CAMPAIGN: DOOR PILLAR CRACKS INSTALL INNER/OUTER PLATES

MODELS AFFECTED: 1985-1986 GRAND AM TWO DOOR MODELS

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 (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 reasonable 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 scehdule 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 nearest 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, they are instructed on how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

CONDITION INVOLVED

General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1985 and 1986 Pontiac Grand Am two door models. Small cracks may develop in the body pillar around the door striker bolt hole. If left uncorrected, the cracks would eventually encircle the door strike bolt hole leading to difficulty in closing the door and might allow the door to come open during a vehicle crash which could increase the likelihood of injury to vehicle occupants.

DEALER ACTION

To correct this condition, dealers are to install an inner and outer reinforcement plate on both left and right pillars as described in the Service Procedure section of this bulletin.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are all 1985 and certain 1986 Pontiac Grand Am two door models within the following VIN breakpoints:

Year Plant Beginning Up to and Including ---- ----- --------- -------------------

1985 Lansing (C) Start of Production End of Production

1986 Lansing (C) Start of Production GC502900

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 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 was not shipped any involved vehicles.

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 releasinq 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.

PARTS INFORMATION

Parts for this campaign are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operation (GMSPO). To insure that these parts are obtained as soon as possible they should be ordered on a C.I.O. order with no special instruction code, but on advise code (2).

Description Part Number Quantity Per Vehicle ----------- ----------- ----------------------

Body Pillar 20716329 1 Reinforcement Kit (Contains parts for Both Left and Right Body Pillars)

2.0 mm Spacer-Door Striker 4469196 As required

SERVICE PROCEDURE

The following service procedure is to be performed on both left and right body pillars.

1. Using a number 50 Trox Bit Socket remove the door striker bolt from body pillar.

2. Remove screw from pressure relief valve and remove valve from body pillar. (See Figure 1)

3. Reach through hole exposed by removal of pressure relief valve and remove striker bolt attachment plate by grasping plate and rotating bottom of plate inboard (toward vehicle). Refer to Figure 1.

IF ATTACHMENT PLATE CANNOT BE REMOVED BY HAND, POSITION A SMALL FLAT PUNCH THROUGH STRIKER BOLT HOLE IN BODY PILLAR SO END OF PUNCH CONTACTS THE INBOARD THREADED AREA OF PLATE. USING A HAMMER, TAP THE PUNCH TO ROTATE THE BOTTOM OF THE ATTACHMENT PLATE INBOARD.

4. Examine body pillar for cracks in area of striker bolt hole. Clean area and apply touch up paint over any exposed cracks.

5. Apply a small bead of a medium body sealer, such as 3M 08648 or equivalent, to outside edges of the outer reinforcement plate contained in body pillar reinforcement kit, part number 20716329, and position outer reinforcement plate to body pillar as shown in Figure 2.

6. Position and hold new inner reinforcement plate in place with flat side against the inside of body pillar with arrowhead shaped hole pointing inboard as shown in Figure 3.

INNER REINFORCEMENT PLATES ARE STAMPED LH (FOR LEFT HAND USE) AND RH (FOR RIGHT HAND USE). BE SURE TO USE THE CORRECT PLATES WHEN INSTALLING. DRIVERS SIDE OF CAR IS LEFT HAND.

7. Insert striker bolt. Thread lock nut contained in body pillar kit onto striker bolt. Hold nut with 17m m wrench or socket and tighten striker bolt to 53 N.m (40 lbs. ft.).

8. Check striker boit for Proper fore/aft adjustment as follows:

a. Press body caulking such as 3M 08568 into door striker bolt opening as shown in Figure 4.

b. Close door only as far as necessary for striker bolt to form an impression in the caulking. (Complete door closing will make caulking removal difficult.)

c. Striker impression should be centered fore and aft. The minimum allowable measurement for dimension X (Fig.4) is 2 mm (3/32"). The maximum allowable measurement for dimension X is 4 mm (5/32"). A 2.0 mm (3/32") spacer, part no. 4469196 or equivalent, can be used to achieve the desired alignment. Refer to Figure 5.

d. Remove all body caulking from door striker bolt opening.

e. If adjustment is necessary, remove striker bolt and add or subtract spacers as required. Reinstall striker bolt and torque to 53 N.m (40 lbs. ft.). Refer to Figure 5.

9. Position new pressure relief valve in opening of body pillar. Hold valve upward so top of valve fully contacts top of opening. Using hole at bottom of relief valve, mark and drill P 1/8 inch hole in body pillar for relief valve retaining screw and install screw. Refer to Figure 6.

10. Clean up any excess body sealer around edges of outer reinforcement.

11. Install campaign identification label.

CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL

Each vehicle modified 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 ball point 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 --------- ------- --------- ----- -----

Install body pillar inner and 96 V4100 .4 .1 outer reinforcement, left and right sides. Check striker bolt fore/aft adjustment and adjust if necessary both left and right sides.

*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 authorizaiton.

FAILURE CODE 96 MUST BE USED WITH THE LABOR OPERATION.

Parts required are to be listed in 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 Terminal Transmission, whichever is their normal method of submission for payment. Claim must contain all information required and should list the labor operation as outlined.

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.

SERVICE DEPARTMENT PONTIAC DIVISION GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION

August, 1987

Dear Pontiac Owner:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1985 and 1986 Pontiac Grand Am two door models. Small cracks may develop in the body pillar around the door striker bolt hole. If left uncorrected, the cracks would eventually encircle the door striker bolt hole leading to difficulty in closing the door and might allow the door to come open during a vehicle crash which could increase the likelihood of injury to vehicle occupants.

To correct this condition, your Pontiac dealer will install an inner and outer reinforcement plate on both the left and right body pillars. This service will be performed at no charge to you.

Instructions for making this repair have been sent to you Pontiac dealer. It is estimated that parts will be available approximately August 27, 1987. Please contact your dealer to arrange a service date. The labor time to complete this service is approximately twenty-five minutes. Please ask your dealer if you wish to know how much additional time will be needed to process your vehicle.

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 they do not remedy this condition on that date or within five days, we recommend you contact the Pontiac Customer Assistance Center by calling 800-762-2737.

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 Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington D. C. 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington residents use 426-0123).

The enclosed Campaign Owner Identification Card identifies your Pontiac vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the inspection and correction in the shortest possible time. If you have sold or traded your vehicle, please complete the postage-paid card and return it to us. This will assist us in assuring all affected vehicles have been corrected.

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.

Pontiac 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.