INFO. ON AUTOMATIC TRANS. SERVICE POLICY PROCEDURE

REVISION: 03/27/97

THIS BULLETIN IS BEING REVISED TO CORRECT THE MAINTENANCE, SERVICE AND PARTS INFORMATION. PLEASE DISCARD CORPORATE BULLETIN NUMBER 67-71-55 (SECTION 7-TRANSMISSION). ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBJECT: INFORMATION ON AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SERVICE POLICY PROCEDURE

MODELS: 1997 CADILLAC CATERA WITH THE 4L30E (ML4) HYDRA-MATIC AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THIS BULLETIN COVERS THE SERVICE POLICY TO THE CADILLAC CATERA EQUIPPED WITH A HYDRA-MATIC 4L30E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR WARRANTY VEHICLES. THIS BULLETIN DOES NOT APPLY TO OUT OF WARRANTY VEHICLES. THE ONLY SERVICE OPTIONS AVAILABLE ARE LISTED BELOW. GOODWRENCH SRTA MODELS AND SERVICE PARTS CAN BE ORDERED FROM YOUR LOCAL GENERAL MOTORS SERVICE PARTS OPERATIONS (GMSPO) PARTS DISTRIBUTION CENTER.

THE SERVICE POLICY PERMITS LIMITED ON-VEHICLE SERVICE REPAIRS OR GOODWRENCH SERVICE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY (SRTA) REPLACEMENT ONLY.

TRANSMISSION PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION: **IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL DURING THE PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION UNLESS A FLUID LEAK OR A PERFORMANCE PROBLEM IS DETECTED. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL IS SET AT THE FACTORY PRIOR TO SHIPPING OF THE VEHICLE.**

TRANSMISSION MAINTENANCE:

THE 4L30E AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION REQUIRES NO MAINTENANCE, OIL LEVEL CHECK OR OIL CHANGE UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. UNDER SEVERE CONDITIONS (TAXI, POLICE, DELIVERY SERVICE, OR REPEATED TRAILER TOWING, HILLY OR MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, OR CITY TRAFFIC WITH HIGH (90F) AMBIENT TEMPERATURE) BOTH THE FLUID AND THE FILTER SHOULD BE CHANGED AT 50,000 MILE INTERVALS.

DEALER 4L30E TRANSMISSION LIMITED REPAIRS: (FIGURE 1) THE LIMITED VEHICLE REPAIRS WHICH MAY BE PERFORMED ARE SHOWN IN FIGURE 1. PARTS NEEDED FOR THESE REPAIRS ARE AVAILABLE FROM GMSPO.

HYDRA-MATIC 4L30E QUICK CHECK PROCEDURE: 1. WRITE DOWN THE CUSTOMER CONCERN. 2. USE A SCAN TOOL TO CHECK FOR DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC). - IF THERE IS A STORED TRANSMISSION CODE, REFER TO THE SERVICE MANUAL FOR THE PROPER DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR PROCEDURE. 3. TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE. MONITOR THE POWERTRAIN WITH A SCAN TOOL. 4. RECHECK FOR STORED DTC(S). REFER TO THE SERVICE MANUAL FOR THE PROPER DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR PROCEDURES AND CORRECT ALL CODES BEFORE CONTINUING. 5. FOR A POOR PERFORMANCE CONDITION, VERIFY ENGINE PERFORMANCE. IF ENGINE PERFORMANCE IS GOOD, REFER TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER EVALUATION IN THE SERVICE MANUAL. 6. IF ALL OF THE ABOVE STEPS DO NOT LEAD TO A PROBLEM AND THE TRANSMISSION STILL DOES NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY, REFER TO THE SERVICE MANUAL FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSIS INFORMATION. IF THE DIAGNOSIS INFORMATION DETERMINES THAT AN INTERNAL COMPONENT OF THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE SERVICED, THEN REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. DO NOT DISASSEMBLE THE TRANSMISSION.

TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER FLUSHING: IMPORTANT: IF THE OIL COOLER AND LINES ARE NOT FLUSHED AND EMPTIED OF TRANSMISSION FLUID PRIOR TO THE INSTALLATION OF A GOODWRENCH SRTA, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL MAY BE EXCESSIVE AND TRANSMISSION DAMAGE COULD OCCUR.

OIL COOLER FLUSHING AND AN OIL COOLER FLOW CHECK MUST BE PERFORMED WHENEVER A TRANSMISSION IS REMOVED FOR SERVICE. IT IS ESSENTIAL TO FLUSH THE COOLER PRIOR TO A GOODWRENCH SRTA INSTALLATION, OR WHEN FLUID CONTAMINATION IS SUSPECTED. USE KENT-MOORE TOOL J 35944-A AND SOLVENT J 35944-22 TO FLUSH THE COOLER. INSTRUCTIONS ARE PUBLISHED IN THE SERVICE MANUAL ON-VEHICLE SERVICE SECTION. A TIME ALLOWANCE HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN LABOR OPERATION K7000 (TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY REPLACE) FOR COOLER AND LINE FLUSHING.

TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL CHECKING PROCEDURE AFTER REPAIR (NOT REQUIRED AFTER SRTA INSTALLATION): 1. WARM THE TRANSMISSION TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE BY DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE 15 MILES (24 KM), OR BY RUNNING THE ENGINE UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE HAS REACHED 113-185 F (45-85 C). 2. RAISE THE VEHICLE ON A HOIST. THE VEHICLE MUST BE LEVEL WHEN REMOVING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FILL PLUG. 3. START THE ENGINE. CAUTION: THE ENGINE MUST BE RUNNING WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FILL PLUG IS REMOVED, OR EXCESSIVE FLUID LOSS WILL OCCUR. TRANSMISSION FLUID MAY BE HOT. SINCE THE ACTUAL FLUID LEVEL IS UNKNOWN, STAND CLEAR WHEN REMOVING THE FILL PLUG. HAVE A CONTAINER READY TO CAPTURE ANY LOST FLUID. **DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE OFF WITH THE FILL PLUG REMOVED AS YOU CAN BE INJURED BY HOT TRANSMISSION FLUID BEING EXPELLED OUT OF THE OIL FILL OPENING**. 4. WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE TRANSMISSION AT NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE, REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID FILL PLUG. THE FLUID LEVEL SHOULD BE EVEN WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE THREADED OPENING IN THE TRANSMISSION OIL PAN. IS THE FLUID LEVEL LOW? WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, ADD ONLY ENOUGH DEXRON(R)-III AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID TO BRING THE FLUID LEVEL TO THE BOTTOM OF THE THREADED OPENING IN THE TRANSMISSION PAN.

* *TO PREVENT FLUID LEAKS, THE FILL PLUG SEAL MUST BE REPLACED EACH TIME THE FILL PLUG IS REMOVED AND THE FILL PLUG MUST BE TIGHTENED TO THE PROPER TORQUE. REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE SERVICE MANUAL FOR THE SERVICE PROCEDURE.**

5. CHECK FOR EXTERNAL LEAKS. REFER TO FLUID LEAK DIAGNOSIS IN THE APPROPRIATE SERVICE MANUAL.

PARTS INFORMATION (FIGURE 2) A GOODWRENCH SRTA (SERVICE REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY) SHOULD BE USED WHEN ANY REPAIR THAT CANNOT BE COMPLETED BY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS SHOWN IN FIGURE 1.

REFER TO THE APPROPRIATE GMSPO PARTS CATALOG FOR THE CORRECT PART NUMBERS AND APPLICATION. THE TRANSMISSION IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION WILL ASSIST IN SELECTING THE CORRECT PARTS OR GOODWRENCH SRTA UNIT TO ORDER FROM GMSPO.

ALL 4L30E GOODWRENCH SRTA'S ARE SHIPPED FILLED WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID. THE AMOUNT OF FLUID INCLUDES ENOUGH FLUID TO FILL THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER AND LINES.

GOODWRENCH SRTA PROCESSING PROCEDURE: EACH GOODWRENCH SRTA UNIT WILL BE IN A CONTAINER WHICH MUST BE USED FOR CORE RETURN OF THE ORIGINAL HYDRA-MATIC 4L30E ASSEMBLY. A GOODWRENCH SRTA INFORMATION PACKET IS INCLUDED WITH EACH GOODWRENCH SRTA UNIT.

THE PRODUCT FEEDBACK FORM IS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE SERVICE MANAGER AND/OR TECHNICIAN. FILL OUT THE FORM AS COMPLETELY AS POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION WHICH CAN BE USED FOR ANALYSIS. THIS INPUT CAN RESULT IN FUTURE PRODUCT REFINEMENT THROUGH CORRECTIVE ACTION. INSERT THE COMPLETED FORM AND A COPY OF THE REPAIR ORDER INTO THE SRTA INFORMATION PACKET ENVELOPE, RESEAL THE ENVELOPE AND WIRE TAG IT TO THE BELL HOUSING OF THE UNIT BEING RETURNED FOR CORE EXCHANGE.

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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.

COPYRIGHT 1997. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.