Looking for advice for Cummins Recall

[Palazzo33.2]

We took our Newmar Mountain Aire into a Cummins shop in August for a fuel rail recall. Cummins pulled apart the assembly and determined an accumulator needed replaced. We also have a slow leak on an airbag, the longer it sits idle the more potential for damage. I have begun searching for a solution and through an independent vendor we located the accumulator at the Texas Cummins distribution center, with the Engine Serial Number I could get one. Despite the accumulator being shipped directly from Cummins to Cummins I was notified if I used the vendor to facilitate the recall would no longer be covered under warranty and the local Cummins dealer would not be required to install the new accumulator. After working with Cummins corporate, warranty and local Cummins service the current supply of accumulators had been allocated out. I can’t get the local Cummins to be proactive and I can’t use the vendor who is willing without fighting Cummins on the warranty. Has anyone else had an issue like this and how did you resolve it?
Quick shout out for Jacob and Reliable Industries in Louisiana for trying so hard to help a desperate person in Idaho, if you need motorhome parts I strongly recommend them. Also, would like to recommend you learn from my mistake and before dropping your coach off for a “quick fix” be sure to ask questions regarding ancillary issues that have been found frequently. Sorry for the long post, thanks for being willing to read it all!

[Dutch Star Don]

I would pay for the repair and then take the dealer/Cummins to small claims. Once they get the small claims notice, they may pay up. In this time of shortages, it's absolutely ridiculous to stick to a policy like that when it could so easily be repaired. Even if they made you pay the difference between their cost and the retail price of the part.

[RealNiceTent]

Copy and paste your post to every diesel forum you can find. It won't take long before somebody at Cummins gets wind and starts ringing bells for you.

[2cyber71]

Terrible

[randomledder]

I’m really wondering how sitting idle can have more potential for damage?

[Palazzo33.2]

Originally Posted by randomledder

I’m really wondering how sitting idle can have more potential for damage?

As I understood it, there are two potential issues. As the airbag slowly looses pressure in the front passenger side but remains level in the other 3 corners there is the possibility that the deflating airbag can be caught in pinch points as the system is meant to be more evenly raised and lowered. The 2nd issue follows the same concept as above but with the frame and the 4 slides. While the frame and slides are built with the intent of movement and tweaking they are not built to sit for months with 1/4 of the coach at a drastically different height. As a former Palazzo owner I tend to be very apprehensive when it comes to the slides. Please advise if I have misunderstood the information, this is one time I would be very happy to know I was mistaken!

[Palazzo33.2]

Originally Posted by RealNiceTent

Copy and paste your post to every diesel forum you can find. It won't take long before somebody at Cummins gets wind and starts ringing bells for you.

Thank you, that is definitely worth a try!

[Ljwt330]

Originally Posted by randomledder

I’m really wondering how sitting idle can have more potential for damage?

This thread has now been combined with the first thread posted by the OP on the topic. When you first read this thread, the OP did not include the part that he had a leaking air bag that Freightliner was going to address, so the inclusion of damage due to sitting idle made no sense.

The mods have combined both threads so now this one begins with the OP's original post, which includes the air bag comment. Reread the opening post and your question will be answered.

I am posting this not only to answer your question, but to stop others from wondering why you posted the comment in the first place.

[jacwjames]

I had a terrible time with the Ford Chassis on my Class C. Multiple failure with only one warranty item taken care of.

After my last issue I finally sent a registered letter to the corporate office addressed to Henry Clay Ford Jr. Someone had to sign for it.

Finally got a call from a customer service rep.
You might try the same thing! Have to keep working your way up the food chain.





In reality I did not get any consideration from 1997 Ford chassis.

3 failed manifolds, first one took 4 months to fix, none in inventory due to high failure rate. Asked for extension of warranty but was denied, second one failed after the next trip but out of warranty.

Front suspension issue, tires wore out after ~20K, need spacers installed and an alignment. Shop said this was common in a Class C due to weight.

Transmission output seal, new seal came with a warning saying OEM seal was not suitable for heavy duty application.


Oil pressure started to drop to ZERO at idle, ended up being a cracked pickup tube flange where it bolts onto the oil pump.

Can you tell I'm not a Ford fan. NAFF

[Palazzo33.2]

Originally Posted by Ljwt330

This thread has now been combined with the first thread posted by the OP on the topic.

I apologize, in an effort to shorten my post and focus my question more to a what to do when you can't get any help question I left out important information and convoluted the issue. Thanks for clarifying and again I apologize for the additional work for the moderators.

[RealNiceTent]

Originally Posted by jacwjames

I had a terrible time with the Ford Chassis on my Class C. Multiple failure with only one warranty item taken care of.

After my last issue I finally sent a registered letter to the corporate office addressed to Henry Clay Ford Jr. Someone had to sign for it.
Finally got a call from a customer service rep.
You might try the same thing! Have to keep working your way up the food chain.
In reality I did not get any consideration from 1997 Ford chassis.

3 failed manifolds, first one took 4 months to fix, none in inventory due to high failure rate. Asked for extension of warranty but was denied, second one failed after the next trip but out of warranty.

Front suspension issue, tires wore out after ~20K, need spacers installed and an alignment. Shop said this was common in a Class C due to weight.

Transmission output seal, new seal came with a warning saying OEM seal was not suitable for heavy duty application.

Oil pressure started to drop to ZERO at idle, ended up being a cracked pickup tube flange where it bolts onto the oil pump.

Can you tell I'm not a Ford fan. NAFF

I have a question about your poor abused Ford "E" chassis, Did you ever put that poor ol' girl on the scales? In 1997 a lot of manufacturers of class C's were still literally overloading right them out of the factory. Three of your four failures can be related to overloading. Warped exhaust manifolds is/was a big problem with the 460's, and Fords solution of putting new manifolds on did not work, and the cracked pickup tube was a freak occurrence, or a metal fatigue failure from high frequency vibration that occurs in certain RPM ranges.
For the benefit of the folks out there who may still have a 460 with exhaust manifolds that keep leaking no matter what gaskets they use. Remove the old manifolds and throw away the bolts that secure it to the head. Take the manifolds to a local machinist that can plane them flat and square on the mounting surface and have them planed. Procure a new set of manifold bolts, the bolts must be OE Ford or IDENTICAL! The bolts are actually somewhat triangular to prevent loosening and will have an unthreaded pilot of about 1/4 inch. Grind this pilot off down to the beginning of the threads. Mount the manifolds without gaskets and use only a thin smear of ultra high temp silicone sealer. IF you follow this procedure, it is almost guaranteed you will not have another leaking exhaust manifold. The cast Iron of the manifold will only twist from being heated one time which is why you want to machine the old manifolds. Ford issued a Technical Service Bulletin about the bolts bottoming in the holes, because the pilots bottom in the bore before proper tightening of the manifold happens against the gasket. And mounting the manifold with out a gasket allows better transfer of heat from the manifold to the cylinder head,the very thin smear of ultra high temp silicone only fills small imperfections allowing a mostly metal to metal fit and seal. When a gasket is used it makes a barrier to heat, and compressability allows the manifold to twist slightly when hot creating a leak. Bolted metal to metal the manifold cannot twist.

I hope this helps any one who has a problem with leaking 460 manifolds, and it will work on other problem motors.

[GCSuper]

Originally Posted by Palazzo33.2

As I understood it, there are two potential issues. As the airbag slowly looses pressure in the front passenger side but remains level in the other 3 corners there is the possibility that the deflating airbag can be caught in pinch points as the system is meant to be more evenly raised and lowered. The 2nd issue follows the same concept as above but with the frame and the 4 slides. While the frame and slides are built with the intent of movement and tweaking they are not built to sit for months with 1/4 of the coach at a drastically different height. As a former Palazzo owner I tend to be very apprehensive when it comes to the slides. Please advise if I have misunderstood the information, this is one time I would be very happy to know I was mistaken!

Seems like the answer to this is to just dump all the air.

[Palazzo33.2]

Originally Posted by GCSuper

Seems like the answer to this is to just dump all the air.

Is it possible to dump all the air without the ability to power up the systems?