Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 14, 1993 TAG: 9308140042
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: A-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Chicago Tribune
DATELINE: CHICAGO LENGTH: Medium
To prevent potential under-the-hood fires caused by an electrical short circuit, Saturn this week began recalling cars to install a new wire that will melt before short-circuiting.
But once the wire melts, however, the car battery eventually will lose its charge and go dead. The melted wire will have to be replaced.
The Saturn folks say consumers should look on the bright side. They may be stranded with a dead battery, but at least the car won't catch fire while they wait for a jump-start.
What it probably means is that Saturn, a carmaker that has built its reputation on quality, eventually will have to institute a second recall so owners will be able to drive without fear of dead batteries.
Saturn this week said it is recalling 380,682 cars, every one built from the line's introduction in the 1991 model year until April 15 of this year, because of reports of 34 electrical fires in its cars.
Saturn dealers and the manufacturer have notified customers, asking them to bring in their cars for free replacement of the wire that leads from the generator to the engine's starter solenoid. They will substitute the wire with a fusable link designed to melt in the event of overheating.
"The fusable link eliminates the potential for an under-hood fire," said Saturn spokesman Robert Tripolsky.
But as a result of the melted wire, "you'll lose the ability of the generator to charge the battery," he said. "The car will still be driveable, but eventually the battery will drain itself and go dead."
Tripolsky said there is excessive electrical flow in the wire. As a result, heat builds up and can cause a short circuit in the old wire.
"But the wire isn't the problem," Tripolsky said.
The problem is that Saturn doesn't know what is wrong with its generators, supplied by GM's Delco-Remy division. Saturn and Delco-Remy continue to investigate the cause, but until it's found, they're going for the Band-Aid solution.
Tripolsky wouldn't say whether a second recall might be necessary. But he made it sound inevitable.
"I can't speculate on calling the cars back again," he said. "But this [recall] isn't [as much] a fix as it is eliminating one problem - the potential for an under-hood fire."
Should the replacement wire melt as designed, Tripolsky said, motorists should experience some warning before the battery dies.
The "generator" or "service engine" lights in the dashboard should flash on, he said.
Also, headlamps could dim and power windows could open or close slowly, Tripolsky said.
Saturn owners are covered by a 24-hour-a-day roadside assistance program, so if a driver's battery dies a service vehicle will be sent. However, if the dead battery were the result of a melted wire, the motorist would need a battery charge and a replacement generator wire. The car might have to be towed to a shop.
by CNB