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 adequately repair within 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 a service date with each owner and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the attached copy of the letter which to being sent to owners, the owner is being instructed to contact the nearest GMC Zone Office if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five days of the agreed service date. If the oondition is not remedied within a reasonable time, they are instructed how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in some 1983-84 T15 Trucks. These trucks may have been assembled with the right front fender skirt contacting the brake pipe. Vibration of the fender skirt can eventually cause the pipe to break, resulting in a brake fluid leak and loss of the front brakes. These vehicles are equipped with a dual braking system; part of the system will still work and allow the vehicle to be stopped, but over a greater distance. Loss of front braking at a time when minimum stopping distance is required could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
To correct this condition, dealers are being requested to inspect and, if necessary replace the front brake crossover pipe on the suspect vehicles (right hand side) following the service procedure outlined in this bulletin.
Involved are certain 1983-84 T15 Trucks within the following VIN breakpoints.
1984 Pontiac SOP E0501352 Moraine SOP E2500393 Shreveport SOP E8500519
The specific vehicles involved in this campaign have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number Computer Listings. These listings are furnished to all involved dealers with the campaign bulletin.
Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this campaign at no charge to owners, regardless of mileage of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.
Whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into your new or used vehicle invertory, 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 modification according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
If no owner's name and address were available to GMC Truck at the time of campaign initiation, the dealer will determine the owner's name and address from the dealership sales records. Please provide this information directly on the second copy of the listing next to the applicable VIN, so that our records may be updated and the appropriate notification mailed to the owner. This second copy should then be submitted to the address listed below in the previously supplied yellow campaign envelopes.
GMC Truck General Motors Corporation 101 Union Street Plymouth, Michigan 48170
Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by GMC Truck (see copy of Owner Letter included with this bulletin). A listing of owner names and addresses has been furnished to the involved dealers to enable dealers to follow up with owners involved in this campaign. This listing 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 id a violation of law in several states. Accordingly you are urged to limit the use of this listing to this campaign.
Turn steering wheel fully to the right in order to view the brake pipe in the RH fenderwell. The brake pipe should be located a minimum of 25 mm. outward from the fender skirt as shown in Figure No. 1. If this is true, no further action is required.
If the brake pipe is located behind the fender skirt as in Figure No. 2, or is contacting the fender skirt, the brake pipe must be replaced according to the service procedure in this bulletin.
1. Unbolt four dips supporting brake pipe (two on front crossmember and one on each frame rail).
2. Disconnect brake pipe from tee fitting visible from LH fenderwell.
3. Disconnect brake pipe at bracket visible from RH fenderwell.
4. Remove brake pipe and install four clips from old pipe on new pipe.
5. Using a large screwdriver or tire iron, gently pry the RH inner fender inward toward the frame. Make sure there is adequate clearance between the inner fender and the brake pipe when installed.
6. Position new brake pipe and start threads of LH end in tee and RH end in hose.
7. Bolt four locating clips in place and torque to 10-15 lb. ft. (14-20 N.m).
8. Tighten brake pipe ends to 13-18 lb. ft. (18-25 N.m).
9. Bleed brakes following the procedure in the appropriate service manual.
Parts required to complete this campaign are to be ordered by the dealer from the Warehousing and Distribution Division of General Motors (WDDGM). Very few pipes will require replacement on vehicles inspected.
To ensure that these parts will be obtained as soon as possible, they should be ordered from WDDGM on a C.I.O order with no special instruction code but on an advise code (2).
Part Number Quantity Per Vehicle Description ----------- -------------------- -----------
14055826 1 Brake Pipe
Dealers should submit an accurately filled out Warranty Repair Order on each vehicle completed under this campaign.
Labor Operation Number Description *Time Allowance Trouble Code ------ ----------- --------------- ------------
V1840 Inspect vehicle for 0.2 hr. 96 brake pipe location, no further action is necessary.
V1841 Inspect and replace 0.7 hr. 96 brake pipe per service procedure contained in this bulletin.
*For dealers to receive Adminstration Time Allowance associated with this campaign, add 0.1 hour to the Labor Operation Time Allowance.
Each vehicle modified 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 ballpoint 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.
Procedures covering this campaign are outlined in Section V of your dealership's "GMC Truck Claims Processing Manual" issued October, 1981.
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.