CDL holder = Mechanic ??

[powerdriver]

ATM I am a school bus mechanic .
I am sure I can't be the only one who has to deal with this but here go's ..

Have a lady who is just a year old driver , CDL holder .
She writes her bus up and tells me there is a wheel bearing out .. so I find her and ask how she knows the bearing is out . She tells me the right tire shakes when she is going down the road .. I saw the tire shaking .

I may be a dumba$$ mechanic but sitting in the drivers seat and seeing the right tire shaking going down the road is a pretty cool trick .
So now I have to figure out what's wrong with it from that info . She's one of a bunch who gained infinite knowledge after getting their CDL .

Same one who had a bad rear end because she heard a clunk when ever she took off from a stop sign which turned out to be a spray can rolling back and forth in the overhead compartment ... A spray can which is banned from the bus to start with .

I have heard "The transmission you put in is making a flapping noise" . Well I was pretty serious about that . Hated the idea I could have missed something . This was on a dodge mini van . Turned out to be the rubber around the windshield tore and at 45 mph it was flapping on the roof .

[Rickysnickers]

Hahahahahahaha!!!!

[68Timber]

Are you on blood pressure medicine? I quit taking mine but she could drive me back to it.

[powerdriver]

Originally Posted by 68Timber

Are you on blood pressure medicine? I quit taking mine but she could drive me back to it.

Yes I am , How ever did you know ?

[shp4man]

Want some advice from a fellow mechanic? Here goes. Write this:

Road tested vehicle per driver described conditions, was unable to verify concern at this time.
Performed tire balancing procedure and retested OK.

Simple.

[special-K]

How about wording that "driver's diagnosis" to get a message across to the powers that be for future reference

[Keith Seymore]

Airplane Pilots vs Mechanics:

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

[Steeveedee]

One should be careful about diagnosis and telling a real mechanic what to do. I know a guy who worked at a Chevy dealer. The customer came in and told them to rebuild the transmission in his Corvette. He came back after the work was done, because the noise was still there. So they replaced a bad u-joint. It's all perfectly legal to do what the customer says, even if their diagnosis is wrong.

[1976gmc20]

It goes the other way too.

Forty years ago I drove school bus in Alaska for a year. They had among their fleet a Dodge which was not my regular bus but I got stuck driving it once in a while. That bus had a bad clunk in the driveline. I was young then so I crawled under it and sure enough, the carrier bearing had at least a half inch of play. But the mechanics wouldn't believe me and told me I didn't know anything. I was afraid the driveline was going to come through the floor some day with a load of kids.

But one thing I will say for that outfit is that they taught me how to double clutch. They took 4 or 5 of us new drivers to the HS parking lot and had us drive around in circles one afternoon, shifting up and down 2-3-4-3-2. I only got to drive about two circles and the guy said "you got it now let somebody else drive." So I got to ride around in the bus while the others lurched and grinded gears.

Almost all of the buses were IH 345 and 5 speed with the very low first gear that you almost never used.

[powerdriver]

Armed with the information this driver gave me I asked my shop partner to check out the right front corner . Said he jacked it up and saw nothing . I was called away to another bus lot so when I got back I took it out on the road .

It Did indeed shake but felt like it was in the left Rear !!!! circled back and picked up my partner . he said it sounded left rear from sitting in back .

Steer tires are mandated virgin rubber but the back can be recaps . Mind you the left rear is about as far as you can get from the right front .

What I found....

[Steeveedee]

Holy cow, that tire is toast!

[68C15]

Last week a guy brought in his 2006 F150 saying his left rear wheel bearing was making a squeal noise. That noise was the serpentine belt slipping on a stuck idler pulley.

I get a kick out the guys who say "it smells hot". I didn't know temperature has an aroma. I've been tempted to ask what temperature it smells like.

And I have in fact done stuff a customer wanted me to do, to only have it not help any. That's when I asked him (it's always a guy, never a woman) if he wanted me to diagnose it or keep throwing his money at it

[Boog]

Originally Posted by powerdriver

Armed with the information this driver gave me I asked my shop partner to check out the right front corner . Said he jacked it up and saw nothing . I was called away to another bus lot so when I got back I took it out on the road .

It Did indeed shake but felt like it was in the left Rear !!!! circled back and picked up my partner . he said it sounded left rear from sitting in back .

Steer tires are mandated virgin rubber but the back can be recaps . Mind you the left rear is about as far as you can get from the right front .

What I found....

Well that is a clear and simple case of "driver abuse" right there.

[Red71gmc]

Originally Posted by powerdriver

Armed with the information this driver gave me I asked my shop partner to check out the right front corner . Said he jacked it up and saw nothing . I was called away to another bus lot so when I got back I took it out on the road .

It Did indeed shake but felt like it was in the left Rear !!!! circled back and picked up my partner . he said it sounded left rear from sitting in back .

Steer tires are mandated virgin rubber but the back can be recaps . Mind you the left rear is about as far as you can get from the right front .

What I found....

You may remind your new CDL driver that something like that should be found in her pre driving daily inspection of tires.
Our local schools have a hard time finding drivers. Where I live has a cultisac and although you could turn a semi around in it with room left over, I've seen the asphalt torn apart by the school bus driver. It appears to be mandatory to lock the wheel to the left until the steering pump squeals and floor it at the same time. She had made her own little race track with humped up asphalt.
I told the county I would drive the bus as long as I could drink a 6 pack ahead of time to lessen the stress of the yelling kids. For some reason they didn't think I would be a good candidate for the job and said no. I was just trying to help!

[whitedog76]

I’ve held a CDL since 95. I grew up helping my old man out, who was a New Holland and White mechanic. Needless to say, I had a pretty good idea what was going on under the hood long before I got behind the wheel.

Anyhow, one issue I had on the road, was getting mechanics to actually believe what you’re telling them. Most assumed that you don’t know what you’re talking about.

Most mechanics aren’t drivers, so I’ll cut everybody some slack. Usually it’s just a communication breakdown.

[powerdriver]

Originally Posted by Red71gmc

You may remind your new CDL driver that something like that should be found in her pre driving daily inspection of tires.

I have to give her the benefit of the doubt , Caps have a history of coming apart going down the road . It likely failed out on route .

[tj1970cst]

I think the CDL pre check kinda enlightens some dummies to things that are beyond their comprehension.

On the same token, alot ot the mechanics I worked with in the past were stupid and lazy. It was easier for them to be in complete denial and say: they (the driver) are stupid, there is nothing wrong with this.
I think it was just laziness. If nothing is wrong, they dont have to do anything.
I felt totally embarrassed watching them run off people that had legit gripes

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Red71gmc

Where I live has a cultisac and although you could turn a semi around in it with room left over, I've seen the asphalt torn apart by the school bus driver. It appears to be mandatory to lock the wheel to the left until the steering pump squeals and floor it at the same time. She had made her own little race track with humped up asphalt.
I told the county I would drive the bus as long as I could drink a 6 pack ahead of time to lessen the stress of the yelling kids. For some reason they didn't think I would be a good candidate for the job and said no. I was just trying to help!

Some people 'feel' what they are doing and control the device accordingly while others just 'make it go' with no clue as to why the device is staying within the parameters of it's capabilities. That's why you'll hear them say "It ran off the road" or "It broke", and not "I ran it off the road" or "I broke it".

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by special-K

Some people 'feel' what they are doing and control the device accordingly while others just 'make it go' with no clue as to why the device is staying within the parameters of it's capabilities. That's why you'll hear them say "It ran off the road" or "It broke", and not "I ran it off the road" or "I broke it".

Yeah, big difference between "driving" and just sort of pointing a vehicle in some general direction and hope it goes where you want.

Unfortunately, with ABS and traction control and lane assist and all the other crap they are coming out with, hardly anyone learns to DRIVE anymore.

I guess it's not that much difference from RIDING versus just sitting on a horse letting it carry you around

[Grumpy old man]

I don't cheer for drivers but I'll give a hearty ATTABOY to their pit crews , Without a mechanic your not driving anything . The "TUNERS/TECHS" of today aren't mechanics their computer geeks . Put most of them in front of an engine today with a carb and dist and their lost .

CDL - 2 weeks training
aircraft pilots license - 40 hours flight training
aircraft mechanic - 2 years training
Certified mechanic - years of training

[dajn]

I think we have all learned the hard way about how sounds can trick you. What they are and were they are coming from. Just recently my car was making scraping noises that sounded like the front brake pads were worn out. I was correct about the brake pads, but it needed rear brake pads. Sounds are almost impossible to pinpoint while driving. You could swear it's coming from the front right. But it's actually coming from the back left. Or vice versa. Overconfidence is a bad thing. I have slowly learned that lesson.

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by dajn

I think we have all learned the hard way about how sounds can trick you. What they are and were they are coming from. Just recently my car was making scraping noises that sounded like the front brake pads were worn out. I was correct about the brake pads, but it needed rear brake pads. Sounds are almost impossible to pinpoint while driving. You could swear it's coming from the front right. But it's actually coming from the back left. Or vice versa. Overconfidence is a bad thing. I have slowly learned that lesson.

I started hearing a chirping noise last time I drove the K1500 into town. I was starting to worry that maybe the transfer case chain was going bad. Then we stopped at a stop sign and the noise continued.

It was just the heater fan on low

[68Gold/white]

I work on school buses too...
We won't use capped tires anymore. The price of a recap is too close to a new tire, these days, and a lot of our routes only get 5000-7000 miles per year. A bunch of the last recaps that were installed (before I came to work here) were crapping out with 1/2 tread life left on them, BECAUSE the casings were getting too old.

Most recappers here, will not recap a tire older than 4 years old. That works for me, but I know some recappers will cap what ever you send them, that is not good...

Dealing with bus drivers can be a tedious occupation. I don't have to interact with them much,my boss does that, Thank God!!!

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

I work on school buses too...
We won't use capped tires anymore. The price of a recap is too close to a new tire, these days, and a lot of our routes only get 5000-7000 miles per year. A bunch of the last recaps that were installed (before I came to work here) were crapping out with 1/2 tread life left on them, BECAUSE the casings were getting too old.

Most recappers here, will not recap a tire older than 4 years old. That works for me, but I know some recappers will cap what ever you send them, that is not good...

Dealing with bus drivers can be a tedious occupation. I don't have to interact with them much,my boss does that, Thank God!!!

I used to buy used tires from a private school bus contractor in Colorado. Apparently the law was that new tires had to be replaced at 50% tread life. He sold them for the case price that he got from the retread outfit which was $25 per tire. So I could outfit my 2 ton logging truck for $150, which was still a chunk of money. I think new 8.25-20 were about $100 each back then.

[Red71gmc]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

I work on school buses too...
We won't use capped tires anymore. The price of a recap is too close to a new tire, these days, and a lot of our routes only get 5000-7000 miles per year. A bunch of the last recaps that were installed (before I came to work here) were crapping out with 1/2 tread life left on them, BECAUSE the casings were getting too old.

Most recappers here, will not recap a tire older than 4 years old. That works for me, but I know some recappers will cap what ever you send them, that is not good...

Dealing with bus drivers can be a tedious occupation. I don't have to interact with them much,my boss does that, Thank God!!!

I have not had luck with recaps for several years. May just be where they come from but I even went to virgin rubber on my trucks that get very few miles a year. As stated above, the recaps aren't much cheaper than new anymore.
Nothing worse than seeing a big chunk of cap flying down the road from your truck. I had one years ago fly off and go into the oncoming lane. Luckily, no one was meeting me.