1990 Corvette ZR-1: Campaign: Fuel Lines May Crack / Fuel Leak

Subject: CAMPAIGN: FUEL LINES MAY CRACK/FUEL LEAK
Model and Year: 1990 CHEVROLET CORVETTES WITH LT5 ENGINES
Source: Chevrolet Service Bulletin
Bulletin Number: 90-C-10 - (01/30/1990)

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 repair within sixty (60) days after tender of a vehicle is prina 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 letter that is being sent to owners, the owners are being instructed to contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center if their dealer 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.

DEFECT INVOLVED

General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1990 Chevrolet Corvette model vehicles with LT5 engines. The fuel feed and return line connectors of these vehicles were built with the incorrect line end flare configuration. If these lines are left uncorrected, the line ends could crack causing a fuel leak and possibly an engine compartment fire.

To prevent this condition from occurring, new fuel lines with the correct end flare configuration will be installed on the involved vehicles.

VEHICLES INVOLVED

Involved are certain 1990 Chevrolet Corvette model vehicles with LT5 engines built within the following VIN breakpoints:

MODEL YEAR PLANT FROM THROUGH

----- ---- ------ ---- -------

Y 1990 Bowling Green L5800001 L5800213

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 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 has no involved vehicles currently assigned.

OWNER NOTIFICATION

Owners will be notified of this campaign on their vehicles by Chevrolet Motor Division. Some owners will receive letters addressing more than one campaign on their vehicle (see copy of owner letters included with this bulletin) as shown in the chart below.

VIN Range Campaigns Addressed In Owner Letters

--------- -------------------------------------

L5800001 - L5800120 90C07 / 90C09 / 90C10

L5800121 - L5800213 90C07 / 90C10

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 correction according to instructions contained in this bulletin.

PARTS INFORMATION

Parts, when required, are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). To ensure 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 on an advise code (2).

Part Number Description Vehicle Quantity

----------- ----------- -------

10098156 Fuel Line, Return 1

10098155 Fuel Line, Feed 1

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Replace fuel feed and return lines with the new fuel feed and return lines referring to the 1990 Corvette Service Manual, Section 6C, pages 14-15, for proper procedure.

2. Install Campaign Identification Label.

CAMPAIGN IDENTIFICATION LABEL

Each vehicle corrected 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 five (5) digit dealer code of the dealer performing the campaign service. This information may be inserted with a typewriter or a ball point pen.

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.

Apply "Campaign Identification Label" only on a clean dry surface.

CLAIM INFORMATION

Submit a Product Campaign Claim with the information indicated below:

* FAILED PARTS CC-FC LABOR LAB OTH REPAIR PERFORMED PC PART NO. ALLOW OP HRS HRS ---------------- -- -------- ----- ----- -- --- ---

Install New Fuel 2 10098156 ** SK-00 V5780 0.6 0.1 Lines

*Campaign Administrative Allowance

** The "Parts Allowance should be the sum total of the current GMSPO Dealer Net price plus 30% of all parts required for the repair.

Dealers will automatically receive the correct labor and material allowance based on the labor operation performed.

Refer to the Chevrolet Claims Processing Manual for details on Product Campaign claim Submission.

Dear Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Owner:

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

REASON FOR THIS RECALL

General Motors has determined that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 model vehicles. The fuel feed and return line connectors of these vehicles were built with the incorrect line end flare configuration. If these lines are left uncorrected, the line ends could crack causing a fuel leak which may result in an engine compartment fire.

Additionally, two other non-safety recalls will be performed on your vehicle while it is in for fuel line corrections. First, parking brakes on some 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1s may become inoperable due to the cable button pulling through and separating from the nylon reel to which it is attached. This condition occurs on application only, not under sustained load conditions. The condition will be obvious due to a lack of resistance during parking brake application.

Finally, some 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1s may experience instrument panel wires rubbing on the hood release cable bracket causing wire abrasion. If this condition continues to exist, the instrument panel wiring may wear through and ground itself on the hood release cable bracket, possibly causing a short in the vehicles electrical system and an inoperable vehicle engine.

WHAT WE WILL DO

To prevent the possibility of a fuel leak occurring, new fuel lines with the correct end flare configuration will be installed on the involved vehicles. Also, a new parking brake assembly will be installed, and protective electrical tape will be applied to the instrument panel wiring and hood release cable bracket, thus protecting the wires from abrasion. Additionally, instrument panel wiring which shows signs of abrasion will be repaired.

These services will be performed for you at no charge.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

Your authorized Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Dealer will be contacting you soon to arrange a service date if it has not already done so. Instructions for making these corrections have been sent to this dealer along with parts to complete these repairs. The labor time to perform the necessary service corrections is approximately 2 hours. Your dealer can inform you of any additional time needed to schedule and process your vehicle.

Your authorized Chevrolet ZR1 Dealer is best equipped to obtain parts and provide service to insure that 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 (5) days, we recommend you contact the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center by calling 1-800-222-1020. After contacting your dealer and the Customer Assistance Center, 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 wish to write the Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590 or call 1-800-424-9393 (Washington D.C. residents use 366-0123). The enclosed owner reply card identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this card to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If 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 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.