The defect
THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM FAILS TO COMPLY TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 121, "AIR BRAKE SYSTEMS". MANUFACTURING TOLERANCES ON THE SWITCH CAN ALLOW THE WARNING BUZZER TO SOUND AT PRESSURES BELOW THE STANDARD 60 PSI. THE STEERING WHEEL BLOCKS THE DRIVER"S FIELD OF VIEW OF THE WARNING LIGHT. SOME OF THE TRUCKS REQUIRE .6 SECONDS, FOR THE AIR PRESSURE TO FALL FROM 95 PSI TO 5 PSI INSTEAD OF THE REQUIRED .55 SECONDS. ALSO, ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RELEASE AFTER LOSS OF AIR IN THE REAR BRAKE RESERVOIR BY MEANS OF THE SERVICE BRAKE CONTROL.
The remedy
DEALER WILL INSTALL TWO LOW AIR PRESSURE SWITCHES TO ACTIVATE THE LOW AIR PRESSURE WARNING BUZZER AT A MINIMUM OF 60 PSI. AN AUDIBLE WARNING BUZZER WILL ALSO BE INSTALLED ON VEHICLES WHERE THE ANTI-LOCK WARNING LIGHT MIGHT BE OBSCURED BY THE STEERING WHEEL, AND VALVES AND FITTINGS WILL BE INSTALLED TO DECREASE THE TIME NECESSARY TO EXHAUST THE AIR FROM THE BRAKE CHAMBERS.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by OVSC
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|
Components: SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
Other service brakes, air recalls in 1978
32 of the 272 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1978 concerned the service brakes, air; CRANE CARRIER COMPANY filed 28 campaigns in all.
| 78V260000 4 Dec 1978 | INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER |
| 78V241000 25 Oct 1978 | HENDRICKSON MFG. CO. |
| 78V235000 23 Oct 1978 | POLAR COMPANY |
| 78V231000 20 Oct 1978 | PIKE TRAILER COMPANY |
| 78V234000 20 Oct 1978 | DORSEY TRAILERS, INC. |
| 78V230000 20 Oct 1978 | BUTLER MANUFACTURING |
| 78V233000 20 Oct 1978 | BUDD COMPANY |
| 78V232000 20 Oct 1978 | WALKER EQUIPMENT |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1978