Pierce engineering analysis EA11008
Engine RPM's surging during pumping mode. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this engineering analysis about the cooling system on 3 model years (2006–2008). Opened Jun 27, 2011, closed Nov 9, 2012 after 16 months. It led to safety recall 12V523000, 15V760000. became a recall
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedOn January 10, 2011 the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE11-001) based on a Product Improvement Program (PIP) (ODI TSB #10036912) submitted by Caterpillar dated August 18, 2010. The PIP was intended to address engine RPMs that could surge while the fire fighting vehicle was in a water pumping mode. This engine surge could cause significant fluctuations in water pressure being directed onto a fire through a hose. The bulletin states that this condition in conjunction with other factors or circumstances could result in a risk of personal injury or death. Caterpillar's PIP provided information involving the installation of new engine software on certain fire trucks with C9 engines. On June 27, 2011 ODI upgraded its investigation to an Engineering Analysis. No information request (IR) letter was sent to Pierce, instead a field inspection of a Pierce fire truck was conducted. In August 2011 representatives from ODI, the Vehicle Research and Test Center and Pierce conducted an on-site fire truck performance inspection of a complaint vehicle in Sherwood, Arizona. The purpose was to jointly inspect a complaint vehicle that was recently outfitted with updated engine software. The Sherwood fire truck engine was started and remained idling while the fire truck was set in water pumping mode. The representatives were able to witness the effects of the new software with regards to engine surge and verified that the alleged defect did not exist during this vehicle examination. The new engine software corrected the problem of fire hose pressure fluctuations in water being directed onto a fire. It was determined during the course of this investigation that the PIP released by Caterpillar and conducted on Pierce vehicles should be submitted to NHTSA as a safety recall. During discussions with NHTSA, Pierce was informed that NHTSA had authority over the safety of vehicles even when not in highway use. Following these discussions, Pierce agreed the PIP should be released as a safety recall. This Engineering Analysis is closed with a safety recall (12V-523).
A Engineering Analysis is the deeper stage, usually upgraded from a Preliminary Evaluation: NHTSA tests, requests engineering documents and decides whether a safety defect exists. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one became a recall. The campaign page carries the manufacturer’s filed defect, risk and remedy, the build window and every model year covered; whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2006 Pierce Custom Contender; 2007 Pierce Custom Contender; 2008 Pierce Custom Contender.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs EA11008 a recall?
No — it is the investigation that led to one. Recall 12V523000, 15V760000 is the campaign; its page carries the remedy.
Is EA11008 still open?
No. It closed on Nov 9, 2012 and led to recall 12V523000, 15V760000.
Which vehicles does EA11008 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 3 model years: 2006 Pierce Custom Contender, 2007 Pierce Custom Contender, 2008 Pierce Custom Contender. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.