| Author | Message | ||
| Moti Nowrangi (Mnowrangi)
Registered Member Username: Mnowrangi Post Number: 5 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 96.255.83.117 Rating: N/A |
Two days ago, I took my MC8 43 Paxx on an all day nearly 300 mile trip - it performed beautifully. I had the heat running and the thermostat set at a number 3 position - on the return trip, I noticed that the bus wasn't getting warm as it should so i had to raise the thermostat to the number 4 or 5 position. (I had the hotwater valve open). Now, yesterday while on a trip locally, the engine suddenly cut off while en route. I put in neutral and pulled to the curb. (I had closed the hot water valve and turned on the A/C)....So, trying to trouble shoot with a load of passengers, all I could think of was adding a gallon of oil - the bus started ...but then again cut off 10 min up the road. I had about 3 hours to kill so I let it cool, adding 3 more gallons. I think I overdid it with the adding of oil. The pressure gauage was reading about 20 - 25lbs normally and a little over 50ish lbs when high idleing. The bus started up when it was time to go home and drove back h ome w/o the engine cutting off on me. Might I have to add more coolant? I know the receptacle to add it is way on the rear passenger side top. Is there an overflow drain container somewhere that lets me know that I have added enough by letting the excess run off? Could it be that too low oil pressure mixed in with low coolant and engine heating caused this engine shut off? Please advise....anyone!! Thanks! | ||
| Ednj (Ednj)
Registered Member Username: Ednj Post Number: 244 Registered: 3-2003 Posted From: 68.197.95.38  Rating: N/A |
Yes, The coolant head tank is in the upper engine compartment behind the blowers, it has a sight glass. Low oil cut off or high temp cut off is possible. lugging the engine will cause it to shut off (high temp). | ||
| Jack Campbell (Blue_goose)
Registered Member Username: Blue_goose Post Number: 124 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 71.100.201.35  Rating: N/A |
I noticed that the bus wasn't getting warm as it should so i had to raise the thermostat to the number 4 or 5 position. (I had the hotwater valve open). With this I would think the collant was low and that is why you started to not get heat in the bus. If you needed to add 4 gal of oil you do have problems there. When you said you may have overdone the oil, did you check it on the dip stick? Jack | ||
| Moti Nowrangi (Mnowrangi)
Registered Member Username: Mnowrangi Post Number: 8 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 96.255.83.117 Rating: N/A |
I had an oil and filter change done along with a PM in Feb 2009. They told me that they had filled it with 9 gallons. But since Feb it has been a few trips....is over filling oil dangerous? I will recheck the dip stick today while "cold" and but I suspect to see that it is well above the level it ought to be - do I get the excess drained of or should I just leave it in there to be consumed up eventually? | ||
| Moti Nowrangi (Mnowrangi)
Registered Member Username: Mnowrangi Post Number: 9 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 96.255.83.117 Rating: N/A |
Yes, The coolant head tank is in the upper engine compartment behind the blowers, it has a sight glass. Low oil cut off or high temp cut off is possible. lugging the engine will cause it to shut off (high temp). In this coach there are two radiators (one on each side) and two blowers - there is a sight glass right in the middle of these blowers and it appears to be full. If I were to add more coolant from the receptatle receiver on the top/side rear of the coach where does overflow go? Does it flow into a hold receiver somewhere (if so where is this receiver) or does it overflow to the ground - I guess letting me know that it is coolant tank is now full? | ||
| Bob Shafer (Michigander_bob)
Registered Member Username: Michigander_bob Post Number: 61 Registered: 2-2005 Posted From: 76.221.70.171  Rating: N/A |
It's obvious by all your posts that you don't have a clue what the heck your doin' First thing you do is get a maintenance manual and READ it and learn the basics before you turn on the headlights let alone drive it. If your engine temperature is 250 degrees than most likely your engine is toast to the tune of $10,000 or more. Get the book and read it!!!! | ||
| Bruce Henderson (Oonrahnjay)
Registered Member Username: Oonrahnjay Post Number: 378 Registered: 8-2004 Posted From: 76.21.223.54  Rating: N/A |
Moti wrote "In this coach there are two radiators (one on each side) and two blowers - there is a sight glass right in the middle of these blowers and it appears to be full." Has any work been done on your bus lately? I had a similar situation to yours - it turned out that I hadn't "burped" the cooling system after I refilled it after a small coolant leak. THe heater circuit is higher than the engine system and it has a separate air release bleeder valve. Once I completely filled the radiator with water/antifreeze and bled the heating circuit, that solved the problem. (Although I did have to add another couple of quarts after I drove another 50 miles or so, telling me that there was still a little air left in the system after what I thought was careful bleeding.) | ||
| Moti Nowrangi (Mnowrangi)
Registered Member Username: Mnowrangi Post Number: 15 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 96.255.83.117 Rating: N/A |
Yes, in Feb 2009 I had an oil and filter changer done along with the yearly PM. Coming to think of it now, there seems to be a bubble visible through the sight glass. Howe do I get rid of that? I might just have to drive around and monitor the coolant levels adding whenever and wherever necessary.....? | ||
| Mark Renner (Boomer)
Registered Member Username: Boomer Post Number: 149 Registered: 11-2006 Posted From: 206.58.200.38  Rating: |
Why don't you go get some training on how to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle before you haul around 43 souls endangering them and the public? Don't know how to put in coolant or oil?? Makes me wonder about insurance and a CDL. | ||
| Moti Nowrangi (Mnowrangi)
Registered Member Username: Mnowrangi Post Number: 18 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 96.255.83.117 Rating: N/A |
Mark, One can be trained in the safe operation of a commercial vehicle - I do know how to add oil and coolant amongst many other additional things including a pre/post trip. However, a situation as I have describe above is never anticipated and always happens in the oddest of all circumstances and places especially when you least expect it. So wonder all you want, and hasten not to pass a judgment on someone who is willing to ask questions. This is a BBS for the like and serves for myself and a host of othres who are willing to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge via experiences of others and learn. In these few recent threads and responses, I have learned more of what could have triggered this particular situation. No book, training manual or garage mechanic could have told me this! Thanks for your input, Cheers! | ||
| Len Silva (Lsilva)
Registered Member Username: Lsilva Post Number: 213 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 24.164.20.23  Rating: |
Mark's comment may have been a bit harsh but I tend to agree with him. These kinds of questions from a newby conversion owner are one thing, and are cheerfully answered here, but from a commercial operator are very scary. You need a qualified shop to check and maintain your bus and to train you in the basic maintenance checks and roadside trouble shooting. | ||
| Dan West (Utahclaimjumper)
Registered Member Username: Utahclaimjumper Post Number: 158 Registered: 1-2005 Posted From: 208.66.38.60 Rating: N/A |
The two conditions discribed ( low temp at the heater & engine shut down)sure looks like a low water problem.>>>Dan | ||
| Moti Nowrangi (Mnowrangi)
Registered Member Username: Mnowrangi Post Number: 20 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 96.255.83.117 Rating: N/A |
Mark's comment may have been a bit harsh but I tend to agree with him. These kinds of questions from a newby conversion owner are one thing, and are cheerfully answered here, but from a commercial operator are very scary. You need a qualified shop to check and maintain your bus and to train you in the basic maintenance checks and roadside trouble shooting. People!!!!!! Oh my goodness! I have appreciated all the positive feed back which inturn has enable me to assess this particular scenario. I do service the coach at an authorized MCI service center. This site was recommend to me by MCI Tech Support! A Bus is a bus and and although things may have been altered as far as conversion goes....the guts are basically similar. So all my questions are both valuable to both CDL and non-CDL holders alike! All oh here have been most helpful in their inputs. I'm sure that a lot of us have gone through situations that has made us frustrated and a little help or insight from anyone gives us some hope! Some one else down the line might also be in a similar situation and this and any other questions and answers on this BBS would then be a life saver! It is scary - ofcourse it is is scary. Why would only a commercial driver be scared? Wouldn't a non-commercial driver or someone having an RV be in panic if a situation like this were to happen? I happen to be a commercial driver who also happens to own an MC8. Commerical drivers are never trained to be mechanics ....we acquire this knowledge through cumulative years of experience and from data bases like this. A good driver always wants to learn and that is what I am doing. Who said that this BBS was exclusively only for "conversion owners"? I personally have found it to be a wealth of knowledge for both conversion owners as well as others who operate coaches/buses in general! Anyways, thanks for all your inputs! Cheers! | ||
| Moti Nowrangi (Mnowrangi)
Registered Member Username: Mnowrangi Post Number: 21 Registered: 2-2009 Posted From: 96.255.83.117 Rating: N/A |
yes, I finally found a solution towards my trouble shooting - It was indeed a problem of low oil pressure as well as low coolant levels that triggered the alarm which inturn triggered the AUTO SHUTOFF system thereby causing the bus to stop! What do you know! My alarms seem to be working as they should!! Cheers! | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 762 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 64.55.111.6 Rating: N/A |
Moti, After reading ALL of your posts, on ALL of the threads, I have to side with Bob and Mark, concerning what appears to be a real lack of qualification on your part. The California Commercial Driver's Handbook lists the requirements to obtain a Commercial Drivers License, and the requirements are nearly the same nationwide. One of the requirements is to demonstrate a proper pre-trip inspection. Some of the requirements of a pretrip inspection are: Checking that all lights operate. Checking engine oil level. Checking engine water level. Checking power steering fluid level. Checking brake arm travel. If a vehicle doesn't pass the pretrip, the driver doesn't pass the exam. BY YOUR POSTS, you have said that you "don't know whether the engine is over-filled by adding a gallon of oil, and will this do damage if left in...?" By that post, it is obvious that you didn't check the oil before you left your yard that morning, because you don't know how. It is also obvious that you haven't checked the oil level yet! The same thing applies to coolant level. How long has it been since the oil was checked??? If you had told us way above that "My low oil pressure light and buzzer, or the hot engine light came on, and the engine stopped, we would have been able to help you right away, instead of trying to figure out why the engine stopped for no reason. You can check Freon level with the engine running on high idle, and the A/C on, set at the coldest temperature. The sight glasses are on the front wall of the front baggage bay in mine, (elsewhere in his BW?) the bottom one must be full, with some clear liquid showing in the top one. I am a licensed air conditioning contractor, and I am sorry to do this to you again, but if you have to ask how and where to add Freon, you are not qualified to do so, even though this is not part of the pretrip, or CDL requirements. Handling the type of Freon used in your bus requires an EPA certificate. We don't care whether your bus has seats or not, most of us are willing to help, and to share our experience. However, with that experience comes intuition, and my intuition asks me when the last time was that your bus had a brake adjustment? Sorry to do this to you, but frankly, by your posts, you scare me too. George | ||
| Tony LEE (T_lee)
Registered Member Username: T_lee Post Number: 52 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 195.23.214.142 Rating: |
Moti, you have crossed the line into danger territory and solving your knowledge gaps a bit at a time is not really the right way to proceed. You are carrying a bus load of passengers and because you don't know how to check either the oil level or the coolant level CORRECTLY, you ARE placing your passengers in danger. It is your responsibility to operate the bus safely at all times and it is your boss' responsibility to make sure you are properly trained.If you are the boss and the driver then you do have big problems. For you to know where the coolant fill point is but not know how to check the correct level of coolant is one thing, but is maybe not quite so serious as adding 3 gallons of oil on the off-chance that it might fix an unknown problem. If you are serious about wanting to learn then I suggest you do as I did. First read the drivers manual and the workshop manual from cover to cover a couple of times and then go to this BB and maybe MCI BusNuts and start at the very first post and start reading. Several thousand posts later, you will be an expert in not only what to do, but more important, WHAT NOT to do. | ||
| Clint Hunter (Truthhunter)
Registered Member Username: Truthhunter Post Number: 92 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 24.129.235.190  Rating: N/A |
expert ... ah yes, the point when I finaly know enough to know "that eye no so little" of what could be know of the total... I am a expert at so many things; and in part one may get there by doing as Tlee sugest. The MC 9 operator manual would be a good substitue for a MC 8 operator manual if you can't get the 8, as both units are very similar in operation. Try the ebay place if all else fails. Good luck & lots of work! |
