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Truck Lube Places—Sigh
Took the coach in for the annual oil change and lube. Also had them change the differential fluid. It needed it. All went well until I paid and it was time to leave. The engine would die and not restart. Lost prime. They refilled the filters and I cranked and cranked with some time to let the starter cool off. The refilled the filters and then I cranked some more. Paralleled the house batteries. Could not get the engine to run. Finally they wanted to use ether, I said NO WAY!
They had no way to prime the system externally. As a last resort I suggested to put a little bit of air pressure in the tanks to help prime. Fuel started to pour out of the top of the secondary fuel filter. Turns out they installed an incorrect filter; gaskets were not quite matching introducing air. Once they got the correct filter installed, the engine started and all was well. I don’t think I’ll go there again.
Guess what happend when I opened the fuel fill cap at the truck stop…..
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9 Replies
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Was this the Speedco boys in Aurora?
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Greg, yes it was them. I guess it is an easy mistake to make. But still pretty bad if you have to be almost towed out of a lube place after one shells out $500 (engine oil and filters, coolant filter, air filter, diff oil change).
Gerald
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Gerald,
We have discussed this type of issue on other threads. Allowing unskilled people (which they obviously were) to service the coach is akin to Russian roulette. The filter is just one example. My bet is all the failed dust boots on the suspension are an example of grease monkeys pumping in grease in fittings until it spurts out of the rubber boots. Then there is the problems associated with pumping too much grease in the drum brake pivots or the caliper slack adjuster pivots.
And while they were under there did they drain the air tanks and verify the tanks were dry and the protection valves were working?
I can go on but you get where I am going. If we need service on the coach I suggest we start by trying to find a charter bus company with a fleet of Prevost coaches that will do that type of work.
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I agree with Jon I travel 40 weeks a year all over USA and Canada for 25 years I would never take my coach to a lube place unskilled most of the time took mine one time to lube place because of bad fuel I had filter and they put it on did not want to drip fuel on the parking lot but I had to tell them how to shut the fuel off very sad that they don’t know there is a book that I have of all the. Top tour coach places it is the elite group of tour coach places your can get work done at most of them my friend at holiday coach gave it to me
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If they over greased the one caliper fitting, check your wheel hubs for excessive heat or you’ll be buying rotors, seals and worse, bearings.If it’s over greased, the caliper won’t release after brake pressure and will cause extreme heat and failure of the components.
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Anyone passing by Level Cross North Carolina on I-73/74/US 220, or living within a nice bus ride, call on Holiday Tours. They are exclusive Prevost users and will service private coaches. I go there for my annual safety inspection, oil change, and chassis lubrication. (336) 808-0330, that number should get you directly into the service department. They are truly nice people to do business with.
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It looked like a decent, clean and organized place. But it became painfully clear that they were not familiar with buses. A learning experience for me. Now I’m glad that they would not touch the Allison transmission.
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It is too bad we get experience just after we need it.
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amen to that!
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