FORD B600 1980: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 81V124000

Production Dates: 1980-08-01 - 1981-04-01

Manufacturers Involved: Ford Motor Company

Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Potential Number Of Units Affected: 7100

Report Initiator: MFR MFR Report

THE MASTER CYLINDER TO CHASIS BRAKE TUBE AND HOSE ASSEMBLIES MAY HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THEIR INTENDED POSITION, WHICH COULD ALLOW CHAFING AGAINST UNDERBODY COMPONENTS. CHAFING PROMOTES WEAR OF THE BRAKE TUBE AND HOSE ASSEMBLY AND COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID.

UPON INSPECTION BRAKE TUBE CLIPS WILL BE INSTALLED, IF NECESSARY, AND BRAKE TUBES AND HOSE ASSEMBLIES WILL BE REPLACED OR REROUTED.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SCHOOL BUSES EQUIPPED WITH HYDRAULIC BRAKES.SYSTEM: SERVICE BRAKES; BRAKE TUBE AND HOSE ASSEMBLY.CONSEQUENCES OF DEFECT: ON MODELS WITH STANDARD SPLIT SYSTEM HYDRAULIC BRAKES,LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID COULD CAUSE LOSS OF VEHICLE BRAKING IN THE AFFECTED SYSTEM.A PORTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM WOULD REMAIN FUNCTIONAL BUT VEHICLE STOPPINGDISTANCE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED AND AN ACCIDENT COULD RESULT. FORMODELS WITH SINGLE SYSTEM HYDRAULIC BRAKES, A SUFFICIENT LOSS OF BRAKE FLUIDCOULD RESULT IN LOSS OF SERVICE BRAKES, LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, AND ANACCIDENT.NOTE: IN BOTH SINGLE AND SPLIT BRAKING SYSTEMS, THE VEHICLE OPERATOR MAY NOTICEA DROP IN BRAKE PEDAL HEIGHT DURING APPLICATION IN THE EARLY STAGES OF BRAKELINE FAILURE. ON SPLIT SYSTEM HYDRAULIC BRAKES, LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID IN ONE PARTOF THE SYSTEM MAY BE DETECTED BY ILLUMINATION OF THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP.VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN IF WARNING LIGHT IS ACTIVATED OR VISIBLE CHAFINGOF THE BRAKE TUBE OR HOSE ASSEMBLY EXISTS, UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS CORRECTED.