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Bus Boy 39
Top Member
USA
1315 Posts |
 Posted - 01/04/2006 : 4:02:03 PM
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| The last small light that lights up my control panel went out this morning. I'm wondering how hard it is to replace all four of them myself. If I ask a mechanic and write it up, the will not do anything about it, saying it is a minor issue and it does not affect the saftey of the bus. I know my control panel rather well, but there are times when I'm doing my run in the a.m. and I can't locate the proper switches that I need due to the darkness around. Please let me know where I can get these lights and if they're hard to install. |
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thomas86_a
Top Member
USA
4413 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 4:23:51 PM
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You mention four lights so I'm guessing it's a mid-late 90's Blue Bird control panel, those lights are available online from companies that sell bus parts. There are a few companies out there, one of them being Transportation Accessories, http://www.tacbusparts.com/ You could also call the Blue Bird dealer in your state and order them through them and have them mailed.
In many states a bus would not pass inspection if the control panel does not light up, it is a safety issue and for a mechanic to call it a "minor issue" is rediculous. Now it certainly isn't something to take a bus out of service for if one of those lights burns out however if three of them were already out and the mechanic wasn't doing anything you need to talk to a supervisor or someone higher up.
Good Luck with getting it fixed! |
If you have an International, you NEED customer service. |
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78fordwayne
Top Member
USA
2868 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2006 : 9:06:29 PM
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you should be able to buy those light bulbs at any auto parts store. Just bring one of the old once in for a sample.
Send the bill to the mechanic! |
Robert B.
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Edited by - 78fordwayne on 01/04/2006 9:07:05 PM |
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Mechan1c
Top Member
USA
853 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 11:25:20 AM
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Leave it alone and write it up. Having to ask how to do it shows why you should not attempt this. If it not corrected, move to the next step and talk to the shop supervisor. If that doesn't get results move on to the Transportation Manager.
In my shop I would prefer this to be taken care of during the next sceduled PM/inspection, however I would have it done if it was on a workorder, by placing it in with the rest of the workload based on priorities. And don't freak out if they put you on a spare. The work order may move the bus up in the PM list in order to knock out the light problem and they may just service out the bus too. |
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Bus Boy 39
Top Member
USA
1315 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 5:16:27 PM
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Hahaha, you don't know the mechanics in my garage. My bus sat in the garage for a whole month needing new brakes put on it. I finally asked my Trans. manager when my bus was going to be fixed and he didn't even know it was in the garage! He went out and asked when the work was going to be done and he came back in and told me that the mechanics are fighting between who's going to put the brakes on my bus! How pathetic is that? Well, the bus sat there for one more week and the brakes were finally on. The head mechanic..........my trans. manager and he are arguing now. My trans. manager says that all four of our mechanics have way too much "ass time" and he got some preventive mantaince brochures from Myer's Equip listing what should be done to buses each month. (There is no mantaince program currently). My trans. manager and the head mechanic got into a huge fight and now one each of them are picking at each other. I've been writing my speedodometer up since the first day of school because it only works when it wants. I asked the one mechanic about it and he said that the speedodometer hasn't worked on my bus for years and they don't plan on fixing it any time soon. I should just start refusing to take that bus out. I don't mind having a spare bus. Our mechanics are very lazy and drivers, including me, have taken upon duties that the mechanics should be doing. Several of us keeps a small tool kit on our bus to fix stuff. I change the oil in my bus, make sure all fluids are kept up. I have fixed several seats on my bus because they keep coming loose from the frames. I have changed clip lights. Again, sever drivers at my garage do the same.....
Our mechanics also have bad tempers. One of the mechanics threw his tools across the garage when a driver asked him to replace a clip light. The mechanics are always telling us that issues with our buses are minor and need to be over looked.........Going to high up people doesn't work well either. We have done just that and nothing has changed. Our garage is crazy, just crazy. We have too many people around there not doing their jobs. |
I'll show you my air brakes if you show me yours. |
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whe8913
Advanced Member
United States
301 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 5:37:29 PM
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Bus Boy 39:
If I were you, I would not touch my bus mechanically, because YOU PUT LIABILITY DIRECTLY UPON YOURSELF if you modify/repair an item and, heaven forbid, it gets questioned in an accident. Never touch seats, tires, brakes, steering, etc. Let the liability rest upon the SUPPOSEDLY trained and professional mechanics. It sure sounds like with the mechanics you have, then they would be real quick to deny ever having worked on that bus if an issue were to rise. The bus driver has enough liability of their own just driving the bus. It sounds like your best option, to me, would be to find another district/company to drive for. See if the state education agency or even the state police could intervene. It sounds like this bus should not even get an inspection sticker.
Hang in there. Not to dance on your grave, but it sure makes me thankful we've got a great set of mechanics that fix every little thing that is written up, and want to be notified if the bus needs anything from washer fluid to a new motor! |
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raytobe
Advanced Member
USA
293 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2006 : 6:55:12 PM
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| Document everything-- for your protection in case something happens. |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4547 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2006 : 03:23:03 AM
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Agreed with raytobe.
You need some serious management in that place.
Good luck to you. |
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buster133
Top Member
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2006 : 4:44:06 PM
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Not to steal your topic, but I have a related question. Does anybody know what type of bulbs Freightliner uses in their gauge cluster and on the display for the older style shifter? I was moving around a few buses just like mine the other day and I noticed that all of the gauges are supposed to be lit with the same brightness and that a few of the rocker switches are supposed to light up and mine either don't light up as bright as they should or not at all. I kind of figured the shifter should be lit up, but never really gave it much thought until now. So I want to replace all of the burnt out bulbs so that the following items will light up like they should; amp gauge, volts, oil pressure, fuel gauge and the cruise control set/resume switch. If they are special sized bulbs, I'd rather have them in hand and know what I need before taking apart the dash just to save time and make it easier. Here's what I have now
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[URL=http://s7.photobucket.com/user/buster133/media/6f2e0703-1970-4ac9-bb1f-b6b9d7c12297_zps1741e113.jpg.html] [/URL] |
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Joe Hartnett
Advanced Member
USA
359 Posts |
Posted - 01/10/2006 : 04:07:03 AM
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| 194 bulbs in the Frieghtliner cluster. |
Edited by - Joe Hartnett on 01/12/2006 03:34:41 AM |
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bbird66
Top Member
USA
881 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2006 : 09:12:47 AM
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| Holy crap! thats outrageous! Call the state in! do something! Are you putting your own money in too? |
Were gonna miss you "Brent"..Good luck in "Heidi land"
"I know you miss the Wainwrights Bobby, but they were weak and stupid people...and that's why we have wolves and other large predators" .. The Far Side
"On a two hour delay when will my child be picked up??"
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Bus Boy 39
Top Member
USA
1315 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2006 : 09:20:23 AM
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| Well I wrote the lights up at the beginning of the week and they're still out......... |
I'll show you my air brakes if you show me yours. |
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dem84skeeprollinup
Top Member
USA
888 Posts |
Posted - 02/10/2006 : 7:49:45 PM
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| What kind of operations do you have at that place? It sounds very political, backwoods, or some sort of "I'm better than you and I control you" attitude from the mechanics. Even though your mechanics sound like pigs, you should wait for them to fix it. If you do something wrong, your liable, not them. |
Do the world a favor and bring back GMC and Ford conventional chassis......
 
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Control panel lights
