Do You Recall?

There has been tremendous volume asked and written about Fiero and fires starting in the engine bay. Frankly most of it, especially the information in the press, is B.S. Fiero is only slightly more likely to catch fire than front wheel drive cars using the same engines. The simple fact is all cars are subject to most, if not all, the problems that light up Fiero. Part of what makes Fiero difficult is the placement of things in the engine compartment. In most FWD setups with these engines the catalyst and muffler are farther from the motor. That factor alone is a major difference.

To begin with let’s define what a recall is. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a division of the U.S. Department Of Transportation, oversees recalls for motor vehicles in the United States. The recall can be voluntary or federally ordered. These recalls are the kind that GM is required by law to fix. Recalls involve safety of the vehicle but as we’ve seen by the recent Firestone/Ford tire problem and pending action against one Japanese carmaker there are ways around this system.

Another type of document is the TSB, Technical Service Bulletin. These are not federally monitored and may contain any type of information that GM wants dealer service centers to have. It can be simple notes to correct or update service manuals. It can be whole service guides or even sales data for some product.

Next we want to find the actual text of the recall as provided by GM to its dealer network, and some related TSB’s that are not actually recalls. Some of the recall text is available on the NHTSA web site. The full text is available thru ALLDATA service data CD/DVD product and the GM dealer network. It May be available thru the Popular Mechanic's service CD available at Wall/K mart. (The PM disk is an ALLDATA product)

Engine fires were caused by a number of things. Oil getting on the exhaust, specifically the catalyst, was and is the big one. For the 4 cylinder there is one recall and at least one TSB that is related to this. ((INSERT GM #’s HERE!)) There is one recall for the V6 to fix exhaust manifold problems and add an oil deflector.

The 4 cylinder motors are the ones most of the recall data applies to.

Some 84's had weak piston rods. This is considered a separate issue from the main engine fire recall. I don’t have the text for this problem yet.

All 2.5l 4 cylinders got weak head bolts. (All applications, not just Fiero.) The car will usually run with one broken bolt but it will leak oil and/or coolant both of which are fire hazards. The head bolts can be fixed w/o removing the head as long as you do one bolt at a time. (GM's instructions not mine. I'd just replace them all and the head gasket if it has leaked.)

Some of the 84's and maybe others were built minus a valve cover gasket. The valve cover seal would fail and leak.

Part of the blame was put on owners not changing oil etc. This was likely valid. One note I have is that USDOT estimates the average oil change interval is now over 5000 miles. For allot of cars it's likely around 10-15000

How were the problems fixed

The recall fix varies by the year of the car. It mainly consists of adding oil deflecting shields to the motor and wrapping wire and hoses in heat reflecting tape. It does more things to the older cars. In other words 84 had more things added during recall work than 85 or 86. See a summary of the recall at the end of this page. For specific details you really need to read the actual GM paper work. It is much more information than I can easily describe. What makes this even more complicated is that some of the recall work is easily affected by what work if any has been done to the car since the recall(s) were applied. The most recent version of the recall paperwork for 4 cylinder is 88-C-23 dated 06/90

If you have an 84 that’s still running odds are that you have good rods but there’s no easy way to be sure. You could try checking the serial number but I don’t know if GM ever had a range that they knew for sure was good or bad. (You want to check the actual number on the engine.)

The 4 cylinder head bolt problem is part of the recall but only covers the 5 exhaust side bolts on 84-87 motors. It doesn’t appear to cover head bolts on 88. There is also no way to know if any of the bolts have been replaced. Because of this it is important to replace the all bolts the first time the head is removed or if any of the bolts break.

Danger Assessment

Are you in danger if recall work was not done? It’s hard to really say. It depends allot on just what condition the car you have is in. Obviously any car that leaks oil or coolant is a fire hazard. Unprotected wires near hot objects are also a good ignition source. This is true of every car on the road. No car is fire proof.

Even if the recall work was done, the fact remains that some recall parts wear over time. Others may have been removed during other work and not replaced. Add to this the normally high temperature of Fiero’s engine compartment and you have a little higher odds of fire than the same engines in front wheel drive setups.

In short, as long as you have a car in good shape and keep it that way your odds of fire likely aren’t any higher than normal. If the car is let go then you’ll likely get bit in the ass. If not by a fire than by something breaking and leaving you stranded.

What to look for to prevent fires

Fiero requires regular checking of things because of high temperatures in the engine bay. There is no way to avoid this simple job. Some problems you can let go on other cars will bite you on Fiero.

Make sure no debris falls on the exhaust, especially the catalyst. If anything does fall on it then make sure it is removed or that it will be blown away a soon as the car moves.

Make sure there are no oil or coolant leaks. (Coolant can be flammable under certain conditions. Don’t take chances.)

Keep all wiring as far from hot surfaces as possible. Tie it back as needed. Use heat reflective tape to protect wires. (DON’T wrap fusible links with any type of tape. Fuse links have special insulation on them that is designed to fry off in a controlled manor when the link fails. Wrapping these could actually start a fire.)

Make sure all hoses are protected as needed.

Make sure anything you run over comes out the back of the car. If it doesn’t then stop the car and check. The placement of the catalyst makes it very easy to pick things up on it. Anything flammable that hits the catalyst will likely ignite quickly. (Catalyst units can run temperatures of over 1000F.)

Use only approved automotive refrigerants in the AC system. Some replacement refrigerants are flammable. Don’t use them.

Keep a fire extinguisher in the car. There is no such thing as a fireproof car.

Most of this is just common sense.

Summary GM recall.

NOTICE! This data is summary only. It is based on GM Document # 88-C-23 Date 06/90. It is intended only as a reference. If you believe recall work was not performed contact your local dealer.

Vehicles involved: (all Model P cars from the Pontiac plant)

Year	SN start	SN end
1984	EP200001	EP336842
1985	FP200007	FP276371
1986	GP200001	GP283974
1987	HP200001	HP246581
1988	JP200001	JP336402

Vehicles receive one of 3 parts kits.

Year	Part #	Quan/vehicle
1984-5-6	10184936	1
1987	10184937	1
1988	10184938	1

Kit summary

1984, 85, 86

New exhaust manifold, heat stove, New dipstick, 5 head bolts, exhaust manifold shield (between manifold and block), new O2 sensor, heat reflective tape for wires, and additional collaterals needed to install main parts (nuts bolts clamps etc.).

1987

Exhaust manifold shield (between manifold and block), new dipstick, 5 head bolts, and additional collaterals needed to install main parts (nuts bolts clamps etc.).

1988

Exhaust manifold shield (between manifold and block), new dipstick, and additional collaterals needed to install main parts (nuts bolts clamps etc.).

Additionally there is an increase in oil filter size for all 4 cyl. The recall lists use of APF51 as the new filter. Ogre Note! I’d check that before doing it. My notes indicate the larger filter number may really be PF52. One of them isn’t right. Either way you want the larger filter, not the tiny PF47 size one. (xx3980 is the big one in FRAM family numbers.)

The shield and rubber are removed from 1984 deck lids to increase airflow thru the grate.

The recall text authorizes valve cover gasket and PCV line repairs.

Repairs to transmission cooler lines are authorized.

Repairs to fuel system including retorque, new fittings, or hose replacements are authorized.

If there are broken head bolts see TSB document 87-6(GAS)-94 for instructions on extracting and replacing the broken bolts. (That TSB covers 85-87 6000, 85-86 Firebird, Grand AM, and Fiero with 2.5l engines.)

Inspect heat shields. Replace missing ones. (This one you may get charged for. It depends what shield are missing.)

A permanent white label with the recall and installing dealer information is to be affixed to the car.

Summary of owner letter.

June, 1996

Dear Pontiac Owner,

This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Reason for recall (Summary)

Problems in engine compartment may result in vehicle fire.

What We Will Do. (Summary)

All vehicles will have changes made to engine compartment components to prevent fires. 1984-86 vehicles will also receive new exhaust manifold to bring them to 1987-88 specifications.

What you should do. (Summary)

Contact your local Pontiac Dealer. Documents for this repair have already been sent to them. Parts are available. Labor estimate to perform this service is 2-3 hours. Additional time may be required for scheduling and processing.

The rest is customer satisfaction and other such filler.

NOTE!

Notice that the recall letter is dated 1996. That makes me wonder why some dealer say they can’t get the parts. Are the parts really unavailable on a 4 year old recall letter?