For 1990-2009 cars

# CAMPAIGN: ACCELERATOR LEVER INTERFERENCE

#### SUBJECT: 1986 FLEETWOOD BROUGHAM (RWD) - ACCELERATOR LEVER INTERFERENCE

The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, as amended, provides that each vehicle which is subject to a product 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 owner letter, the owners are being instructed to contact the nearest Cadillac Zone Office if their dealer does not remedy the condition within five days of the agreed service date. If the condition is not remedied within a reasonable time, the owners are instructed how to contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

#### CONDITION

General Motors has determined that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in some early production 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham vehicles equipped with 5.0L V-8 engines. On some of these vehicles, a wiring harness located under the instrument panel may not have been properly secured in its retainer. Under certain conditions, if the wiring harness is not secured it could interfere with the accelerator lever preventing the throttle from returning to the closed (idle) position when the accelerator pedal is released. Although the service brakes remain functional, loss of accelerator control could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.

#### DEALER ACTION

DEALERS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY PERFORM THIS CORRECTION ON ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES IN THEIR NEW CAR INVENTORY BEFORE SELLING THESE VEHICLES.

To prevent this condition, dealers are required to inspect and, if necessary, secure the wiring harness on suspect vehicles per the Vehicles Involved and Service Procedure sections of this bulletin.

#### VEHICLES INVOLVED

All 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood Broughams (RWD) within the following VIN range require this campaign:

#### OWNER NOTIFICATION

OWNERS OF VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE NOTIFIED BY LETTER FROM CADILLAC MOTOR CAR DIVISION. A COPY OF THE OWNER LETTER IS ATTACHED.

#### DEALER LIST

A list of vehicles involved, which our records indicate were sold by you or are currently in your new car inventory, is enclosed for your follow-up. This list contains owner names and addresses obtained from Cadillac delivery records. You are urged to limit the use of this list to the follow-up necessary to complete this campaign. If no list is attached, none of the suspect vehicles are known to be in your area.

#### DEALER CAMPAIGN RESPONSIBILITY

Dealers are to service all vehicles involved in this campaign, at no charge to owners, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership.

Whenever a vehicle subject to this campaign is taken into used car inventory, dealers are to take the steps necessary to be sure the campaign correction has been made before reselling the vehicle.

In addition, dealers are to perform the campaign on all affected vehicles as they are brought in for any kind of service.

#### SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Remove the left sound insulator panel (Hush Panel) from the lower instrument panel by removing the four retaining screws and one wing nut. See Figure 8C-3, pg. 8C-2 of the 1986 Cadillac Service Information Manual - Fleetwood Brougham.

2. Utilizing a light source, check to determine if the instrument panel wiring harness assembly is properly positioned and locked in the white plastic harness retaining clip located on the accelerator pedal lever plate. See Figure 1.

3. If the wiring harness is not secured in the retaining clip, place the harness within the clip and lock it.

4. Reinstall left sound insulator panel (Hush Panel).

5. Install Campaign Completion Label described in this bulletin.

#### CAMPAIGN COMPLETION LABEL

Upon completion of this campaign, a white campaign label (Cat. No. S-1015) should be affixed on a clean, dry surface of the radiator support tie bar in an area clearly visible when the hood is raised. Each label provides space to print in ink (or type) campaign number 86-C-1 and your five-digit Cadillac dealer code. Dealers are to take the steps necessary to ensure the numbers are properly recorded on the label.

#### CREDIT

Credit for this campaign will be issued upon receipt of a properly prepared warranty claim as follows:

Failure Labor Labor Description Code Operation Hours* ----------- -------- --------- ------ Inspect Wiring Harness - No Further Action Necessary 96 V3120 .2

Inspect/Secure Wiring Harness 96 V3121 .2

*This labor time represents the actual time required to perform the correction. Dealers should apply for 0.1 additional hour for administrative allowance as "Other Labor Hours."

Dear Cadillac 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 some early production 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham vehicles equipped with 5.0L V-8 engines. On some of these vehicles, a wiring harness located under the instrument panel may not have been properly secured in its retainer. Under certain conditions, if the wiring harness is not secured it could interfere with the accelerator lever preventing the throttle from returning to the closed (idle) position when the accelerator pedal is released. Although the service brakes remain functional, loss of accelerator control could result in a vehicle crash without prior warning.

To prevent the possibility of this occurring on your vehicle, please contact your Cadillac dealer to arrange a service date to have this condition corrected. Your dealer will inspect and, if necessary, secure the wiring harness in its retainer. This service will be performed at no charge to you.

In the event the throttle sticks before you have your vehicle inspected the driver should shift the transmission into neutral, apply the service brakes to bring the vehicle to a safe stop at the side of the road, and then turn off the ignition and call the nearest Cadillac dealership for assistance.

Instructions for making this correction have been sent to your Cadillac dealer. Please contact your dealer to arrange a mutually satisfactory service date to have this correction performed. The labor time necessary to perform this correction is approximately 15 minutes. Please allow additional time for your dealer to process your vehicle.

Your Cadillac dealer is best equipped to provide service to ensure your Cadillac 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 nearest Cadillac Zone Office, either in person or by telephone. The Zone Office will assist you and the dealer in getting your vehicle corrected. The locations and telephone numbers of the Zone Offices are listed in your Warranty and Owner Assistance Booklet, which is in your glove compartment.

After contacting your dealer and the Zone 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. 20590, or call 800-424-9393 (Washington, D.C. residents use 426-0123).

The enclosed Owner Identification Card identifies your 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 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.

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.