NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE05-049: ENGINE FIRES
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-049 on September 9, 2005 and closed it on December 16, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004–2005 Caterpillar C15 for it and links 4 recalls to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE05-049 (also written PE05049)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed December 16, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Caterpillar, Inc.
- Component
- Engine and Engine Cooling — Engine — Diesel
- Recalls linked by NHTSA
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2004–2005 Caterpillar C15
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-049.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
THE OPENING OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS BASED ON TWO ISSUES, THE FIRSTBEING A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (PIP) RELEASED BY CATERPILLAR (PI30821) RELATING TO AN OIL LINE LEAK ON CERTAIN C15 ENGINES THAT CAN OCCUR AT THE RIGHT REAR TURBO-CHARGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE.THIS PIP INCLUDES A LETTER SENT TO OWNERS OF THE C15 ENGINES THAT STATES THAT THE MANUFACTURER URGES THE OWNER TO HAVE THE SERVICE PERFORMED FOR YOUR ADDED SAFETY AND SATISFACTION.THE SECOND ISSUE WAS A REPORT FORWARDED TO ODI FROM A FIRE INVESTIGATOR IN CANADA.THIS INVESTIGATOR REPORTED THAT HE HAD INVESTIGATED A FIRE ON A 2005 MODEL YEAR KENWORTH T800 WITH A CATERPILLAR C15 ENGINE.THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT THE RIGHT REAR OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE BURNED VEHICLE WERE FORWARDED WITH THE REPORT.AS A RESULT OF ODITHE OPENING OF THIS INVESTIGATION WAS BASED ON TWO ISSUES, THE FIRSTBEING A PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (PIP) RELEASED BY CATERPILLAR (PI30821) RELATING TO AN OIL LINE LEAK ON CERTAIN C15 ENGINES THAT CAN OCCUR AT THE RIGHT REAR TURBO-CHARGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE.THIS PIP INCLUDES A LETTER SENT TO OWNERS OF THE C15 ENGINES THAT STATES THAT THE MANUFACTURER URGES THE OWNER TO HAVE THE SERVICE PERFORMED FOR YOUR ADDED SAFETY AND SATISFACTION.THE SECOND ISSUE WAS A REPORT FORWARDED TO ODI FROM A FIRE INVESTIGATOR IN CANADA.THIS INVESTIGATOR REPORTED THAT HE HAD INVESTIGATED A FIRE ON A 2005 MODEL YEAR KENWORTH T800 WITH A CATERPILLAR C15 ENGINE.THE INVESTIGATION FOUND THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT THE RIGHT REAR OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE BURNED VEHICLE WERE FORWARDED WITH THE REPORT.AS A RESULT OF ODI?S INVESTIGATION, CATERPILLAR HAS AGREED TO CONVERT THE PIP TOA SAFETY RECALL.THE RECALL REMEDY WILL INVOLVE THE ADDITION OF A CLIP THAT WILL PREVENT VVA LINE ABRASION AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VVA LINE IF INSPECTIONS SHOWS SIGNS OF WEAR.THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ( FREIGHTLINER, WESTERN STAR, AND PACCAR) WILL BE NOTIFIFIED BY CATERPILLAR.A COPY OF CATERPILLAR'S RECALL IS ATTACHED.A COPY OF THE RECALL IS ATTACHED.CATERPILLAR'S ACTION RESOLVES THE ISSUES RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION AND, THEREFORE, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-049. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Caterpillar
All Caterpillar recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-049
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.