|
Server : Apache/2.4.62 System : FreeBSD fbsdweb2.web.rcn.net 14.1-RELEASE FreeBSD 14.1-RELEASE releng/14.1-n267679-10e31f0946d8 GENERIC amd64 User : www ( 80) PHP Version : 8.3.8 Disable Function : NONE Directory : /domains/samscars/ |
Upload File : |
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type"
content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name="Author" content="MARK GIAMMALVO">
<meta name="GENERATOR"
content="Mozilla/4.04 [en] (Win95; U) [Netscape]">
<title>NHTSA valuable automotive resource - Nissan Alternator Fires</title>
</head>
<body>
<center>
<table border="1" cols="2" width="90%" cellpadding="20">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="left" valign="top" width="10%" height="10%">
<center><big><big><b><i><font color="#3333ff">Giammalvo Files</font></i></b></big></big></center>
<big><big> </big></big>
<center></center>
<img src="mark3.jpg" alt="Mark Giammalvo" height="180"
width="167">
<center></center>
<p><i><font color="#000000">Mark Giammalvo specializes in driveability
diagnostics </font><font color="#000000">at his family
business, Sam Giammalvo's Auto Sales & Service,
Inc. in New</font> <font color="#000000">Bedford,
MA. </font> </i> </p>
<p><i><font color="#000000">Mark, who has been with the business for
over 20 years, is an ASE
Master Technician and Parts Specialist. He also holds the ASE
L1 certification, and has an associates degree
in business</font> <font color="#000000">management.
<br>
Mark is also a writer for Motor Age Magazine
and is the past secretary of the Alliance of Automotive Service
Professionals, (AASP).<br>
</font> </i>
<br>
<br>
</p>
</td>
<td align="center" valign="CENTER" width="50">
<font color="#000000"><a href="ourarticles.htm"><img
src="sam-logo.gif" alt="Return To Our Articles Page" border="0"
height="71" width="351">
</a> </font>
<br>
<br>
<center></center>
<big><big><b>NHTSA<br>
A Greater Resource Than Most Realize</b></big></big>
<div align="justify">
<p align="center"><small><i><font color="#000000">(Printed in the Journal
of The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers, AASP) </font></i></small></p>
<br>
Several years ago, I was surprised to receive a call from a national
government agency. The person calling was an investigator employed with The
National Highway & Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). The agent
wanted to question me on a report I had filed on a 97 Nissan Maxima. About
six months prior to this call, our shop had the opportunity to experience
alternator fires on two different 1997 Maximas. As per shop policy, I filed
an online hazard report with NHTSA. As it turns out, the agent had received
a total of five reports of alternator fires on 1997 Maximas. Two of the reports
were mine and the three others were from other Maxima owners in other areas
of the country. The NHTSA agent had been assigned to the "discovery" phase
of an investigation of the fires. I pulled up the computer records on both
cars. We discussed the car's histories and how the fires started. As I had
recalled, both cars came in with loud alternators and battery warning lamps
on. Out charging system tester had found faulty diodes in both alternators.
Shortly after the cars were shut off awaiting parts, the alternators started
to smoke and then catch fire. We stopped both fires with a combination of
disconnecting the batteries and using shop fire extinguishers. Almost a year
after that initial investigation, Nissan agreed to recall 1997 Nissan Maxima
alternators. What I had not realized back then was the amount of information
that is available to the public regarding recalls. Like most technicians in
this industry, I always knew that the recall service information was available
on the NHTSA web site (www.NHTSA.gov). However, I did not know how much more
information was accessible. The Freedom of Information Act has definitely
caused some information overload. On the NHTSA site, the recall information
is just a brief description of the problem and the repair. This is similar
to what the owner of an affected car would receive in the mail. That information
in itself, is not that complex or surprising. Our shop's service bulletin
database has this information and more. Going to the "defect investigation"
section of NHTSA's web site is where you get the full story. In this area
of the site you get to see all the "pursuit documents" as they are called.
When I looked up the Maxima's defect investigations, I found I now had come
across some serious reading material. The pursuit document is 26 pages long.
The first document that comes up is the Office of Defects Investigation,
(ODI) Resume. This letter states the reason for the investigation and the
amount of consumer complaints. The letter also states the amount of accidents,
fires, deaths and so forth. In this case, there were five complaints and
all five complaints involved fires. The second document is the "Screening
Resume." In this document they give a quick summary of the investigation
as well as other relevant information. Here, the investigator listed a past
Infinity alternator recall as possibly "relevant." The next document is where,
one might say, the "heads roll." This is a registered letter sent from ODI
to Nissan's National Technical Compliance Manager. This letter includes copies
of the five consumer complaint forms, a description of the now opened investigation
and some demands. The letter demands certain key information: Number of
vehicles sold by year, model and assembly location; List of any and all
fleet complaints, field reports, fire reports (thermal event reports), crash
reports and lawsuits; names of parts suppliers and copies of all communications
between suppliers, number of warranty or "good will" claims and other documents.
<br>
<br>
The amount of information both requested and presented is staggering. As
I scrolled down, there in front of me, where the two separate complaint
forms that I had sent to NHTSA as well as the other three owners complaint
forms. I never thought my little complaint form would ever land on the desk
of such a prominent Nissan corporate employee. I was really surprised that
it only took five complaints to launch this ODI investigation. I guess it
proves that every person "can" make a difference. The final document
is Nissan's response to ODI regarding the alleged defective alternators.
Here, Nissan's releases the information requested by ODI and agrees to start
the alternator recall. <br>
<br>
It's nice to know that some of our tax dollars actually do end up going
toward something that protects us, the motoring public. <br>
<br>
<br>
<center><font color="#000000"> <a href="ourarticles.htm"><img
src="sam-logo_002.gif" alt="Return To Our Articles Page." border="0"
height="71" width="351">
</a> </font><font
color="#ff0000"><font size="+3"> </font></font> </center>
<center> </center>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</center>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</body>
</html>