NHTSA Investigation PE06012

ELECTRICAL PANEL FIRES

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON FOUR ALLEGATIONS OF SCHOOL BUS FIRES IN THE POWER DISTRIBUTION MODULE (PDM) AREA OF THE SUBJECT BUSES.DURING THE INVESTIGATION, ODI LEARNED THATBUSES BUILT BETWEEN OCTOBER 4, 2004 AND FEBRUARY 14, 2006 WERE EQUIPPED WITH PDM?S MANUFACTURED WITH COPPER CIRCUITS THAT WERE TOO THIN FOR THE ELECTRICAL LOADS ENCOUNTERED, CREATINGOVERHEATING AND THERMAL EVENTS.ALSO, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MULTIPLE THERMAL BREAKERS, CLUSTERED TOGETHER ON THE PDM, TOGETHER WITH HEAT GENERATED FROM THE PDM CAN GENERATE ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT THE PDM.ON APRIL 21, 2006, FREIGHTLINER FILED A SAFETY RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.FREIGHTLINER'S REMEDY IS TO REPLACE ALL THE ORIGINAL (THIN COPPER CIRCUIT) PDM?S WITH NEW IMPROVED PDM?S HAVING THICKER COPPER CIRCUITS.ALSO, FREIGHTLINER WILL REPLACE THE THERMAL BREAKERS WITH NON-THERMAL BREAKER OR FUSES. THE RECALL ACTION TAKEN BY FREIGHTLINER RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.