Attachment III - Technical Information
OVERVIEWThis program involves replacing steel wheels that are cracked and display certain symptoms of a cracked wheel, such as repeated slow air loss, steering wheel nibble or difficult to balance wheel and tire assembly. Once a cracked wheel has been replaced, inspect the remaining wheels on the vehicle using the following procedure.
Since some of the vehicles involved in this Customer Satisfaction Program are also involved in Safety Recall 03505, check OASIS. If involved in both 03S05 and 04M05, complete the Safety Recall instead of this procedure.
STEEL WHEEL IDENTIFICATION
1. NOTE: Prior approval is required for wheel replacement. Call the Special Service Support Center.
Replace any wheel exhibiting any of the following symptoms:
^ repeated slow air loss from a wheel/tire other than loose or damaged valve or valve stem,
^ nibble in the steering wheel,
^ difficulty in balancing the wheel and tire assembly (lateral runout).
2. Inspect the rest of the wheels on the vehicle.
a) Remove the hub caps or, if equipped, the full wheel covers by gently prying off the center cap, then loosening the five (5) plastic nuts securing the cover to the lug nuts.
b) Inspect the engineering part number suffix on all wheels including the spare. See Figure 1. The engineering part number is located on a raised surface on the outside face of the wheel between two (2) lug bolt holes. The suffix is the last two letters of the part number.
c) Wheels with the engineering part number suffixes CC or CD -
^ Inspect the date code to see if the wheel is subject for replacement per Safety Recall 03S05. Go To Step 3.
d) Wheels with engineering part number suffixes CF, AA or CG -
^ No date code inspection necessary
^ Wheels are subject for replacement per Customer Satisfaction Program 04M05 only if the vehicle is exhibiting any of the following symptoms:
1) repeated slow air loss from a wheel/tire other than loose or damaged valve or valve stem,
2) nibble in the steering wheel,
3) or difficulty in balancing the wheel and tire assembly (lateral runout).
3. NOTE: The date code is stamped in one of two locations: either on the inboard side of the wheel near the bead, or next to the valve stem and is visible from the outside once the full wheel cover is removed and the area around the valve stem is cleaned. If the date code cannot be read, call the Special Service Support Center for direction.
Clean the wheel as necessary and read the build date code. See Figure 2.
Wheel build date codes are shown.
WHEEL REPLACEMENT
WARNING:
ALL REPLACED WHEELS MUST BE PERMANENTLY DISABLED.
1. Remove the affected wheel/tire from the vehicle.
2. Following the tire changing equipment manufacturer's instructions, remove the tire from the known suspect wheel.
3. Install a new valve stem in the new wheel. Mount and balance the wheel and tire assembly.
4. Reinstall the wheel and tire assemblies. Tighten lug nuts to 129 Nm (95 lb.ft).
5. Install the wheel covers/hub caps. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN the wheel cover attaching nuts.
6. Secure the spare tire in the trunk.
WHEEL DEMOLITION
WARNING:
ALL REPLACED WHEELS MUST BE PERMANENTLY DISABLED AS OUTLINED.
WARNING:
WHEN DISABLING A REPLACED WHEEL USING AN AIR CHISEL, PERSONAL PROTECTION DEVICES SUCH AS EYE AND HEARING PROTECTION ARE REQUIRED.
CAUTION:
Cut the wheel from the valve stem hole down toward the bead area of the wheel. Do not cut sideways and destroy the build date code.
NOTE:
Returned wheels not disabled in accordance with the procedure detailed here and returned non-affected wheels, subject to chargeback.
1. With the wheel facing down, use an air chisel with a sharp bit to cut a gouge no less than 12-mm (1/2-inch) long in the wheel from the valve stem hole down toward the bead area. The gouge must be large enough and the wheel deformed enough to ensure it cannot be easily repaired. See Figure 3.
2. Retain the wheel for possible warranty parts return. See your service manager or parts manager for further instruction.
ONE-TIME INSPECTION (TO BE PERFORMED ONLY AT FLEET'S REQUEST)
^ This one-time inspection may be performed even without any report of cracked or leaking wheels.
^ This procedure is for vehicles that, according to the Fleet customer, may have had the factory installed wheels removed and replaced with others from their stock or from another vehicle.
^ This procedure is to identify if any wheel subject to replacement under Safety Recall 03S05 has been installed on a vehicle produced outside the Safety Recall affected vehicle range.
INSPECTION
1. Remove the hub caps or, if equipped, the full wheel covers by gently prying off the center cap, then loosening the five (5) plastic nuts securing the cover to the lug nuts.
2. Inspect the engineering part number suffix on all wheels including the spare. See Figure 4. The engineering part number is located on a raised surface on the outside face of the wheel between two lug bolt holes. The suffix is the last two letters of the part number.
3. Wheels with the engineering part number suffixes CC or CD -
^ Inspect the date code to see if the wheel is subject for replacement per Safety Recall 03S05.
Go To Step 5.
4. Wheels with engineering part number suffixes CF, AA or CG -
^ No date code inspection is necessary.
^ Wheels are subject for replacement per Customer Satisfaction Program 04M05 only if the vehicle is exhibiting any of the following symptoms:
1) repeated slow air loss from a wheel/tire other than loose or damaged valve or valve stem,
2) nibble in the steering wheel,
3) or difficulty in balancing the wheel and tire assembly (lateral runout).
5. Clean the wheel around the valve stem as necessary and read the build date code. See Figure 5.
NOTE:
The date code is stamped in one of two locations: either on the inboard side of the wheel near the bead, or next to the valve stem and is visible from the outside once the full wheel cover is removed and the area around the valve stem is cleaned. If the date code cannot be read, contact your dealer for assistance.
Wheel build date codes are shown.