Ignition Control Module Replacement (03-C-06A)

IGNITION CONTROL MODULE REPLACEMENT

SERVICE CAMPAIGN BULLETIN

SERVICE INFORMATION

The US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act provides that each vehicle that is subject to a recall 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 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 letter, customers are told how to contact the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if the recall is not completed within a reasonable time.

CONDITION

Saturn has decided that a defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists in 2000, 2001, 2002 and certain 2003 Saturn L-Series vehicles equipped with 4-cylinder 2.2L (L61) engines. A failure of the ignition control module in these vehicles may cause deterioration in idle quality, reduction in overall engine power and the vehicle may be hard to start. Continued operation of the vehicle after such an ignition module failure will result in the "Service Engine Soon" light flashing, and may lead to secondary failures of the catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, and exhaust resonator. Failure of the resonator will cause increased exhaust noise and prolonged operation of the vehicle following a resonator failure may lead to an undercar fire without other prior warning.

CORRECTION

Retailers will (1) replace the ignition control module, or (2) replace the ignition control module and spark plugs, or (3) replace the ignition control module and spark plugs and update the powertrain control module calibration on certain vehicles.

Vehicles Involved

2000, 2001, 2002 and certain  2003 Saturn L-Series vehicles equipped with 4-Cylinder 2.2L (L61) engines within the following VIN range will require this recall:

YY600001 - YY703800 

1Y500001 - 1Y600000 

2Y500001 - 2Y601000 

3Y500001 - 3Y579749 

You must verify recall involvement through your AS400 system. It is important to note that recall claims will only be paid on involved vehicles. 

OWNER NOTIFICATION

Owners of all involved vehicles will be notified of this recall by Saturn at a later date. (Refer to the owner letter included in this bulletin.)

FACILITY VIN LISTING

A list of vehicles assigned to you (Facility VIN Listing), which our records indicate were sold by or shipped to you, (or are located in close proximity to your facility) will be provided to you when it is available.

The listing will contain:

• Complete vehicle identification number (VIN); and
• VINs of vehicles, which according to Saturn records are in retail stock.

Those Retailers not involved initially in this recall will receive a message at the top of a blank Facility VIN Listing that states: NO VEHICLES ASSIGNED AT THIS TIME FOR RECALL 03-C-06. 

RETAILER RESPONSIBILITY

All unsold vehicles in Retailers' possession and subject to this recall must be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this recall bulletin before owners take possession of these vehicles.

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

Owners who have recently purchased vehicles sold from your vehicle inventory, and for which there is no customer information indicated on the retailer listing, are to be contacted by the retailer. Arrangements are to be made to make the required correction according to the procedure contained in this bulletin. This could be done by mailing to such customers, a copy of the customer letter accompanying this bulletin. Recall follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the customer may not have received the notification letter.

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

CUSTOMER REIMBURSEMENT

All customer requests for reimbursement for previous repairs for the recall condition may be handled by the Retailer or the Saturn Customer Assistance Center.

A Saturn Product Recall Customer Reimbursement Procedure Form will be included with the customer letter.

TRANSFER OF RECALL RESPONSIBILITY

Saturn vehicles that have been sold by you, which may be closer in proximity to another Saturn Retailer, may still appear on your Facility VIN Listing. If either you or the vehicle owner determines that it is more desirable for a vehicle on your Facility VIN Listing to be serviced by another Saturn Retailer, or if the customer's address has recently changed, recall responsibility may be transferred by completing the following:

• Submit a Recall Vehicle Action Report to your Customer Assistance Manager (CAM) at the Saturn Customer Assistance Center.

  -OR- 

• Submit an update in owner information to the Saturn Owner of Record system, via SERVICELINE XL, for Saturn Customer Assistance Center review and approval.

A copy of the Recall Vehicle Action Report is included for your reference. Additional copies can be ordered from Saturn Publications (1-800-828-2112, prompt 3, Item # S032002RVAR). All changes to recall responsibility will be reflected in your next Unfixed VIN Report.

All other changes in vehicle status (e.g., scrapped, stolen, etc.) are to be made in accordance with section 4.4.3 of the Retailer Service Reference Guide, "Notifying Saturn of Vehicle Status Change."

Parts Information

1. A pre-shipment of ignition control modules and spark plugs required to perform this recall will be automatically sent to you from Saturn Service Parts Operations (SSPO) prior to the mailing of recall owner letters beginning late July.  These initial shipments are to aid Retailers in recall preparation and ensure minimal customer inconvenience. In addition, stocking policy recommendations will be sent to aid in the completion of this recall. Please approve your recommended stocking policies. Further shipments will automatically be sent after your initial shipment based on stocking policies.
2. Should you require any additional parts, please contact your Parts Support Analyst (PSA) and we will expedite the shipment.

Part Number	Description	Qty/ Vehicle
12580215	Module-Asm Ign Coil	1
12569190	Spark Plug Asm	4

DISPOSITION OF REPLACED PARTS

Retailers will scrap all replaced parts in a manner that ensures that they cannot be reused, remanufactured, or otherwise entered into the stream of commerce in the future.

SUGGESTIONS FOR ENSURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

As you know, Saturn's success hinges upon our ability to execute superior customer support throughout the ownership experience, especially when important corrective actions such as this are required. It is imperative that every effort is made to accommodate the affected owners. Additionally, priority should be given to customer vehicles over retail inventory vehicles. If you have any questions, please coordinate with the Saturn Customer Assistance Center to help ensure customer satisfaction.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

Fig 2: Model Year Label
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
1. The required service procedure is determined by the model year of the vehicle.
   • 2000 or 2001: Perform steps 2, 4 and 5. (Replace spark plugs and ignition control module [ICM].)
   • 2002: Perform steps 2, 3, 4 and 5. (Update powertrain control module [PCM] calibration as needed; replace spark plugs and ICM.)
   • 2003: If vehicle identification number (VIN) is 3Y530041 or lower, perform steps 2, 3, 4 and 5. (Update PCM calibration as needed; replace spark plugs and [ICM].) If VIN is 3Y530042 or higher, determine repair steps required based on engine unit number (EUN) as follows:
     • EUNs up to and including 211019999, perform steps 2, 4 and 5. (Replace spark plugs and ignition control module.)
     • EUNs from 211020001-304220120, perform step 5. (Replace ICM.)
     • EUNs greater than 304220121 are not involved in the recall. No action is required.
Fig 3: Ignition Coil Housing Assembly
Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.
2. Remove ignition coil housing assembly.
   1. Turn ignition Off.
   2. Remove terminal position assurance (TPA) device from powertrain control module (PCM)/ignition coil module (ICM) connector.
   3. Disconnect PCM/ICM electrical connector.
   4. Remove ignition coil housing attachment bolts and remove ignition coil housing.
   IMPORTANT: Step 3 applies only to 2002 and certain 2003 model year vehicles, as indicated in step 1.
3. Using a portable scan tool, check current PCM calibration ID. Refer to 2002 or 2003 Model Year Calibration Table below, as appropriate.
   Fig 4: 2002 or 2003 Model Year Calibration Tables

   Courtesy of GENERAL MOTORS CORP.