A picture of a new problem with 2000 model Thomas FE units. Fairfax has had a few fuel lines chaffing near the frame rail as pictured.

 Again, as you come across tips that everyone can use, just write them down and either mail, e-mail, or fax them to Tim Parker

Fraime Rail PDF

You May want to check your lift door handles a little bit closer

Reason to Wear Eye Protection

The picture below shows a recent battery explosion. The mechanic who was attempting to jump start a school bus on a cold morning was very thankful that he was wearing his eye protection when the battery exploded in his face. The arrow points to the area where a portion of the battery casing now has a big hole.

Here is a recent example of a good mechanic who was trying to expedite getting a bus back onto the road, but apparently made a bad choice. The side window of the bus was broken and he was just trying to get it out to replace it as quickly as possible. The bus was outside and the temperature was cold and the caulking materials holding the window in place were stiff and not allowing it to release. So, he took his butane torch and tried to heat the outer edges of the window frame to soften the caulking material. He stopped, turned off the torch, took the torch with him and went back into the garage to get another tool. While he was gone the bus caught fire and you can see the results below.

Odor Issue in Certain THOMAS Buses

As you may be aware Chesterfield County has had a issue concerning an odor in their flat nose Thomas buses, this has resulted in drivers complaining of headaches and children getting sick. After consulting with several sources the odor was acknowledged but we could not come up with a solution. We took it upon our self to replace and flush all the coolant in the seven buses we have of this model, we had all the coolants sampled and it recommended sediment and to flush the systems. This did not help the odor, so we then proceeded with the replacement of the heater hoses in the internal part of the vehicle and that is the cure. We have done three of seven and had no complaints since.

We continue to here that Chesterfield is the only one that has these issues and we cannot continue to have these answers in the concern of the drivers and the students of Chesterfield County. We will schedule the remaining buses to have the repairs done. So, if you encounter this problem, suggest you replace the heater hoses and flush the coolant. Chesterfield would appreciate knowing if others are experiencing this problem.