NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE07-050: AIR LINE DETACHING FROM DASH
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE07-050 on October 11, 2007 and closed it on February 1, 2008. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2006–2007 Blue Bird All American for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE07-050 (also written PE07050)
- 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 February 1, 2008
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Blue Bird Body Company
- Component
- Service Brakes, Air — Supply
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2006–2007 Blue Bird All American
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-050.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED AFTER ODI RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM TWO FLEETS (TOTALING SEVEN COMPLAINTS) ALLEGING THE AIR LINES CONNECTING TO THE DASH AIR GAUGE WERE LEAKING AIR AND SETTING OFF THE LOW PRESSURE AIR BUZZER. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, ODI INTERVIEWED THE INVOLVED FLEETS, CONDUCTED FIELD TRIPS TO EXAMINE SIMILAR BUSES, VISITED DEALERS AND REVIEWED DATA FURNISHED BY BLUE BIRD IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST.WHILE BIRD BIRD WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE A DEFINITIVE CAUSE FOR THE REPORTED FAILURES, THEY BELIEVE THE LOWNUMBER OF COMPLAINTS INDICATES AN ANOMALY AND THE LEAKS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE UNINTENTIONAL POSITIONING OF THE HOSE DURING DASH INSTALLATION.BLUE BIRD THEORIZES THAT AS THE 1/4 DASH GAUGE AIR LINE TUBING WAS INSTALLED BEHIND THE DASH, THE TUBING ENTERING THE PUSH-IN QUICK DISCONNECT FITTINGMAY HAVE BEEN POSITIONED AT AN ANGLE PUTTING STRESS ON THE PLASTIC MOVABLE PART OF THE FITTING. OVER TIME THIS STRESS MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PLASTIC PART OF THE FITTING TO DETERIORATE,RESULTING IN AN AIR LEAK.BASED ON THE RESULTS OF AN AIR BRAKE SYSTEM TEST CONDUCTED BY BLUE BIRD, COMPLETE DISCONNECTION OF THE ? AIR LINE AT THE DASH AIR GAUGE DOES NOT DEPLETE THE BRAKE AIR SYSTEM TO THE POINT WHERE THE BRAKES WILL NOT OPERATE AS DESIGNED. THE TEST SHOWED THAT EVEN WITH THE AIR LINE DISCONNECTED, NORMAL OPERATION OF THE BUS WILL CONTINUE TO CHARGE THE AIR SYSTEM RESERVOIR, ALLOWING FOR SAFE OPERATION UNTIL THE BUS CAN BE CHECKED. NEVERTHELESS, ALTHOUGH BLUE BIRD'S TEST DATA AND CUSTOMER INFORMATION CONFIRMS THERE IS NO LOSS OF BRAKES WHEN THE DASH AIR GAUGE LINES LEAK OR BECOME DISCONNECTED, BLUE BIRD INTENDS TO DEVELOP A SERVICE BULLETIN TO INSPECT THIS AIR LINE CONNECTION. THE SERVICE BULLETIN WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF ALL 2006 AND 2007 MODEL YEAR BLUE BIRD ALL AMERICAN SCHOOL BUSES.BASED ON THIS INFORMATION, A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TREND DOES NOT EXIST AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES IS NOT WARRANTED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE07-050. 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.
Blue Bird
All Blue Bird 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 PE07-050
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.