Recall FL-893 – Aluminum Battery Cable Failure – 2019-2022 Freightliner Cascadia P4, 2021 Western Star WH126, 2020 Western Star WJ121, & 2021-2022 Western Star 49X

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June 25, 2021 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 21V481000

Battery Cable May Break and Cause Engine Stall

An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V481

Manufacturer Daimler TruckseBay North America, LLC

Components ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Potential Number of Units Affected 122,056

 

Summary

Daimler TruckseBay North America, LLC (DTNA) is recalling certain 2019-2022 FreightlinereBay Cascadia P4, 2021 Western StareBay WH126, 2020 Western StareBay WJ121, and 2021-2022 Western StareBay 49X vehicles. The battery cable terminal may break, resulting in a loss of electrical power and unintended engine stall.

 

Remedy

Dealers will repair or replace the battery cables, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 7, 2022. Owners may contact DTNA customer service at 1-800-547-0712. DTNA’s number for this recall is FL-893.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

 

Check for Daimler Trucks North America Recalls

 


2021 Freightliner Cascadia
2021 FreightlinereBay Cascadia

 


Subject: Aluminum Battery Cable Failure

Models Affected: Specific model years 2019-2022 FreightlinereBay Cascadia vehicles; and Western StareBay 47X RHD, 48X RHD, and 49X vehicles manufactured April 28, 2018, through June 11, 2021.

 

General Information

Daimler TruckseBay North America LLC (DTNA), on behalf of its FreightlinereBay Trucks Division, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Western StareBay Truck Sales, Inc., has decided that a defect that relates to motor vehicle safety exists on the vehicles mentioned above.

On certain vehicles, the battery cable terminal at the frame connecting point may break, resulting in the loss of electrical power and unintended engine shutdown without warning, increasing the risk of crash.

The affected battery cables will be replaced with copper battery cables.

There are approximately 141,000 vehicles involved in this campaign.

 

Additional Repairs

Dealers must complete all outstanding Recall and Field Service campaigns prior to the sale or delivery of a vehicle. A Dealer will be liable for any progressive damage that results from its failure to complete campaigns before sale or delivery of a vehicle.

Owners may be liable for any progressive damage that results from failure to complete campaigns within a reasonable time after receiving notification.

 

Work Instructions

Please refer to the attached work instructions. Prior to performing the campaign, check the vehicle for a completion sticker (Form WAR260).

 

Replacement Parts

Replacement parts are now available and can be obtained by ordering the kit and/or part number(s) listed below from your facing Parts Distribution Center.

 


Work Instructions

Subject: New Cascadia Aluminum Battery Cable Replacement

 

Models Affected: New Cascadia Vehicles without CumminseBay engines or in-rail battery boxes built from 11/26/2018 to the present

 

General Information

This customer advisory letter is intended to provide parts for inspection by DTNA Engineering to finalize a technical solution for an upcoming recall: FL893/NHTSA 21V-481.

The work instructions below describe the replacement of four aluminum battery/powernet cables with copper equivalents and the installation of an updated DK clamp (part number 23-13454-001). The four cables are located in the following modules: 281, 29A, 291, 49U, 49V, 49W, and 49Y.

Please see the attached spreadsheet for a part number crossover parts list of aluminum cables to copper cables.

 

Work Instructions

  1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, shut down the engine, set the parking brake, and remove the key from the ignition. Chock the tires.
  2. Disconnect the batteries.
  3. Open the hood.
  4. Using PartsPro®, determine the location of the four cables to be replaced on each specific vehicle using the modules noted above.
  5. Remove and set aside the negative cables at the battery location.
  6. Make a note of both the part number in PartsPro and the respective length of the negative cables.

 

NOTE: The battery cable access (BCA) is located on the passenger side of the engine wall, facing forward. See Fig. 1.

 

  1. Locate the two studs that secure the main positive 29A cable to the BCA. See callout 1 in Fig. 1. The 29A cable may be covered in a red dielectric coating.

 

NOTE: Do not use power tools when removing the nuts from the studs of the BCA.

 

  1. Hold the ends of the studs in the non-threaded area with vice grip pliers to avoid the stud spinning in the case of the BCA during removal.
  2. Using a 13 mm box end wrench, turn the nuts counterclockwise to remove them from the studs.
  3. Remove the 29A positive cable and set it aside.
  4. Replace it with the appropriate copper cable from the crossover parts list.
  5. Replace the nuts on the stud with fresh stainless steel patchlock nuts (part number 23-14592008) or non-patchlock stainless steel equivalent. Apply a drop of LOCTITE® Blue 242 to the area of the studs the tightened nuts will overlap.

 

NOTE: If the stud(s) start to turn in the BCA, do not discard the BCA. The BCA will not be damaged by minor rotation of the 29A cable-mounting studs.

 

  1. Hold the end of each stud with a vice grip pliers and tighten each nut to 3 to 11.8 lbf•ft (154 ±1 N•m) with a 13 mm box end wrench to secure the newly installed copper cable to the BCA.
  2. Install the new DK clamp (part number 23-13454-001) to keep cables properly routed.
  3. Please present your respective field service representative with any aluminum cables replaced that have not failed. Please label cables as belonging to one of the following categories:
    1. Below 100K miles of service.
    2. From 100K to 250K miles of service.
    3. Over 250K miles of service.

 


Chronology :

In or about January 2021, DTNA received a single field report of unintended vehicle shutdown while in motion due to a broken battery cable. In or about March 2021, DTNA received another field report of positive battery cable separation at the 90 degree frame terminal and promptly began an investigation by, among other things, seeking to identify potentially similar incidents and seeking supplier analysis. In April 2021, DTNA received a failed part analysis report from the supplier.

As a result, DTNA reviewed relevant warranty rate data to assess the matter. In or about May 2021, DTNA’s cross-functional team was tasked to conduct a battery cable test evaluation. Test reports suggested that mating two incompatible galvanic materials, Aluminum and Brass, and not sealing them appropriately increases the likelihood of debris intrusion, which in turn may cause progressive damage to the weld joint area.

However, at this time, DTNA lacked information sufficient to determine if a defect existed or in what population it existed. In or about June 2021, supplier process investigation revealed that the current procedure doesn’t involve preheating of the joint before application of the wrap and due to that, it may not achieve a required surface bond which would be enough to prevent debris intrusion.

Field input disclosed that the largest portion of these events are occurring outside of warranty and parts are being replaced by customers with dealer made copper cables, further complicating DTNA’s effort to understand if there was a defect observed in the field and, if so, what was the population.

That said, DTNA’s estimates indicated a rate of occurrence significantly below 1%. Despite the uncertainty and the low rate of occurrence, out of an abundance of caution, on June 21, 2021, DTNA reasonably decided to conduct a voluntary recall as set forth in this report.

 


8 Affected Products

Vehicles

MAKEMODELYEAR
FREIGHTLINEReBayCASCADIA2019-2022
WESTERN STAReBay49X2021-2022
WESTERN STAReBayWH1262021
WESTERN STAReBayWJ1212020

 


12 Associated Documents

Defect Notice 573 Report

RCLRPT-21V481-2549.PDF 215.134KB

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Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-21V481-7156.pdf 645.246KB

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Miscellaneous Document- Amended Defect Information Report

RMISC-21V481-8437.pdf 586.527KB

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Miscellaneous Document- Amended Defect Information Report

RMISC-21V481-1265.pdf 588.696KB

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ISSUED Interim Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RIONL-21V481-0051.pdf 139.918KB

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-21V481-1896.pdf 420.494KB

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Miscellaneous Document- Defect Information Report

RMISC-21V481-1272.pdf 581.376KB

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-21V481-3914.pdf 303.784KB

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Miscellaneous Document

RMISC-21V481-2499.pdf 176.895KB

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-21V481-7216.pdf 1209.595KB

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-21V481-2704.pdf 331.827KB

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-21V481-8433.pdf 146.35KB

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