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 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 letter that is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five (5) days of the 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.
DEFECT INVOLVED
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1990 Chevrolet All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Astro Vans. On some of the involved vehicles the frame mounted fuel filter may crack from flexing at the fuel inlet mounting nut and allow fuel leakage. This crack can result in fuel leakage in the area of the exhaust pipe. Heat from the exhaust pipe may ignite the fuel and cause a vehicle fire.
To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to inspect the fuel feed pipe installation and, if necessary, install a new intermediate fuel feed pipe assembly and fuel filter assembly.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are certain 1990 Chevrolet AWD Astro Vans built within the following VIN breakpoints:
YEAR MODEL PLANT FROM THROUGH ---- ----- ----- ---- -------
1990 "L" -AWD Astro Van Baltimore LB100014 LB141213
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 involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. Owner name and address data furnished will enable dealers to follow-up with owners involved in this campaign.
These 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. Any dealer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin has no involved vehicles currently assigned.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Chevrolet Motor Division (see copy of owner letter included with 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.
Owners of vehicles recently sold from your new vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the dealer, and arrangements made to make the required correction according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
PARTS INFORMATION
Parts required to complete this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts operations (GMSPO). To ensure 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).
Quantity/ Part Number Description Vehicle ------------ ------------ -------- 15650679 Fuel Feed Intermediate 1 Pipe Assembly
25055052 Fuel Filter Assembly 1
15627600 Fuel Filter Mounting 1 Clamp Assembly (As Required)
11503675 Clamp Mounting Screw 1 (As Required)
SERVICE PROCEDURE - (Numbers in parenthesis refer to illustration on page 4.)
A. INSPECTION
1. Check vehicle frame area shown in Figure 1. If the intermediate fuel feed pipe assembly (1A) is as shown in View A (facing inboard), no further action is required. Proceed to step B7.
2. If fuel feed pipe assembly (1B) is as shown in View B, both fuel feed pipe (1B) and filter (4) must be replaced. Proceed with replacement procedure below.
B. REPLACEMENT OF FUEL FEED INTERMEDIATE ASSEMBLY AND FILTER
1. Disconnect intermediate fuel feed pipe (1B) from top of fuel filter (4) and from rear fuel feed pipe as shown in View B.
2. Disconnect front fuel feed pipe from bottom of fuel filter (4).
3. Remove screw (3) holding fuel filter clamp (2) to frame and remove filter and clamp. Retain clamp (2) and screw (3).
4. Install new fuel filter (4) in clamp (2) and screw clamp to frame. Torque screw (3) to 9-13 Nm (80-115 lb in).
5. Connect front fuel feed pipe to bottom of fuel filter. Connect new intermediate fuel feed pipe to top of filter and to rear fuel feed pipe. Fitting must be installed as shown in View A with bend in pipe facing inboard. Torque fittings to 20-34 Nm (15-25 lb ft).
6. Turn ignition on and check fuel feed connections for leaks.
7. Install Campaign Identification Label.
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 a ball point pen.
Each "Campaign Identification Label" is to be located on the radiator core support in an area which will be visible when the vehicle is brought in for periodic servicing by the owner. Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean, dry surface.
CLAIM INFORMATION
Submit a Product Campaign Claim with the information indicated below:
* FAILED PARTS CC-FC LABOR LAB OTH REPAIR PERFORMED PC PART NO. ALLOW OP HRS HRS ---------------- -- -------- ----- ------ -- --- --- Inspect Fuel Feed Pipe - No Further SK-00 V5940 0.2 0.1 Action Required
Inspect/Install new Fuel Feed Pipe 4 25055052 SK-00 V5941 0.4 0.1 AssembLy and Filter
* Campaign Administrative Allowance.
** The "Parts Allowance" should be the sum total of the current GMSPO Dealer Net price plus 30% of all parts required for the repair.
Dealers will automatically receive the correct labor and material allowance based on the labor operation performed.
Refer to the Chevrolet Claims Processing Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim Submission.
Dear Chevrolet Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
REASON FOR THIS RECALL
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1990 Chevrolet All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Astro Vans. On some of the involved vehicles the frame mounted fuel filter may crack from flexing at the fuel inlet mounting nut and allow fuel leakage. This crack can result in fuel leakage in the area of the exhaust pipe. Heat from the exhaust pipe may ignite the fuel and cause a vehicle fire.
WHAT WE WILL DO
To prevent this condition from occurring, involved dealers are to inspect the fuel feed pipe installation and, if necessary, install a new intermediate fuel feed pipe assembly and fuel filter assembly.
This service will be performed for you at no charge.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please contact your Chevrolet dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer and parts are available. The labor time necessary to perform this service correction is approximately 30 minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle. Your Chevrolet dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to insure that your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. If, however, 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 (5) days, we recommend you contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center by calling 1-800-222-1020. After contacting your dealer and the Customer Assistance Center, if you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy 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 366-0123).
The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage paid 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.