CAMPAIGN: AIR CLEANER PLASTIC TRIM COVER SAFETY ACTION
MODELS AFFECTED: 1985 SKYHAWKS EQUIPPED WITH 2.0L ENGINES (ENGINE VIN CODE P)
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 (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 an appointment with each owner, and repair the 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 Buick Home Office if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five (5) days of the agreed service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, the 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 exists on some 1985 Buick Skyhawk models equipped with RPO LQ5 2.0L L4 TBI engine (VIN Code P).
The engine air cleaner plastic trim cover on the involved vehicles, if not properly installed after servicing, may fall forward onto, or be left on the hot exhaust manifold. Should this occur while the vehicle is being operated, an engine compartment fire could occur without prior warning.
To correct this condition, dealers and owners are being requested to remove and discard the engine air cleaner plastic trim cover. In addition, owners are being advised that they can have their dealer install an air cleaner trim decal in place of the plastic trim cover.
VEHICLES INVOLVED
Involved are certain 1985 Skyhawks equipped with RPO LQ5 2.0L engines (VIN code P) with serial numbers within the following:
FROM THROUGH & INCLUDING ---- ------------------- FK400001 FK423620
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 modification according to instructions contained in this bulletin.
DEALER MATERIAL
If your dealership has vehicles involved in this campaign, you will receive the following items:
- Listing of all vehicles involved in this campaign shipped to your dealership.
- A supply of air cleaner trim decals (additional decals available from your Buick Zone Office).
- One Campaign Identification Label for each vehicle involved.
Involved vehicles have been identified by Vehicle Identification Number computer listings. 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 will enable dealers to follow-up with owners involved in this campaign.
These computer 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.
OWNER NOTIFICATION
Owners of vehicles involved in this campaign will be notified by Buick Motor Division (see copy of owner letter included with this bulletin).
CHANGE OF OWNER INFORMATION
Dealers are to use the Dealer Communication System (D.C.S.) to provide Buick Motor Division with subsequent Buick owner information. By reporting a change of owner name or address of a vehicle in campaign status over the D.C.S., the need to send in a C.V.A.R. form for that vehicle is eliminated. Terminal input instructions are covered in the D.C.S. Manual under Section 9, Page 9-JOlA and B.
PARTS INFORMATION
A supply of air cleaner trim decals is being furnished to dealers with vehicles involved. Decals may be obtained by contacting your zone office as required.
TECHNICAL PROCEDURE
1. Raise hood.
2. Remove air cleaner plastic trim cover (see illustration).
3. Clean top of air cleaner, must be free of dirt and grease.
4. Instructions for installing the air cleaner decal may be found on the decal. Care must be taken to prevent wrinkles and air bubbles.
WARRANTY INFORMATION
FAILURE LABOR OTHER SUBLET OPER. COUNT PART NO. ALLOW. CODE OP NO HOURS HOURS MTL TWG ----- ----- -------- ----- ---- ----- ----- ----- -------- Remove Air Cleaner Plastic Trim Cover & Discard. Install Engine Air Cleaner Trim Decal - - - 96 V3380 .2 *.l -
* Campaign Administrative Allowance
Dear Buick Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirement of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists on some 1985 Skyhawks equipped with 2.OL engines.
The engine air cleaner plastic trim cover on the involved vehicles, if not properly installed after servicing, may fall forward onto, or be left on the hot exhaust manifold. Should this occur while the vehicle is being operated, an engine compartment fire could occur without prior warning.
To prevent this from occurring on your vehicle, please remove the engine air cleaner plastic trim cover and discard. In the event assistance is required in removing the trim cover, please contact your Buick dealer who will perform this function at no charge to you.
Should you desire, your Buick dealer can also be contacted for an air cleaner trim decal to be installed in place of the air cleaner plastic trim cover. The decal and installation will be provided at no charge to you.
Instructions have been sent to your Buick dealer. The labor time to do the work will be about 15 minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be necessary to process your vehicle.
Your Buick 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 Customer Assistance Department, Flint home office by call ing 800-521-7300.
After contacting your dealer and the Buick home office, if 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, D.C., 20490, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 426-0123).
The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. When you remove the trim cover or have sold or traded your vehicle, please return this card to us. If you return to your dealer for removal of the trim cover, present this card to him. This will assist the dealer in making the correction in the shortest possible time.
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.
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.
