Investigation PE00021: 2000 Blue Bird School BUS

Status

CLOSED

Opened

May 2, 2000

Closed

Aug 2, 2000

Model years

2000

Subject

Electrical wire chafing

Component: Electrical system

Summary

On may 23, 2000, odi was contacted by a school bus fleet manager who alleged one of their buses had been involved in a minor electrical fire at the driver's accessory control panel.while unloading children, the driver noticed a large volume of smoking pouring from behine the panel.eventually the smoke abated and the bus was towed to the fleet's maintenance facility where they found the heater control cable had abraded one of the body solenoid wires and a portion of the heater control cable sheath, immediately adjacent to the wire/cable contact point, had been melted away.subsequently, they inspected another subject bus and found cable/wire contact near the solenoid as well.

An NHTSA investigation looks into whether a safety defect exists. Opening one is not a finding. Outcomes can include a recall, closure without action, or further inquiry.