as shown in Figure 9, View "D". Take care to sand only where the shoulder belt cover plug will cover.
11. Apply adhesive to plastic shoulder belt cover plug by placing the brown backing paper with adhesive onto anchor nut cover and press firmly. Carefully remove brown backing paper. Be sure adhesive remains on the shoulder belt cover plug.
NOTICE: THE ADHESIVE PATCH IS VERY DELICATE. TAKE CARE TO HANDLE ONLY THE BACKING PAPER. DO NOT TOUCH ADHESIVE AS IT MAY BE DAMAGED.
12. Apply the adhesive to trim cover by placing brown backing paper with adhesive onto the trim cover and press firmly. Carefully remove brown backing paper. Be sure adhesive remains on trim cover (Fig.11, 12 and 13, Views "A", "B", and "C").
13. Affix plastic shoulder belt cover plug to the trim cover, taking care to center cap over hole and adhesive area (Fig. 14, View "D").
14. Repeat above steps 1-13 for opposite front door of vehicle.
15. 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 five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a ball point pen.
Each "Campaign Identification Label" is to be located on the radiator core support in an area which will be visible when the vehicle is brought in for periodic servicing by the owner.
Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean, dry surface.
DISPOSITION OF REPLACED PARTS
Replaced parts must be held for disposition by Buick Zone/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 DLR. Oper. Count Part No. Allow. Code Op.No. Hours Hours MTL.TWG. ---- ----- -------- ------ ----- ------ ----- ----- -------- o Install CRB on Left and Right Front Shoulder Seat Belts
1 10192005 ** 96 V6520 0.4 *0.1 --
* Campaign Administrative Allowance
** List current dealer price, plus 30% of installed part
Dear Buick Regal Sedan Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
REASON FOR THIS RECALL
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1990 and 1991 Buick Regal Sedan model vehicles. The front seat shoulder belt webbing in these vehicles may separate at the front seat shoulder belt upper guide loops (driver and/or passenger side). Separation of the webbing would occur without prior warning and could increase the risk of injury to belted front outboard occupants in a high energy vehicle crash. During a high energy crash event, this condition may occur if the front seat shoulder belt upper guide loop "dumps" the seat belt webbing into one corner of the guide loop and cuts the webbing.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To prevent this condition from occurring, your Buick dealer will install a controlled rotation bracket on both the driver and passenger side front seat shoulder belt guide loops. This bracket will limit the front seat shoulder belt upper guide loop's range of travel, preventing the webbing from being cut.
This service will be performed for you at no charge.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please contact your Buick dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date and so the dealer may order the necessary parts for the repair. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer and it is estimated that parts will be available beginning March 6, 1991. The labor time necessary to perform this service correction is approximately 112 hour. 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 insure 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 Buick Customer Assistance Center by calling 1-800-521-7300.
After contacting your dealer and the Customer Assistance Center, if you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition without charge and 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 1-800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 366-0123).
The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this 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 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.
