2011 Autocar Xpeditor

On April 1, 2020, following information received from the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) network of fleet contacts, ODI opened PE20-003 to investigate reports of vehicle roll away in certain model year (MY) 2008-2020 Autocar and Mack refuse trucks equipped with certain Bendix PP-1 push-pull pneumatic park brake control valves with a pipe-away exhaust configuration. Prior to ODI’s investigation,[KK(1]  Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix), the subject component manufacturer, published two related technical service bulletins (TSBs): Bendix Push-Pull Type Control Valves Service Data SD-03-3611 Rev. 007 (2019-03) and Bendix PP-1 & PP-8 Park Control Valve Wear and Replacement Notice Technical Bulletin TCH-003-056 (2019-11-20). ODI sent Information Request (IR) letters to motor vehicle manufacturers Autocar LLC (Autocar) and Volvo Trucks North America/Mack Trucks, Inc. (Volvo/Mack) and motor vehicle equipment manufacturer Bendix. IR response data from all three manufacturers was analyzed and cross-referenced to gain further understanding. To date, ODI is aware of 5 vehicle roll-away incidents related to the alleged defect condition in the subject vehicles equipped with the subject components, resulting in 4 crashes and 1 injury. On December 9, 2021, Volvo/Mack notified the agency of a safety recall (21V953) to address a safety defect in certain MY 2008-2019 TerraPro (MRU) and MY 2019-2022 TerraPro (TE) trucks originally equipped with the subject components. [KK(2] On January 1, 2023, Autocar notified the agency of a safety recall (23V023) to address a safety defect in certain MY 2008-2020 ACX (Xpeditor), MY 2012-2020 ACMD (Xpert), MY 2010-2020 ACTT (Xspotter), MY 2008-2010 WX and MY 2008-2010 WXLL trucks. Volvo/Mack and Autocar's recall remedies involve removing the vent line fitting threaded into the exhaust port of the subject PP-1 valve. [VD(3] Both Autocar and Mack have stopped equipping new refuse trucks with park control valves using the exhaust pipe-away configuration. After discussions between ODI and Bendix concerning ways to prevent new PP-1 valves from being sold and installed with a potential for the exhaust to become restricted, Bendix will take the following actions: 1) issue a letter to all original equipment (OE) customers with important safety information warning them about the safety risk of attaching plumbing to the exhaust port when the subject component is used as a park control valve; and 2) affix a warning label on all aftermarket parts warning not to install pipe-away exhaust port plumbing. In view of the recalls being conducted by Volvo/Mack and Autocar, and the actions taken by Bendix, ODI has closed this Preliminary Evaluation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist in equipment or other model or MY vehicles that have not been recalled. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted.

This investigation was opened based on a fleet complaint alleging delayed throttle response which could potentially lead to extended stopping distances and/or increase the risk of a crash.Autocar responded to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter and provided test data including its FMVSS 124 validation data.ODI reviewed Autocar's testing procedures and results with NHTSA's Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance and Office of Rule Making.The test procedure was acceptable as were the results.In an effort to further quantify the safety risk, ODI surveyed nine fleets operating the same subject vehicles.Of the eight reporting fleets, only one expressed concerns similar to the fleet submitting the VOQ.Of all the fleets contacted, none had experienced a crash where the throttle delay was a contributing factor.Autocar provided a modified direct wire throttle to the initial fleet as a customer satisfaction campaign.This configuration resulted in an improved throttle response.In light of the low rate of delayed throttle response on the subject vehicles and Autocar's actions to improve the throttle response on the complaint vehicles, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists.The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.The ODI complaint cited above can be reviewed at: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID using the following (ODI) number: 10471829

I AM EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER AS A JOURNEYMAN EQUIPMENT MECHANIC. ASE CERRTIFIED, GM SENIOR MASTER TECH AND FORD SENIOR MASTER TECH. THE DEPTARTMENT RECENTLY PURCHASED A LARGE NUMBER OF AUTOCAR MEDIUM DUTY TRUCKS POWERED BY CUMMINS ISL-G ENGINES. THE ENGINES ARE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS(CNG) FUELED, SPARK IGNITION, ENGINES AND FLY BY WIRE THROTTLE CONTROL. THROTTLE RESPONSE DOES NOT MIRROR THROTTLE INPUT FROM THE OPERATOR. UPON INITIAL THROTTLE APPLICATION THERE IS A DELAYED RESPONSE OF APPROXIMATELY 1.25 SECONDS AND THE THROTTLE CONTINUES TO BE "LAZY." WHEN THE THROTTLE IS DEPRESSED COMPLETELY TO WIDE OPEN THE ENGINE RUNS UP TO GOVERNED SPEED BUT WHEN THE THROTTLE IS RELEASED THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO OPERATE AT WIDE OPEN THROTTLE FOR APPROX. 1-2 SECONDS. WE EMPLOY PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS THAT CONSIDER THIS DRIVING CHARACTERISTIC UNNERVING. FURTHERMORE NO MECHANIC ON STAFF FEELS THESE CAN BE SAFELY OPERATED. HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURERS OF THE ENGINE(CUMMINS) AND THE CHASSIS(AUTOCAR) BOTH ADMIT SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT AND THAT THEY HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CLIENTS BUT EACH CONTINUES TO BLAME THE OTHER STATING COMPONENT AND OR SOFTWARE ISSUES. I BELIEVE IT IS A THROTTLE INPUT SAMPLE RATE ISSUE BUT HAVE NO WAY TO ALTER THOSE SETTINGS. I AM ON THE COMMITTEE OVERSEEING THIS SAFETY CONCERN AND WE HAVE YET TO MAKE ANY HEAD WAY AFTER NUMEROUS EMAILS AND PHONE CONVERSATIONS TO THE MANUFACTURERS. I HAVE REVIEWED THE FEDERAL MOTOR CARRIER SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, STANDARD NUMBER 124. ACCELERATOR CONTROL SYSTEM BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ACCURATELY COVER THIS ISSUE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT STD IS LIKELY GOING THROUGH A REVISION BUT AGAIN THOSE REVISIONS DON'T SEEM TO APPLY TO OUR ISSUE. HOPING YOUR OFFICE CAN ASSIST US IN THIS MATTER. [XXX] ## VIN FAILED ## AUTOCAR EXPEDITOR MEDIUM DUTY TRUCK 2011 ## INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID

10471829

Incident

Feb 14, 2012

Mileage

90 mi

AUTOCAR: INFORMATION IS PROVIDED ON THE REPLACEMENT AND INSTALLATION OF STARTER SPACER, ON SOME TRUCKS. MODEL XPEDITOR. NO MODEL YEAR. *PE