Tech Service Bulletins

[Melitta]

Is paying a company the only way to get the Tech Service Bulletins for your car?  We have a few issues with my 1995 Pontiac Grand Am and after much research I have found that each problem has had a TSB issued on it.  Is the Pontiac dealership "required" to show me the TSB's if I ask or can they refuse?  It is really irritating to find out that some of the problems, mainly the brakes, were issued a TSB 4 months BEFORE I bought the car.  Why the heck didn't they fix THAT problem before they sold it too me??  I bought the car new with 12 miles on it.

[Dave]

Is paying a company the only way to get the Tech Service Bulletins for your car?  We have a few issues with my 1995 Pontiac Grand Am and after much research I have found that each problem has had a TSB issued on it.  Is the Pontiac dealership "required" to show me the TSB's if I ask or can they refuse?  It is really irritating to find out that some of the problems, mainly the brakes, were issued a TSB 4 months BEFORE I bought the car.  Why the heck didn't they fix THAT problem before they sold it too me??  I bought the car new with 12 miles on it.

If you know anyone at the dealership they will or should get the tsb,s for you. Ive got a budy that is part owner at a chevy dealership and I know the head wrench and the parts guy really well so they hook me up all the time. Thw other thing is to search online and see if you can figure out what the stb,s are all about cause someof them are repeats of others.  By the way whats going on with the grand am. Maybe i can help.... im off to the doctor back in a few hours
Dave

[Melitta]

Is paying a company the only way to get the Tech Service Bulletins for your car?  We have a few issues with my 1995 Pontiac Grand Am and after much research I have found that each problem has had a TSB issued on it.  Is the Pontiac dealership "required" to show me the TSB's if I ask or can they refuse?  It is really irritating to find out that some of the problems, mainly the brakes, were issued a TSB 4 months BEFORE I bought the car.  Why the heck didn't they fix THAT problem before they sold it too me??  I bought the car new with 12 miles on it.

If you know anyone at the dealership they will or should get the tsb,s for you. Ive got a budy that is part owner at a chevy dealership and I know the head wrench and the parts guy really well so they hook me up all the time. Thw other thing is to search online and see if you can figure out what the stb,s are all about cause someof them are repeats of others.  By the way whats going on with the grand am. Maybe i can help.... im off to the doctor back in a few hours
Dave

First off, let me say I hope the doctor appointment went well.

As for the car, we are having a problem with the back brakes grabbing and dragging the tire.  We have replaced the brakes 4 times, including the wheel cylinders.  It seems to be a problem with the wheel cylinders but aren't sure. (The car only has 78,000 miles on it).  The brakes do fine for about a month or so and then we are back to grabbing and dragging again. One of the TSB's was the following...

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
Summary:  REAR WHEEL BRAKE DRAG.
Service Bulletin Num : 435013
Date of Bulletin: FEB 01, 1995
NHTSA Item Number: 39289

For the brakes there was also this TSB with alldata..
03-05-24-001A MAR 05    Brakes - Wheel Cylinder Inspection Guidelines

The other problem is the Torque Converter Clutch solenoid.  We have it unplugged at the moment.  Not sure if we do need to fix this or if it is OK to run it with it unplugged.  Any thoughts on that?

I am thinking that is this TSB...
01-07-30-010B OCT 05    A/T - Torque Converter Replacement

The other minor problems we are having, that I can live with if I can get the brakes and the tcc (if needed) fixed are these TSB's...

Service Bulletin Num : 833208 Date of Bulletin: OCT 01, 1998
NHTSA Item Number: 602826  
Component: STEERING
Summary:  SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT A SQUEAK/ SQUAWK TYPE NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AREA WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. *YC  

*****
Service Bulletin Num : 971101631041 Date of Bulletin: NOV 01, 1997
NHTSA Item Number: 54065  
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR  
Summary:  COMMENTS ON INOPERATIVE POWER DOOR LOCKS (FRONT AND/OR REAR DOORS).

Other than that, I have no complaints on the car and love it to death.  I do have one more question, not related to TSB's.  We have a leak in the A/C.  We have refilled and within a week we have lost it all.   Mr. Melitta  can replace the hoses and o-rings, but once that is done...do we have to evacuate the system or can we simply refill with the R134A freon?  We tried a can of the stop leak/leak detector and never could see where it is leaking from.

Thanks for any and all help!

[Dave]

Is paying a company the only way to get the Tech Service Bulletins for your car?  We have a few issues with my 1995 Pontiac Grand Am and after much research I have found that each problem has had a TSB issued on it.  Is the Pontiac dealership "required" to show me the TSB's if I ask or can they refuse?  It is really irritating to find out that some of the problems, mainly the brakes, were issued a TSB 4 months BEFORE I bought the car.  Why the heck didn't they fix THAT problem before they sold it too me??  I bought the car new with 12 miles on it.

If you know anyone at the dealership they will or should get the tsb,s for you. Ive got a budy that is part owner at a chevy dealership and I know the head wrench and the parts guy really well so they hook me up all the time. Thw other thing is to search online and see if you can figure out what the stb,s are all about cause someof them are repeats of others.  By the way whats going on with the grand am. Maybe i can help.... im off to the doctor back in a few hours
Dave

First off, let me say I hope the doctor appointment went well.

As for the car, we are having a problem with the back brakes grabbing and dragging the tire.  We have replaced the brakes 4 times, including the wheel cylinders.  It seems to be a problem with the wheel cylinders but aren't sure. (The car only has 78,000 miles on it).  The brakes do fine for about a month or so and then we are back to grabbing and dragging again. One of the TSB's was the following...

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
Summary:  REAR WHEEL BRAKE DRAG.
Service Bulletin Num : 435013
Date of Bulletin: FEB 01, 1995
NHTSA Item Number: 39289

For the brakes there was also this TSB with alldata..
03-05-24-001A MAR 05    Brakes - Wheel Cylinder Inspection Guidelines

The other problem is the Torque Converter Clutch solenoid.  We have it unplugged at the moment.  Not sure if we do need to fix this or if it is OK to run it with it unplugged.  Any thoughts on that?

I am thinking that is this TSB...
01-07-30-010B OCT 05    A/T - Torque Converter Replacement

The other minor problems we are having, that I can live with if I can get the brakes and the tcc (if needed) fixed are these TSB's...

Service Bulletin Num : 833208 Date of Bulletin: OCT 01, 1998
NHTSA Item Number: 602826  
Component: STEERING
Summary:  SOME CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT ABOUT A SQUEAK/ SQUAWK TYPE NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN AREA WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. *YC  

*****
Service Bulletin Num : 971101631041 Date of Bulletin: NOV 01, 1997
NHTSA Item Number: 54065  
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR  
Summary:  COMMENTS ON INOPERATIVE POWER DOOR LOCKS (FRONT AND/OR REAR DOORS).

Other than that, I have no complaints on the car and love it to death.  I do have one more question, not related to TSB's.  We have a leak in the A/C.  We have refilled and within a week we have lost it all.   Mr. Melitta  can replace the hoses and o-rings, but once that is done...do we have to evacuate the system or can we simply refill with the R134A freon?  We tried a can of the stop leak/leak detector and never could see where it is leaking from.

Thanks for any and all help!

The doctors appointment went welll but i knew already id be off work for  minimum of 6 weeks.    Lemme make some calls tomorrow and se if i can get some answers for you. For your own good if i was going to chnge all the hoses and o rings on the ac id vaccum it down anyway.  I may be a leak some where else in the system also
Dave

[MrMopar64]

Is paying a company the only way to get the Tech Service Bulletins for your car?  We have a few issues with my 1995 Pontiac Grand Am and after much research I have found that each problem has had a TSB issued on it.  Is the Pontiac dealership "required" to show me the TSB's if I ask or can they refuse?  It is really irritating to find out that some of the problems, mainly the brakes, were issued a TSB 4 months BEFORE I bought the car.  Why the heck didn't they fix THAT problem before they sold it too me??  I bought the car new with 12 miles on it.

I don't know about GM but Chrylser will give you the info over the phone.
You just call with the vin number and they will tell you any that have been issued and what ones have already been done...... In my case I bought the car used

MM64  

[Dave]

Is paying a company the only way to get the Tech Service Bulletins for your car?  We have a few issues with my 1995 Pontiac Grand Am and after much research I have found that each problem has had a TSB issued on it.  Is the Pontiac dealership "required" to show me the TSB's if I ask or can they refuse?  It is really irritating to find out that some of the problems, mainly the brakes, were issued a TSB 4 months BEFORE I bought the car.  Why the heck didn't they fix THAT problem before they sold it too me??  I bought the car new with 12 miles on it.

How many miles on this car ? did you replace the rear rubber brake lines. Id try that first.
Dave

[Fat Cat]

do we have to evacuate the system or can we simply refill with the R134A freon?

Thanks for any and all help!

The answer to that question is yes it has to be evacuated. When the system is opened up moisture will be introduced into the system. This moisture has to be removed before freon can be added. The only way to do this is to pull a vacuum on the system. It has to be pulled to a minimum of 29 inches of vacuum for 30 minutes.

Also it is against the law to open the system without having the freon evacuated first.

[Melitta]

How many miles on this car ? did you replace the rear rubber brake lines. Id try that first.
Dave

Yes, we did do this.  If I remember correctly... there is some sort of metal tube in there.  We thought maybe the tube had collapsed and was restricting the brake fluid.  The tube was fine, but we changed the lines anyway.  The car has 78,000 miles on it.  We even unplugged the ABS at the master cylinder to see if that was causing the problem.  Nope.  We also found out that if you pull the fuse for the ABS at the fuse box, you disable the windshield wipers and I think the door locks on the car.  Guess that was one way for Pontiac to make sure you didn't disable the ABS.   On the TSB for back tire drag it said....
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS

I understand the service brakes part, but what is the Hydraulic and foundation components?


The answer to that question is yes it has to be evacuated. When the system is opened up moisture will be introduced into the system. This moisture has to be removed before freon can be added. The only way to do this is to pull a vacuum on the system. It has to be pulled to a minimum of 29 inches of vacuum for 30 minutes.

Also it is against the law to open the system without having the freon evacuated first.

I thought it would have to be evacuated, just wanted to make sure.  Not sure and this may seem like a stupid question, but if we have a leak...wouldn't all the freon be out of the system already?  Meaning...no big deal if we change the hoses and o-rings ourselves cause the freon is already gone?  The A/C is blowing at 91*, compared to the 50ish it used to blow.  I have a friend who owns a body shop, I am going to call him today and see if he has the equipment to vacuum the system for us.  We are trying to do as much ourselves simply because this is a BIG repair cost in Texas.  Just to have the A/C looked at (to tell me what I already know, that there is a leak) is a $50 charge.  It just gets worse from there.  I know people who have paid anywhere from $200 to $900 for A/C repairs.  On the other hand, it really isn't a option in my case to go without A/C (little ones get VERY cranky when they get hot) but I will exhaust all other options BEFORE I let a shop get a hold of the car.

Thanks to all who have responded.  I really appreciate the advice and knowledge ya'll are willing to share!

[Fat Cat]

Not sure and this may seem like a stupid question, but if we have a leak...wouldn't all the freon be out of the system already?

In most cases you are right. But I have seen systems that will leak down to almost no freon in the system. It is against the law to allow even trace amounts to escape into the air. I would err on the side of caution and take it to someone with a recycling station and have the freon lines sucked down.

If you have someone with a set of freon gauges that can hook up to see what the system pressures look like then you might find that the system is indeed empty. If thats the case then I wouldn't worry about it.

[Melitta]

Well, everything seems to be coming together with the A/C.  Our friend does indeed have the equipment to fix it.  I also found out that Auto Zone rents the vacuum pump, so we still have the option of doing this work ourselves.  I am guessing that we will let our friend do the work though.  

Now I am off to do more research on why the brakes are grabbing and dragging the back tires....

Thanks again!