EA04022 · EA
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL Investigation
ODI OPENED THE INVESTIGATION TO EXAMINE STALLING ALLEGATIONS ON 1998-2002 CUMMINS 5.9 LITER DIESEL ENGINES.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI FOUND THAT THE ENGINE IS USED IN SCHOOL AND TRANSIT BUSES, EMERGENCY VEHICLES, MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS, LIGHT TRUCKS, RV'S, AND CARGO VANS.ODI CONTACTED CUMMINS AND CHRYSLER (LARGEST VEHICLE MANUFACTURER), VISITED SCHOOL BUS FLEETS, CONDUCTED INTERVIEWS AND CONDUCTED TESTING OF LIGHT VEHICLES TO QUANTIFY THE FAILURE MODE. ODI OBSERVED THAT THE LIFT PUMP, A PART OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, FAILS, RESULTING IN REDUCED FLOW TO THE INJECTOR PUMP.WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, THE ENGINE EXPERIENCES SEVERE DRIVABILITY ISSUES, SUCH AS LOW SPEED, LOW POWER, SMOKING AND POOR ACCELERATION.HEAVIER VEHICLES SUCH AS SCHOOL BUSES WITH A GVWR OF 33,000 POUNDS MAY EXPERIENCE A STALL.ODI VERIFIED VIA INTERVIEWS THAT SOME SCHOOL BUSES ACTUALLY STALLED RESULTING IN THE TRANSFER OF STUDENTS ON THE ROADSIDE.ODI'S TESTING SHOWED THAT LIGHT VEHICLES WOULD SUFFER THE SEVERE DRIVABILITY ISSUES AND THEN GRADUALLY RECOVER.A LIGHT VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS FOR AN HOUR WITHOUT A TRUE ENGINE STALL OCCURRING.ODI'S TECHNICAL REPORT, WHICH CONTAINS FULL DETAILS, AND A COPY OF THE CUMMINS RECALL ARE ATTACHED.
PE04034 · PE
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL Investigation
THE ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WILL FOCUS ON THOSE ENGINES PRODUCED BY CUMMINS FOR SALE IN THE AFTERMARKET AS REPLACEMENTS FOR ENGINES ORIGINALLY INSTALLED IN NEW VEHICLES.THIS IS ONLY A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE ENGINES PRODUCED BY CUMMINS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE ALLEGED DEFECT.FOR THIS SMALL POPULATION, THE WARRANTY RATE IS 3.24%.HOWEVER, FOR THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THESE ENGINES PRODUCED FOR USE IN MOTOR VEHICLES, THE WARRANTY RATE IS 4.55%.ALSO, A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY CUMMINS SHOWS THAT FOR THE OLDEST ENGINES IN THE SUBJECT POPULATION (ENGINES PRODUCED IN 1998 AND 1999), THE AVERAGE AGE OF THE ENGINE AT THE TIME OF THE WARRANTY CLAIM IS ABOUT 2.7 YEARS, AND THE AVERAGE WARRANTY RATE IS 5.21%.AS ODI CONTINUES ITS EXAMINATION OF THE INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM CUMMINS,SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE INITIATED, AS APPROPRIATE,ADDRESSING THE VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THOSE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS TO WHOM CUMMINS SOLD THE SUBJECT ENGINES.ODI WAS AWARE OF A CUMMINS SERVICE CAMPAIGN (#0329) WHEN THIS INVESTIGATION WAS BEGUN.ODI HAS BECOME AWARE OF TWO ADDITIONAL SERVICE CAMPAIGNS, ONE FOR FEDERAL EXPRESS (#0210) AND ONE FOR SHRED-IT (#0411) .THESE SERVICE CAMPAIGNS AUTHORIZE THE INSTALLATION OF THE LATESTFUEL INJECTION AND TRANSFER PUMPS (PRODUCT IMPROVEMENTS) ON VEHICLES THAT HAVEN'T HAD THE PUMPS INSTALLED PREVIOUSLY ON A FIX-AS-FAIL BASIS.