CAMPAIGN: STEERING WHEEL NUT LOOSE (INSPECT/RE-TORQUE). Chevrolet Corsica 1991

Subject: PRODUCT SAFETY CAMPAIGN 91C15 STEERING WHEEL NUT LOOSE

Model and Year: 1991 CHEVROLET BERETTA/CORSICA (WILMINGTON ASSEMBLY PLANT ONLY - VIN CODE "Y")

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 1991 Chevrolet Corsica/Beretta model vehicles which may have improperly installed steering wheels. The nut attaching the steering wheel may not have been properly tightened during installation. This could allow the steering wheel to separate from the steering column. Should this occur while the vehicle is in motion, a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to check the torque of the steering wheel nut, and if necessary, tighten the nut to the proper torque.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1991 Chevrolet Corsica/Beretta model vehicles built at the Wilmington Assembly Plant within the following VIN breakpoints:

PLANT YEAR MODEL PLANT CODE FROM THROUGH ---- ----- --------- ----- -------- -------- 1991 L-Car Wilmington "Y" MY100001 MY140469

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

No parts are required to complete this campaign.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Turn ignition switch off. 2. Remove SIR (Supplemental Inflatable Restraint) fuse #3. 3. Remove left sound insulator (see Section 8C of service manual). 4. Remove connector position assurance (CPA) and disconnect yellow two-way SIR harness connector at the base of steering column. 5. Remove four screws from back of steering wheel using a #30 torx driver (or equivalent). 6. Remove CPA and disconnect SIR coil pigtail electrical connector from rear of SIR module. 7. Remove SIR inflator module from vehicle.

NOTICE: Special care is necessary when handling and storing a live (undeployed) inflator module. Rapid gas generation produced during deployment of air bag could cause inflator module, or object in front of inflator module, to be thrown through the air in the unlikely event of an accidental deployment.

CAUTION:

When carrying a live inflator module, make sure bag and trim cover are pointed away from you. In case of an accidental deployment, the bag will then deploy with minimal chance of injury. When placing a live inflator module on a bench or other surface, always face bag and trim cover up, away from surface. This is necessary so that a free space is provided to allow the air bag to expand in the unlikely event of an accidental deployment. otherwise, personal injury may result. Also, never carry inflator module by the wires or connector on the underside of the module.

8. Using a torque wrench and 13/16" socket, check torque of hexagon locking steering wheel nut. If necessary, tighten nut to 42 Nm (31 lb.ft.) .

9. Connect SIR pigtail connector to rear of SIR inflator module and install CPA.

10. Install inflator module to steering wheel using four screws previously removed. Tighten screws to 10 Nm (89 lb.in.).

11. Check to make sure that ignition switch is turned to "OFF".

12. Connect yellow two-way SIR harness connector and CPA at base of steering column.

13. Install left sound insulator (see section 8C of Service manual).

14. Install SIR fuse #3.

15. Turn ignition to "RUN" and make sure the "INFLATABLE RESTRAINT" indicator lamp flashes 7 to 9 times and then goes out. If the indicator lamp does not operate as indicated, refer to SUPPLEMENTAL INFLATABLE RESTRAINT (SIR) SYSTEM DIAGNOSIS (Section 9J-A of service manual).

16. 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 -------------------- -- ------- ----- ------ --- ---- --- Check Steering Wheel Nut And Retorque As SK-00 V6770 0.4 0.1 Necessary

* Campaign Administrative Allowance.

Dealers will automatically receive the correct labor based on the labor operation performed.

Refer to the Chevrolet Claims Processing Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim Submission.

Dear Chevrolet Beretta/Corsica 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

WHAT WE WILL DO

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, your Chevrolet Dealer will check the torque of the steering wheel nut and, if necessary, tighten the nut to the proper torque. 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. The labor time necessary to perform this service inspection/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 ensure 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 inspection/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.