Improved Battery Tray
International announced some new changes with their 2015 conventional school bus. The battery box will now be frame mounted instead of being secured to the the body. The new assembly will have a heavy duty drawer style design compared to the original weld type rollers.
This change will allow easier sliding out from the compartment. They extended the travel by 3 inches to access the back of the battery pack and the extra security will prevent the batteries from moving around during trips.
We experienced the batteries banging against the access door because of the insecurity of the slide assy. This will change will help along with the extra extension of the batteries outward for easier access. There must have been some feedback from customers for these changes and we’re happy to see them happen. It shows IC is willing to improve on their product when necessary.
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Coolant Booster Pump Relocation
The coolant booster pump has been relocated from the underside of the front passenger floor. This will reduce failures from water, mud and winter conditions that contaminate the motor side of the pump. Usually you need to slide under with a creeper or better still use a vehicle hoist to work on these pumps but now it’s located under the engine hood.
Increased Room – Engine Dog House
The 2015 CE will also have the MaxxForce DT doghouse over top the New Cummins ISB retrofit engine they will all be coming with from the factory. The smaller emission components will help mechanics get to the back of the engine. Thank you IC for thinking about the mechanics.
Fuel Heater and Water in Fuel Sensor Standard Equipment
All CE models with the ISB engine will come standard with a built in fuel heater and water in fuel sensor. These items used to be an option mounted on the frame IC decided to include them as standard most likely (my opinion) increased demand.
Dash Pad Improvement
We experienced cracks in our 2011 and 2012 CE buses and had them replaced under warranty. IC has redesigned a new dash product using Thermoplastic PolyOlefin (TPO). The old dash was made of “Geloy” (GELOY advanced amorphous terpolymer of acrylic-styrene-acrylonitrile (ASA) resins).
Exhaust Tail Pipe Support
Lastly the 6 inch tail pipe these buses run has a brace improvement mounted on the rear bumper. This centers the pipe and keeps it from rubbing against the bumper and causing wear and vibration. These are quick and easy fixes that will reduce aggravation and keep customers happy …. myself being one of them.
Thanks for the read and I would like to hear your feedback on this report. If you own an IC bus or buses please let me know what your experiences have been like with them and if you are continuing to use them in your fleet.
