CAMPAIGN: SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE RESTRAINT SENSOR
MODELS AFFECTED: 1990 REATTA
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 owners 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 which 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 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 some 1990 Buick Reatta model vehicles may fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The forward discriminating sensor for the supplemental inflatable restraint (SIR) svstem may have been misbuilt with the pigtail wiring harness orientation to the sensor reversed. Under certain conditions, this misrouting could delay deployment of the SIR system, increasing the severity of injury to an unbelted driver in the event of an accident.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Certain 1990 Reattas built at the Reatta Craft Centre within the following VIN breakpoints
Through and From Including ---- --------- LB900054 LB901211
NOTICE: Only 861 vehicles within this range are involved.
DEALER ACTION
Dealers are to inspect the forward discriminating sensor on all suspected vehicles, and replace as required, per the Vehicles Involved and Technical Procedure sections of this bulletin.
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.
This bulletin is notice to you that the new vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208. Under National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Section 108, it is illegal for a dealer to sell a new motor vehicle which the dealer knows does not comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety regulation. As a consequence, if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the campaign correction, your dealership may be subject to a civil penalty up to $1,000 of each such sale.
Owners of vehicles recently sold, from your new vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the dealer, and arrangements made to make the 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 for each vehicle.
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.
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 form for the vehicle is eliminated. Terminal input instructions are covered in the DCS Manua under Section 9, Page 9-JO1A and B.
PARTS INFORMATION
Dealers with vehicle(s) involved are being shipped one forward discriminating sensor from General Motors Service Parts Organiztion (GMSPO). These parts will be billed on the dealer parts account.
If your listing indicates more than one vehicle or a transfer occurs, order additional parts from GMSPO. To ensure that 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 Name Part Number Quantity/Vehicle --------- ----------- ----------------- Forward Discriminating 16126369 1 as required Sensor
NOTICE: Do not order parts unless more than one vehicle is involved or a transfer occurs.
TECHNICAL PROCEDURE
INSPECTION
1. Raise hood and remove the three plastic radiator cover retaining screws and four plastic retaining clips to gain access to the forward discriminating sensor.
2. With your hand, feel the routing of the pigtail harness where it attaches to the forward discriminating sensor. Harness should go straight across the front towards the driver's side of the vehicle with no reversing loop (see enclosed illustration). Harness should have some slackness --
o If harness is properly routed, proceed to Step 4. o If harness routing needs correction, proceed to Step 3.
REPLACEMENT
3. Follow the remaining instructions and cautions for replacing the forward discriminating sensor in the 1990 Riviera/Reatta Service Manual, pages 9J-B-1 through 3. See enclosed illustration with this bulletin for proper routing of the pigtail harness. Tamper resistant torx insert bit referred to in the Service Manual as 00-T27H is essential tool J-38597.
4. Install campaign identification label and close hood.
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 ballpoint pen.
Each "Campaign Identification Label" is to be located on the radiator core support in an area which will be visible. Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean dry surface.
DISPOSITION OF PARTS
Replace 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 Parts Failure Labor Labor Other Dealer Oper Count Part No Allow Code Op No Hours Hours Mtl Twg ---- ----- ------- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- -------- o Inspect forward discriminating sensor pigtail harness routing only
- 96 V5800 .2 .1*
o Inspect and replace forward discriminating sensor
1 16126369 96 V5801 .7 .1*
* .1 hour for administration ** List current dealer price of part 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 RECALL
General Motors has determined that some 1990 Reattas may fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208 which covers Occupant Crash Protection.
The forward discriminating sensor for the supplemental inflatable restraint (SIR) system may have been misbuilt with the pigtail wiring harness orientation to the sensor reversed. Under certain conditions this misrouting could delay deployment of the SIR system, increasing the severity of injury to an unbelted driver in the event of an accident.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To correct this condition, the forward discriminating sensor will be inspected and replaced, if necessary. This service will be completed for you at no charge.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Contact your Buick dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions have been sent to your Buick dealer. The labor time to inspect the forward discriminating sensor is about 15 minutes. If replacement is also required, a total of 45 minutes may be needed. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to process your vehicle.
Your Buick dealer is best equipped to 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 he does not remedy this condition on that date, or within five days, we recommend you contact the Buick Customer Assistance Center, Flint Home Office, by calling 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 800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 426-0123).
The enclosed Owner Reply Card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of the 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.
