Product Safety Recall N182206310 Diesel Engine Block Heater Cord – 2017-2019 Chevrolet Silverado & GMC Sierra

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Product Safety Recall

N182206310 Diesel Engine Block Heater Cord

Release Date:   January 2020                                                        Revision:    03

Revision Description:   This bulletin is being revised to update the service procedure for inventory vehicles.  Please discard all previous copies of bulletin N182206310-02.

Involved vehicles are marked “open” on the Investigate Vehicle History screen in GM Global Warranty Management system.  This site should always be checked to confirm vehicle involvement prior to beginning any required inspections and/or repairs.   

Condition

General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in certain 20172019 model year Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500 vehicles and certain 2017-2019 model year GMC Sierra 2500/3500 vehicles.  In vehicles equipped with the Duramax diesel 6.6 liter engine and the optional engine-block heater cord, a short-circuit condition may develop in the engine-block heater cable or in the terminals that connect the heater cable to the block heater.  A short-circuit condition can cause damage to engine components and, in rare cases, start a fire in the engine compartment.

Correction

Cold weather areas with pre-shipped kits: Dealers are to replace the engine-block heater and cord.   For warm/remaining areas: Dealers are to continue to perform the disable procedure on inventory only vehicles.  Dealers are to cut the heater cord, place the customer disclosure in plain view inside the vehicle, remove the original Monroney label, and affix a new Monroney label.

Parts for Enabling Engine-Heater Block

Important: An initial supply of part 19419326 will be pre-shipped in a Fair Share Allocation based on all impacted VINS of the Dealers registered in States: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New York, North Dakota, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Canada. This pre-shipment started the week of 10/1/19 and will continue for several weeks.  Additional States will be added as parts become available, currently limited supply of parts.  Pre-shipped parts will be charged to dealer’s open parts account. All orders placed prior to and during the pre-ship will be cancelled. A quantity limiter may be in effect.

Note: The per gallon part number for coolant is listed in the part table. If your facility buys the correct coolant in a bulk quantity, do not order the gallon units.

Reminder: Due to limited initial parts availability, dealers are encouraged not to order these parts for use as shelf stock.

Parts for Disabling Engine-Heater Block No parts are required for this repair.

Warranty Information

Service Procedure for Enabling the Engine-Block Heater

DANGER: When performing the following repairs, ensure the engine and coolant are at room temperature. When removing the engine block heater, the coolant in the engine will drain out. This coolant may injure the technician if the coolant is hot.

Note: Some vehicles may have had the engine block heater power cord removed under a previous campaign. If the power cord has been removed, proceed directly to step #3.

1. Raise the hood and locate the engine heater power cord (bundled at the right-side front of dash area).

Note: Some attachment points may use tape to secure the power cord to the vehicle wiring harness. Use care to not cut the vehicle wiring harness when removing these attachment points.

2. Locate and remove all of engine compartment power cord attachment points. Route the engine heater power cord assembly to the underside of the vehicle and let it drop.
3. Raise the vehicle and remove the right front wheel. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation (8-Lug Wheel) in SI.

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4. Looking through the area between the wheel house liner and the suspension, locate the engine block heater.
5. Disconnect the engine block heater plug from the heater element by releasing the retainer clip and unplugging.
6. Remove any existing engine heater power cord fasteners and remove the power cord. Discard the power cord.

Note: it is not necessary to drain the radiator. The engine block coolant will be drained when the engine coolant heater is removed.

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7. Place a large drain pan under the vehicle to capture the coolant. Remove the engine coolant heater. Refer to Engine Coolant Heater Replacement (L5P) in SI.
8. After removing the original block heater, take care to remove the old cured thread sealant in the block. Failure to remove the old thread sealant will result in cross threading the replacement block heater.

Note: The new engine block heater element has the thread sealer applied at the time of manufacture. DO NOT INSTALL ADDITIONAL SEALER to the threads.

9. Hand start the block heater carefully and secure at least 3 full turns before further tightening with a socket wrench.
10. Install the replacement engine coolant heater. Refer to Engine Coolant Heater Replacement (L5P) in SI.

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11. Plug the new engine coolant heater cord assembly into the heater and secure it with the metal clip. Be certain the metal retaining clip is secured onto to the deeper of the two grooves.

12. Route the new engine coolant heater power cord (red) to the upper motor compartment. Secure the power cord to the existing wiring harness with a wire tie as shown. Begin at the Element (1) and secure the wire tie (2) around the negative battery cable (black) and the engine chassis harness (grey).
13. Reinstall the right front wheel and tire. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation (8-Lug Wheel) in SI.
14. Lower the vehicle.
15. Route the power cord as shown and secure to the surge tank hose (blue) with a wire tie. Engine Compartment Routing Overview

Push pin attachments (1), wire tie attachments (2).

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16. Position the power cord along the inner fender and secure to the existing hole using the first (closest to the heater element) push pin wire tie attached to the harness.

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17. Secure the power cord to the fender flange with a wire tie as shown. Some vehicles may have a hood seal or headlamp attachment at this location. Position the wire the under the seal/bracket.

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18. Locate the drill location on the front compartment site-shield. Mark the location.

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19. Drill a 5mm (13/64 in.) hole in the marked area. Use care to not damage components below the drill location.
20. Route the power cord from the fender flange area under the front compartment site shield.

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21. Create a gentle bend in the power cord and place the power cord plug over the hole in the site shield. Ensure the prongs on the power cord plug are facing toward the right fender.

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22. Secure the power cord plug to the to the front compartment shield with a wire tie as shown.

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23. Locate the hole on the passenger side upper tie bar bracket.

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24. Position the harness up under the front compartment site shield and secure it using the second (closest to the electrical plug) push pin wire tie on the harness.
25. Trim all wire ties as necessary.
26. Fill the cooling system. Refer to Cooling System Draining and Filling (Vac N Fill) in SI.

Service Procedure for Disabling Engine-Block Heater (Inventory Only Vehicles)

1. Raise the vehicle and remove the right front wheel. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation (8-Lug Wheel) in SI.

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2. Looking through the area between the wheel house liner and the suspension, locate the engine block heater.

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3. Using a pair of wire cutters, cut the engine block heater power cord from the connector. Cut the cord as close as possible to the connector. Leave the connector in place on the block heater to eliminate road debris from getting on the block heater terminals.
4. With the vehicle still raised, locate and remove any power cord attachments accessible from the underside of the vehicle.
5. Reinstall the right front wheel. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation (8-Lug Wheel) in SI.
6. With the vehicle lowered, raise the hood and locate the remainder of the engine heater power cord (it should be bundled at the right-side front of dash area).
7. Locate and remove all of the attachment points. Remove the complete engine heater power cord assembly.
8. Discard the power cord assembly.
9. Remove the existing Monroney label (window sticker) and Install the new Monroney label. (for U.S. Dealers Only)
10. Print the disclosure letter and place it inside the vehicle in plain view.

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Dealer Responsibility – For USA & Export (USA States, Territories, and Possessions)

It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect or noncompliance is remedied.

The US National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act provides that each vehicle that is subject to a recall of this type must be adequately repaired within a reasonable time after the customer has tendered it for repair.  A failure to repair within sixty days after tender of a vehicle is prima facie evidence of failure to repair within a reasonable time.  If the condition is not adequately repaired within a reasonable time, the customer may be entitled to an identical or reasonably equivalent vehicle at no charge or to a refund of the purchase price less a reasonable allowance for depreciation.  To avoid having to provide these burdensome remedies, every effort must be made to promptly schedule an appointment with each customer and to repair their vehicle as soon as possible.  In the recall notification letters, customers are told how to contact the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration if the recall is not completed within a reasonable time.

Dealer Responsibility – All

All new, used, GM Certified Used, courtesy transportation vehicles, dealer shuttle vehicles, etc. in dealers’ possession and subject to this recall must be held and inspected/repaired per the service procedure of this bulletin before customers take possession of these vehicles.  Involved vehicles must be held and not delivered to customers, dealer-traded, released to auction, used for demonstration, or any other purpose.

All GM Certified Used vehicles currently in the dealers’ inventory within the Certified Pre-Owned Inventory System (CPOIS) will be de-certified and must be held and remedied per the service procedure in this bulletin.  Upon submitting an accepted/paid warranty transaction in the Global Warranty Management (GWM) system, the vehicle can be re-certified for sale within the CPOIS system, or once again be used in the CTP program.

Dealers are to service all vehicles subject to this recall at no charge to customers, regardless of mileage, age of vehicle, or ownership, from this time forward.

Customers who have recently purchased vehicles sold from your vehicle inventory, and for which there is no customer information indicated on the dealer listing, are to be contacted by the dealer.  Arrangements are to be made to make the required correction according to the instructions contained in this bulletin.  Recall follow-up cards should not be used for this purpose, since the customer may not as yet have received the notification letter.

In summary, whenever a vehicle subject to this recall enters your vehicle inventory or is in your dealership for service in the future, you must take the steps necessary to be sure the recall correction has been made before selling or releasing the vehicle.

Dealer Reports

For dealers with involved vehicles, a listing with involved vehicles has been prepared and will be provided to U.S. and Canadian dealers through the GM GlobalConnect Recall Reports or sent directly to export dealers.  The listing may contain customer names and addresses obtained from Motor Vehicle Registration Records.  The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any purpose other than follow-up necessary to complete this recall is a violation of law in several states/provinces/countries.  Accordingly, you are urged to limit the use of this report to the follow-up necessary to complete this recall.

NOTICE TO CUSTOMER

This vehicle is equipped with an engine-block heater that is affected by a recently announced GM safety recall.   On April 25, 2019, GM notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada that a short-circuit condition could develop in the engine-block heater cable or in the terminals that connect the cable to the block heater.  A short-circuit condition can cause damage to engine components and, in rare cases, start a fire in the engine compartment.

Because this condition can only occur when the engine-block heater is on, your dealer has performed a repair on this vehicle that has rendered the engine-block heater temporarily inoperable.  GM is developing a final repair that will restore the functionality of the engine-block heater.  When this repair is available, you will receive a letter to return to the dealer to receive the repair.

If you sell this vehicle, you should provide this notice to the buyer of your vehicle.  Please also retain a copy of this notice in the vehicle’s glove compartment.

If you have any questions or need any assistance, please contact your dealer or the appropriate Customer Assistance Center at the number listed below.

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