Cummins Code 2636 VGT Actuator

This Cummins ISB diesel engine was running flawlessly for years. It’s a 2009 so seven years with a fairly decent service record is a bonus for the fleet. Eventually mechanical components do fail as most people know and this part was the VGT actuator. VGT stands for variable geometry turbocharger. I can tell you this…… Continue reading Cummins Code 2636 VGT Actuator

Cold Start Mercedes Diesel Engine in a School Bus

This bus is one of our older non emission diesel engines. It’s a 2004 Mercedes MBE 900 in a Thomas HDX pusher school bus. As soon as oil pressure is reached I flipped on the high idle switch to get away from over fueling with unburned raw diesel which is very unhealthy for components related… Continue reading Cold Start Mercedes Diesel Engine in a School Bus

MaxxForce 7 Diesel Engine Air Compressor Failure

The one advantage to a belt driven air compressor is the minimal labour to change it out. In this school bus with a MaxxForce 7 diesel engine built by Navistar the Bendix air compressor failed after three years. The oil went as far as the air tanks so this was a severe level failure. The… Continue reading MaxxForce 7 Diesel Engine Air Compressor Failure

Mercedes Diesel Engine Air Compressor Failure

This school bus with a Mercedes MBE 900 diesel engine suffered a premature air compressor failure due to dirt in the engine oil caused by a faulty air intake hose. We had already replaced it a year earlier. The engine oil sample that I receive by email indicated a severe level of dirt in the… Continue reading Mercedes Diesel Engine Air Compressor Failure

Cummins ISC Diesel Engine In School Bus No start

The Thomas HDX school buses we have in our fleet range from years 2007 to 2009 and one fault that has been happening lately is either a no start or no run condition. Of course as always everything happens in groups of three. There was a no start a couple of weeks ago that required… Continue reading Cummins ISC Diesel Engine In School Bus No start

School Bus Mechanic Service Call

Almost 2 weeks into the new school year and there has already been a couple of service calls and the maintenance cycle is starting to build. A rare occurrence out of town late in the afternoon was one of our International buses that had a hot running rear wheel and the inability to build air… Continue reading School Bus Mechanic Service Call

DPF Replacement MaxxForce 7

Servicing a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is part of the maintenance involved with an emission controlled diesel engine. Our shop has to periodically clean or send the DPF out to be cleaned depending on it’s condition. Sending it out for cleaning runs around 500.00 and there’s no guarantee it’s going to pass the flow test… Continue reading DPF Replacement MaxxForce 7

IC School Bus Automatic Light Check

With both of our Thomas and International school buses having an automatic external light check drivers can check lights without assistance while walking around performing a pre-trip. With the ignition key on accessory and the push of a button anyone can do it. The software engineers were thinking when they developed this system. The drawbacks… Continue reading IC School Bus Automatic Light Check

School Bus J1939 Electrical Fault

We happened to have an electrical fault in one of our International buses. The dash registered a large yellow triangle which is supposed to get the driver’s attention and also a message on the dash panel which said “electrical fault”. If you get lucky like we did it was something to do with the ABS… Continue reading School Bus J1939 Electrical Fault

MaxxForce 7 Diesel Engine DPF Failure

The video shows all the damage to the DPF (diesel particulate filter) on one of our MaxxForce 7 International diesel engines. This is the second diesel particulate filter that has failed this way. It seems to me this DPF has a definite weak spot. Only three years old and this “catastrophic failure” as the dealer… Continue reading MaxxForce 7 Diesel Engine DPF Failure