| Author |
Message |
Doug VA
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 10, 2005 - 9:29 am: | |
I've been watching this board for over a year now, so I've seen several threads on bus wiring. I don't believe this is redundant:
Two busses pulled into my shop yesterday, and one needed trailer rewiring for a trailer switchover. These were busses used for touring, unsure of who the converters were, but they were obviously never used as mass transit busses.
At first I assumed all wiring was 24 volt and that a relay system was put in place to cut voltage to 12 volt. Upon further inspection with a meter, we found the coach running lights to be running at 12 volt. Made wiring easy enough at that point using a converter box (3-to-2 wire system seperate turn signal lights to run the signal/brake element on double filament bulbs-1157s.)
We found out the trailer was drawing too much amperage on the running light splice, so we switched to a powered converter box. Again, not something new or out of the ordinary. But...being a bus I was always concerned about the 24 volt lurking nearby until it was pointed out that a power lead off of the alternator was 12 volt. In fact, the alternator was listed as 12 volt, the label being affixed to the top of it. Finished the the hookup very late, and driver managed to get on his way.
Anyway,these guys may send the shop more business. Should we be looking for more 12 volt MCIs in the future? The bus vin/ID label listed it as a E-4500 built in 2000.
Doug |
Tim Strommen (Tim_strommen)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 10, 2005 - 1:58 pm: | |
Some modern truck systems use a 12 volt alternator and "rewire" (using high amperage contactors) one of the batteries for a 24 volt start. The rest of the time the electrical system is 12 volts (parallel batteries). I wouldn't be suprised if this was similar (or the same).
Tim |
Ron Walker (Prevost82)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 10, 2005 - 6:19 pm: | |
Most of the new trucks, I've seen are all 12V starting. I change my bus over to a 12V starter and works fine.
Ron |
Robby
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 11, 2005 - 7:35 am: | |
As of 1994 with the era of the "D" model coaches all lighting is 12V. The "E" model being even later than a "D" is consistant witht the 12V.
Robby |
|