Info - U.S. On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) II Retrofit Program

This bulletin is being revised to correct the telephone number for TCSC. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 02-06-04-039 (Section 06 - Engine).

Important: "GM of Canada" dealers are not authorized to utilize this service bulletin.

This service information bulletin can be used to address customer concerns regarding state OBD II emission inspection and maintenance testing. 1996 and 1997 GM vehicles that were originally designed and built for sale in Canada, and now reside in the U.S., may require U.S. Federal calibrations and/or components to meet U.S. Federal OBD II requirements. Customers may be referred to GM dealers with concerns about passing their state OBD II emission inspection and maintenance test for this reason. This bulletin addresses the procedures necessary to retrofit a Canadian designed vehicle to meet U.S. Federal OBD II requirements.

Due to concerns with GM Canadian designed vehicle compatibility with the various state OBD II inspection and maintenance programs, GM has established a U.S. Federal On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) II retrofit program to retrofit eligible 1996 and 1997 GM Canadian vehicles (less than 8,500 lbs GVWR). These vehicles, once retrofitted, will meet U.S. Federal OBD II requirements. These vehicles can be identified by a Canadian underhood emission label and/or a Z49 Regular Production Option (RPO) code found on the Service Parts Identification (SPID) label. GM Dealers may also identify these vehicles by using the GM Vehicle Inquiry System (GMVIS).

Eligible GM Canadian vehicles are classified into three categories with regards to the requirements necessary to properly retrofit these vehicles.

Category 1

All 1996 and 1997 GM cars and light duty trucks (less than 8,500 lbs GVWR).

Require a U.S. Federal OBD II engine calibration ONLY, except for the following vehicles:

Category 2

1996 and 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire (J), Pontiac Grand Am/Oldsmobile Achieva/Buick Skylark/Chevrolet Malibu (N), Chevrolet Corsica/Chevrolet Beretta (L) equipped with 2.2L or 2.4L engines.

Category 3

1996 and 1997 Chevrolet/Geo Tracker, Chevrolet/Geo Metro and Cadillac Catera -- requires a U.S. Federal engine control module.

Reprogramming Information

For vehicles that require programming, dealers are instructed to contact the Techline Customer Support Center (TCSC) at 1-800-828-6860 to verify a vehicle's eligibility and to receive reprogramming information. A new Vehicle Configuration Index (VCI) will be created and is required to properly retrofit these vehicles with U.S. Federal OBD II calibrations.

Parts and Installation Information

For those vehicles that require parts, dealers are advised to use the 1996/1997 U.S. equivalent components available through normal channels and refer to the appropriate Service Manual for installation procedures, oxygen sensor lead routing and connector locations.

Dealer Costs

For GM vehicles that require a new calibration, this OBD retrofit will cost GM dealers $200 U.S. dollars for the creation of the VCI. These vehicles can then be re-calibrated to meet U.S. Federal OBD II requirements once a GM dealer has gained access to the modified vehicle configuration records.

Customer Costs

Customers requesting this Federal OBD II retrofit should be made aware that the cost of the retrofit will vary depending on the category of the vehicle and the GM dealers' pricing policies.

Cost elements for retrofits may include the following:

Category 1

Category 2

Category 3

Additionally, prior to retrofitting a vehicle, dealers should advise customers that additional OBD system repair costs could become necessary after a retrofit, if additional service is necessary due to illumination of the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) once the U.S. Federal OBD II calibration or engine control module is installed.

Proof of Retrofit

Once a vehicle has been properly retrofitted, dealers should complete the form below and provide a copy to the customer as evidence of a vehicle conversion. Dealers should also state on the repair order that the "vehicle has been retrofitted to meet U.S. Federal OBD II requirements."