CAMPAIGN: FRONT SHOULDER BELT SEW STOP STUCK IN RETRACTOR. Cadillac Eldorado 1990

SUBJECT: FRONT SHOULDER BELT

MODEL: ALL 1990 AND 1991 CADILLAC ELDORADOS

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 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 customer 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 customer and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the customer letter, if the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, customers are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

CONDITION

General Motors decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1990 and 1991 model Cadillac Eldorados. These vehicles exhibit a condition where the front outer shoulder belt web sew stop may become stuck in the retractor. This can occur when the web sew stop is jammed into or passes through the retractor web guide. As a result, the belt can be difficult to pull out of the retractor, and some occupants may even be unable to fasten the belt. In the event of a vehicle crash, unbelted occupants are at a significantly greater risk of injury than those who are wearing seat belts properly.

To correct this condition, dealers are to install webbing stop buttons if the customer requests repair.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are all 1990 and 1991 model Cadillac Eldorados. Dealers can confirm the campaign status of a suspect vehicle by utilizing the GM Vehicle Information Service System (VISS). Important: No follow-up is required for this campaign. Correction is only to be made at the customers request.

DEALER LIST

A list of vehicles involved is enclosed with this bulletin. This list may include vehicles originally sold by you, providing the current customer is still located in your area; and, vehicles not originally sold by you that are now located in your area. If no list is enclosed, none of the involved vehicles are known to be in your area at this time.

This list may also contain customer 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 as necessary to complete this campaign.

GM's current interpretation of California state regulations regarding the use of motor vehicle registration data obtained from the California DMV strictly prohibits the sharing of such information with it's dealers. In these cases this list will display the VIN only of the involved vehicle with the message "Customer Information Restricted." We suggest that affected dealers check their internal records for possible customer information or contact the California DMV directly to obtain this registration data.

DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY

Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this campaign at no charge to customers, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.

For affected vehicles recently sold from your used vehicle inventory, dealers are to contact those customers, and notify them of this campaign action if no customer information is indicated on the dealer list. This could be done by mailing to such customers a copy of the customer letter accompanying this bulletin. Campaign follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the customer may not as yet have received the notification letter.

In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership for service in the future, please take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made, if the customer desires, before selling or releasing the vehicle.

CUSTOMER NOTIFICATION

Customers affected by this campaign will be notified by letter from Cadillac Motor Car Division. A copy of the customer letter is included with this bulletin.

COURTESY TRANSPORTATION

The availability of courtesy transportation to customers whose vehicles are involved in this campaign is of the utmost importance in maintaining customer satisfaction. Dealers are to take the steps necessary to ensure that these customers clearly understand that courtesy transportation is available and will be provided upon request at no charge. Dealers should submit such claims in the normal manner and appropriate credit will be issued.

PARTS INFORMATION

During the week of June 26, 1995 an initial supply of each button color will be preshipped to each dealer. These preshipped parts will be charged to the dealers' open parts account. Additional parts required to complete this campaign should be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). A description is provided below:

Interior Trim Color Part Number (Color) Quantity/Vehicle --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slate Gray, Black or 12525166 (Graphite) 1 As Required Dark Blue (2 Buttons Per Kit) Antelope 12525169 (Medium Beige) 1 As Required (2 Buttons Per Kit) Dark Auburn, Garnet 12529738 (Dark Auburn) 1 As Required or Beechwood (2 Buttons Per Kit) White or Yellow 12529739 (White) 1 As Required (2 Buttons Per Kit) Important: Only order additional parts based on customer response and not the number of vehicles on dealer list.

To ensure that these parts are obtained as soon as possible, they should be ordered from GMSPO on a "CIO" order using advise code "2" with no special instruction code. Also, if necessary, these parts may be ordered on a "VIP" order and Cadillac will reimburse dealer for any surcharge involved. All Goodwrench Parts System test dealers should order these parts on a "VIP" order.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

Important: Both right and left front shoulder belts are to receive a webbing stop button, even if complaint is only on one side.

1. If the shoulder belt web sew stop is lodged in the retractor, give a quick tug on the shoulder belt to free.

2. Locate the upper edge of the sew stop and insert the pin half of the plastic button into the center of the seatbelt webbing as shown in figure.

3. While wearing proper eye protection, snip off the pointed tip of the pin at the groove just above the rounded bulge. Use Snap-on Tool #E710CG (True-Flush Cut, Tapered Head, Electronic Service Cutter) or equivalent as shown in View A of figure.

4. Align other button half to the remaining portion of the pin.

5. Press the two halves together firmly with pliers.

Important: Check and make sure no sharp protrusion exists that could catch on clothing. Correct as required.

CREDIT

Credit for this campaign will be issued upon receipt of a properly prepared warranty claim which includes the following information:

Failure Failed Part Parts Labor Labor Sublet Code Part No. Quant. Allow. Oper. Hrs. Mat/Tow -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Install Front Outer Shoulder Belt Webbing Stop Button (Both Sides) 96 * 1 ** V9630 0.3*** **** Reimbursement For Prior Front Outer Shoulder Belt Replacement 96 -- -- -- T2600 # --

* Use applicable GMSPO part number.

**The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current GMSPO dealer net price plus 30% of all parts required for this repair.

***This labor time represents the actual time required to perform the correction plus 0.1 additional hour for Campaign Administrative Allowance.

****For submission of "VIP" surcharge, if necessary.

# Follow submission procedure outlined in the Special Claims Types section of the WINS Claims Processing Manual for Claim Type "S" - Customer Reimbursement.

Dear Cadillac Eldorado Owner:

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

Note that the shoulder belt web sew stop is the raised stitching area on the belt.

Most Eldorados do not have this condition. However, if you have ever found it hard to pull either the driver or right front passenger shoulder belt out as you buckle the safety belt, or should you ever experience this in the future, please contact your Cadillac dealer and have the dealer install front shoulder belt stop buttons. Your dealer will need to know the color of your safety belts when you make this contact.

If you choose not to bring your Eldorado in now, we suggest you keep this letter in your glovebox for future reference.

If you are not sure whether your Eldorado has this condition, you can easily inspect it by following the inspection procedure provided on the other side of this letter.

If you have already paid for some or all of the cost to have a front outer safety belt replaced due to this condition, prior to receipt of this letter, you may contact your local Cadillac dealer to seek reimbursement. Please provide the dealer with your original paid receipts or invoices verifying the repair, the amount charged, proof of your payment and date of payment of those charges by December 31, 1995 (this time limitation for presenting the receipt may be longer depending upon the law in your state).

The mailing of this letter has been coordinated to ensure that instructions for making this repair have been received by your dealer and that needed parts are available for your car. Please contact your Cadillac dealer to arrange a service appointment and courtesy transportation, if required. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much time is needed to perform this repair and process your vehicle. Of course, this service will be performed at no cost to you.

The enclosed Campaign Owner Identification Card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary corrections in the shortest possible time. If you no longer own this vehicle, please let us know by completing this postage-paid reply card and returning it to us.

If you are not satisfied that we have done our best to correct this condition without charge and 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 202-366-0123).

We are sorry to cause you any inconvenience; however, we have taken this action in the interest of your continued safety and satisfaction with our products. If you have any questions, please contact your Cadillac dealer or call our Consumer Relations Center at 1-800-458-8006.

Cadillac Motor Car Division General Motors Corporation

INSPECTION PROCEDURE FOR SHOULDER BELT WEB SEW STOP

Please perform the following procedure five (5) times on both the driver's and right front passenger's shoulder belts.

1. Hold the shoulder belt latch plate in one hand and pull the shoulder belt all the way out with the opposite hand.

2. At full extension, move the belt webbing to minimize contact with the head rest guide loop.

3. Allow the webbing to retract as quickly as possible, keep the latch plate in your hand to prevent its weight from slowing the webbing down.

If the web sew stop becomes stuck in the retractor during one of these checks making the shoulder belt hard to pull out again, contact your local Cadillac dealer to have the web stop buttons installed.

If both belts work properly, no repair is necessary.

Object Number: 85114 Size: FS

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.