Product Safety - Transmission Shift Cable Separation

This bulletin is being revised to include additional vehicles. Please discard all copies of bulletin 04061, issued August 2004.

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2003 and 2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles. These vehicles were built with a transmission shift cable assembly that may separate. If the cable assembly separates, the transmission shift lever position and the transmission indicator (PRNDL) may no longer correlate. The transmission indicator (PRNDL), however, will always indicate the actual transmission gear, or PARK, regardless of the shift lever position. With this condition, the driver may believe that they have shifter into another gear but the transmission will remain in the last gear selected. If this were to occur, the vehicle may move in a direction not anticipated by the driver, of the driver put the vehicle in PARK and the vehicle is on an uneven surface, the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash without prior warning.

Until the vehicle is repaired, the driver should always check the position of the transmission indicator (PRNDL) when changing transmission gears and when parking the vehicle.

Dealers are to inspect the transmission shift assembly, and if necessary, replace it.

Involved are certain 2004 model year Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles built within these VIN breakpoints:

Important: Dealers should confirm vehicle eligibility through GMVIS (GM Vehicle Inquiry System) before beginning recall repairs. [Not all vehicles within the above breakpoints may be involved.]

For US

For dealers with involved vehicles, a Campaign Initiation Detail Report containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data has been prepared and will be loaded to the GM DealerWorld, Recall Information website. Dealers that have no involved vehicles currently assigned will not have a report available in GM DealerWorld.

For Canada

For dealers with involved vehicles, a Campaign Initiation Detail Report containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data has been prepared and is being furnished to involved dealers. Dealers that have no involved vehicles currently assigned will not receive a report with the recall bulletin.

For IPC

For dealers with involved vehicles, a Campaign Initiation Detail Report containing the complete Vehicle Identification Number, customer name and address data has been prepared and is being furnished to involved dealers. Dealers that have no involved vehicles currently assigned will not receive a report with the recall bulletin.

The Campaign Initiation Detail Report may contain customer names and addresses obtained from Motor Vehicle Registration Records. The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any other purpose other than follow-up necessary to complete this recall is a violation of law in several states/provinces/countries. Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this report to the follow-up necessary to complete this program.

Parts required to complete this recall are to be obtained from General Motors Service Parts Operations (GMSPO). Please refer to your "involved vehicles listing" before ordering parts. Normal orders should be placed on a DRO=Daily Replenishment Order. In an emergency situation, parts should be ordered on a CSO=Customer Special Order.

*Only a small percentage of vehicles will actually require the replacement of the cable. Please order cables only after inspection determines replacement is necessary.

The following procedure provides instructions for inspecting, and if necessary, replacing the automatic transmission gear shift cable.

Inspection

1. Open the driver's door.



2. Gently pull the hinge pillar trim panel to release the retaining clips.



3. Pull the driver's side carpet down and rearward to expose the floor pan, transmission, and shift cable (1).



4. Locate the date code (1) printed on the shift cable as shown. The code follows a part number also printed on the cable.

•	If the cable has a date code that is 4129 through 4139, the cable MUST be replaced. Proceed to the section titled Shift Cable Replacement.

•	If the cable has a date code before 4129 or after 4139, the cable does NOT need to be replaced and no further action is required. Reinstall the carpet and hinge pillar trim panel.

Shift Cable Replacement

1. Remove the AIR BAG fuse from the fuse block.



2. Remove the two screws (2), release the six retaining clips, and remove the driver's side knee bolster trim panel (1).



3. Remove the four nuts (2) for the driver's knee bolster (1).
4. If equipped, remove the OnStar module bracket screws and reposition the module.
5. Remove the driver's knee bolster.
6. Pull the cable off the ball stud on the column lever.



7. Remove the clip and squeeze the two tabs inward and remove the cable from the bracket on the column.
8. Release the cable retainer from the floor pan.
9. Release the cable grommet from the floor pan and push the complete cable through the opening in the floor.
10. Raise the vehicle on a suitable hoist and support as necessary.
11. Move the lever on the side of the transmission to a low gear.



12. Pull (slide) the white cover (2) on the shift cable back to expose the natural colored lock (1).



13. While holding the white cover (2) back, place a small flat-bladed screwdriver under the lock ramp located at the top of the lock (1) and pry the lock up.



14. Turn the adjuster so that you can see the threaded section (1) of the lower cable inside the adjuster.
15. Pull the threaded section of the lower cable out of the upper cable. The inner lower cable will not disengage at this point.






Important: The illustration above shows the clip being removed in the next step and is for reference purpose only.

16. Once the threaded section of the lower cable has been pulled out, you should see the small metal clip (1) that attaches the inner cables (2) together. While holding the white cover back and using a pair of long-nose pliers (3), grasp and pull off the small metal clip through the opening in the cable connector and discard the clip.
17. Separate the upper cable from the lower cable and remove the upper cable from the vehicle.
18. From under the vehicle, push the new cable up through the opening in the floor.
19. Slide the cover back and pry the lock up the same way as was done on the original cable a few steps earlier.

Important: Do not remove the small metal clip from the NEW cable.

20. Connect the lower inner metal cable to the upper inner metal cable. When properly engaged, the small metal clip will be locked in the groove in the lower inner metal cable and you should not be able to separate the cables at this time. DO NOT ADJUST THE CABLE AT THIS TIME.
21. Move the transmission lever to the PARK position.
22. Lower the vehicle.
23. Route the cable, attach the retainer to the floor pan, and install the grommet.
24. Position the cable and engage the plastic spring clips in the column bracket. Install the retaining clip.
25. Attach the cable to the ball stud on the column lever.
26. Verify that the shift lever is still in PARK.
27. Raise the vehicle.
28. With both the shift lever and the transmission in PARK, push the threaded section of the lower cable inside of the upper cable as far as it will go (the blue spring will be fully compressed) and then release it. The cable should spring back and be adjusted at this point.
29. Press the lock downward to engage and lock the threads of the lower cable in place.

Important: If the white cover does not conceal the lock, the shift cable must be readjusted. If all the gear positions cannot be achieved, the shift cable must be re-adjusted.

30. Release the white cover. If the lock is fully seated, the white cover should slide completely over the lock when released.
31. Lower the vehicle.
32. Verify proper operation of the shift cable.
33. Install the driver's knee bolster.

Tighten
Tighten the nuts to 10 N·m (88 lb in).

34. If equipped, install the OnStar module bracket screws.

Tighten
Tighten the screws to 3 N·m (27 lb in).

35. Install the driver's side knee bolster trim panel, engage the six retaining clips and install the two screws.

Tighten
Tighten the screws to 3.5 N·m (31 lb in).

36. Reposition the carpet.
37. Position the hinge pillar panel to the body and engage the retaining clips.
38. Install the AIR BAG fuse.

The General Motors Courtesy Transportation program is intended to minimize customer inconvenience when a vehicle requires a repair that is covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. The availability of courtesy transportation to customers whose vehicles are within the warranty coverage period and involved in a product recall is very important in maintaining customer satisfaction. Dealers are to ensure that these customers understand that shuttle service or some other form of courtesy transportation is available and will be provided at no charge. Dealers should refer to the General Motors Service Policies and Procedures Manual for Courtesy Transportation guidelines.

Submit a Product Recall Claim with the information indicated below:

Refer to the General Motors WINS Claims Processing Manual for details on Product Recall Claim Submission.

General Motors will notify customers of this recall on their vehicle (see copy of customer letter included with this bulletin).

Letters will be sent to known owners of record located within areas covered by the US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. For owners outside these areas, dealers should notify customers using the attached sample letter.

The US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act provides that each vehicle which is subject to a recall of this type must be adequately repaired within a reasonable time after the customer has tendered it for repair. A failure to 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 customer 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 remedies, every effort must be made to promptly schedule an appointment with each customer and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible. In the recall notification letters, customers are told how to contact the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if the recall is not completed within a reasonable time.

All unsold new vehicles in dealers' possession and subject to this recall MUST be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this recall bulletin BEFORE customers take possession of these vehicles.

Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this recall at no charge to customers, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.

Customers who have recently purchased vehicles sold from your vehicle inventory, and for which there is no customer information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer. Arrangements are to be made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin. A copy of the customer letter is provided in this bulletin for your use in contacting customers. Recall follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the customer may not as yet have received the notification letter.

In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this recall enters your vehicle inventory, or is in your dealership for service in the future, please take the steps necessary to be sure the recall correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.

Dear General Motors Customer:

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Federal regulation requires that any vehicle lessor receiving this recall notice must forward a copy of this notice to the lessee within ten days.

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 2003 and 2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles. These vehicles were built with a transmission shift cable assembly that may separate. If the cable assembly separates, the transmission shift lever position and the transmission indicator (PRNDL) may no longer correlate. The transmission indicator (PRNDL), however, will always indicate the actual transmission gear, or PARK, regardless of the shift lever position. With this condition, the driver may believe that they have shifter into another gear but the transmission will remain in the last gear selected. If this were to occur, the vehicle may move in a direction not anticipated by the driver, of the driver put the vehicle in PARK and the vehicle is on an uneven surface, the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible vehicle crash without prior warning.

Until the vehicle is repaired, the driver should always check the position of the transmission indicator (PRNDL) when changing transmission gears and when parking the vehicle.

Your GM dealer will inspect the transmission shift cable assembly, and if necessary, replace it. This service will be performed for you at no charge .

This inspection will take approximately 15 minutes. An additional 25 minutes will be required if the transmission shift cable assembly requires replacement. However, due to service scheduling requirements, your dealer may need your vehicle for a longer period of time.

To limit any possible inconvenience, we recommend that you contact your GM dealer as soon as possible to schedule an appointment for this repair. By scheduling an appointment, your dealer can ensure that the necessary parts will be available on your scheduled appointment date.

Should your dealer be unable to schedule a service date within a reasonable time, you should contact the appropriate Customer Assistance Center at the number listed below. The Customer Assistance Center hours of operation are from 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM eastern standard time Monday through Friday.

If, after contacting the appropriate customer assistance center, 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 SW, Washington, DC 20590 or call 1-888-327-4236.

The enclosed customer reply form identifies your vehicle. Presentation of this form to your dealer will assist in making the necessary correction in the shortest possible time. If you no longer own this vehicle, please let us know by completing the form and mailing it back to us.

If your vehicle is within the New Vehicle Limited Warranty your dealer may provide you with shuttle service or some other form of courtesy transportation while your vehicle is at the dealership for this repair. Please refer to your Owner's Manual and your dealer for details on Courtesy Transportation.

More information about this recall (including frequently asked questions) is available online at the Owner Center at My GMLink. This free online service offers vehicle and ownership-related information and tools tailored to your specific vehicle. To join, visit www.mygmlink.com and enter your vehicle's 17-character vehicle identification number (VIN) shown on the enclosed form to get the most personalized information for your vehicle.

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 Corporation

Enclosure

04061