The National Parts Return Program
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DOT HS- 805 146 TL 242 / . N384 v . 3 THE NATIONAL PARTS RETURN PROGRAM Volume III: PRP News and Program Inputs M. Lowery P. Karawanny B. Miller R. Recard Kappa Systems , Inc. 1501 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia 22209 Contract No. DOT HS- 6-01433 Contract Amt. $90,970 July 1979 FINAL REPORT This document is available to the U.S. public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161 Prepared For U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Washington, D.C. 20590 This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no lia- bility for its contents or use thereof. Technical Report Documentation Pape 1 1. Report N«. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. DOT_HS_805 L46 4. Till* Submit 5. Report Oat* 1 July 1979 » NATIONAL PARTS RETURN PROGRAM . 6. Performing Organization Coda FINAL REPORT VOLUME 3 PRP NEWS AND PROGRAM- INPUTS 3. Performing Organization Report No. 7. Author*) KAPPA-DOT- 79-01 M. Lowery, P. Karawanny, B. Miller, R. Recard 9. Perform* ng Organization Noma and Address 10. Work Un.f No. (TRA1$) Systems, Inc. 1 1 Kappa . Contract or Grant No. 1501 Wilson Blvd. HS-6-01433 Arlington, Virginia 22209 13. Typ# of Rpport and Period Covored 12. Sponsoring Agency N on,* ond Address Final Report Department of Transportation 1 Julyl978 to 30 June 1-979 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 14. Soensonng Agency Cod* Office of Defects Investigation N41-60 15. Supplementary Not** 16. Abstract The National Parts Return Program involves the voluntary submittal by independent automotive repair facilities of failed automotive components and information. The purpose of the program is to gather information on these components and failure reports to assist the NHTSA in identifying the existence of safety-related manufacturing defects in design, materials, construction or performance of motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. Under authority of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, as amended, the NHTSA can require manufacturers to conduct safety defect recall remedy campaigns when it has been determined that a defect relating to motor vehicle safety exists. In addition, the information obtained fronfTflBHU parts and i reports is valuable in preparing Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. DEPARTMENT ME TRANSPORTATION DEC 2 8 19/9 ! library - \ ! 17. Key Word* 18. Distribution Sfofomenr Parts Return Program Document is available to the public through Defects Investigation the National Technical Information Service, Springfield. Virginia 22161 9 19. Security Clossif. (of this report) 20. Security Clossif. (of this page) 21. No. a) age* 22. ?r ic« unclassified unclassified 266 1 Form DOT F 1700.7 (S-72) Reproduction of fo rm and completed page is authorized i FACTORS CONVERSION METRIC 11 Acknowledgments This work was performed under contract number DOT HS-6-01433. KSI's Contract Technical Manager was Mr. Gary Woodford, Engineering Analysis Division, Office of Defects Investigation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, whose assistance is gratefully acknowledged. KSI would also like to recognize the support for this project provided by Mr. William Risteen, Acting Chief, Engineering Analysis Division, Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA. Lastly, we wish to express our appreciation to Ms. Joanna Schneider for her patient secretarial support. 111 ' ' ' " ' ' •; i . ’ ' ‘ ' : ’ ‘•v : . : ' / TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume 3 Section 1: Newsletter Matrix 1 Section 2: PRP News, Volume 4 16 Section 3: Monthly Summary of Parts Received 52 v SECTION OF AVAILABLE COPY I I BEST I jl 1 t SUSPENSION UZ 3 a e'- er. oo a 5; z TIKES WHEELS, i | I IT. C: o C c I a at- *3 4 3 Aimcr.FR 1979 June - NKWRUcTTrcn 1978 •Tilly pur 4 Aimoi.RR 1979 Juno - Nn:wR!,!!T.rnn 1978 July pup 5 K t; 1979 June - 1978 July o / SYSTEMS FUEL CC t: B C: cr < o c GO t- c; LC 7 (Cont. SYSTEMS FUEL V. t: Q — O'. r-— at> < 70) Z. c i ' c— •— «r. LC i-H £ >. z •=? 8 AIITICLES 1979 June - NEWSI.ETTEH 1978 July HP I’ Q SYSTEM ELECTRICAL CC C-. cr. c; c C CO C: > 10 1979 Juno - 1978 July 00 \ 00 \c- 1 <30 fH 11 ANTICLES 1979 June LETTISH - 1978 NEWS July I'HP 12 13 1070 .hinr; - 1078 .Inly 14 I I I p* o jx: I ^ t-4 o O c o CC s».Q c ES C CO c ,p“- a o o — CO Q o CO c 0) c J- £ o cO £ cc w c J- !J CO A0CFSS0K1 *c o o 13 15 A Q*J*AySa parts return 5/4tes O' program (news u S DEPARTMENT OE TRANSPORTATION e NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION Vol. 4 No. 1 July 1978 CARBURETOR FLOAT SATURATION REPORTS two 1973 Dodge Darts, seven 1974 Valiants and two 1974 Darts. The Champion Parts Rebuilders, Inc. of of significant, safety- related conse- average mileage on the 1973 ve- Oakbrook, Illinois, recently submitted quences. The agency is still in- hicles was 44,000, ranging from to the PRP detailed information on terested in problems associated with 16,493 to 73,010. The average carburetor float saturation in a va- later model vehicles, however, espe- mileage on the 1974 vehicles was riety of models. According to Cham- cially any float saturation situation 29,000, ranging from 23,780 to pion, which services over one million which may have caused engine com- 39,253. carburetors per year, problems have partment fires. been encountered with nitrophyll car- Contributing brake hoses in the past buretor floats. The floats are made year were WISCONSIN DOT, Madison, Wise.; of a closed cell, plastic composition PLYMOUTH/DODGE BRAKE KOLESNIK's SERV- ICE, material but begin to absorb gas- HOSE CRACKS Rochester, New York; DAY-NITE oline after a few years of service, AUTO, Kaukauna, Wisconsin; AUTO according to Champion. This can BRAKE CORPORATION, Norfolk, Vir- ginia; cause carburetor flooding and thus WOODY’s GARAGE, Mon- creates a potential for engine com- toursville, Pennsylvania; A. RUTH’s partment fires. GARAGE, Colonie, New York; MR. BRAKE #9, Pocatello, Idaho, and Champion reports that among BUD JONES SERVICE, Delmar, New 1974 and 1975 carburetors being York. We’d like to thank these shops serviced, saturated floats run as high as well as others who have contrib- as 80%. Carburetors affected in- clude a wide variety of models man- uted suspect brake hoseS during the ufactured by Holley, Carter, Autolite past three years. Additional infor- and Rochester. mation on this potential problem The PRP has recently received ad- would be appreciated. ditional saturated floats from BOB CHESTER’S AUTO SERVICE, Arlington, Texas; AUTOMOTIVE CITY SERVICE CENTER, San Francisco, California; SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS and AUTO BRAKE CORPORATION, As we begin a new PRP year Norfolk, Virginia. Two floats were (July, 1978—June 1978), we’d like removed from 1974 Mustang ll's, Based upon a large number of to take time out to thank two while a third float was removed from parts received from PRP members, special shops which have con- a 1974 Pinto. Approximately 21 the NHTSA has recently opened an tributed parts and information to carburetor float saturation problems enigneering analysis into brake hoses the program for twelve consecutive have been reported by program on Chrysler Corporation vehciles. months: AUTO BRAKE CORPORA- members over the past three years. The analysis involves brake hoses TION, Norfolk, Virginia and HARRY’s AUTO SERVICE, The NHTSA recently closed an from 1973 and 1974 Plymouth Val- Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Our investigation into carburetor float iants and Dodge Darts. The hoses' sincerest thanks to George Casper saturation in Rochester QuadraJet allegedly develop cracks and splits of Auto Brake and Harry Billings carburetors installed in 1965— 1972 near the fitting. of Harry's, as well as their staffs, General Motors vehciles. The case During the past year, PRP shops for their continuing contributions (C—44) was closed with no finding of have contributed brake hose from 17 to automotive safety. a defect, primarily because of a lack vehicles: six 1973 Plymouth Valiants, 16 CLUTCH CABLE PROBLEMS ON MUSTANG’S Last year, BOB's AUTOMOTIVE, Dayton, Ohio, submitted information to the PRP on the possibility of a construction defect in the clutch cable connection on a 1974 Mustang II with 37, 714 miles. Allegedly, the connector for the cluth pedal ripped away from the firewall of the vehicle, causing a premature en- gagement of the clutch. The driver experienced a loss of control but was able to avoid an accident. Since that time the NHTSA has received five Hotline calis from in- dividuals who have experienced the same problem. Each case has in- volved breakage at the firewall on 1974 Mustang ll's. Reportedly, as the clutch pate wears, the increased pressure on the cable connection at the firewall is too great for the thin gauge firewall metal, and can cause the metal to tear, creating a poten- tially dangerous situation. A similar condition on Ford Pintos was mentioned by BOB’s AUTOMO- TIVE in a recent telephone contact. NHTSA OPENS THREE NEW INVESTIGATIONS The Pinto clutch cable is held in NHTSA recently opened three new vehicles without power steering. The place by ‘‘spring ears” which re- investigations involving Ford Motor problem involves the steering cou- portedly provide the same kind of Company vehicles and Fiat vehicles. pling flange which is part of the support as they do for a parking The investigations involve fuel leak- steering mechanism. Allegedly, a brake cable attached to the backing age problems, steering mechanism pinch bolt used on this flange can plate on drum brake-equipped ve- problems and front wheel bearing loosen, resulting in a number of prob- hicles.