[Archived]

Sorry for the thread drift here, but is Prevost Service becoming the LAST PLACE to seek out service for our buses? So many stories of just down right shoddy workmanship that it seems the WRONG place to go regardless of the service center location.

If this is picking on a Sponsor then , Admin, plz pull the post.

[gary]

This is a check your oil thread!

[Archived]

Larry and all members,

We have no problem with posts made such as the one by Glen. It is beneficial to all our members to know when another member has questionable or poor service. Under ordinary circumstances we would usually send an email to the vendor alerting them of the post and asking them to respond if they wish but that is almost always because a member has first tried to get a resolution, but failed. In this case I would instead recommend that Glen contact the service center, advise the manager of what happened and ask for whatever he feels he needs to correct the problem or at least make him whole. Then I would ask him to post a follow up outlining the response.

If he is unsatisfied with the response he gets and his post indicates that then I will make sure whoever needs to be aware of the situation is advised. I am taking that posture because I am unaware of anyone that brought a problem to Prevost’s attention that was not taken care of satisfactorially.

Now to speak to the issue………mistakes happen, and in this case it might have been predictable. Not by Glen, but by the manager who assigns work in the shop. I doubt if they see very many 8V92 engines any more so the new guy gets the job to do the service work. The new guy on the totem pole likely has no experience with an 8V92 so when he gets oil, without asking he assumes it all goes in the engine. The person assigning the work likely doesn’t even think about the capacity or the fact the oil change guy is not going to use the dipstick to determine if he needs all the oil given to him. It doesn’t help the matter because that is just about the right amount of oil for a Series 60 and maybe a little for the oil reservoir.

[Archived]

Thanks Jon. Will call tomorrow and talk with folks when they’re open. Didn’t catch it until hit the ground and checked Saturday. My fault in a sense. Layed 3 cases out . Should have separated oil to what I thought was right. My thoughts is dump it in and check on stick until it’s full, but who knows. At least it wasn’t like the other gentleman that had his filled to the top, I think out in California. LOL.

[Roger]

Agree with Jon on the heart of this issue. I also have, as Jon refers to it – a “Classic” 8v92. Now classic can also be interpreted as being old. For those of us that are personally in the catagory and are taking meds to keep our tickers running, our eyes seeing and other unmentionable bodily functions regular, it falls to each of us so afflicted to KNOW the number and type pills we must take, when during the day or night we must take them in order to keep our bodies humming along.

Its the same as owning a “Classic” bus. We the individual owner must be familiar with the service quantities and time/mileage intervals they need changing in order to keep the old bus humming along on down the road. I believe the number of gallons needed for an oil change with filter for an 8V92 is seven gallons. This was confirmed under stressful conditions late on Sunday night in 2012. A heavy equipment tech where I had just received an in chassis rebuild reached for the bulk oil dispense line. I was in the service bay at the time and asked him to hold up and was the straight 40 weight oil. No it was multiviscosity. Told him it was the incorrect oil for that specific 2-cycle engine. He let go of the line then went behind a large piece of equipment and called Detroit’s 24/7 customer assistance line. He cam back and said that’s right it takes straight 40 and we don’t have any and at 11:30 PM on Sunday night had no access to a supplier to obtain the correct oil. I told them to empty the crankcase, take off the oil filter and toss it in the trash bin. After doing that I told them to go into the first underbay driver’s side and they would find a new oil filter and seven gallons of Delo 400 straight 40 weight oil. The job was finished and I was on my way home around 2:00 AM on Monday morning.

Now Glen was doing part of what he needed for his solution. He had the correct oil on board to perform an oil change. He does not say if he had the oil filter. Glens problem is not unique to Prevost service technicians. The old Detroit stars with all their knowledge are also aging out, retiring, and moving on to new adventures, just like many of us. So for those of us that love the old “Classics,” we must be on top of the quantities and spare pieces that may become a necessary component of any emergency or routine service experience. I keep a box at the front of the “Joey Bed” on the driver’s side that contains pieces and parts plus lubricants. Above in one of three slide out drawers I keep electrical parts (bulbs for all lights, connectors, fuses, wire rolls, switches and other stuff). Sone of these pieces and parts are left overs from previous owners. Seldom have I needed these part electrical parts but it has been nice to have them when a side marker, or brake light, maybe a turn signal bulb burnt out in travel mode. Remove two screws take out the bulb, put in a new one and off you go.

Owning a classic bus requires the owner to be comparable to a Boy Scout, be prepared.

I’m going to keep my classic rolling for as long as I can, doing what I can, and being knowledgeable enough to help those younger technicians do the work needed correctly the first time. I know when I first bought my classic bus there was an overwhelming anxiety of what I had just done knowing little to nothing about its systems aside from their names and some of the individual parts. It has been a challenging adventure learning from others about this magnificent machine we all love, and how to keep its systems functioning as we go merrily rolling on down the highway of life driving an example of the Ultimate traveling machine.

I’m still climbing up the learning curve. I doubt I will ever reach the top of the curve and begin the downhill slide. But I am enjoying every minute of the experience along with the wife.

One more thing, Jon and Tom still opine that there is no sound sweeter than that produced by an old Detroit Diesel 8V92. Everytime I’m going through a tunnel I open my ticket window and enjoy that sweet sound from its exhaust bouncing off the tunnel walls.

[Archived]

Thanks Will for the post. Prevost has never been one to keep you away from your coach while they are working on it. Good folks. Clifford had mentioned in an earlier post here or over yonder on forum about quanity of oil. Should have asked before, or checked and they sure would have fixed it. Didn’t furnish filters and never do but always ask if they got them and when I make appointment. They just put it all in (9 gallons or that’s what I had in boxes)) and they were 2 young fellas that probably haven’t seen many of these old 2 strokes. One of the young gentlemen did say he had never seen a 2 stroke so clean. No oil leaks anywhere, as of that time. Now, not so much. LOL!

[Bernie]

Maybe I expect too much from what I expect to be a professional organization that I presume employs trained, knowledge, and in some cases certified technicians (fka “mechanics”).

This oil overfill thing has happened at least once before that I’m aware of and now today we’re aware of #2 and #3. Is it too much to ask for the technician to verify the proper type and grade of oil and the amount of oil needed for a change every vehicle they work on? And then when the job is almost finished to verify on the dipstick that the level is correct and what was expected?

Maybe today it is. It shouldn’t be though. The two mechanics that do the oil changes on our vehicle in little Random Lake, Wisconsin do that every oil change without fail.

Some of us have been around airplanes to varying degrees. These types of “oil changes” would be completely unacceptable in the airplane business. They should also be unacceptable in the bus business as well.

[glen]

What are you running for oil temps with your 8V92 Detroits? We are driving through the hills of Tennessee in our 1990 40′ Prevost, 1991 Liberty conversion, flat towing an Avalanche at 65mph and the water temp was 190 with oil temp of 230. After slowing to 60 mph for several miles, water temp is 185 and oil temp is 220. Don has trucks in the oil fields hauling water and he thinks 230 is a little high. What do you all think?

[Corey]

Just got back from a 600 mile round trip and around water 185 temp and less than 200 on oil. Outside was around 60 to 70 degrees. Summer time usually around 190 to 195 water and 200 to 210 on oil. Pull a F150 Ford Super Crew. Run around 60 to 65 mph. The faster we run the hotter she’ll get.

[Archived]

So now, after reading some of the posts on here, Don thinks maybe the torque converter isn’t locking. Our MPG is down and it wasn’t good to begin with!! We have owned this coach for almost 7 years and this is our first long trip! I have to get this guy to retire!! Just about to Nashville so will see if they can check it out for us in the morning.

[Peter]

Don, ours is getting about 4 to 5 mpg and if yours is worse , I feel for you. Ours weighs in around 39,999 lbs. wet.

[Archived]

Well, maybe our MPG isn’t so bad after all. Filled before we left home yesterday afternoon and fueled east of KC this morning. It came out to 5.3 and that’s with cruise set at 65. Don was comparing to when we drove the coach home after buying it in California almost 7 years ago. Compared to your MPG, guess we should be happy!! Still want to look into high oil temps but so far, all is good as long as we slow down a little. Thanks for making us feel better about our MPG!!

[Bill]

We have about 7,400 miles racked up so far. We seem to be getting about 6.5 mpg average easy on our new engine weighing about 53,000 lbs. Maybe we’ll improve as the engine breaks-in. We’ll see.

We like to travel about 60 mph so that will help with mpg’s.

MM.

[Wilton]

Don,

If you are around 5.5 MPG on a 8V92 you are doing OK. Some will get better, some worse, it all depends on your driving speed, if you are towing, if you are using OTR, etc.

As to high transmission temps on the transmission in your coach that is almost a sure sign you have too much transmission fluid in it. The correct amount can be accurately determined if you are capable and willing to get under the coach safely. The dip stick is only marginal at best in showing the correct amount of fluid.

[Deleted User]

Too much transmission fluid is probably the answer. I was going to use the coach last September and 15 minutes before departure, the check transmission light came on and Don checked the fluid level and it was a little low. He overfilled it thinking he didn’t have enough in as the light wouldn’t go out. Turns out that wasn’t the problem at all– cover assembly on shift selector was bad. He drained a gallon out before we left but probably needs to drain more. We are at Prevost in Nashville waiting for them to get us in for the taillight problem and they said they would check the tranny too. Just sitting here watching them move coaches in and out. Not bad scenery–some very nice units!!