A Real "PITA" Bus Job...

[EdsTowing]

One from the other day...Transit bus broke down, had an air pressure problem. Arrived on scene & found it blocking the travel lane, in the intersection at a light so I called back to the shop to send someone up with the van to keep them from running over me...

 

 

Bus wouldn't build air pressure and laying on the ground. These are "Kneeler's" but they require air to operate. I had to force my T head under the bumper to get it up enough to get blocks under the tires.

 

 

We stacked cribbing under the engine carriage and lifted the front up so I could get under the coach & check the problem. With no suspension & can't release the brakes, we aren't going anywhere until I can find the issue.

 

 

The wonderful engineers mounted ABS valves in front of the Type 36 chambers which inhibit getting cage pins in it...found the leak coming from a disconnected line feeding the relay valve for the parking brakes. It was tucked up over the drive axle and not very accessible. I stuck my camera up there to see what was up, found a hole in the top of the valve...

 

 

 

The threads looked ok? It appeared that the fitting was only threaded in 1 turn based on the undercoating all over it? I got a new fitting and was able to thread it in the valve and re-hooked the plastic line to it. These busses are over 10 years old...hard to believe it lived this long without failing prior? At that point he was fixed and could drive the bus back to their facility.

[Bushwacker]

Ed when you fix them instead of towing do you charge as much or more than a tow? Great job getting them going so fast!

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[EdsTowing]

12 hours ago, Bushwacker said:

Ed when you fix them instead of towing do you charge as much or more than a tow? Great job getting them going so fast!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 

We charge a 2hr min for the wrecker which is what it would of been to tow it. Then the service van will be extra. So I guess it's more then the tow but I wouldn't be able to tow it any other way. They don't like a rear tow but it would of been dragging up front. Caging the chambers was going to take extra effort due to stuff in the way. I don't have a trailer option readily available but even so, that would be a project since it was so low and brakes locked.