JAN 2013
The E xclusive Maintenance Resource for the Tr ansit and Motorcoach Industr y!
Metro St. Louis Builds on Metrics Page 4
Maintenance Letter
By David Hubbard
New protocols call for traditional training Advanced electronics and digital technology is the new order for vehicle maintenance. As maintenance moves closer to science, technicians must become even for entrenched in multiplex systems and logic charts, and treat data sensors, laptops and diagnostic software as their principle tools. The new maintenance protocol foresees and diagnoses the problems and fixes them before they fail, which stretches the scope of the technician’sskill set. Modern bus and coach fleets are in a continual state of change and anyone with the information and skills to keep them rolling is in high demand. The challenge in public and private transportation is to find, hire and retain the individuals who bring the know-how. However, the word from industry leaders is that this new protocol has a way of thinning the employable ranks. A trend they say could continue as further advancements come ever faster.
The future demands more highly technical training that only comes through industry-wide certified training programs readily available from OEM service representatives, vendor and suppliers certification training and established apprentice programs. Unfortunately, not every new hire comes through the door carrying the credentials and certificates. That is why company-sponsored training programs that streamline advanced training through internal developmental programs are so important. It is safe to say the traditional apprenticeship approach is the foundation of maintenance training throughout public transit and larger private transportation enterprises. The upshot is the respect technicians earn for the integral roles they come to play in the success of the company.
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The road to predictive monitoring
A look back at how Metro St. Louis changed its maintenance culture
Safety & Maintenance E.G.R. coolant hose maintenance
By Christopher W. Ferrone
Eliminate the guesswork
Allison Prognostics part of the continuous improvement initiative BUSRide Maintenance
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Metro St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, pioneered the concept of predictive maintenance when it set out to improve vehicle reliability and reduce maintenance costs by forecasting equipment failures and scheduling repairs more efficiently.
Maintenance marches to its own beat Metro St. Louis pushes out traditional methods and predictive monitoring When Ray Friem joined the Metro St. Louis bus maintenance team in 2001 he found a fleet already experiencing a major backlog in repair and overhaul needs. He lobbied for the redesign of the entire maintenance program. Eventually his new team concurred. Today Metro St. Louis employs an approach it calls the K-Program and is progressing toward a system of maintenance that also utilizes the predictive benefits of multiplex technology. Traditional preventative maintenance programs consist of inspections, lubrication or adjustments at preset mileage intervals. Metro was on a 3,000-mile inspection interval that intensified with every inspection until 24,000 miles when the cycle repeated. The agency now performs only one maintenance inspection that is completed every 10,000 miles. Changing out components regardless of their particular condition at a designated mileage point is a radical departure from traditional maintenance norms. It involved an entirely new protocol for inspections and replacement of parts and components. The K-Program requires specific pre-planned main-
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tenance on each bus every 50,000 miles. Without exception the team changes out the alternator, the starter motor and the driver seat every 200,000 miles; the passenger seats every 300,000 miles. “Every component on the vehicle has its predetermined point for service,” says Friem. “We have determined 161 maintenance activities. From the time we take delivery on a new vehicle, we program all that happens until we retire that bus. We are able forecast the maintenance it will receive over 15 years as it runs through its life cycle.” Friem notes that by forecasting equipment failures and scheduling repairs more efficiently, the cost per mile is down to 45 cents from 85 cents per mile prior to the K-Program.
Extended life cycles
Friem moved to extend the life of each bus to 15 years at 750,000 miles. Metro St. Louis now operates a 25-year bus replacement program with a strategy to replace one-fifteenth of the fleet each year.
Chief Maintenance Officer Carl Thiessen recalls significant resistances in the move from the traditional stance of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. He says the idea to push inspections out to 10,000 miles as opposed to the 3-, 6-, 9-, 12- and 24-thousand mile inspection schedules was unheard of at the time. “Managers and many front-line technicians had a hard time getting beyond breakdown maintenance to planned activities,” Thiessen says. As it turns out, scheduled replacements regardless of condition are proving to be more cost effective than replacing units as failures occur. Metro sees the development of multiplex systems on buses as something that can be leveraged to further reduce costs.
Multiplex systems arrive For a brief period in 2005, Metro St. Louis engaged with Accenture Technology on a pilot predictive maintenance program to equip 20 buses with electronic sensors to monitor engine and transmission performance. While the endeavor with Accenture was for a predictive maintenance system, it actually used statistical analysis to predict future catastrophic failure. Such sensors, statistical analysis and online alerts monitor the overall condition of system components on the vehicle. Predictive monitoring highlights a potential breakdown before it can occur and helps determine the best time to perform maintenance. While Metro St. Louis agreed with the basic philosophy of the Accenture model, the agency found it too expensive and limited in scope at the time to consider for the entire bus operation. Not too long after the Accenture experience, multiplex monitoring systems started to arrive on buses. “This new technology excited us,” says Thiessen. “But I believe we saw capabilities beyond what the OEMs were envisioning. We have since applied multiplexing to our program by pushing out the basic OEM system to gather even more data.” By working closely with Cummins on the engines, Allison with the transmissions and Thermo King for HVAC, Metro St. Louis further enhanced the monitoring capabilities on each system with what the agency calls the SmartBus. The K-program remains in place to maintain components technicians cannot monitor electronically. The Vehicle Maintenance Team of Darren Curry, director of Product Development, and Teri Bowles, VMS Administrator, are developing the
maintenance Smart Bus Program at METRO. Information gathered by the bus throughout the day is wirelessly transmitted to METRO’s computer database during the fueling cycle. The objective is to bring vehicle maintenance activities down to the specific bus and component level. “We are less concerned about trouble codes,” says Thiessen. “If we have a trouble code, we failed to predict the correct maintenance interval.”
A stress-free program Thiessen says after 38 years in bus maintenance, the capability to plan so far in advance allows the maintenance department to essentially operate at zero stress. “We give our parts use projections to the storeroom 18 months in advance and even out our workloads to ensure manpower,” he says. “The grants department knows that 16 years from today, the agency will need to acquire 30 new buses and plans accordingly. Meanwhile, we have a plan to maintain them in a state of good repair and a plan for replacing them.” BRM
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Safety&Maintenance
E.G.R. coolant hose maintenance By Christopher W. Ferrone
As is the usual case, maintenance is based on fundamentals. Similar to baseball fundamentals — fielding ground balls, snagging fly balls and making good throws to first base - some maintenance basics include ensuring that fluid levels are correct, belts are in good condition and brakes are in adjustment. This article simply reinforces the fundamental basis of a typical preventative repair. Since early 2000, heavy-duty diesel engines have come equipped with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) systems to provide emissions control and meet the EPA’s carbon emissions requirements. The use of such EGR systems has brought a great deal of pain and headaches to maintenance professionals. Clogged EGR coolers, differential pressure sensors and the EGR valve itself have plagued operators. In addition to these larger issues, smaller side issues with this system have come to my attention: specifically, the water line located on the EGR cooler body shown in photograph 1 (DDC S-60). It has a tendency to become heat soaked and then leak. This is largely due to the turbocharger exit pipe flange breaking. With the engine sitting on its own set of motor mounts and the exhaust system rigidly mounted to the body, fatiguing of the pipe flange occurs due to the relative motion of the engine and the stationary exhaust system. Once the turbocharger exit pipe flange breaks, hot turbocharger exhaust escapes and is directed to the
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surrounding area of the EGR hose in question. The hose becomes baked and brittle. Eventually it leaks coolant. If it goes unrepaired, this leak can empty the entire cooling system. The engine will shut down until the coolant level has been refilled. At Chicago Sightseeing, we now proactively change all of these hoses on an annual basis, regardless of miles or hours. Based on our operational profile, where our fleet operates at an average speed of 24 mph, the hose will last 12 months. We have found that when we remove the hose, it is brittle and cracks simply with a squeeze of the hand. We get frequent requests for maintenance rescue assistance from out-of-
town operators who have the very same issues with these hoses springing leaks. It’s my empirical conclusion that based on the condition of the turbocharger exit pipe, engine model and configuration, operators must regularly inspect this particular EGR hose and diligently change it out. The procedure is simple, relatively quick and inexpensive. I urge operators to inspect this hose and replace it if it appears heat soaked and brittle. BRM Christopher W. Ferrone serves as president of Americoach Systems Inc, Glenview, IL., an engineer firm specializing in transportation technology, analogy and safety.
Photo 1: Issues have arisen with the EGR cooler body shown here.
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Eliminate the guesswork Allison Prognostics part of the continuous improvement initiative Allison Transmission, Indianapolis, IN, says that in keeping with its continuous product improvement initiative, all fully automatic Allison transmissions are now available with prognostic features. The proprietary monitoring technology takes the guesswork and hassle out of scheduling routine vehicle maintenance, which helps to further protect the transmission. The company says prognostics save operators time and money from less downtime, lower life-cycle costs and greater productivity from the fleet. This feature is available for On-Highway models only and Allison Transmissions can be ordered with these prognostic tools. Calibrated to the particular operating requirements of the vehicle, Allison prognostics monitor various operating parameters to determine and alert when specific maintenance is required. The system also requires approved TES 295 transmission fluid.
How it works
Allison says it has made a complex and sophisticated system very userfriendly for the drivers and technicians who rely on the technology. When service is due for Allison 3000/4000 Series models, the wrench icon on the shift selector’s digital display alerts the operator. Similar to checking fluid level and diagnostics, technicians also can check the status of all three prognostic features simply by toggling through the shift selector’s display. 1000/2000 Series models require either a service light or J1939 text display to alert the operator. All prognostic features are accessible through Allison DOC® and Allison suggests users refer to the Service and Training Reference Guide (JA5670EN) for further information.
not need to be changed, and “Lo” means the filters need to be changed.
Alerts for service
Oil Life Monitor – Based on the vehicle duty cycle, this feature determines fluid life and alerts the operator when a fluid change is required. Not only does it help achieve the maximum fluid life while providing maximum protection for the transmission, the Oil Life Monitor saves money by preventing unnecessary fluid changes. Filter Life Monitor – This feature alerts operators to when the transmission fluid filters need to be replaced. This alert helps extend filter change intervals to reduce routine maintenance downtime and save money. Transmission Health Monitor – This prognostic feature determines the condition of the transmission’s clutches and alerts operators and technicians when clutch maintenance is required. It helps avoid costly repairs and downtime by eliminating the guesswork in scheduling routine transmission maintenance. It ensures the transmission is operating at its maximum performance level. BRM
When fluid is due for a change
The wrench icon (3000/4000 Series) or service light (1000/2000 Series) is illuminated and stays on for two minutes after the Drive range is selected. Once the Oil Life Monitor mode has been accessed via the shift selector, a number between “0” and “99” will be displayed indicating the percentage of fluid life remaining before a change is required.
When filters are due for a change
The wrench icon or service light flashes on and off for two minutes after selecting the Drive range. Once the Fluid Life Monitor mode has been accessed via the shift selector, an “oK” or “Lo” will be displayed. “oK” means the filters do not need to bechanged, and “Lo” means the filters need to be changed.
When clutch maintenance is due The wrench icon or service light comes on and stays on in all ranges. Once Transmission Health Monitor mode has been accessed via the shift selector, an “oK will be displayed. “oK” means the filters do
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