Description / Abstract: Introduction

Note: Nothing in this standard supercedes applicable laws and regulations.

Note: In the event of conflict between the English and domestic language, the English language shall take precedence.

Purpose. To provide a common GM global structural durability evaluation of a passenger vehicle. This test procedure provides severe chassis structural inputs representing vehicle usage in markets with developing road systems (i.e., South America, Central America, Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and parts of Australia).

Applicability. This procedure is applicable to passenger vehicles. In general, vehicles classified as passenger vehicles are intended to transport passengers and have relatively small cargo hauling capability (e.g., sedans, coupes, hatchbacks and crossover vehicles)

Remarks. This standard is intended as the basis for structural laboratory tests and analytical modeling. The core test provides the basis for laboratory and/or road evaluation (when appropriate) of structural subsystems and components. This test has been developed to reflect customer usage of markets with developing road systems. These regions have less stable road systems and greater amounts of unpaved and rough roads.

The events repeated to the specified number of times provide 241 350 km (150 000 mi) of high and medium amplitude structural inputs for severe customer usage. Structural inputs are defined as vertical, lateral, fore-aft, chassis torsion, and full stop steering. Inputs other than these are present at a much lower severity and are incidental to obtaining the representative structural inputs.

Due to the abbreviated nature of this test procedure, the less damaging and often time-consuming inputs are greatly reduced or eliminated.

While GMW3425 is intended to cover global developing road systems, the test does not encompass all known customer usage treatments or road types. Some of the limitations are due to the accelerated nature of the test and some are due to the constraints of the test site environment and test facilities. Additionally, the database for defining the world-wide vehicle operating environment is evolving and periodic content changes to GMW3425 are expected.

If more rigorous exposure to unique customer usage treatments is desired, other specialized testing should be considered as part of the overall vehicle dependability test plan. Some considerations should be given to the following:

• GMW15016 Cold Weather Exposure Test

• GMW15730 Hot Weather Exposure Test

Results of this test should be regarded as highly probable to also occur in the hands of some customers inasmuch as the event contains vehicle treatments based on measured customer vehicle operation. This procedure specifies vehicle operation designed to match data collected on groups of randomly selected customers’ vehicles. The intent of the test is to subject the vehicle to the treatment of a greater-than-average severity customer for each of the measured structural inputs.