File in Section:

Service Bulletin

00 - General Information

Bulletin No.:

04-00-89-015F

Date:

January, 2014

WARRANTY ADMINISTRATION
Subject:

Required Operating Procedures (U.S. Only)

Models:

2014 and Prior GM Passenger Cars and Trucks

Attention: GM of Canada Service Agents are not authorized to utilize this service bulletin. GM of
Canada Agents should reference the General Motors of Canada Limited Service
Policies and Procedures Manual.
This bulletin has been revised to update content and clarify service management
authorization requirements. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 04-00-89-015E.

The following 10 points are taken from the GM Service
Policies and Procedure Manual (P&P) and are provided
to summarize key areas of focus in your daily service
operations. For complete details please refer to the
P&P Manual which can be found in the P&P Manuals
link on the GlobalConnect Service Workbench.
1. CUSTOMER’S SIGNATURE REQUIRED
Each customer pay and warranty job card is to be
signed by the customer authorizing the Service Agent
to perform the requested service. This must be
obtained at initial write up and prior to any repairs being
performed. Customer is to be provided with a copy of
the initial write-up job card.
• If Service Agent is unable to obtain a customer
signature, proper service management
authorization must be obtained prior to any
repairs being performed (Refer to 1.6.2.15 for
requirements).
• Any alternate customer condition/signature
document such as an early-bird envelope must be
retained.
• Pre-write-up documents without complete
customer and vehicle information are not
acceptable.
• For vehicles in dealer inventory, all repairs must
be authorized and signed by service management
prior to the work being performed.

Copyright 2014 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

There must be a clear understanding of responsibility
for charges at the time the job card is written and while
the customer is present. Any changes regarding who is
responsible for the charges require service
management authorization before the work is
performed.
• The shop copy of the job card must show the
service management authorization and the reason
for the change.
• If charges that were initially believed to be covered
under warranty are subsequently assigned to the
customer, the customer must be contacted for
authorization prior to the work being performed.
• IVH (Investigate Vehicle History) must be
referenced to ensure the warranty is still valid on
the vehicle and that no Warranty Blocks or
Branded Title Information is present.
• The Applicable Warranties section of IVH should
also be referenced to verify the different types of
coverage on the vehicle. Emissions coverages
vary between many states, and vehicles are
entitled to the appropriate length of coverage as
described in IVH.
• Aftermarket equipment or aftermarket calibrations
must be disclosed to the customer, if applicable,
and an explanation should be given that GM's
policy is that damage caused by aftermarket
equipment/calibration is not covered under the
terms of the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Articles 1.6.2.6

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January, 2014

2. SERVICE MANAGEMENT APPROVALS AND
AUTHORIZATIONS
Service management approval in the form of a
signature or initials, date, time and explanation is
the method of documenting the involvement and
consent of dealership service management for all
scenarios.
Each Service Agent must designate one person within
the service management department for each
technician shift, who is responsible and held
accountable for all approvals and warranty
authorizations. This would be the service manager or
director. Service technicians, service advisors,
warranty administrators, other support or hourly
personnel are not to be empowered for these types of
management approvals.
Service management approval is required for the
following:
• All transaction authorizations (A, E, P, R)
• “Customer concern not duplicated” labor operation
numbers
• Customer reimbursements
• Customer signature not available
• All policy/goodwill/customer enthusiasm
transactions
• All transactions outside of Service Agent
empowerment
• Car rental(s) in excess of 3 days
• Other Labour Hours (OLH), Repeat Repairs, and
Add-Ons
OLH, Repeat Repairs, work added after initial
write-up (Add-Ons), and customer signature not
available must be pre-approved prior to work being
performed on the vehicle.
Any repair work added to the job card after the initial
write-up must be entered and identified on the job card
using the terminology “added operation.”
Your dealership’s approval / authorization profile may
vary dependent upon the level of empowerment
provided. Questions regarding empowerment level
should be directed to your General Motors
Representative.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Article 1.6.2.14,
1.6.2.15
3. ACCURATE AND COMPLETE CUSTOMER
CONDITION, CAUSE, AND CORRECTION
DESCRIPTIONS
A clear and concise job card write-up is a requirement.
All customer concern(s), cause(s), and correction
comments must be documented completely with as
much information available regarding when, where and
how often the condition occurs.
• The job card must contain a description of each
customer concern.

Bulletin No.: 04-00-89-015F

•

The service advisor is responsible for confirming
each customer concern as written on the job card.
Vaguely written job card descriptions such as
"repair oil leak," "engine stalls," “Service Engine
soon light on” or coded descriptions of customer
concerns are not acceptable. See Article 1.5.5 of
GM Service P&P for additional information.
Note: When necessary, use Customer Concern
Verification Sheets to help capture a better description
of the customer concern. Technicians find these very
helpful in completing repairs with higher quality and
efficiency. They are also helpful in reducing shop
comebacks therefore aiding in customer loyalty.
These worksheets can be found in Bulletin
Number 01-00-89-010 (contained in article 4.1.7
COMEBACK PREVENTION TOOL) and also in the
Service Forms link on the Service Workbench of
GlobalConnect.
•

Repair diagnosis time is published in the Labor
Time Guide with appropriate labor operations.
Customers must not be charged for diagnosis time
related to warranty repairs.
• IVH (Investigate Vehicle History) must be
referenced to ensure that there are no Required
Field Actions on the vehicle. If information exists in
the Required Field Action section, it should be
discussed with the customer and added to the
job card.
• Each technician is responsible to record an
accurate description of what was found as the
cause of the customers concern with the vehicle
and what was done to correct the condition.
• The technician must document on the shop copy
of the job card all on-board diagnostic trouble
codes (DTCs), test equipment readings,
suspension alignment before/after readings, brake
rotor/drum before/after readings, appropriate
specifications, adjustments, circuit numbers,
descriptive locations and indicators. Coded
descriptions are not acceptable. Technician
documentation should include all relevant
observations and is not limited to the items listed
above.
• The complete cause of the failure and a detailed
correction as stated by the technician on the shop
copy must be transferred to all other copies of the
job card/invoice by the Warranty Administrator or
appropriate service management personnel.
• The appropriate labor operation should be
assigned after the entire condition, cause and
correction have been documented on all copies of
the job card. See item 7 regarding the assignment
of accurate labor operations and times.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Article 1.6.2.4,
1.6.2.10

Bulletin No.: 04-00-89-015F

January, 2014

4. APPROVED AND RECORDED OLH (OTHER
LABOR HOURS)
When technician time is required for services beyond
the published repair procedures, these guidelines must
be followed to claim OLH:
• Proper written Service management authorization
is required before the work is performed. Service
management is responsible for the
reasonableness and necessity of the OLH
request.
• Should additional time be required beyond what
Service management had initially authorized, the
technician is required to again obtain Service
management authorization for the continuation of
OLH work. Repeat until services beyond the
published repair procedures are completed.
• The technician must document on the job card the
unusual circumstance(s) and the additional steps
taken which substantiates the OLH requested.
Vague comments (such as metal throughout) are
not acceptable. Consequential damage, if present,
should be noted, and Service management
authorization obtained prior to repair.
• Each labor operation that contains OLH requires
separate on/off time recording on the job card
(either electronically or through time clock
punches), including on/off time associated with
diagnosis time beyond published variable
diagnosis time.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Article 1.6.2.13
5. TECHNICIAN IDENTIFICATION AND
ACCOUNTING OF LABOR TIME
The name, initials and/or code of the technician(s)
performing a repair is to be recorded on all copies of
the job card corresponding to each line of the repair.
Each technician is to be assigned a single, unique
employee number. Assigning multiple employee
numbers to an individual service technician is not
allowed. Team codes are not acceptable. All customer
pay, warranty, policy and internal job card time
must be accountable through the technician’s time
and payroll records. Punch times on the job card must
include the date along with the actual punch time. All
technician payroll records must reflect the actual time
and date the vehicle was serviced. A more thorough
explanation of these requirements, and examples of
compliant processes for electronic, hybrid and manual
systems, are provided in the GM Policies & Procedure
Manual.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Article 1.6.2.11
6. PROPER DOCUMENTATION AND RETENTION OF
WARRANTY PARTS
All parts used in the completion of warranty repairs are
to be recorded on the job card.
• Part numbers must be cross-referenced (line
coded) on the job card to the specific repair in
which they apply.
• All warranty parts removed must be returned to
the parts department for proper tagging, retention,
and return/disposition as required by the GM
Service P & P in effect on the date of the job card.

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When parts are provided in the form of a kit and
only a portion of the parts are required to perform
the repair, any unused components of the kit
should be returned and held for return/disposition.
• All replaced parts with visible defects must have
the defective area clearly marked.
• PQC assembly returns – Retain all required
documentation as stated in the latest version of
Bulletin Number 02-07-30-029.
• Oil filters replaced under Brand Maintenance
Programs may be discarded immediately in order
to pose minimal environmental or safety risks.
Cabin Filters and Engine Air Filters replaced
under such programs are subject to the regular
warranty parts retention period.
Service Agents are to retain for inspection all warranty
parts for a minimum of fifteen (15) days from the date of
credit or until scrapped by a GM representative,
whichever occurs first. Parts that have a “core” value
are not required to be held for this period. If a Warranty
Parts Center (WPC) return request has not been
received 24 hours after the Service Agent receives a
Transaction Summary Report (Credit/Claim Memo)
showing payment, the specified core part(s) should be
returned to GM or to a GM approved rebuilder/
remanufacturer immediately.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures
Article 1.6.2.9, 1.7.3
7. ACCURATE LABOR OPERATION NUMBERS AND
TIMES
Service Management is responsible to ensure that all
warranty job cards include the proper published GM
labor operation number and labor time for each repair
case. The labor operation, complaint code and failure
code used should accurately describe the concern,
cause and correction listed on the job card. Technicians
are not allowed to assign labor operation times from the
Labor Time Guide.
• One Repair Line per Customer Concern: Each
customer concern should result in one repair line
unless otherwise directed by a GM Service
Bulletin. Any exceptions to this must be brought to
the Service Manager’s attention by the technician
before repairs are performed. Service
Management inspection and documented
pre-approval is required when performing more
than one repair for a single customer concern
(add-ons).
• Multiple Concerns but only One Cause: Only
one repair line and labor code should be used.
• Multiple Concerns and Different Causes: The
appropriate labor operation should be assigned to
each concern (line) unless the concerns are
related and then the transaction would be
submitted based on the labor operation
descriptions. Example: If a customer has the
concern of a defect on the left front side door trim
panel and also a defect on the right rear side door
trim panel, the job card should be written to reflect
both concerns separately. The transaction would
need to be submitted for Front Side Door Trim
Panel 1042980 on one line and Rear Side Door
Trim Panel 1044260 on another line. The

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January, 2014

transaction will require proper authorization to
avoid a reject for Repeat Repair because the labor
times do not allow for “add” time or for “both.”
One Concern Results in Replacement of
Component in Pairs: Combined left/right or front/
rear repairs or part replacements are not normally
necessary unless specifically indicated in a
published repair procedure. In these cases, the
published time will include either an add condition
or a unique labor code for both sides and must be
used when submitting the transaction. If the
technician believes both components require
replacement and there is not an add condition or
unique labor code, use one of the causal.
One Concern with Two Published Labor
Operations: There may be times when the
customer expressed ONE concern, but it is
actually TWO concerns and should be written up
as two separate lines. Example: Customer
describes a pulsation from the brake pedal.
Technician diagnosis determines both front and
rear rotors require resurfacing. This should be
submitted as two lines, as there is a labor op
available for the front rotor resurfacing/
replacement and one for the rear rotor resurfacing/
replacement.
Two Related Concerns with Only One
Published Labor Operation: If the customer has
two related concerns and Labor Time Guide does
not have two separate labor operations, submit
the transaction using the one published labor
operation. Example: A customer explains that both
front door handles are peeling. The Labor Time
Guide identifies the same labor operation for both
handles (example: 1234567). Since you cannot
use the same labor operation for two lines, the
transaction would need to be entered on one line
with labor operation 1234567 and the time
associated with it. Then the second repair (other
door handle) would be entered as other labor
hours on the same line.
Overlapping Repairs: When two or more
customer concerns result in overlapping labor to
perform the necessary repairs, claiming the
complete time published in the Labor Time Guide
is not acceptable. The total time claimed should
only reflect the amount of time spent to complete
both repairs. Example: Customer concerns of a
driver's side power window and power door lock
inoperative would result in an overlap to remove
and replace the door panel. The labor time on the
second operation should be reduced appropriately
due to the overlapping labor to remove and
replace the door panel. Refer to the latest version
of Corporate Bulletin 12-00-89-003 for additional
information.
Subsequent Damage: If one part fails and
causes the failure of another part, the causal
failure labor operation is used and the causal part
identified. All additional parts and labor would be
placed on the same job card line. Example: a
battery leaks and causes damage to cables. The
battery labor operation should be submitted, using

Bulletin No.: 04-00-89-015F

other labor hours to cover the additional time to
replace the cables. The other labor hours claimed
would be less than the full Labor Time Guide
allowance for cable replacement as the cables
were disconnected at one end when replacing the
battery, and there would be no diagnosis time
associated with the cable replacement.
• Part Failures during the Same Repair Visit: If a
repair of the same item is needed again as a result
of a failure of a part upon installation, the
additional part is included in the same warranty
transaction line. Example: An ECM will not
reprogram and a second module is required. Two
modules would be charged out to the same repair
line with an explanation of the additional part. If a
part fails upon installation during a customer pay
repair, the Service Agent should open a second
line and submit as a ZPTI parts warranty.
• Repeat Repairs/Comebacks: If a repair of the
same item is needed again as a result of improper
inspection, diagnosis or workmanship, the repair
is not eligible for additional warranty transaction
payments.
• Painting Multiple Panels: For paint repairs
involving multiple panels, paint mix time can only
be claimed once. Include paint mix time on one of
the repair lines, and the labor time for each
additional panel on separate lines.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Articles 1.5.12,
1.6.2.12, 1.6.2.14, 1.2.4.2
8. ACCURATE SUBLET CHARGES AND RECEIPTS
The following policies apply for repairs sublet by the
Service Agent to repair shops (including other repair
locations owned by the Service Agent):
• Sublet repairs will be reimbursed at the Service
Agent’s actual cost less any discounts or
allowances that apply to the sublet invoice or
made available to the Service Agent on
non-warranty repairs. Repairs are not to exceed
the Service Agent’s parts and/or Labor Time
Guide allowance for the same repair. See GM
Policies & Procedures Article 1.2.4, 1.5.8 for
reimbursement details.
• Only Genuine GM parts are to be used.
• Dealer supplied parts used in the performance of
sublet warranty repairs are eligible for the
appropriate handling allowance.
• Sublet repairs must not be shown on a warranty
transaction as a Service Agent performed repair. If
repair is performed by the Service Agents’ body
shop, then warranty transaction must reflect labor
and parts as such and sublet net item is not
allowed.
• Sublet invoices are to contain customer name,
VIN, date of repair and a complete description or
repairs performed.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Articles 1.5.8,
1.5.10, 1.6.2

Bulletin No.: 04-00-89-015F

January, 2014

9. FINAL CLOSE-OUT OF JOB CARDS
Only the author of technician comments may alter or
change comments on job cards.
• Any changes made to the final job card are to be
made using established accounting procedures to
account for all adjustments.
• After the job card is closed, a customer should be
given a copy showing all repair information
regardless whether repairs are covered by
warranty or are customer paid repairs.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Article 1.6.2.19
10. PARTS EXPEDITING PROGRAM
ADMINISTRATION
If the replacement part is not in stock, the Service
Agent should make every attempt to obtain the part
locally.
• Service Agent should use the dealer trade portion
of the parts expediting program. If the part is not
locally available, Service Agent should use the
parts expediting program to obtain the part
through GM Customer Care and Aftersales
(GMCCA).
• Dealership employees should ensure the part is
ordered appropriately for arrival on the next day. In
some cases the part may need to be ordered
CSO-3 to ensure next day delivery.

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If the part is on national back order, a SPAC case
should be initiated immediately.
• RIM Stratification Enhancements & PDC Inventory
and Process Enhancements will include these
benefits: new model part stocking policies to
improve same day servicing, automatic upgrade to
SPAC when CSO for Service Lane Parts are not
available at the local PDC. In these instances, GM
will pay for overnight shipping. Dealers will also be
able to write parts orders later in the day for next
day shipments from their local PDC.
Reference: GM Policies & Procedures Article 1.5.18
and the latest version of Warranty Administration
Bulletin Number 99-00-89-021

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these
technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper
service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do a
job properly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your
vehicle will have that condition. See your GM dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the
information.

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