Recall - Seat Height Adjuster Defect

GROUP 52
Seats

Bulletin Number
52 03 92 (3575)

Woodcliff Lake, NJ
December 1992
Product Engineering

SUBJECT:
Recall Campaign No. 92V-055

MODEL:
E36

Description of Non-Compliance:
It is possible that the driver's seat height adjustment may change during a severe frontal impact, if the driver is unbelted. If this were to occur, the degree of driver chest injury in such an impact may increase.

Vehicles Affected:
BMW AG has determined that certain 1992 model year BMW 325i 4-door automobiles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, Occupant Crash Protection.

In addition, certain 1992 BMW 325i 2-door and 318i 2 and 4-door vehicles are being included in this recall campaign, even though these vehicles conform to FMVSS No. 208. This is to increase their margin of compliance to the standard and to maintain uniformity of equipment between models.

In order to determine if a specific vehicle in this range is affected by the recall, it will be necessary to utilize the Service Menu of the DCS (Dealer Communications System). Proceed to Inquiries; Vehicle History and enter the Chassis Number (last seven characters) of the vehicle in question. Based on the response of the system, either proceed with the corrective action or take no further action.

Note
If a customer presents the Customer Notification Letter (for that Chassis Number) it is not necessary to inquire on DCS. Perform the required inspection and/or repair.





The Chassis Number Ranges listed are only for informational purposes and are not to be considered as the only deciding factor. The affected vehicles are limited to vehicles within these ranges, but not all of these vehicles are affected by the recall. The final decision factor is the DCS inquiry and/or the Customer Notification Letter.

Under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, as recently amended, if there has been a recall campaign, dealers must assure that all new vehicles and new items of replacement equipment are free of safety defects and comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards at the time of delivery to the consumer. This means that dealers may not sell or lease new motor vehicles or new items of replacement equipment unless the safety defect or non-compliance has been remedied before delivery.





Correction:
Installation of a damper assembly (part number 52 10 8 164 893) in the driver's seat frame to limit travel. The passenger seat is not affected by this campaign.

Raise seat to highest position. Disconnect safety belt tensioner arming cable on drive's seat, remove safety belt fastening bolt, disconnect wiring harness and remove seat from car. Lay the seat on its side on a clean work surface. Seat does not require disassembly.

VERSION 1: VEHICLES BUILT THROUGH JANUARY 1992:





Compress the damper assembly from the parts kit slowly and place inside seat frame between the front and rear crossmembers. (See illustration for proper position.) The longer portion of the rear bracket must point down towards the bottom of the seat.

Fasten the rear bracket in place with the large shoulder washer and 8 mm nut from the parts kit as illustrated. Hold the rear bracket to prevent it from turning from the straight-down position, and tighten nut to 10 Nm.

Fasten the front damper bracket to the front crossmember with two 6 mm hex head bolts, shoulder washers, and nuts as shown in illustration. Before tightening, make sure that the white washer on the piston rod of the damper is back against the body of the damper, and not trapped between the piston rod and front bracket. Tighten both bolts to 10 Nm.

Remove plastic limit stop for height adjustment stop using a punch.





VERSION 2: VEHICLES BUILT FROM JANUARY 1992:

Separate the front bracket from the damper assembly by removing the spring clip and pin. This is necessary because the bracket is fastened to the crossmember by using a self-tapping Torx screw, and the Torx driver will not clear the damper if it is still attached to the bracket.

Fasten the front bracket to the crossmember with the self-tapping Torx screw from the hardware kit. The Torx screw goes through the rear hole of the bracket, into a round stamped boss in the crossmember. Tighten to 8 Nm.

Install and fasten the rear bracket as in "Version 1" vehicles.

Special Note for Two Door Models:

There is a wire restraining cable to limit forward movement of the seat when the seat back is tilted forward. The rear end of this cable is fastened to the hole that is utilized for mounting the front damper assembly bracket. Remove the Torx screw that fastens the rear of the cable, cut the cable at the forward end and discard the cable. The bracket may then be installed as above

Reconnect the damper assembly to the front bracket with the pin and spring clip. No other fastener is required for the front bracket.

ALL VEHICLES (1991 and 1992 Production):

Reinstall seat in car. Install all seat attachment fasteners finger tight. Move seat all the way forward. Move back to second catch from the front, and check to make sure that the adjustmen catches are fully engaged. While sitting in the rear seat, grasp the backrest of the driver's seat and push and pull several times to make certain that the seat rails are aligned properly. Tighter rear fasteners to 55 Nm.

Move seat to the rearmost position, and check to see that the adjustment catches have engaged fully. Tighten front fasteners to 55 Nm. Tighten safety belt fastening bolt to 48 Nm. Reconnect safety belt tensioner arming cable and wiring harness.

Check for possible binding of seat damper by changing seat height while seated in the seat.





Parts Information:

Kit contains sufficient fastening hardware for either "Version 1" or "Version 2" vehicles. Fasteners not used for the particular repair may be discarded. An initial quantity of this kit will be pre-allocated to your dealership. Refer to S.I. 00 21 92 (3628) for more details.

Service Action Label Instructions:
In order to keep the B pillar as neat and uncluttered as possible, maximize the use of each label by punching all applicable campaigns on the same label(s).

If a particular vehicle has an existing label on the B pillar from your dealership, proceed as follows:

- Note the number(s) punched out on the old label(s)

- Punch out the same number(s) on the new label(s), including all applicable campaign numbers being performed

- Carefully remove the old label(s) and affix the new label(s) to the B pillar. If no existing label from your dealership is found, a new label must be used. Do not remove labels which have other dealer numbers.

This Recall Campaign has been assigned code number 73. After the prescribed work has beer performed, obtain a label (SD 91-013) and:

a) emboss your BMW dealer warranty number in the middle of the label;

b) punch out code number 73 printed on the label (and any other applicable numbers as described above);





c) bend label to crease an edge, and remove the backing paper. Then affix it to driver's side B pillar as shown:

Do not affix one label on top of another one, because a number from an underlying label could appear in the punched out hole of the new label.





Warranty Status:
Reimbursement for this recall campaign will be via Campaign Entry.