My bus, a '91 Blue Bird Int. has consistently been giving off a smell that resembles the smell of tar from the front right wheel well. I had my mechanic check into it and he said there was nothing wrong with it. Today, I got off the bus and it absolutely stinks. I lifted up the hood and the inner part of the tire has some residue on it, while the left one doesn't. It is also quite hot underneath there with a bit of steam rising. But the brake lines don't look to be leaking. I'm a little concerned, and wanted to check here to see if you guys have any ideas before I take it back to the mechanic and he tells me to stop crying wolf.
You have two possible situations- If your bus has air brakes possibly the oil or greas seal has failed and is allowing oil/grease to leak onto the brake shoes causing the residue and smell. The other possibility is that your bus has hydraulic brakes and one or more of the components has failed and brake fluid is the culprit.
Another part of the first scenario is that leaking wheel seals can cause bearing failure and this is something that is NOT good! Run- do not walk to your mechanic and insist on a more thorough inspection. Also - speaking as a mechanic- don't scream or yell or otherwise be obnoxious. Be patient yet persistent and you will get much better results. Fresh chocolate chip cookies can also be a useful tool in working with mechanic types. It always works for me.
Update: I stopped by the yard between charters and had the mechanic look at it. He was concerned about the residue but the brakes were working well. (they're hydraulic, by the way). He had me leave it with him (I took a spare...a very nice spare...), and it turned out there was a broken seal. So it was repaired and I'll have it back Monday morning.
tires giving off tar-like smell
Posted - 04/25/2003 : 07:02:00 AM
