CAMPAIGN: REAR SHOULDER BELT PENDULUM INTERFERENCE. Cadillac Eldorado 1990

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 Cadillac Consumer Relations Center 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.

CONDITION

General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1990 Cadillac Eldorados and Sevilles. These vehicles may have been assembled with misaligned rear seat shoulder belt retractor assemblies. This condition may result in pendulum interference causing the belt to remain in the locked position or to travel freely without locking. In the event of a panic stop or collision, if the shoulder belt retractor inertia lock does not engage (lock), it could increase the likelihood of injury to a rear seat occupant. However, the lap belt does function as intended.

DEALER ACTION

To correct this condition, dealers are to inspect and, if necessary, realign the rear seat shoulder belt retractor assembly on suspect vehicles per the Vehicles Involved and Service Procedure sections of this bulletin.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Some 1990 Cadillac Eldorados and Sevilles within the following VIN ranges require this campaign (Cadillac records indicate a total of 6,918 vehicles are affected):

Eldorado - LU600001 Through LU604412 Seville - LU800001 Through LU803329

NOTICE: All vehicles indicated on dealer lists require inspection. Other suspect vehicles should be checked for campaign completion utilizing the Vehicle Information Service System (VISS) because certain vehicles were corrected by the assembly plant prior to shipment.

OWNER NOTIFICATION

Owners of vehicles affected by this campaign will be notified by letter from Cadillac Motor Car Company. A copy of the owner letter is attached.

DEALER LIST

A list of vehicles involved, which our records indicate were sold by or shipped to you, is enclosed for your follow-up. This listing contains owner names and addresses obtained from Cadillac delivery records. You are urged to limit the use of this list to the follow-up necessary to complete this campaign. If no list is attached, none of the suspect vehicles are known to be in your area.

DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY

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 new or used car inventory, dealers are to take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before reselling the vehicle.

Dealers are to contact the owners of the vehicles indicated on their Dealer List and arrange for the campaign correction to be performed. In addition, dealers are to perform the campaign on all affected vehicles as they are brought in for any kind of service.

SPECIAL TOOLS

As indicated in the Service Procedure section of this bulletin, it is necessary to use a special magnet (Kent-Moore #J-38755) to properly perform the inspection and repair procedures required to correct this condition.

This special magnet will be forwarded to dealers by Kent-Moore Tool Division in the near future. Only this magnet should be used.

The magnet has a graphite-like coating which will rub off. Wrap sides of magnet with one layer of masking tape to protect interior trim surfaces. Take special care when using, transporting, and storing magnet. This magnet is very strong and could easily be lost by attaching itself to a nearby metal object.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

Tools Required: 18 mm deep well socket and ratchet Razor blade or sharp knife Torque wrench Special magnet Extension for ratchet and torque wrench may be necessary Masking tape

INSPECTION

NOTICE: Both right and left rear seat shoulder belt retractor assemblies must be inspected to determine if repair is required.

1) Pull and release the shoulder belt. The belt should move in and out freely. If the belt does not move, proceed directly to Step 6 to repair.

2) Position the magnet against outside of retractor cover, toward outboard side, and approximately center fore and aft. Slide the magnet down between cover and quarter trim panel until it rests on the shelf. See Figure 1.

3) Pull the shoulder belt. The belt should be locked. If the shoulder belt does not lock, slide magnet around slowly while pulling on the belt. Keep the magnet against the side of the cover. See Figure 2. If the belt cannot be made to lock, proceed directly to Step 6 to repair.

4) Remove magnet. Pull and release shoulder belt. The belt should again move in and out freely.

5) If the belt does not function as described in Steps 1, 3 and 4, the retractor assembly must be remounted per the following repair procedure. If the belt does function as described in Steps 1, 3 and 4, proceed directly to Step 17 and install Campaign Completion Label.

REPAIR

This procedure should be followed only for those belts which did not function properly during the inspection procedure. A second technician is required for Step 14.

6) Open trunk.

7) Remove nut and washer retaining the shoulder belt retractor assembly onto shelf. Nut and washer are located under the shelf and are accessible through the trunk. Reference the 1990 Cadillac Service Information Manual, Section 10-11. Do not remove retractor assembly at this time.

8) Rotate the belt and cover assembly clockwise as far as it will go. A rotation limiting pin and the threaded mounting stud will allow minimal rotation. Do not raise the retractor off the shelf while rotating; the rotation limiting pin should remain engaged. See Figure 3.

9) Holding the retractor cover in position, outline the rear and outboard sides of the cover by applying masking tape to the shelf along the edge of the cover. See Figure 4.

10) Remove the retractor assembly.

11) Using a razor blade or sharp knife, cut away the carpeted shelf and insulator around the retractor opening on the rear and outboard sides, as shown in Figure 5. Be sure to stay 5-6mm (1/4") inside the outline of the retractor cover so that the larger opening will not be exposed.

12) Reassemble retractor to shelf, making sure the belt is not twisted. Seat the assembly onto the shelf and ensure that the rotation limiting pin is secured.

13) Again, rotate the assembly clockwise as far as it will go See Figure 3.

14) With another technician holding the retractor in position, reinstall the retractor nut and washer. It is important to hold the retractor down and prevent rotation during tightening so that the retractor remains clear of the shelf trim. Torque nut to 25-45 N. m (18.5-33 lbs. ft)

15) Verify that the retractor is functioning properly by again performing the inspection with the special magnet described in Steps 1 through 4. If the belt still does not function as described in Steps 1, 3 and 4, repeat repair procedure (Steps 12 through 15).

16) Close trunk.

17) Install Campaign Completion Label.

CAMPAIGN COMPLETION LABEL

Upon completion of this campaign, a 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 90-C-1 and your five-digit Cadillac dealer code. Dealers are to take the steps necessary to ensure that the numbers are properly recorded on the label.

CREDIT

Credit for this campaign will be issued upon receipt of a properly prepared warranty claim as follows: Failed Failure Labor Labor Description Part No. Code Operation Hours*

Inspect Both Rear Shoulder 96 V5810 2 Belt Retractor Assemblies Only

Realign One Rear Shoulder 96 V5811 .5 Belt Retractor Assembly (Inspection of both Included)

Realign Both Rear Shoulder 96 V5812 .8 Belt Retractor Assemblies (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".

Dear Cadillac Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

To correct this condition, your dealer will inspect and, if necessary, realign affected rear seat shoulder belt retractor assemblies. This service will be performed for you at no charge.

Please contact your dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your Cadillac dealer. The labor time to perform this service is approximately fifty minutes. However, please allow additional time for the dealer 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 Cadillac Consumer Relations Center by telephone (1-800-458-8006). They will assist you and the dealer through our local Cadillac Zone Office in getting your vehicle corrected.

After contacting your dealer and the Consumer Relations Center, 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 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 366-0123).

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.

Object Number: 88306 Size: SF

Object Number: 81480 Size: FS

Object Number: 81479 Size: FS

Object Number: 91335 Size: MF

Object Number: 90972 Size: MF

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.