Investigations
POWER BRAKE ASSIST
NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA85046 - closed, opened 1985-08-30.
NHTSA investigation EA85046 is a Engineering Analysis opened on 1985-08-30 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1987-07-24 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
An Engineering Analysis like EA85046 is the deeper technical phase that follows a PE. NHTSA requests design, warranty, and field-failure data from the manufacturer, conducts its own testing when needed, and determines whether the evidence supports a safety defect finding that would compel a recall.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: IN ANALYZING THIS MATTER GMIDENTIFIED THREE PRIMARY SOURCES FOR THE COMPLAINTS. THE FIRST INVOLVESA GRADUAL DETERIORATION IN PERFORMANCE OF BELT DRIVEN VACUUM PUMPS. AC-CORDING T..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER: IN ANALYZING THIS MATTER GMIDENTIFIED THREE PRIMARY SOURCES FOR THE COMPLAINTS. THE FIRST INVOLVESA GRADUAL DETERIORATION IN PERFORMANCE OF BELT DRIVEN VACUUM PUMPS. AC-CORDING TO GM, VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH VACUUM PUMPS ARE ALSO EQUIPPED WITHA "LOW VACUUM" WARNING LIGHT, WHICH IS ILLUMINATED WHEN BOOSTER VACUUMFALLS BELOW 10 IN. HG. THIS SIGNALS THE DRIVER THAT MAINTENANCE IS NEED-ED. THE SECOND SOURCE OF COMPLAINTS WAS TRACED TO A QUALITY CONTROL PROB-LEM ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF THE BRAKE BOOSTER DIAPHRAGM SUPPLIERS. USE OFPARTS FROM THIS SUPPLIER WAS DISCONTINUED IN SEPTEMBER 1984. THE THIRDCOMPLAINT SOURCE IDENTIFIED BY GM IS THE LOW VACUUM WARNING LIGHT IN 1982MODELS. ACCORDING TO GM, THE LIGHT INDICATED LOW VACUUM WHEN THERE WAS NOPROBLEM OR A LEAK IN THE SWITCH RESULTED IN REDUCED VACUUM AND ILLUMINA-TION OF THE LIGHT. THIS WAS ALSO TRACED TO A GM SUPPLIER THAT WAS DIS-CONTINUED IN 1982. GM ISSUED FIELD SERVICE INFORMATION COVERING SWITCHREPLACEMENT IN LATE 1982.ANALYSIS: GM HAS IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC VEHICLE COMPONENTS RESPONSIBLE FORREDUCED POWER BRAKE VACUUM ASSIST AMONG THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. THE NUMBERAND NATURE OF THE ODI AND GM COMPLAINTS RECEIVED ALONG WITH THE ALLEGEDACCIDENTS REPORTED INDICATE A POTENTIAL VEHICLE SAFETY PROBLEM.STATUS: THE FINAL REPORT CONCERNING THE OWNER SURVEY FROM THEAUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WAS RECEIVED ON 6/10/87.===
About This Investigation Type
An Engineering Analysis (EA) is the in-depth phase following a Preliminary Evaluation. NHTSA engineers conduct testing, collect data from manufacturers, and perform detailed technical analysis to determine whether a safety defect exists. An EA may lead to a voluntary recall by the manufacturer or, in rare cases, a mandatory recall order.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.