CAMPAIGN: INOPERATIVE BUCKET SEAT BACK LOCKS

MODELS: 1984 GMC S/T 15 LIGHT DUTY TRUCK WITH AV5 BUCKET SEAT

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, provided 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 is 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 mutually agreed upon service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, they are instructed how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

DEFECT INVOLVED

General Motors has determined that some 1984 S/T Trucks have been assembled with bucket seat back locks which fail to conform to the require ments of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 207 "Anchorage of Seats". In the event of a vehicle crash, the seat back inertia lock may not function. This would allow the seat back to fold forward, which could increase likelihood of injury to the seat occupant.

Dealers are to inspect the bucket seat back locks on all involved vehicles. Locks which have bent, broken or missing hooks are to be replaced per the service procedure in this bulletin. Approximately 10% of the locks will need to be replaced.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

The involved vehicles are 1984 S/T Trucks equipped with bucket seats (RPO AV5) within the following assembly plant and vehicle breakpoints:

S/T 15 WITH AVS AND WITHOUT A78 (Nonreclining Bucket Seat)

Plant From Through ----- ---- ------- Pontiac SOP E0502840 Moraine SOP E2501587 Shreveport SOP E8502681

S/T 15 WITH AVS AND A78 (Reclining Bucket Seat)

Plant From Through ----- ---- ------- Pontiac SOP E0502788 Moraine SOP E2501505 Shreveport SOP E8502684

The specific vehicles involved in this campaign have been identified by Vehicle Identification Num ber Computer Listings. These listings are furnished to all involved dealers with the campaign 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 cam paign 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.

This bulletin is notice to you that the new motor vehicles included in this campaign may not comply with the standard identified above. Under Section 108 of the National Traffic Motor Vehicle Safety Act, it is illegal for a dealer to sell a new motor vehicle which the dealer knows does not comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. As a consequence, if you sell any of these motor vehicles without first performing the campaign correction, your dealership may be subject to a civil penalty up to $1,000 for each such sale.

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.

OWNER NOTIFICATION

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 is a violation of law in several states. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this limting to this campaign.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

The bucket seat back locks on the subject vehicles may not lock under forward load conditions. Failure to lock is confined to bucket seats and one supplier. These locks may be used on either the driver or passenger seat, or both sides. All locks on theses styles must be checked as specified below. Since the driver seat could have a difierent lock than the passenger seat, both locks must be inspected.

1. Put reclining seat back in full upright position and keep it there during this service procedure.

CAUTION:

To help avoid personal injury, inspect reclining seat models only with the seat back in the full upright position. The lock is spring loaded. If the seat back is folded forward from a reclining position, and the recliner lever is released, the lock cam could slam closed on exposed fingers or hands in the cam hook area. (See Figure No. 5.)

2. Fold seat back forward. If the lock has a protruding cam as shown in View "A", Figure No. 1, it is not a suspect unit and no further checking is required.

3. If the lock has a non-protruding cam as shown in View "A", Figure No. 2, it is a suspect unit and must be fully checked as follows:

a. Sit in the seat.

b. Pull seat back slightly forward.

c. Lift the seat back lock emergency release lever knob and hold firmly in "up" position as shown in Figure No. 3.

d. While holding the lever in the "up" position, lean back firmly in the seat as if to straighten a long coat. Lean back hard enough to lift yourself off the seat cushion as shown in Figure No. 4.

e. Get out of the truck.

f. Fold the seat back forward.

g. Check for a broken or missing hook as shown in View "A", Figure No. 5.

h. If the hook is not broken or missing, check for a bent hook as shown in Figure No. 6 using the proper checking template. If lock cover interferes with checking template, loosen or remove cover, as needed.

i. If the hook is missing, broken or bent, replace the lock assembly following procedures in the appropriate service manual.

TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS

1. Seat back lock upper two attaching bolts - 15 to 20 N.m (11 to 15 ft. lb.)

2. Seat back lock lower two attching bolts - 22 to 28 N.m (16 to 21 ft. lb.)

SPECIAL TOOLS

The checking templates required for this cam paign are special tools which are available in limited quantities. Dealers will receive templates from their business management contact division. Dealers should contact their Zone Offices regarding availability of additional templates, if required.

PARTS INFORMATION

Parts will be available the week of February 27 1984. The parts, when required, are to be obtained from WDDGM. Refer to the chart below to obtain the correct seat back lock:

Model Description Part Number

S/T Truck Control Asm-Pass. Non-Recliner 20410901 Control Asm-Driver Non-Recliner 20238207

S/T Truck Control Asm-Pass Recliner 20406675 Control Asm-Driver Recliner 20329439

Approximately 10% of the seat back locks will need to be replaced. To avoid stock overages, do not over order your requirements. Check your VIN computer list to see how many involved vehicles came through your dealership. Order parts for about 10% of these vehicles. If necessary, order more parts later on.

To ensure this part will be obtained as soon as possible, it should be ordered on a C.I.O. order with no special instruction code, but order on an advise code (2).

WARRANTY INFORMATION

Dealers should submit an accurately filied out Warranty Repair Order on each vehicle completed under this campaign.

Labor *Time Trouble Operation Description Allowance Code --------- ----------- --------- ---- V 194O Inspect both seat back 0.3 Hr. 96 locks. No further action required

V 1941 Inspect both seat back 0.6 Hr. 96 locks and replace one seat back lock as outlined in this bulletin

V 1942 Inspect both seat back 0.9 Hr. 96 locks and replace both seat back locks as outlined in this bulletin

* For dealer to receive Administration Time Allowance associated with this campaign, add 0.1 hour to the Labor Operation Time Allowance.

CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL

Each vehicle modfied 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.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE

Procedures covering this campaign are outlined in Section V of your dealership's "GMC Truck Claims Processing Manual" issued April, 1983.

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.