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What are the GM
customer service phone numbers?
Where can I get
authentication documents and information for my car?
Where
can I get GM original parts catalogs?
Are Technical Service
Bulletins (TSBs) available on-line?
Will installing
aftermarket parts void my warranty?
What is the difference
between Net and Gross horsepower?
What is wrong if my car
refuses to turn over or even crank?
How can I keep my car
from being stolen?
Are there any car ramps which won't
scrape my lower air dam/valance?
What
are the GM customer service phone numbers?
Pontiac: 1-800-762-2737 and Chevy: 1-800-222-1020.
These numbers can put you in touch with people who can give you information,
take complaints, and find out the status of your order.
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Where can I get
authentication documents and information for my car?
If you have a Pontiac, send your VIN and $35 to
Pontiac Historic Services, P.O. Box 884, Sterling Heights, MI 48311-0884.
They'll provide a copy of the window sticker and other info regarding your car.
If you have a Chevy which was built in Canada, then call 1-800-263-3830 and ask
for the Vintage Department. They charge $45 for the information. As for US
Chevys, while there is currently no "official" service which provides such
information, a company called AAA Enterprises (317-875-7635) can possibly get
you a copy of your window sticker. If you know the name of the original owner
and the dealership he or she purchased it through, call that dealership, give
them the original owner's name. They should have a file with the original
invoice Get a copy of the invoice and you can send it to AAA. They will get you
a very close-to-original window sticker. Also, you can give AAA your VIN and
every available option down to floor mats, and they will produce a window
sticker from that info. It may not be exactly the same as the original, but
it's close. AAA provides this for Pontiacs, too.
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Where can I get GM
original parts catalogs?
To obtain an order form for parts catalogs, contact:
GM Photographic
Publication Processing Center
31752 Enterprise Drive
Livonia, MI 48150
313-422-2993
The printed parts books have been discontinued
since 1993. To get this information on microfiche, contact:
Bell & Howell Publications Systems Company
General Motors Representative
1909 Old Mansfield Road
Wooster, OH 44691-9050
800-221-5362 (voice)
216-264-6616 (fax)
Here are a few examples on fiche:
11 Chevrolet Passenger Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1965-1975 $10.00
20 Pontiac Passenger Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1965-1975 $10.00
10 Chevrolet Passenger Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1976-1981 $10.00
21 Pontiac Passenger Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1976-1981 $10.00
17F Chevrolet "F" Car Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1982-1992 $12.00
22F Pontiac "F" Car Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1982-1992 $12.00
18F Chevrolet "F" Car Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1993-1995 $5.00
25F Chevrolet "F" Car Parts & Illus. Catalog - 1993-1995 $5.00
89A GM Standard parts, maint. products and Label Catalog $6.00
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Are Technical Service
Bulletins (TSBs) available on-line?
One supplier of TSBs and repair manuals on CD-ROM is
a company called AllData. CDs are
released on a quarterly basis. For those of you with a WWW browser, AllData is
on the Net:
http://www.alldata.tsb.com/
Those of you who don't have WWW access, but can
FTP, check out:
ftp.alldata.tsb.com, login: anonymous
But before you open your Web browser or FTP
software, note, these are only an INDEX of TSBs online up through July 1994 (as
of 12/94). Yes every make and model and year (back to 1978) is there, BUT
again, it's only an index of the TSBs. To actually access the body and
substance of the TSBs, you must download their software. Then, using their
software with a modem you can dial into AllData and access everything that they
supply on CD-ROM (including TSBs, repair procedures, maintenance schedules,
etc.)
Once you download it, you have to contact them to get
a password and then you get 10 free minutes of usage time (BIG WHOOP!) After
that, there's a look-up fee per inquiry.
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Will installing
aftermarket parts void my warranty?
In most cases, "NO". The only way a dealer can void
the warranty is if they can undeniably prove that the
part(s) you installed
caused the problem you brought in to be fixed. And even if they deny warranty
work, the warranty itself CANNOT be voided. That is, if you installed new heads
or a cam, engine warranty claims could be denied, but suspension, brakes, and
other claims must be honored by the dealership. When it comes to basic intake
and exhaust parts, most of that aftermarket equipment is EPA and SEMA approved.
That means the car should not fail any emissions testing, and warrant work
cannot be denied as such. So denials of this nature should be reported to the
EPA at 202-233-9040 or 202-233-9100. For all other denials of implied or
expressed warranties, you might want to get the help of the Federal Trade
Commission at 202-326-3128.
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What is the
difference between Net and Gross horsepower?
Prior to 1972, dyno testing was done with an open
exhaust, no air cleaner, best fuel and timing for power, high octane leaded
gas, and no accessory drives. To correct the observed data, a standard
correction factor (29.92 inches of barometric pressure at 60 degrees Fahrenheit
dry air) was used. This is defined as the Gross Horsepower rating. In
1972, with the crunch of the fuel crisis and insurance crack-downs, the SAE
called for a switch to a Net Horsepower rating. This required the engine
to be dressed with all the accessory drives (alternator, power steering pump, AC
compressor, AIR pump) and full production exhaust system. Also, the engine was
tuned to safe fuel and spark curves, and the standard correction factor was
changed to 29.24 inches of barometric pressure at 77
degrees Fahrenheit dry
air. All this works to reduced the horsepower measurement on the
dyno, and thus
the HP measurements advertised by the manufacturers.
While both net and gross horsepower readings are
taken at the crankshaft, converting from Gross HP to Net HP is not possible
because of the way the engines are configured on the dyno during testing.
Therefore, there is no accurate way to compare pre-1972 (gross) horsepower to
1972-and-later (net) figures.
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What is wrong if my
car refuses to turn over or even crank?
Assuming the battery isn't completely dead, try these
steps:
1) Turn on the headlights and turn the key to
"start". If the headlights do not dim, check for an open in the starting
system. If the headlights do dim go to step 2.
2) Check the battery.
3) If the battery is OK, check all connections (at
the battery, the starter solenoid, and motor).
4) Test the starter solenoid. The starter may turn
over during these checks, so make sure car is in neutral. The battery must be
charged for theses tests:
A) Disable the ignition (remove the coil wire).
B) Have an assistant turn the ignition key to "start"
while you listen for a click at the solenoid. If it clicks, go to step F. If
the click is weak or the solenoid chatters, go to step D.
C) If there's no click, remove the wire that actuates
the solenoid from the terminal on the solenoid. Check for a bad connection
(corrosion, looseness etc.).
D) Connect a jumper wire between the battery positive
terminal and the solenoid's terminal that actuates it. A click indicates normal
solenoid operation. If there's no click or if the click is weak or the solenoid
chatters, check for a loose solenoid, corrosion at the solenoid base, or other
causes of a bad solenoid ground. If the solenoid is tight and grounded properly
and still doesn't click, replace the solenoid.
E) While an assistant turns the key to "start", check
for voltage at the control circuit wire with a voltmeter. If no voltage is at
the wire, there's an open in the circuit to the solenoid. Re-connect the
wire.
F) Have an assistant turn the key to "start" while
you check for voltage drop between the battery cable terminal and the starter
motor strap. The voltage drop should not exceed .2 volts. If it does, replace
the solenoid.
5) Check to make sure the battery cables can carry
enough amperage to start the car by checking for a voltage drop.
6) Test the starter voltage draw. Use an inductive
ammeter and have an assistant crank the car for about 10 seconds. It shouldn't
exceed about 250 amps. If that is excessive, and there are no large voltage
drops anywhere else in the circuit, the starter is bad and need
replacement.
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How can I keep my car
from being stolen?
Nothing is guaranteed to keep a car from being
stolen. If a thief wants your car they can get it. However there are things you
can do to make your car harder to steal. An anti-theft deterrent will be enough
to stop joy riders and will hopefully be enough to make the potential thief
move on to easier targets.
Some tips on things to do:
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Steering Column Collar -- a steel collar which
locks around your steering column prevents a thief from breaking it open and
popping out the ignition tumbler. These locks are much better than the Club.
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Ignition Kill -- prevents the engine from being
started until a switch has been thrown. Make sure it's hidden in a non-obvious
place. A crook scouting out cars might catch on if they see you popping the
hood before leaving work each day.
-
Good car alarm -- while most professional thieves
can usually get around any car alarm, it will protect you from joy-riders and
the thief who either doesn't have enough time to work around the alarm and is
only looking for small items (stereo, air bags, etc.) and doesn't want the
whole car or the bother.
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Etched windows -- There's a national company which
chemically etches a serial number into each window of your car. This number can
be reported to the police if the car is stolen. How is it a deterrent? Most
cars are stolen for parts (except joy riders). Windows are a common replacement
on cars. No glass or window shop is going to buy parts with non-removable
serial numbers that are registered with the police. A professional thief knows
this and will probably avoid the car. Even if it's taken a local shop,
re-VIN'ed and resold, all the windows would have to be replaced.
For more information on these companies, check
with your dealer.
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Common sense -- avoid leaving valuables in plain
sight in the car. Lock up/hide everything, even if it's just some plastic bags
of junk. Avoid parking the car in dark, out-of-the way areas where an alarm
might go unheard or the car is out of sight. (Hence giving the thief more time
to defeat elaborate alarms, etc.) Don't assume a parking lot attendant is going
to watch your car. Even "manned" parking lots are often left completely
unguarded for hours.
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Are there any car
ramps which won't scrape my lower air dam/valance?
A company called Rhino Ramps (1-800-283-6188) makes a
set at an angle that won't even harm the 4th gen cars or cars lowered by
springs. They're molded from glass filled polycarbonate, have non-slip rubber
pads on the bottom surfaces and are wide enough for 275 tires.
You could also build your own by nailing some boards
together, staggering them at a gentle enough slope so as not scrape the air
dam. From the side, they'd look something like this:
________________
|_______________\________
|________________________\________
|_________________________________\
Make them as wide as you want to accommodate the
width of your tire.
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