Revisions to this document are noted
by a stripe in the left­hand margin

SUBJECT:

2014FA09, Rev. A
February, 2015
Page 1 of 5

Special Coverage for A51, A52, and A53 TCM Failures

MODELS/VOCATIONS AFFECTED:
• All B and T Model transmissions with serial number beginning with “65” or “93”
• B and T Model transmissions with serial number beginning with “66” or “94” and used in Transit Bus,
Inter­city, and Shuttle Bus vocations only

Introduction:
Allison Transmission, Inc. has identified a potential concern with A51, A52, and A53 Transmission Control Modules
(TCMs) built between early­November 2009 and mid­April 2013 (see below for exact date codes based on model
number). As a Customer Satisfaction initiative, Allison Transmission, Inc. will replace failed TCMs at no cost
for a period of five years from the in­service date of vehicles with transmission models listed in the “Models
and Vocations Affected” section.

Possible Symptoms of Failed TCMs:
The intent of this section is to provide a list of common symptoms of the failed TCMs to assist technicians with
troubleshooting. Refer to the following list for these symptoms. This list is not all­inclusive; therefore, it is possible
to have a TCM failure that exhibits symptoms which are not included in this list. TCMs that have failed due to
symptoms not included in this list are still covered by this Special Coverage.
Symptom List:
• Vehicle will not start
• Harsh or erratic shifting
• No forward ranges
• No communication with TCM
• Transmission stuck in range
• Shift selector displays “cat eyes”
• TCM will not program/flash
These symptoms can have other root causes; therefore, it will be the responsibility of the servicing technician to
determine whether or not the TCM is the root cause of the customer complaint.

Serial Number Range:
TCM Serial Numbers in this field action are determined by the date code. The date code is the 9th through 12th
digit of the serial number (shown in bold). See Figure 2 for an explanation of the date code.

AR / FA7554EN

2596238

Copyright © 2015 Allison Transmission, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2014FA09, Rev. A
February, 2015
Page 2 of 5
• A51 series S/N BK5536N19310xxxx to S/N BK5536N13097xxxx (November 6, 2009­April 7, 2013).
• A52 series S/N BK5537N29310xxxx to S/N BK5537N23104xxxx (November 6, 2009­April 14, 2013).
• A53 series S/N BK5538N39310xxxx to S/N BK5538N32351xxxx (November 6, 2009­December 16, 2012).
NOTE: Universal Allison DOC® can be used to collect TCM serial number data.

Figure 1. TCM Serial Number

Copyright © 2015 Allison Transmission, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2014FA09, Rev. A
February, 2015
Page 3 of 5

Figure 2. Date Code

Allison Service Outlets Special Coverage Responsibility:
Service Outlets shall take the following steps when they get a vehicle in for repair.
1. Vehicle must have a transmission with a S/N beginning “65”, “66”, “93”, or “94” to perform this field action and
meet vocational requirements stated in the “Models/Vocations Affected” section above.
2. Confirm the TCM has failed.
3. Confirm that the vehicle has one of the following TCMs:
a. A51 P/N 29545536
b. A52 P/N 29545537
c. A53 P/N 29545538
4. Confirm serial number is within TCM range above.
(The easiest way to confirm the TCM serial number is to use Universal Allison DOC®)
5. Confirm the in­service date is no longer than 5 years before the TCM failure date.
6. Record the following information:
a. Transmission Serial Number
b. TCM serial number being removed
c. TCM serial number being installed
d. Full Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
e. Miles/Kilometers/Hours (whichever applicable)
7. Record and save original Customer Modifiable Constants (CMC’s).
8. Replace TCM with a new A59 TCM.
9. After calibration of the TCM ensure that CMC’s are set to the customer’s original values.

Copyright © 2015 Allison Transmission, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2014FA09, Rev. A
February, 2015
Page 4 of 5

Parts Information:
All TCM model numbers listed above including A51, A52 and A53 will be serviced using the A59 TCM
P/N 29551869, which is available through the Allison Parts Distribution Center.

Return of TCMs:
Retain all replaced TCM(s). Replaced TCM(s) should be stored in the box the new TCM was removed from.
Identify each TCM with the full Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), Miles/Kilometers on vehicle and customer
name/location. All replaced TCM(s) must be returned to Allison Transmission, Inc. in order to get credit for
performing this field action.
• For Distributors and Dealers in North America, a RMA (Return Material Authorization) will be automatically
issued when filing for reimbursement in AWAARE.
• For Distributors and Dealers outside North America, the attached RMA (Return Material Authorization) form
must accompany the return of the TCM to Allison Transmission, Inc. A maximum quantity of 30 TCM(s) should
be returned per shipment. Each replaced TCM is to be recorded on page 2 of the attached RMA authorization
form along with the transmission serial number, AWAARE claim number, and replaced TCM number.

Warranty Information:
Allison Service Outlets shall submit an AWAARE claim for each vehicle completed under this Field Action.
Any additional field action work should be claimed separately even if performed simultaneously with another
transmission repair (i.e., overhaul, solenoid replacement, etc).
NOTE: If a Customer believes they have experienced an unacceptable failure rate within their fleet
and requests proactive replacement of the TCM, collect fleet profile data for the individual fleet (single
customer and location) and send to [email protected] for consideration. A fleet profile
form may be obtained upon request at [email protected].

Claim Submittal Information:
Authorized Allison Service Outlets must submit a claim for work performed per this Field Action as outlined in
Table 1 and Table 2. This Customer Satisfaction Field Action initiative will remain active until December 31, 2018.
Table 1. AWAARE Claim Variable Values
Does the transmission have ETC,
Standard, or Edge Coverage
still in effect?

No

Yes

4

Available Claim Type (1, 2, or 9)

2014FA09

2014FA09

List Applicable TCM Part Number

List Applicable TCM Part Number

Complaint Code

AT02

AT02

Failure Code

CC03

CC03

N/A

N/A

Claim Type
Special Activity Indicator
Primary Failed Part

Field Action Authorization Number

Copyright © 2015 Allison Transmission, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2014FA09, Rev. A
February, 2015
Page 5 of 5
Table 2. AWAARE Claim Labor Variable Values
Product Codes 65, 66, 93 or 94
Labor Operation Code/TCM

Labor/TCM

Labor Operation

00096901

1.00 hours

Troubleshooting & Diagnostics

00094701

0.40 hours

Labor R & R TCM

00096501

1.00 hours

TCM Calibration

Allison Service Outlets must follow the published Allison Transmission current labor time guide for work performed.
Any additional parts, labor, or travel costs deemed necessary to complete this field action must be completely
described in detail in the claim narrative; if not, they will be deducted from the claim.
NOTE: This field action applies only to TCMs operating with a transmission S/N beginning with “65”, “66”,
“93” or “94” and TCMs with build dates as identified in the "Serial Number Range" section of this
Customer Satisfaction Field Action. It is possible for your warranty claim to be denied because the
vehicle did not qualify for the field action. This Field Action Letter is the master document in determining
whether a unit qualifies for the field action.

Copyright © 2015 Allison Transmission, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2014FA09 Rev A FIELD ACTION
NON-NORTH AMERICA RMA AUTHORIZATION
ALLISON TRANSMISSION INC.
2014FA09

REFERENCE NO.
DATE:
SHIPPER:

SHIP TO:

Allison Transmission, Inc.
One Allison Way
Dock 33, Stop 70

CONTACT:

Indianapolis, IN 46222

FAX #:

Attn: RMC Coordinator

DOES THIS RETURN CONTAIN ANY ITAR CONTROLLED MATERIAL OR INFORMATION?

YES

NO

If yes, contact the Allison Transmission Export Compliance Administrator for shipping authorization (317-242-3197)
QUANTITY

PART

DESCRIPTION

NUMBER

29545536

TCM

29545537

TCM

29545538

TCM

REASON FOR RETURN:

2014FA09 Field Action Return Material Program
COMMENTS:

IMPORTANT:

A COPY OF THIS COMPLETED FORM MUST BE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE SHIPPING

CONTAINER. AUTHORIZATION AND DOCUMENTATION WILL BE SHIPPED BACK TO THE SENDER FREIGHT COLLECT.
ANY SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION (PRIOR HISTORY, ETC.) SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO SHIPMENT.

Copyright © 2014 Allison Transmission, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

2014FA09 Rev A

NON-NORTH AMERICA
RMA RETURN FORM

RETURNING BUSINESS NAME / LOCATION
Claim#

Transmission Serial#

Returned TCM Serial#

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Copyright © 2014 Allison Transmission, Inc. All Rights Reserved.