NHTSA Complaint #10522657 — 2007 FLEETWOOD TERRA

2008 >101F STOPPED, LET ENGINE RUNNING FOR ABOUT 10MIN ENGINE TURNED OFF BY ITSELF. TRIED TO RESTART BUT, NO STARTER ENGAGEMENT, HAD TO TURN OF THE IGN. SWITCHED AND THEN THE ENGINE RESTARTED, CONTINUE TO DRIVE FOR A FEW MILES AND ENGINE TURNED OFF AGAIN THIS TIME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. TRIED TO START IN NEUTRAL BUT, HAD TO PUT THE TRANSITION INTO PARK AND TURN OFF THE IGN. SWITCH AND THE ENGINE WOULD RESTARTED. CONTINUING 2 OR 3 MORE TIMES TILL THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AT SPEEDS >25MPH (~300MILES). TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR A COUPLE OF ADJUSTMENTS MADE. NEXT USAGES THE EXTERNAL TEMP WAS MUCH LOWER 80 TO 85F AND WE HAD NO PROBLEMS. 2013 >105F STOPPED LEFT ENGINE RUNNING AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AGAIN ALL BY ITSELF. TRIED TO RESTART BUT, NO STARTER ENGAGEMENT SO, HAD TO TURN OF THE IGN. SWITCH AND THEN THE ENGINE RESTARTED, CONTINUED TO DRIVE TO CAMP SITE AND ENGINE CONTINUED TO DIE BY ITSELF (NOTE: ALARM POSTED NO J1850 ACTIVITY) UNTIL WE HAD TO WAIT >30MINS TILL THE ENGINE WOULD RESTART. THIS WAS ALL WHILE BLOCKING THE PATH WAY IN THE CAMP GROUNDS. BIGGEST FEAR IS THIS OCCURRING ON HIGHWAYS AS STEERING/BREAKS ARE QUESTIONABLE THIS CONDITION. SEARCHED THE WEB FOR RECALLS, NO J1850 NO CLEAR ACTIONS. I DID LOOK INTO THE J1850 PROTOCOL BY D. JOHN OLIVER INTEL CORPORATION AND FOUND THAT IC CHIPS USED HAVE A MAX TEMPERATURE OF 125C OR 257F. OPERATING TEMP OF THE ENGINE IS ~200F, EXHAUST MANIFOLD TEMPS >400F, VEHICLE IN AN IDLE CONDITION I.E. NO AIR FLOW ACROSS THE VEHICLE ECM (THE ECM IS MOUNTED ABOVE ENGINE/RADIATOR WHERE ALL THE HEAT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT EXITS IN AN IDLE CONDITION) IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE CHIPS ARE OVERHEATING AND UPON THE OVERHEATING CONDITION THE ECM NEEDS TO BE RESET I.E. HAVING TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION TO GENERATE A WAKE UP CONDITION... CHIPS (AU5780, AU5780A & 7510) NOT TESTED FOR TEMP. CONTINUING TO TEST NOW! *TR