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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
 Posted - 01/03/2008 : 09:05:08 AM
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It only took me two years to figure out my heaters on my bus.
(If anyone wants to post anything that they suddenly realized 'how' it worked on their bus, please do in this post!)
Mine pertains to my heaters on my Thomas.
Is anyone else's like this?
My switch panel on my Thomas FE has the three standard heaters. Yes, this may sound a bit crazy, but wouldn't most of you think that the heaters would be aligned so switch (back of bus) <3rd switch 2nd 1st > would indicate #2 is the middle heater?
So, every time I would put on #3, along with the others, I would think to myself "Hmmmm when I put on the 'way back heater' it gets nice and toasty up here'.
Okay...today I was testing my heaters to see how long it takes before my fuse short circuits when they are on high (they always come back on, but I have to shut them off for a minute), but I just realized that Switch 1, controls the front heater, Switch 2 controls the BACK heater, and switch 3 controls the middle.
The last past two years I thought switch 3 controlled the back...Wouldn't that make sense?
Does anyone know what makes my heaters shut off when they are on high? Yes I know probably over loading, what would cause them to not blow a fuse completely? And why would Thomas wire them like that!?
If I put the back two heaters on high for more than 3 minutes, they shut off, same with my defrosters and right heater. Is that normal of Thomas buses? |
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Lords47
Top Member
USA
714 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 09:57:24 AM
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They aren't labeled as such?
For example, on our FS-65's, the rear heater is labeled "Passenger Heater". Than I have two additional heater switches: 1 for the driver side and the second for the passenger side of the bus.
Maybe someone should get you a C2, and we can put labels on the heater switches JUST for you, 80-RE4 =) |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 2:16:28 PM
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No, I am all set with the C2 buses! On my bus it just says PASS HEATER on the two switches! I didn't realize I was freezing the kids, I only thought the rearest one shut off when I put it on high.
I will take an RE though. |
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mlkdrives41
Top Member
USA
2055 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 3:01:12 PM
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Yep the heater switches can be screwy. But so is having it a hundred and ten degrees on your left leg and still not being able to get the windshield to defog!
It took me a couple months to figure out that you can't activate the "yellows" on a newer IC unless you are going less than 45 mph. That was my brilliant moment when I figured that out before I asked the mechanic what was wrong with the switch and him tell me how dumb I was.
And don't get me started about engine shut off's and trying to start the bus when it wasn't in neutral.  |
Nothing great has ever been accomplished without enthusiasm! |
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bus724
Top Member
USA
1609 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 3:25:47 PM
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If the heaters are shutting off after running on high then turning back on, it's because you tripped the circuit breaker. If they turn themselves back on, it's because you have self-resetting breakers, a popular option on Thomas buses.
I usually only run my heaters on low, putting them on high doesn't give you more heat, just more air flow. The only time I'll use high is on the defroster, when I need more air to defog the windshield. |
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Thomasbus24
Administrator
USA
4545 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 4:12:20 PM
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| Tripping breakers was an issue I fought with a lot on the newer Thomas bodies. Lots of time it turned out to be what is called the ground wire--they would get rusty and corroded where Thomas attached them to the bus sidewall at the heaters. Created a lot of resistance and the constant tripping and resetting would begin. |
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BBInt.10
Top Member
USA
1042 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 6:15:42 PM
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| I learned a quick lesson about Mid Bus switches yesterday. I normally drive an IC CE... I hate driving type A's but had to bring one to the shop yesterday. There's one railroad crossing I have to cross on the way to the shop. Upon approaching the crossing, I checked my master switch to make sure it was off... it's an unlabled rocker switch. So I figured if it was pushed all the way down it was off. We have a rocker switch for the headlights in my IC, and all the way down is off. I get to the railroad tracks, open the door, and my red lights come on and stop sign goes out. Lucky there wasn't a cop there to see that display of incompetence. Little did I know that "up is off" for the unlabeled rocker switches in a Mid Bus. |
If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver. |
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buster133
Top Member
USA
512 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 6:32:37 PM
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| It took me about a year or so to learn how to set the high idle on our 97-2000 Thomas's with the 3800 chassis. I was trained on and for the most part drive Freightliners, in which case you flip the high idle switch on and adjust the idle with the inc/dec rocker switch. Well when I was exposed to our spares with the 3800's, I'd flip the throttle switch on and nothing would happen, I'd hit the set/coast - resume/accel button and nothing. I figured, it must be broken. Then one day I stumbled across the owners manual for the 3800 chassis and learned that you have to flip the throttle switch on, push down on the pedal until you reach the desired RPM and push the set/coast button and release the pedal and the idle speed is maintained until you tap the brake pedal. |
[URL=http://s7.photobucket.com/user/buster133/media/6f2e0703-1970-4ac9-bb1f-b6b9d7c12297_zps1741e113.jpg.html] [/URL] |
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BBInt.10
Top Member
USA
1042 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 7:51:36 PM
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| Interesting, on our '99 International 3800's, to set the high idle all you have to do is flip the throttle switch on, then press the resume/accel button to rev the engine to the desired RPM. |
If all your problems are behind you... you must be a school bus driver. |
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IC
Top Member
USA
3413 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 8:15:40 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Thomasbus24
Tripping breakers was an issue I fought with a lot on the newer Thomas bodies. Lots of time it turned out to be what is called the ground wire--they would get rusty and corroded where Thomas attached them to the bus sidewall at the heaters. Created a lot of resistance and the constant tripping and resetting would begin.
Not just newer ones....the heater fans on my '97 and '98 Thomas ERs both tripped breakers on "high" after just a few minutes. Many other drivers of those '97-'98 Thomases complained of same.
I guess 2-speed fans were a nice idea, but like so many other things on those buses...they just flat didn't work. |
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Ryan2589
Senior Member
United States
98 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 8:23:56 PM
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| In my 2003 IC CE I have 3 heaters and 3 rocker switches for them with 3 positions. High/Low/Off. They are labeled Stepwell heater, Driver heater, Passenger Heater. My high idle switches are my cruise control switches, that was pretty tricky to learn how to use.. My heaters never go off unless I turn them off. |
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80-RE4
Top Member
USA
5700 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2008 : 9:37:15 PM
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| I've come to the conclusion that my bus is crazy, yet we get a long.... Crazy driver / Crazy bus, so we are compatible, but still sane! (Joking for anyone too serious!) |
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misterbill
Advanced Member
United States
306 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2008 : 5:57:51 PM
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The bird that I drove last year kind of made sense-there were two rear heaters, and remarkably, two switches. There was a switch for the left and right defrost-one for driver heat.
The bird I am driving this year has two switches for one rear heater, one switch for the defrost, and about six other switches that all come on in the stairwell somewhere. Why do they have six different fan motors in the stairwell?
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High School Friend-"Hey! How are you! Well, I guess you can't be doing too well, you're driving a school bus." |
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disp29
Advanced Member
United States
202 Posts |
Posted - 01/05/2008 : 7:04:32 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by BBInt.10
Interesting, on our '99 International 3800's, to set the high idle all you have to do is flip the throttle switch on, then press the resume/accel button to rev the engine to the desired RPM.
Yeah, that's how all of our's are. You can do it the way that Buster said... but why if there is an easier way? |
kEvIn
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It only took me 2 years to figure out...
