Faults survey finds electronics problem
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• In a six-month survey the IRTE found that one in three tractive units will suffer from an electrical problem, compared with one in seven for trailers: one in six for PCVs, and one in four for fire applicances and one in 10 for rigids.
''We set out to prove there was a problem and we have done so," says Charlie Seeker, chairman of the IRTE working party.
There were 298 faults recorded on the 1,466 vehicles in the survey. However, Seeker warns that the statistics can be misleading: "They could represent one fault being repaired several times or three hundred different ones." A recurring fault could signal the industry's inability to repair the component properly, says Seeker. That would be an industry problem — but if these are all different faults it would be the electronics manufacturers' problem.
Faults with sensors on ABS, speed limiters, temperature or gear selection systems accounted for 3091 of failures. While one in 10 speed limiters in trucks gave problems, on PCVs it was one in 36.
The IRTE has approved further work on its database to determine the nature of the faults and hopes to work with the relevant equipment manufacturers to overcome the problems.