Special Coverage Adjustment N182188250: Loss of Continuity within Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor Circuit

Affected Vehicles

Involved vehicles are identified on the Applicable Warranties section in GM Global Warranty Management system. This site should always be checked to confirm vehicle involvement prior to beginning any required inspections and/or repairs.

Condition

Certain 2016-2018 model year Chevrolet Malibu, 2017-2018 model year Buick LaCrosse, and 2018 model year Buick Regal vehicles may have a condition which affects the electrical connection to one of the vehicle's accelerator pedal position sensors. If this electrical connection is interrupted, the accelerator pedal will still function, but the vehicle will enter a reduced engine power mode in which the vehicle's maximum acceleration and torque are reduced. Additionally, the Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine Light) will illuminate, the 'Engine Power is Reduced' message will display, and a diagnostic trouble code for Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor Correlation (P2138) will be set when this condition occurs.

Special Coverage Adjustment

This special coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 10 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 km), whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership.

For vehicles covered by Vehicle Service Contracts, all eligible claims with repair orders on or after August 15, 2019, are covered by this special coverage and must be submitted using the labor operation codes provided with this bulletin. Claims with repair orders prior to August 15, 2019, must be submitted to the Service Contract provider.

Vehicle owners or lessees who paid for repairs referenced in this Special Coverage (“Customers”) are eligible for reimbursement of their reasonable and customary expenses in accordance with the procedures specified below. The conditional right to reimbursement is provided by GM solely in the interest of customer satisfaction and is personal to Customers. Customers may not assign and GM does not consent to any assignment of any Customer's right to submit reimbursement claims, or to receive reimbursement, or any other rights granted by this Special Coverage to any third party, including but not limited to service contract providers, and this Special Coverage is not intended to and does not confer any third party beneficiary, subrogation or contribution rights, or any other rights to reimbursement, against GM, whether in law, equity or otherwise, on any third parties.

Correction

Dealers are to replace the accelerator pedal and position sensor assembly as necessary and repair the engine wire harness (Malibu LFV only). The repairs will be made at no charge to the customer.

Parts

* To obtain the PET tape, contact Kent Automotive at 1-888-937-5368 (USA), 1-800-563-1717 (Canada), or www.kentautomotive.com to request the special-order part number 1089482. Dealers that do not have a Kent Automotive account or representative must advise the Customer Service Representative that part 1089482 is being used for GM Bulletin to obtain special bulletin pricing. Do not order from GMCCA.

Reminder: Parts may be removed from Retail Inventory Management (RIM). Dealers should review the affected parts to confirm RIM managed status. Parts may have quantity limiters in effect.

Warranty Information

* The amount identified in “Net Item” should represent the actual sum total of the current GMCC&A Dealer net price for woven polyester electrical tape needed to perform the required repairs, not to exceed $0.66 USD/CAD, plus applicable Mark-Up or Landed Cost (for Export).

** For USA and Canada: Submit the dollar amount reimbursed to the Customer in Net/Reimbursement. Submit $20.00 administrative allowance in Net/Admin Allowance.

*** For Export: Submit the dollar amount reimbursed to the Customer in Net/Reimbursement. Submit $10.00 administrative allowance in Net/Admin Allowance.

Service Procedure

Step 1: Diagnostic Assessment

A vehicle may come in with DTC P2138 current or in history. This may be accompanied by a loss of engine power. Follow the diagnostics located in SI for DTC P2122, P2123, P2127, P2128, or P2138 to determine if the accelerator pedal position sensor requires replacement.

• If diagnostics lead to the accelerator pedal position sensor replacement, refer to Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor Replacement in SI.
• If diagnostics do NOT lead to the accelerator pedal position sensor replacement, no further repairs are covered under this special coverage. Claim diagnostic time and inform the customer that any further diagnostic or repair time will be under warranty, customer pay, or good will.

Step 2: Malibu (LFV Engine) Specific Inspection

On Malibu (LFV engine) applications only, inspect the engine wire harness adjacent to the heater inlet hose for contact with the heater inlet hose clamp on the engine outlet portion of the hose. This inspection is to identify potential rubbing or damage.

Caution: The heater hose clamp may be glued to the heater hose. If the clamp is glued to the heater hose, do not attempt to rotate the heater hose clamp, as heater hose damage may occur and clamp may have residual rubber material on it. Instead, replace the heater hose and both clamps.

Step 3: Heater Hose Clamp and Wire Harness Interaction

If contact is observed between the heater hose clamp and the engine wire harness, attempt to rotate the heater hose clamp tabs away from the engine harness, ensuring the clamp stays within the alignment guide markings.

• If the heater inlet hose clamp is not glued to the heater inlet hose, rotate the heater inlet hose clamp so the tabs are facing away from the engine wire harness. Ensure the clamp stays within the alignment guide markings. There should be at least ½ inch (19mm) of clearance between the heater hose clamp tabs and the engine wire harness.
• If the heater hose clamp is glued to the heater hose, replace the heater inlet hose and both heater hose clamps, being sure to clock the heater inlet hose clamps so the tabs are facing away from any adjacent engine wire harnesses. Ensure the clamp stays within the alignment guide markings. Refer to Heater Inlet Hose Replacement (LFV) in SI.
• If any damage is observed to the engine harness, repair the harness and the affected circuits. Refer to Wire to Wire Repair in SI. Rewrap the harness in the affected area with PET tape in addition to clocking the hose clamp away from the harness to ensure another rub-through event is no longer possible.

Courtesy Transportation (For USA & Canada)

Courtesy transportation is available for Customers whose vehicles are involved in a product program and still within the warranty coverage period. See General Motors Service Policies and Procedures Manual, Sections 1.4 and 6.1.10, for courtesy transportation program details.

Customer Notification

General Motors will notify Customers of this special coverage on their vehicle (see copy of typical Customer letter included with this bulletin).

Customer Reimbursement

Customer requests for reimbursement of previously paid repairs to correct the condition described in this bulletin are to be submitted to the dealer prior to or by August 31, 2020. See General Motors Service Policies and Procedures Manual, Section 6.1.11 Product Field Action Customer Reimbursement Procedure (USA & Canada) or local Policies and Procedures, for details.

The right to submit reimbursement claims is provided by GM solely in the interest of customer satisfaction and is personal to vehicle owners and lessees who previously paid for repairs referenced in this Special Coverage ("Customers"). Customers may not assign and GM does not consent to any assignment of any Customer's right to submit reimbursement claims, or to receive reimbursement, or any other rights granted by this Special Coverage to any third party, including but not limited to service contract providers, and this Special Coverage is not intended to and does not confer any third party beneficiary, subrogation or contribution rights, or any other rights to reimbursement, against GM, whether in law, equity or otherwise, on any third parties.

Important Note for Technicians

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these 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 tools, equipment, 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 your dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the information.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact your dealer or the appropriate Customer Assistance Center at the number listed below.

We are sorry for any inconvenience you may experience; however, we have taken this action in the interest of your continued satisfaction with our products.

Neelie O'Connor
Executive Director
North America Contact Center Operations

Enclosure: N182188250

Dealer Communication Summary

Date: June 19, 2020

Subject: N182188250-02 - Special Coverage Loss of Continuity within Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor Circuit Revised Parts Table

Models: 2017-2018 Buick LaCrosse
2018 Buick Regal
2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu

To: All General Motors Dealers

The Parts Table was updated. Please discard all previous copies of bulletin N182188250.