2002 Saturn L-Series Vehicles Equipped with Manual Transaxles (RPO MU3)

Saturn has decided that certain 2002 model year Saturn L-Series vehicles were produced with manual transaxles did not receive the specified fluid fill during the assembly process. Damage could occur to the transaxle's internal parts if the fluid level is significantly low.

To prevent the possibility of this damage occurring, Saturn Retailers will inspect the fluid level and replace the transaxle assembly, if necessary.

Only selected 2002 model year Saturn L-Series vehicles will require this campaign Refer to VIN listing contained in this bulletin.

You must verify campaign involvement through your AS400 system. It is important to note that campaign claims will only be paid on involved vehicles.

Owners of all involved vehicles will be notified of this campaign by Saturn. (Refer to the owner letter included in this bulletin.)

A list of vehicles assigned to you (Facility VIN Listing), which our records indicate were sold by or shipped to you, (or are located in close proximity to your facility) is enclosed.

This listing contains:

The Facility VIN Listing (with owner information) is furnished to involved Retailers with the Product Campaign Bulletin. Although these vehicles are assigned to your facility, it is important to note that owners may elect to have their vehicle serviced at the Saturn Retail Facility of their choice.

Those Retailers not involved initially in this campaign will receive a message at the top of a blank Facility VIN Listing that states: NO VEHICLES ASSIGNED AT THIS TIME FOR CAMPAIGN 02-C-03.

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. Those records updated with California DMV registration information will have the following message printed adjacent to the appropriate VIN: "OWNER INFORMATION UPDATED BY CALIFORNIA DMV; PUBLICATION PROHIBITED."

All unsold vehicles in Retailers' possession and subject to this campaign must be held at the retail facility and repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin before owners take possession of these vehicles.

Retailers 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.

Owners of vehicles recently sold from your vehicle inventory are to be contacted by the Retailer and arrangements made to make the required correction according to the procedure contained in this bulletin.

In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your retail facility 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.

Saturn vehicles that have been sold by you, which may be closer in proximity to another Saturn Retailer, may still appear on your Facility VIN Listing. If either you or the vehicle owner determines that it is more desirable for a vehicle on your Facility VIN Listing to be serviced by another Saturn Retailer, or if the customer's address has recently changed, campaign responsibility may be transferred by completing the following:

A copy of the Campaign Vehicle Action Report is included for your reference. Additional copies can be ordered from Saturn Publications (1-800-828-2112, prompt 3, Item #S0397050 ). All changes to campaign responsibility will be reflected in your next Unfixed VIN Report.

All other changes in vehicle status (e.g., scrapped, stolen, etc.) are to be made in accordance with section 4.4.3 of the Retailer Service Reference Guide, "Notifying Saturn of Vehicle Status Change."

Not all vehicles will require a transaxle replacement. Once the vehicle has been inspected and it has been verified that a part is required, please place an Emergency Special Customer Order (ESCO) for the appropriate parts from SSPO. Please specify overnight or 2nd day delivery. Second day is preferred, however overnight is available for emergency situations.

Orders must be placed by 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. Please do not place a Special Customer Order (SCO) for the transaxle assemblies. These orders will not be filled through replenishments.

Retailers will scrap all replaced parts in a manner that ensures that they cannot be reused, remanufactured, or otherwise entered into the stream of commerce in the future.

As you know, Saturn's success hinges upon our ability to execute superior customer support throughout the ownership experience, especially when important corrective actions such as this are required.

It is imperative that every effort is made to accommodate the affected owners. Additionally, priority should be given to customer vehicles over retail inventory vehicles. If you have any questions, please coordinate with the Saturn Customer Assistance Center to help ensure customer satisfaction.

Caution: Make sure the vehicle is properly supported and squarely positioned on the hoist. To help avoid personal injury when a vehicle is on a hoist, provide additional support to the opposite end of the vehicle from which components will be removed.

Important: Use a funnel with a flexible hose to add the fluid to the transaxle.

1. Raise the hood, position a funnel and route the transaxle fluid filler hose down through the engine compartment near the power brake booster in the area of the transaxle fill plug.
2. Raise the vehicle. The vehicle must be level. Refer to "Lifting, Jacking, and Support Points" in the 2002 L-Series Manual Transaxle Service Manual.




Caution: If the transaxle fluid is hot, caution must be taken to prevent personal injury in the event transaxle fluid does drain from the fill plug hole after the fill plug is removed.

3. Remove the transaxle fill plug and insert a flexible filler hose into the fill plug hole.
4. Starting with a full unopened container of transaxle lubricant (P/N 21018899), add fluid (up to 1 quart) until the fluid runs out of the fill plug hole.

•	If one quart or less was added to the transaxle and the fluid drained out of the fill plug hole, no other repairs are necessary. Proceed to step 5.

•	If one quart of fluid was added and no fluid drained out of the fill plug hole, the transaxle need to be replaced. Proceed to "Transaxle Replacement Procedure" step 8, in this campaign.

5. Allow any excess fluid to finish draining from the fill plug hole. Apply thread sealant (P/N 21485278) to fill the plug and install. Wipe any excess fluid from the transaxle with a rag or a shop towel.

Tighten
Tighten the fill plug to 50 N·m (37 lb ft).

6. Lower the vehicle.
7. Affix the Campaign Completion Label on a clean and dry surface of the radiator core support, in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. For more information, refer to Campaign Completion Label in this bulletin.

1. To replace the transaxle, refer to "Transaxle Removal and Installation" procedures in the 2002 L-Series Manual Transaxle Service Manual.

Important: Before the replacement transaxle is installed it will be necessary to bleed the clutch hydraulic system. Refer to "Clutch Hydraulic System Bleeding" procedure in the Clutch section of the 2002 Manual Transaxle Service Manual.

2. Once the transaxle has been replaced, it will be necessary to perform a front wheel toe alignment on the vehicle. Refer to "Front Wheel Toe Alignment" procedure in the Alignment, Wheels, and Tires section of the 2002 L-Series Chassis Service Manual.
3. Road test the vehicle to verify alignment and proper transaxle operation.
4. Affix the Campaign Completion Label on a clean and dry surface of the radiator core support, in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. For more information, refer to Campaign Completion Label in this bulletin.

Upon completion of the campaign, a Campaign Identification Label and a Clear Protective Cover should be affixed on a clean, dry surface of the radiator core support in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. Each label provides a space to print in ink (or type) the campaign number (02C03) and the five (5) digit facility code of the Retailer performing the campaign service.

As a reminder, additional labels may be ordered from Saturn publications (1-800-828-2112, prompt 3, Item # S03 00013A for the Campaign Completion Label and Item # S03 00013B for the Clear Protective Cover ).

1. To receive credit for inspecting, and if necessary, replacing the transaxle assembly, submit a claim with the information below:

Important: Installation of the fluid plug requires the application of thread sealant, (P/N 21485278). Claims received in the amount of $.76 ($.59 retailer cost plus 30% parts allowance) for this part will be accepted. It will be necessary to sell this part to the CSO as material using net item code "M". Claims exceeding the material allowance will be returned with return reason 143 - Material Amount Greater Than Maximum Allowed.

2. To receive credit for loaner/rental car costs incurred while owner awaits campaign repair or other goodwill expenses, submit a claim with the information below:

3. Retailers are empowered to use good judgement regarding loaner/rental cars or any other goodwill expenses deemed necessary. It will not be necessary to call the Saturn Customer Assistance Center for authorization of goodwill. The Goodwill Worksheet (printed towards the back of this bulletin) must be used to document goodwill expenses. The completed Goodwill Worksheet must be attached to the hard copy of the CSO. Retailers are to make sufficient copies of the blank Goodwill Worksheet to document goodwill expenses.

4. Check your Saturn SERVICELINE.XL Claim Memorandum daily. Remember to code the claim as a WC sale type and VC case type. Contact your field representative if you need assistance.

5. All labor operations claimed in this bulletin must be submitted on individual (unrelated) CSO lines. Refer to the Customer Service Order Preparation Manual for details on Product Campaign Claim Submission.

* Campaign administrative allowance.

** Net amount must be submitted as a miscellaneous sale...Loaner reimbursement not to exceed $30/day.

*** Enter number of days vehicle was rented...Not to exceed 1 day.

List of Involved Vehicles Within VIN Range

As stated in the "Credit" section of this bulletin, Retailers are empowered to use good judgement regarding loaner/rental cars or other goodwill expenses that might become necessary for customer satisfaction.

Complete this worksheet and attach it to the hard copy of the Customer Service Order (CSO) to document all campaign goodwill claims submitted to Saturn.

VIN #

Dear Saturn Owner:

This notice is sent to inform you that Saturn is conducting a voluntary customer satisfaction recall campaign that affects certain 2002 Saturn L-Series vehicles.

Saturn has decided that certain 2002 model year Saturn L-Series vehicles were produced with manual transaxles did not receive the specified fluid fill during the assembly process. Damage could occur to the transaxle's internal parts if the fluid level is significantly low.

To prevent the possibility of this damage occurring, Saturn Retailers will inspect the fluid level and replace the transaxle assembly, if necessary.

Contact your Saturn Retailer to arrange to have this service performed. The inspection procedure will take approximately ½ hour. However, if the transaxle requires replacement, the repair could take an additional 8 hours. Additional time may be required for paperwork and processing.

The enclosed Campaign Reply card identifies your vehicle, and will facilitate completion of the repairs when presented to your Saturn retail facility. If your address has changed, please provide the new information in the space provided. This will assist us in ensuring that all affected vehicles are corrected.

Your Retailer is prepared to perform this service promptly and with minimal inconvenience to you. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact your Retailer or the Saturn Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-553-6000 prompt 3, or for the hearing impaired, 1-800-833-6000.

Again, we sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern this situation may cause you. We want you to know that we will do our best, throughout your ownership experience, to ensure that your Saturn provides you many miles of enjoyable driving.

Sincerely,

Saturn Corporation

02-C-03