Product Safety 99040 - Quadrastat Shift Control Cable Crimp

The Highway 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 customer 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 remedies, 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 divisional letter that is being sent to customers, the customers are being instructed to contact the appropriate 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.

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1999 Chevrolet and GMC medium duty C6/7 conventional cab trucks and B7 school bus chassis equipped with automatic transmissions. Some of these vehicles have transmission shift cable end rods that have not been crimped to the proper specification. Over time, the shift cable could be pulled out of the rod end causing the driver to lose the ability to manually change transmission gears. There would be some noticeable feel that the gear selector is not connected to the transmission. However, the transmission would remain in the last gear selected prior to the detachment, and the gear selector may not indicate the proper gear. With this condition, the vehicle may move in a direction not anticipated by the driver, and a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

There is no PARK pawl in these transmissions. A parked vehicle is held by the parking brake, and the parking brake application is not affected by this condition.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, dealers are to install a new shift cable.

Involved are certain 1999 Chevrolet and GMC medium duty C6/7 conventional cab trucks and B7 school bus chassis equipped with an automatic transmission and built within the following VIN breakpoints:

Important: Dealers should confirm vehicle eligibility through VISS (Vehicle Information Service System) prior to beginning campaign repairs. [Not all vehicles within the above breakpoints may be involved.]

Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number. Computer listings containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data have been prepared, and are being furnished to involved dealers with the campaign bulletin. The customer name and address data furnished will enable dealers to follow-up with customers involved in this campaign. Any dealer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin has no involved vehicles currently assigned.

These dealer listings may 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 listing to the follow-up necessary to complete this campaign.

Parts required to complete this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). Please refer to your "involved vehicles listing" prior to ordering requirements. Normal orders should be placed on a DRO = Daily Replenishment Order. An emergency requirement should be ordered on a CSO = Customer Special Order.

Customers will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by General Motors (see copy of typical customer letter included with this bulletin - actual divisional letter may vary slightly).

All unsold new vehicles in dealers' possession and subject to this campaign MUST be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin BEFORE customers take possession of these vehicles.

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.

Customers who have recently purchased vehicles sold from your vehicle inventory, and for which there is no customer information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer. Arrangements are to be made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. 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 before selling or releasing the vehicle.

1. Block the rear wheels and apply the parking brake. Place the automatic transmission range selector (shifter) in the Neutral gear selector position.
2. For vehicles equipped with dash-mounted shifters, remove the left inner fender splash shield.

Caution: The exhaust system may be hot. To avoid personal injury, protect yourself when working around exhaust system components.

3. From under the vehicle, locate the shift cable to transmission lever interface. Remove the hair pin retainer from the clevis pin of the shift cable clevis.
4. Remove the clevis pin.
5. Remove one of the allen head screws and loosen the other screw so that the clamp cover holding the cable to the transmission bracket may be rotated and the cable removed.
6. If the cable is routed through the frame, unroute the cable. Remove all the support or attaching brackets for the cable.

For dash-mounted shifters, remove the clevis from the shift cable. Take it with you when you go inside of the truck.

7. From inside of the vehicle, remove the four screws holding the bezel in place.
8. Disconnect the wiring harness and lift the shifter with the cable assembly from its mounting. Slide the cable through the grommet.
9. Remove one of the bolts and loosen the other one enough to swivel the clamp cover out of the way and remove the cable. Remove the hair pin retainer, the swivel, and the cable from the shifter.
10. With a ruler, measure down from the end of the cable to the top jam nut. This will help you to position the components on the new cable for ease in adjustment.
11. Remove the two jam nuts and the swivel from the top end of the cable.
12. For dash-mounted shifters, install the clevis that you removed from the bottom end of the cable to the top end of the cable. Secure and tape a length of mechanics wire to the clevis on the cable.
13. Remove the cable from the vehicle by pushing it down through the grommet while guiding the mechanics wire through the dash opening.
14. Transfer the clevis to the new cable. Feed the new cable up through the grommet using the mechanics wire to pull it into location in the dash.
15. Remove the clevis and mechanics wire. Install the jam nuts and swivel to the cable in the location previously measured.

Tighten
Tighten the nuts to 5.25 N·m (46 lb in).

16. Properly position the cable shoulders within the bracket on the shifter. Place the clamp over the cable and tighten and install the two bolts and the nuts.

Tighten
Tighten the bolts to 5.25 N·m (46 lb in).

17. Install the swivel into the shifter lever and the hair pin and the spacer washer, if equipped, to the swivel.
18. Connect the wiring harness and install the shifter.
19. Install the bezel and the four retaining screws.
20. Place the shifter in the Neutral position.
21. From under the vehicle, position the cable shoulders into the transmission bracket and install the clamp.

Tighten
Tighten the two allen head screws to 3 N·m (27 lb in).

22. Pull the transmission shift lever down as far as it will normally go (this should be one detent below the Neutral position).
23. Push the shifter up one (1) detent to find Neutral within the transmission assembly.
24. Adjust the clevis on the cable so that the pin will slip through the lever and the cable clevis easily.
25. Install the hair pin retainer.
26. Install the GM 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 campaign number and 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 by the customer for periodic servicing. When installing the Campaign Identification Label, be sure to pull the tab to allow the adhesion of the clear protective covering. Additional Campaign Identification Labels can be obtained from Dealer Support Materials by calling 1-888-414-6322 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST). Ask for Item Number S-1015 when ordering.

Apply the "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean, dry surface.

Submit a Product Campaign Claim with the information indicated below.

Refer to the General Motors Corporation Claims Processing Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim Submission.

Dear Chevrolet/GMC Customer:

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

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1999 Chevrolet and GMC medium duty C6/7 conventional cab trucks and B7 school bus chassis equipped with automatic transmissions. Some of these vehicles have transmission shift cable end rods that have not been crimped to the proper specification. Over time, the shift cable could be pulled out of the rod end causing the driver to lose the ability to manually change transmission gears. There would be some noticeable feel that the gear selector is not connected to the transmission. However, the transmission would remain in the last gear selected prior to the detachment, and the gear selector may not indicate the proper gear. With this condition, the vehicle may move in a direction not anticipated by the driver, and a vehicle crash could occur without prior warning.

There is no PARK pawl in these transmissions. A parked vehicle is held by the parking brake, and the parking brake application is not affected by this condition.

To prevent the possibility of this condition occurring, your Chevrolet/GMC dealer will install a new shift cable. This service will be performed for you at no charge .

The length of time required to perform this service correction is approximately 45 minutes. Additional time may be required to schedule and process your vehicle. If you dealer has a large number of vehicles awaiting service, this additional time may be significant. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule, process, and repair your vehicle.

Please contact your Chevrolet/GMC dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Parts are available and instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much time will be needed to schedule, process, and repair your vehicle.

Your Chevrolet/GMC dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide services to correct your vehicle as promptly as possible. Should your dealer be unable to schedule a service date within a reasonable time, you should contact the appropriate Customer Assistance/Relations Center at the number listed below:

If, after contacting the appropriate customer assistance center, 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 SW, Washington, DC 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 202-366-0123).

The attached customer 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 no longer own this 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.

Chevrolet/Pontiac-GMC Division

General Motors Corporation

Enclosure