1997 Thomas MVP Er problems

What is wrong

Daimler trucks is recalling 3,773 my 1996 through 2002 thomas built mvp er school buses manufactured from june 8, 1995 through february 16, 2001, equipped with caterpillar 3116 and 3126 engines. Un-fused power cables were tie-wrapped to a wire braid engine fuel return hose. Over time these cables may chafe, wearing through the wire loom and eventually through the cable insulation and fuel line covering in an area not easily detectable during normal maintenance without removing the tie wraps and opening the wire loom. Un-fused and un-switched power cables which wear through and contact the fuel line wire braid may short circuit.

Risk

In the event of a short circuit, a vehicle fire can occur.

Remedy

Thomas built will notify owners and inspect and replace the cables as necessary free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or about november 28, 2008. Owners may contact thomas built at 1‑336‑889‑4871.

Recall number 08V356000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Daimler trucks is recalling 243,435 my 1995-2008 thomas built school buses manufactured between january 1994, and march 10, 2008. (additional buses have been added to this recall campaign. Please see supplemental report no. 4) the emergency exit door handle begins corroding around the securing roll pin and square drive mechanism causing the protective finish to chip and flake. Continued corrosion and pitting weakens the handle. Handles weakened by corrosion may break while trying to open the door from the exterior.

Risk

In the event of an emergency, a person on the outside of the bus may break the door handle trying to open the emergency exit potentially delaying evacuation and increasing the risk of personal injury to the vehicle's occupants.

Remedy

Daimler trucks will notify owners and will replace the handles with a more robust handle free of charge. Repairs will be performed by thomas built buses dealerships. The recall began on august 18, 2008, and notification for the revised population is expected to begin on or about april 29, 2009. Owners may contact thomas built at 336‑889‑4871.

Recall number 08V087000 · Recall details

What is wrong

On certain school buses, misalignment of the fan drive system components can cause premature belt and pulley bearing wear.

Risk

If the school bus is disabled by a cooling system failure and is stalled on the side of the road, an increased risk of a crash resulting in injury to a school bus occupant could occur.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the fan belt, idler pulley, and belt tensioner and the pulley's laser will be aligned. Owner notification began june 10, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact freightliner at 1‑800‑547‑0712.

Recall number 02V085000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: certain school buses and transit buses equipped with national seating's series 93b-sb driver seat. A bracket attaching the gas spring shock to the height adjuster of the seat can deform and break. This bracket is located at the top of the height adjuster.

Risk

If the bracket is not replaced after deforming, and is allowed to break, its breaking will result in a sudden drop of the driver's seat, increasing the risk of loss of control of the vehicle and a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the seat base and add reinforcement to the seat assembly

Recall number 00V362000 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: heavy duty trucks and school bus chassis built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.

Risk

This condition could cause the ABS ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the ABS ecu.

Recall number 00V232002 · Recall details

What is wrong

Vehicle description: school bus chassis and emergency vehicles built with bendix air ABS with an ec-17 1030r electronic control unit (ecu), there have been reports of unwanted ABS activation at low speeds caused by 1) chafed ABS wheel speed sensor wires on rotating parts or 2) a damaged component at the wheel end that generates a certain type of erratic sensor signal.

Risk

This condition could cause the ABS ecu to exhaust the air at the air brake modulators for one or more of the wheels. This could result in extended braking distances and a possible crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the ABS ecu.

Recall number 00V232011 · Recall details

In october 2001, thomas built buses sent out a vehicle owner notification (von) to bus owners outlining procedures for the proper alignment and replacement of the engine's fan drive components.directions in the communication require that the idler pulley, belt tensioner, and the fan belt will need to be replaced.presumably, this action was being recommended to eliminate fan belt separations while the buses are in service.a fan belt separation would result in the ngine overheating and ultimately stalling.as a result of this action, odi contacted two fleets and determined that they had suffered disabled buses on the shoulder of the road as a result of a fan belt failure.on february 12, 2001, odi opened thie preliminary evaluation to understand the extent of the failures and the rationale for conducting an owner notification program in lieu of a safety recall campaign.on march 15, 2002, thomas built filed a defect report outlining their plans to conduct a safety recall to notify the remaining owners and remedy the affected school buses.this investigation is closed.

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