1998 New Flyer D60HF Recalls

THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION OPENED THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATIONBASED ON A FLEET REPORT OF 3 THERMAL EVENTS ALLEGEDLYTHE RESULT OF CONDENSATION FROM THE AIR CONDITIONER'S EVAPORATOR DRAIN HOSE SHORTING ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS AND VARIOUS ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED TO EVALUATE AND DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THESE THERMAL EVENTS. A TECHNICAL EVALUATIONDETERMINED THAT THE DRAIN LINE FOR THE ROOFTOP EVAPORATOR UNIT CONTACTED THE BALLAST INVERTER FOR THE FLUORESCENT LIGHTING PANEL AND BECAME ABRADED.THE ABRASION OF THE DRAIN LINERESULTED IN LOW PRESSURE AND LOW VOLUMES OF MOISTURE BEING INTRODUCED INTO THE LIGHTING PANEL RESULTING IN ELECTRICAL SHORTS.NEW FLYER DECIDED TO CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TO INSTALL AN ELBOW ON THE AIR CONDITIONING DRAIN LINE WHERE IT ENTERS THE BUS INTERIOR.THIS ELBOW RELOCATES THE DRAIN LINE TO PROVIDE THE NEEDED CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE LINE AND LIGHTING COMPONENTS.THIS REMEDY RESOLVES THE ISSUE UNDER INVESTIGATION AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER NOTIFICATION FROM A NEW YORK CITY BUS FLEET OF A MARCH 25, 2004 INCIDENT WHERE A SEAT COLLASPED ON A TRANSIT BUS SENDING TWO PASSENGERS TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN ONE INJURY.AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THERE ARE TWO SEAT DESIGNS INSTALLED IN THE BUSES.SEAT DESIGN ?A? SUFFERED THE FAILURE WHERE THE PASSENGERS FELL TO THE FLOOR.AN EXAMINATION OF THIS SEAT DESIGN REVEALED THAT THE SEATS WERE NOT PROPERLY SECURED TO THE WALL MOUNTING BRACKETS AND THEREFORE LOST THEIR RIGIDITY AND STABLILTY ALLOWING THE COLLAPSE.THIS PROBLEM IS DEEMED TO BE MAINTENANCE RELATED.FLEET PERSONNEL FURTHER STATED THAT AFTER EXAMINING THE REMAINING BUSES IN THE FLEET, 259 SEAT BRACKETS ON 223 BUSES WERE DISCOVERED TO HAVE SOME QUANTITY OF FRAME CRACKS.THE CRACKED SEAT DESIGN IS DESIGNATED AS SEAT FRAME ?B.?THE MAJORITY OF THE CRACKED SEATS (?B?) ARE LOCATED JUST FORWARD OF THE EXIT DOOR ON THE CURB SIDE OF THE BUS.THESE BUSES ARE A RELATIVELY LOW POPULATION VEHICLE, HAVING BEEN BUILT ONLY IN 1998 AND 2002 MODEL YEARS.THE BUSES ARE DIFFERENT FROM MOST IN THAT THEY WERE SPECIFIED WITH ?HIGH FLOORS.? (SUMMARY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS PROMPTED BY A TRANSIT FLEET, WHICH INFORMED ODI IN NOVEMBER, 2003, THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING BRAKE PROBLEMS ON THEIR HIGH FLOOR ARTICULATING STYLE BUSES.IN THE LETTER, THE FLEET STATED THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED OVER 50 INCIDENTS WHERE THE REAR BRAKES FAILED TO RELEASE DURING MORNING PULLOUT FROM THEIR PARKING LOCATION.THEY ALLEGED THAT THERE HAD BEEN THREE CRASHES RESULTING IN PROPERTY DAMGE AS THE RESULT OF THIS STICKING BRAKE PHENOMENON.THE CRASHES ORIGINATE WHEN THE MIDDLE AXLE BRAKES FAIL TO RELEASE AND THE REAR ENGINE VEHICLE PUSHES THE MIDDLE AXLE RESULTING IN A JACK-KNIFE CONDITION OF THE ARTICULATED BUS. AS A RESULT OF ODI'SINVESTIGATION, NEW FLYER HAS AGREED TO INITIATE A SAFETY RECALL AND CORRECT THIS CONDITION ON ALL AFFECTED BUSES.THE ACTION TAKEN BY NEW FLYER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION. A COPY OF THE RECALLIS ATTACHED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.