Mechanic Tips-School Bus Fleet Preventive Maintenance

Every Fleet Mechanic will have there own ideas on how to set up the best PM program for their equipment which will vary for different locations. With different climates, road conditions and power trains the procedures will never be exactly the same. Our shop likes to condense the annual PM since the regular checks are carried out every 5000 Kilometers (3000 Miles). Oil changes are done every 15,000 Km with an oil sample to be analyzed. Fuel filters are replaced at every oil change.

The Allison 2000 and 3000 Transmissions  are all running on TES-295 Synthetic oil which has drastically cut down on repairs. Right now we change the oil every 3 years, the newer buses have prognostics which tells us with a dash light indicator when the filter and oil needs to be changed. Air filters are replaced every year regardless of the mileage. Steering Filters are serviced along with changing the oil every 2 years. Valve Sets are carried out according to the Manufacturer i.e Cummins every 5000 Hours or 240,000 Km (Electronic Models). With the introduction to emission controls in 2007 we now have to perform manual regens if required and replace the DPF (diesel particulate filter) every 150,000 Km (90,000 Miles)

Air Dryers every 2 years with a new unloader kit and dessicant filter. Dirt is a factor on school buses so we service interior heater filters and the entire lighting system (Non-LED lights). We check the starting and charging systems including the battery pack. If necessary we will run tests on the batteries and alternator. years ago alternators and starters were removed for rebuild but the time and parts did not add up as an economic strategy so we decided to give these components a 5 year life span before determining if they would need replacement. The cost has come down so much on electrical reman units, it's feasible to go this route with the added bonus of a warranty period.
 
Spring brake chambers are replaced every 5 years regardless of mileage and condition. The Mercedes MBE 900 requires a coolant and thermostat change every 2 years, the other diesel engines in our fleet do not have a time or mileage limit but we're working on that to prevent antifreeze deterioration and thermostat failures. Our tires tread depth is measured every Summer and pressures checked during each service.

Common sense plays a role with any preventive maintenance program and we found the best way to set one up is to sit all the Mechanics down in one room and go through the fleet  figuring out the best program to cover all the bases. Breakdowns will quickly eat up your labor time and parts budget like wildfire so keeping on top of maintenance with a feasible program will pay you back 10 times over.                                                                     

How To Save The Environment While Operating Your Motor Vehicle

There are many steps you can take to help out the environment while operating your vehicle. Here are some easy tips that will make a huge impact on Mother Earth's survival. If every vehicle owner in the world followed some or all of these practices the world would be a cleaner place.

Recycling plays a huge part with motor vehicles when it comes to engine oil, antifreeze and parts. One can only imagine how many millions of gallons of oil gets used in vehicles every year. Once recycled, that oil supplies millions of motor vehicles all over again rather than being dumped on the ground. The same goes for antifreeze which is toxic and can contaminate soil for decades.

Car parts are better off being repaired but if you must replace a part, make sure the old part is returned to the vendor so you can get the core charge back in your wallet. If you try and throw the part in the garbage you don't get your core charge money back. That's a great incentive program.

Stick to regular maintenance tips like servicing your battery and rotating tires. These practices extend their life and decrease replacement intervals. Remanufactured parts cost much less than new parts and take less energy (emissions) to produce compared to original equipment manufacturerd parts.

Head down to the local car wash to wash your car. The soaps and waxes you use could end up down the storm drain. Car washes use much less water which is recycled and treated (federal regulations) before entering the regular water supply.

For the extra conscientious motorist: synthetic oil, long life antifreeze and organic brake pads (if applicable to your vehicle) are great ways to extend replacement intervals. Oil change intervals can go 3 times longer, extended antifreeze will last for hundreds of thousands of miles & organic brake pads won't harm the environment as they wear down.

So as you can see there is a way to contribute to saving our environment if you drive a motor vehicle. Little steps add up to big ones and if everyone contributed we would end up with one heck of a big footprint.

Happy Motoring!