YEAR: 1995
MODEL: NINETY EIGHT W/TWILIGHT SENTINEL (RPO T82)
The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, provides that each vehicle 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 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 to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. As you will see in reading the included copy of the letter that is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact OCAN (Oldsmobile Customer Assistance Network) if their retailer does not remedy the condition within five (5) days of the mutually agreed upon service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, they are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1995 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight model vehicles equipped with twilight sentinel. Some of these vehicles were assembled with Lighting Control Modules which may experience excessive current leakage due to damaged surface mounting capacitors. This condition could result in a loss of head lamps and park lamps. Sudden los of head lamp lighting could reduce driver visibility, which could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
In addition, the potential also exists that the head lamps can not be turned off or that they could turn on while the vehicle is parked. Both of these conditions would result in loss of battery state of charge and the inability to restart the vehicle.
To prevent the possibility of these conditions from occurring, retailers are to replace the lamp control module on involved vehicles.
Certain 1995 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight vehicles equipped with twilight sentinel (RPO T82) within the breakpoints listed below:
PLANT THROUGH & YEAR MODEL MODEL NAME CODE VIN BEGINNING INCLUDING ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995 C Ninety Eight 4 S4300018 S4300972
+ Not all vehicles within the above VIN breakpoints are involved.
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 retailer not receiving a computer listing with the campaign bulletin has no involved vehicles currently assigned.
All vehicles listed on the retailer's printout will require correction. Other suspect vehicles should be checked for campaign involvement by utilizing VISS (Vehicle Information Service System).
A pre-shipment of parts will be sent to involved retailers on October 13, 1994. Pre-shipment parts will equal parts for 100% of the number of vehicles to be repaired. Pre-shipment parts will be charged to the retailer's open parts account. Parts received for recently transferred vehicles should be forwarded by the original retailer to the retailer that received the transferred vehicle
If additional parts are required to complete this campaign, they are to be obtained from GMSPO (General Motors Service Parts Operations). To ensure these 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 order on an advise code (2).
DESCRIPTION PART NUMBER QUANTITY/VEHICLE ------------------------------------------------------------- Lamp Control Module 25621272 1
Owners will be notified of this recall on their vehicles by Oldsmobile Division (see copy of the owner letter included with this bulletin).
All unsold new vehicles in retailers' possession and subject to this campaign must be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this campaign bulletin before owners take possession of these vehicles. After campaign is completed, the vehicle may be released for sale/delivery.
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 new vehicle inventory with no owner information indicated on the retailer listing are to be contacted by the retailer, and arrangements made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. This could be done by mailing to such owners a copy of the owners letter included in this bulletin. Campaign follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the owner may not as yet have received the notification letter.
In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into your new or used vehicle inventory, or it 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. Your cooperation in completing this campaign as soon as possible will be greatly appreciated.
1. Raise and support the hood. Write down the owner's preset memory settings which will be lost when the battery is disconnected for reference later when resetting the memory functions. If a memory retention device is plugged into the cigarette lighter socket (such as "Memor-Eze", Snap-On Tool YA960, or Kent Moore Tools KS295A or BT 9027), this step can be omitted. Then, with the ignition in the "OFF" position, disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Remove right side sound insulator (from below instrument panel).
3. Reposition carpet around lamp control module (see Figure 1).
4. Remove lamp control module from mounting bracket.
5. Disconnect connectors (2) from lamp control module.
6. Install connectors to new lamp control module and install module into mounting bracket.
7. Reinstall carpet and right sound insulator panel.
8. Reconnect the negative battery cable. If a memory retention device was not used, please reset (to the extent possible) all devices that lost their memory after the battery was disconnected.
9. Check for proper operation of exterior lamps.
10. Install a Campaign Identification Label.
Each label provides space to print the campaign number and the five (5) digit retailer code of the retailer performing the campaign. Insert this information with a typewriter or ball-point pen. When installing label, clean and dry the surface of the radiator support tie bar and apply the campaign label where it is readily visible.
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.
Submit claims using the following "V" labor operation below for each vehicle:
TOTAL FAILURE LABOR LABOR STRAIGHT OPERATION PARTS CODE OPERATION HOURS TIME (ST)* ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Replace Lamp Control Module 1 96 V9180 .3 .1
* Administration Allowance: .1 hour for clerical administration may be applied for in the Straight Time (ST) column.
Parts Allowance: Current retailer price, plus 40% allowance for handling.
Dear 1995 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight Owner:
This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
REASON FOR THIS SAFETY RECALL: General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1995 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight model vehicles equipped with twilight sentinel. Some of these vehicles were assembled with Lighting Control Modules which may experience excessive current leakage due to damaged surface mounting capacitors. This condition could result in a loss of head lamps and park lamps. Sudden loss of head lamp lighting could reduce driver visibility, which could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.
In addition, the potential also exists that the head lamps can not be turned off or that they could turn on while the vehicle is parked. Both of these conditions would result in loss of battery state of charge and the inability to restart the vehicle.
WHAT WE WILL DO: To prevent the possibility of these conditions from occurring, retailers are to replace the lamp control module on involved vehicles. This service will be performed for you at no charge.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Please contact your Oldsmobile retailer immediately to arrange a service date. Instructions have been sent to your retailer. It is estimated that parts will be available to your retailer October 13, 1994. Please ask your retailer if you wish an estimate of the total time needed to schedule, process and return your vehicle. Included in this time would be about eighteen (18) minutes for a technician to perform the work required.
You may have your vehicle serviced at the authorized Oldsmobile retailer of your choice.
Your Oldsmobile retailer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to promptly correct your vehicle. However, if you take your vehicle to your retailer on the agreed service date, and they do not remedy this condition then or within five days, we suggest you call Oldsmobile Customer Assistance (1-800-442-6537). Deaf, hearing impaired, or speech impaired persons with telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD/TTY) may contact Oldsmobile Customer Assistance at 1-800-TDD-OLDS (1-800-833-6537). They will assist you and the retailer in getting your vehicle corrected.
After contacting your retailer and Oldsmobile Customer Assistance, if you are still not satisfied that we have done our best to remedy this condition without charge and within a reasonable time, you may write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St., S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents call 366-0123).
OWNER REPLY CARD: The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your retailer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. It you have sold or traded your vehicle, please let us know by completing the postage paid reply card and returning it to us.
We are sorry to cause you this inconvenience; however, we have taken this action for your safety and continued satisfaction with our products.
OLDSMOBILE DIVISION General Motors Corporation
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.