MCI SERVICE INFORMATION

Allison Transmission/Extended Warranty - D/E/J models

Motor Coach Industries makes available to our customers the option of purchasing extended warranties on the powerpacks of their new vehicles. These are purchased directly from the engine and transmission manufacturers that offer such warranties. These extended warranties are available at the time of purchase of your new MCI vehicle, and are the direct obligations of the engine and transmission manufacturers. MCI is not involved in the administering of these warranties in any way.

Recently Allison Transmission made a change to its extended warranty program. This change added a requirement for any transmission involved in the Allison Extended Transmission Coverage (ETC) program (see Allison publication #SE0607EN.) Allison requires that effective July 2000, such covered transmissions must use TranSynd™ Synthetic Fluid or fluids meeting Test Engineering Specification 295 (TES 295).

Below are statements from the Allison Extended Transmission Coverage (ETC) Program, and what is published on the ETC Coverage Agreement form:

Question: If I do not use TranSynd or fluids conforming to TES 295, will my repairs during my ETC period be covered by Allison Transmission?
Answer: No, not if it is determined that the vehicle has been operating with fluids other than TranSynd fluid or fluid conforming to TES 295.

3. What is not covered
   4. Maintenance, Failures and Claims caused by any of the following are not covered:
      3. Failure to use TranSynd (or fluid conforming to TES 295)

If the owner / operator does not comply with using TranSynd, ATD would then be obligated to reimburse them for the ETC at a prorate. TranSynd must be installed during the first initial transmission fluid change or one month following ETC registration, whichever occurs later. If an MCI customer does not want to sign up for ETC, they can use the other ATD approved oils. But they must use the non TranSynd oil / filter change schedule of 12K / 12K miles for severe vocation, and 25K / 25K miles for general vocation during the 2 year / unlimited warranty period. See Allison service information letter #10-TR-99A for fluid / filter change recommendations.

Although TranSynd, a synthetic oil by Castrol®, is expensive, it has many merits such as:

• Reduces the cost of ETC in CY2000 by 18% to 81% for B500(R)s when compared to CY1998. CY2000 was the first year that TranSynd was required for ETC.
• Extended the oil & filter change interval from 12K / 12K miles to 50K / 50K miles for severe duty (B500R and transit operation.)
• Extended the oil & filter change interval from 25K / 25K miles to 100K / 50K miles for general duty (B500 in an intercity operation.)
• Maintains the correct oil viscosity throughout the oil change interval.
• Because of the degradation of DEXRON's viscosity after 10K miles of severe operation, a B500(R) sump temperature will actually run 12°F higher with DEXRON oil than if the B500(R) was filled with TranSynd oil.

If you have any further questions about this, you can either contact your local Detroit Diesel-Allison dealer or the Motor Coach Industries Customer Support Center at (800) 241-2947.