CAMPAIGN: FUEL TANK MAY FATIQUE OR CRACK (LEAK)
MODELS AFFECTED 1989 PONTIAC SUNBIRDS WITH 2.0L ENGINES (VIN CODES K AND M)
TO: ALL PONTIAC DEALERS
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 sixty 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 which is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center 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, owners 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 may exist in some 1989 Sunbird model vehicles equipped with 2.OL engines. Some of the involved vehicles may have been built with the potential for a fuel tank leak. Small creases on the underside of the tank may fatigue and crack during pressure cycling of the tank which occurs during normal operation of the vehicle. Over a period of time, a crack may form at the location of the crease and cause the fuel tank to leak. If this leak is undetected and there is an external source of ignition present, this condition could ultimately result in a fire.
DEALER ACTION
To prevent this condition from occurring, dealers are to inspect all involved vehicles and replace fuel tanks as required per the instructions in the SERVICE PROCEDURE section of this bulletin.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are certain 1989 Sunbird model vehicles equipped with 2.0L engines (VIN codes K and M) produced within the following VIN breakpoints:
UpTo Year Plant Beginning And Including ---- ----- --------- ------------- 1989 Lordstown K7526494 K7528727
Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number Computer Listinqs. Computer listings contain the complete Vehicle Identification Number, owner name and address data, and are furnished to the 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 Pontiac 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, when required, are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operation (GMSPO). To ensure 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 Description Part Number Per Vehicle ------------ ----------- ------------ Tank, Fuel - Engine VIN Codes K, M 22527083 1
O-Ring, Fuel Tank Sender 3893116 1
Sound Insulator, Fuel Tank 22524101 2
Sound Insulator, Fuel Tank 561270 1
NOTICE: It is expected that only 16% (one in six) vehicles inspected will require fuel tank replacement. Please order tanks accordingly, based on the VIN Sequence lists provided to involved dealers.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
1. Place the vehicle on a hoist and disconnect negative battery cable.
2. Raise vehicle, observing the instructions and cautions listed in the applicable 1989 Pontiac Sunbird Service Manual (Section OA) regarding hoisting of the vehicle.
3. Using Figures 1 and 2, find the precise area on the bottom of the fuel tank to be inspected. The view in Figure 1 is looking up at the bottom of the fuel tank (bottom of the Figure is toward the vehicle front end). Figure 2 is a photographic view looking up at the fuel tank bottom at an angle from the rear. ONLY the area shown inside the dashed box on the photograph is to be inspected. Any waviness of sheet metal OUTSIDE the dashed line box is acceptable.
It is expected that only one of every six fuel tanks inspected will be deformed as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Other areas of the tank surface may have some waviness which does not affect tank life.
If the deformation ("raised area") is found at the exact location shown in the Figures, proceed to Step 4; otherwise to Step 6.
4. If the vehicle has a 2.OL engine (VIN Codes K or M), obtain a Fuel Tank part number 22527083 to replace the tank on the vehicle.
Also, obtain a fuel sender O-Ring and sound insulators, as listed in the PARTS INFORMATION section.
5. Replace the fuel tank, observing the instructions and CAUTIONS as listed in the 1989 Poritiac Sunbird Service Manual, Section 6-C.
6. Lower vehicle, reconnect negative battery cable, and install a 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 campaign number, the five digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service, and the date the vehicle was campaigned. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or ballpoint pen. Install the label only on a clean, dry surface of the radiator baffle where it is readily visible. (Additional campaign labels are available on stationery order as Form 7901-709).
CLAIM INFORMATION
A separate repair order must be used for each vehicle. A completed warranty claim is to be kept as a permanent record of completion.
DEALERS SHOULD SUBMIT WARRANTY CLAIMS FOR CREDIT IN THEIR NORMAL MANNER WHEN THEY PERFORM THE SERVICE AS FOLLOWS:
*Other Failure Labor Labor Labor Operation Code Operation Hours Hours --------- ---- --------- ----- ----- Inspection of Fuel Tank Bottom Only 96 V4990 .2 0.1
Inspection and Replacement of Fuel Tank 96 V4991 .9 0.1
*In addition dealerships will receive 0.1 hours credit for dealer administrative services associated with this campaign. The 0.1 hours allowance is to be entered in the "Other Labor Hours" field with each campaign repair listed for credit. This entry will not require authorization.
FAILURE CODE 96 MUST BE USED WITH THE LABOR OPERATION.
Parts required are to be listed on your warranty claim in the normal manner. Parts will be credited at dealer net plus 30% dealer handling allowance.
Dealers will be credited via Warranty Document or Termiral Transmission, whichever is their normal method of submission for payment. Claim must contain all information required and should list the labor operation as outl ined.
RECORDING COMPLETION
Repairs submitted for vehicles not involved in the campaign will not be paid.
Campaign completion will be recorded from "PROPERLY COMPLETED AND PAID WARRANTY CLAIMS." Owners are being asked to present the owner reply card for identification to their dealer at the time they bring in their vehicle to have the campaign performed.
Dear Pontiac 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 may exist in some 1989 Sunbird model vehicles. Some of the involved vehicles may have been built with the potential for a fuel tank leak. Small creases on the underside of the tank may fatigue and crack during pressure cycling of the tank which occurs during normal operation of the vehicle. Over a period of time, a crack may form at the location of the crease and cause the fuel tank to leak. If this leak is undetected and there is an external source of ignition present, this condition could ultimately result in a fire.
WHAT WE WILL DO
Your dealer will inspect your vehicle's fuel tank, and if necessary, replaced. This service will be performed for you at no charge.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Please contact your Pontiac dealer as soon as possible to arrange a service date. Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your dealer. It is estimated that parts will be available to your dealer on or about January 19, 1989. The labor time necessary to inspect the fuel tank is approximately fifteen minutes. If replacement of the fuel tank is necessary, approximately fifty-five minutes will be required to service your vehicle. Allow the dealer extra time to transfer your unused fuel to the new fuel tank. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to schedule and process your vehicle.
If a fuel tank leak does occur, you may see a puddle of gasoline under the vehicle just ahead of the rear tires, and/or you may smell gasoline. If this occurs, contact your dealer immediately to service the vehicle. A vehicle leaking fuel should not be left in a confined area or near a source of ignition.
Your Pontiac dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to ensure your vehicle is corrected as promptly as possible. However, if you take your vehicle to your dealer on the agreed service date, and he does not remedy this condition on that date, or within five days, we recommend you contact the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center by calling: 1-800-762-2737. The Customer Assistance Center will assist you and the dealer in getting your vehicle serviced.
If after contacting your dealer and the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center, you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition, without charge within a reasonable time, you may wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington, DC residents use 366-0123).
The enclosed Campaign Owner Reply Card identifies your Pontiac vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage-paid Owner 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, anf 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.
