1983 CIMAARRON - PULSAIR CHECK VALVE ASSEMBLY CORROSION
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, provides that each vehicle which is subject to a product 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 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 owner letter, owners are being instructed to contact the nearest Cadillac Zone Office if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five days of the agreed service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, owners are instructed how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1983 Cadillac Cimarrons. Internal corrosion of the Pulsair Check Valve Assembly can permit exhaust gas to flow upstream to the plastic Shut-Off Valve possibly melting the valve. It could then be possible for a piece of the melted Shut-Off Valve to be drawn into the air cleaner, and subsequently into the throttle body where it could lodge against the throttle plate. If this condition were to occur, the engine may not return to idle upon release of the accelerator pedal. Although the vehicle can still be stopped with the service brake, loss of accelerator control could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to inspect and, when necessary, replace the following:
A. Pulsair Check Valve Assembly with an assembly incorporating stainless steel components.
B. Pulsair Shut-Off Valve with a newly designed valve.
Repairs are to be completed per the Vehicles Involved and Service Procedure sections of this bulletin.
All 1983 Cadillac Cimarrons equipped with either: (A) Automatic Transmission; or, (B) Manual Transmission with California Emissions, within the following VIN range require this Campaign (Cadillac records indicate a total of 12,543 vehicles are affected):
DJ400001 through DJ415012
OWNERS OF VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE NOTIFIED BY LETTER FROM CADILLAC MOTOR CAR DIVISION. A COPY OF THE OWNER LETTER IS ATTACHED.
A list of vehicles involved is enclosed for your follow-up. The list includes: (A) Those vehicles originally sold by you, providing the current owner is located in your zone; and, (B) Those vehicles originally sold outside of your zone whose current owner is located in your area of sales/service responsibility.
This list contains 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 list for the follow-up necessary to complete this campaign. If no list is attached, none of the involved vehicles are known to be in your area.
Dealers are to service all vehicles involved in this campaign, at no charge to owners, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership.
Whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into used car inventory, dealers are to take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before reselling the vehicle.
In addition, dealers are to perform the campaign on all affected vehicles as they are brought in for any kind of service.
The parts required to complete this campaign should be obtained from the Parts Distribution Centers of General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). A description is provided below:
DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER QUANTITY ----------- ------------ -------- Pulsair Check Valve 22048208 1 per vehicle, Assembly if required
Shut-Off Valve 17075121 1 per vehicle, if required If there is difficulty obtaining these parts using normal ordering procedures, dealers may place a C.I.O. using advise Code "2" with no special instruction code. The parts may also be ordered on a V.I.P. order; however, unless prior zone approval is obtained, dealers will be required to absorb any surcharge involved under the V.I.P. system.
If any problems are encountered in obtaining these parts, please follow the three-step procedure as stated in the GM Parts Emergency Order Follow-up Procedure (refer to GM Parts Policy & Procedure Manual, Section IV, pages 32 and 33, August 1984 Edition).
SERVICE PROCEDURE
1. Remove air cleaner assembly.
2. Disconnect the following components of the Pulsair Valve System:
a. Electrical connector b. Vacuum hoses c. Air outlet pipe from Pulsair Check Valve Assembly d. Air inlet hose to Shut-Off Valve
3. Remove bolts (2) retaining Pulsair Check Valve Assembly to bracket.
4. Remove the Pulsair Check Valve Assembly and inspect the part number/date code stamped on it (refer to illustration). If the part number is 22048208, Pulsair Check Valve Assembly replacement is not required; proceed to step 5. If the part number is 22035900, replacement may be required after inspecting the date code.
The date code is stamped near the part number (22035900) stamp. This date code consists of 7 digits (i.e., 12983XX). The first three digits are the Julian date code and fourth and fifth digits are the year code.
If the date code is prior to 12983XX, then replacement of the Pulsair Valve Assembly is required. If the date code is 12983XX or later, the Pulsair Check Valve Assembly does not require replacement.
5. Inspect the part number on the Shut-Off Valve (refer to illustration). If the number is other than 17075121, replacement is required (see steps 6 & 7); otherwise proceed to step 8.
6. Remove the Shut-Off Valve from the Pulsair Check Valve Assembly.
7. Install the new Shut-Off Valve into the correct Pulsair Check Valve Assembly.
8. Reassemble the Pulsair Check Valve Assembly by reversing steps 2 & 3.
9. Reinstall air cleaner assembly.
10. Install Campaign Completion Label.
Upon completion of this campaign, a white campaign label (Cat. No. S-1015) should be affixed on a clean, dry surface of the radiator support tie bar in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. Each label provides space to print in ink (or type ) campaign number 83-C-6 and your five-digit Cadillac dealer code. Dealers are to take the steps necessary to ensure the numbers are properly recorded on the label.
CREDIT
Credit for this campaign will be issued upon receipt of a properly prepared warranty claim which includes information from orie of the following Labor Operations: Failed Parts Failure Labor Labor* Description Part No. Allowance Code Operation Hours ----------- ------- --------- ---- --------- ----- A. Inspect Pulsair Check -- *** 96 V4280 .6 Valve Assembly and Shut-Off Valve Only
B. Replace Pulsair Check ** *** 96 V4283 .6 Valve Assembly And/Or Shut-Off Valve (Inspection Included)
* This labor time represents the actual time required to perform the correction. Dealers should apply for 0.1 additional hour for administrative allowance as "Other Labor Hours".
** Use appropriate part number if either valve is replaced. If both Pulsair Check Valve Assembly and Shut-Off Valve are replaced, use part number 22048208.
*** The parts allowance should be the total of the current GMSPO Net plus 30% for the part ) required for this repair.
Dear Cadillac Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffice and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1983 Cadillac Cimarrons. Internal corrosion of the Pulsair Check Valve can permit exhaust gas to flow upstream to the plastic Shut-Off Valve possibly melting the valve. It could then be possible for a piece of the melted Shut-Off Valve into the air cleaner, and subsequently into the throttle body where it could lodge against the throttle plate. If this condition were to occur, the engine may not return to idle upon release of the accelerator pedal. Although the vehicle can still be stopped with the service brake, loss of accelerator control could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring on your vehicle, please contact your Cadillac dealer to arrange a service date. Your dealer will inspect the Pulsair Check Valve Assembly and the Shut-Off Valve and, when required, replace them. This service will be performed at no charge to you.
Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your Cadillac dealer. The labor time to perform this service is approximately thirty-five minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be necessary to process your vehicle.
Your Cadillac dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure your Cadillac is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if 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 days, we recommend you contact the nearest Cadillac Zone Office, either by person or by telephone. The Zone Office will assist you and the dealer in getting your vehicle corrected. The locations and telephone numbers of the Zone Offices are listed on the reverse side of this letter for your reference.
After contacting your dealer and the Zone Office, if you are still not satisfied 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, D.C. 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 426-0123).
The enclosed Campaign Owner Identification Card identifies your Cadillac. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please complete the postage-paid card and return it to us. This will assist us in assuring all affected vehicles have been corrected.
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.
When calling for assistance, ask for the Consumer Relations Representative.
CENTRAL ZONE LOS ANGELES ZONE 3031 W. General Motors Blvd. Post Office Box 5018 Post Office Box 33109 Thousand Oaks, California Detroit, Michigan 48232 91359-5018 (313)974-1090 (805 373-9777
FLORIDA ZONE MIDWEST ZONE Barnett Bank Centre Post Office Box 3002 Fifth Floor Naperville, Illinois 60566 625 North Flagler (312)961-6858 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 (305)833-8311 NORTHWEST ZONE Post Office Box 23850 MID-ATLANTIC ZONE Oakland, California 94623 Post Office Box 9010 (415) 498-5252 Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087 (215) 296-6680 SOUTHWEST ZONE
NEW YORK ZONE Dallas, Texas 75266-0119 Post Office Box 3003 (214) 659-5125 Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 (201) 993-4090
NORTHEAST ZONE 45 William Street Wellesley, Massachusetts 02181 (617)237-9000 *NOTE: The state of Alaska is serviced by SOUTHEAST ZONE the Northwest Zone. The Post Office Box 50256 state of Hawaii is serviced Atlanta, Georgia 30302 by the Los Angeles Zone. (404)257-3600
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.