**FIRST EMAIL**/Important Fisher-Price motor and gearbox information

[sanddrag]

Greetings Teams:

FIRST has discovered, with our team's assistance, problems associated with the 2005 Fisher-Price motor and gearbox. FIRST apologizes for what has occurred this year.

BACKGROUND

Historically, Teams received 2 Fisher-Price gearboxes with an attached 12V motor. The motors have been consistently 12V models with a pinion gear that meshes with a plastic gear inside the Fisher-Price gearbox. The pinion gear and, subsequently, the gearbox, have sometimes been different from year to year, but the motor was always a 12V motor. For example, the 2004 motor / gearbox was a 12V motor with a 19-tooth pinion gear.

THIS YEAR ... 2005

Fisher-Price, a very large supporter of and donor to FIRST, inadvertently shipped a 6V motor, which had a 13-tooth pinion, and the associated gearbox for this motor. All of us were under the assumption that this motor was a 12V motor and, only after teams responded with questions about the motor's performance were we able to investigate the problem and determine the cause of lower performance. Please be aware that stalling the motor will damage it and probably the transmission too because of the high torque it is delivering to the transmission's gears when at the stall condition.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?

NOW

1. If you are using this year's motor and it still works, be careful! Protect it from damage. This can be done by avoiding stalling the motor, using 20 Amp circuit breakers, and/or limiting the effective motor voltage to 6 Volts (by restricting the PWM values sent to the speed controller).

2. If you have "fried" this year's motor and would like a replacement, send it to FIRST, c/o FRC Parts. We will send you a replacement 6V motor.

3. If you have last year's motor and gearbox, you may use it.

4. Your can check Chief Delphi's swap area to potentially acquire one of last year's motors. Go to:

www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/parts.php?

5. You can check with a Fisher-Price service center. To locate a service center online, use this link and type in your zip code:

http://www.service.mattel.com/us/powerwheels_info.asp

To locate service centers by phone, call Fisher-Price at 800-348-0751, press 1 for English, and then press 3, which will provide a menu of service center location choices.

For the 2004 motor and transmission, ask for:

19 tooth Jeep Gearbox

For just the 2004 motor, ask for:

Part # 009689003 (this motor will only mount to the 2004 gearbox).

AT THE EVENTS

Various options outlined below will be available on an EXCHANGE basis. Because quantities are limited, teams are encouraged to take all precautions so as not to fry motors, i.e., we will not repeatedly replace the same motor.

1. FIRST will have the 2005 motor/gearbox (6V and 13-tooth pinion) available on an EXCHANGE BASIS, i.e., you may get a replacement by turning in the old motor/gearbox.

2. We will have the 2004 motor/gearbox (12Vand 19-tooth pinion) available on an EXCHANGE BASIS, i.e., you may get a replacement by turning in the old motor/gearbox.

3. We will have 12V motors (that are very close to the 2004 motor power but are not an exact match) with a 13-tooth pinion available on an EXCHANGE BASIS, i.e., you may get a replacement by turning in the 2005-6V motor. The motor you are turning in can be "fried" OR in perfect working order. This replacement motor will fit the 2005 gearbox.

FIRST and Fisher-Price are doing everything we can to rectify the situation at hand with these motors. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this issue. FIRST is very thankful to have suppliers such as Fisher-Price who are committed to FIRST's mission and make these resources available for all teams.

If you have any questions please contact us at frcteams@usfirst.org.

Go Teams!