How to Maintain Your School Bus

While school bus maintenance isn’t too dissimilar to that of a car, it’s not a good idea to assume everything is going to be exactly the same. Not only do school buses have a few unique parts and components you may not be familiar with, but they also require quite a bit of extra attention and care to keep them in good shape over the years. To ensure that you and your school bus have a long and happy service life together, be sure to read through our helpful maintenance tips below.

Fluids

To keep your school bus running smoothly, you’ll need to check your engine’s various fluids regularly to ensure they don’t need changing or a refill. To start, always check your engine oil for signs of debris or small metal filaments, as these are often signs your engine’s gears are grinding against each other and you need a serious repair. If there are no signs of debris or filament, and your oil isn’t any darker than a light tan color, you’ll want to move on to checking your bus’ various other fluids. If you notice signs of condensation, debris, or dark coloring on your transmission fluid, coolant, hydraulic fluid, or brake fluid, it’s a sign these fluids need to be flushed and completely replaced as soon as possible.

Drive Belts

On average, a school bus should only have two drive belts, both of which you’ll need to inspect regularly. Thankfully, examining a drive belt is fairly simple! Give each belt a good once over, checking for signs of cracks, tears, or burns, then use your hands to test the tension of the belt. If the belt is too loose, you’ll notice that it moves too far in either direction and often makes loud squealing noises as you drive. If the drive belt is too tight it won’t make any noise at all, but you will not be able to move the belt very far in either direction. If either of your drive belts is too tight or too loose, you’ll need to have them adjusted ASAP—preferably before your next drive.

Has your school bus been running a bit oddly? Having trouble caring for your model’s more complicated maintenance needs? Then come visit us here at McCandless Truck Center for high-quality service or repair! Each one of our 7 locations across the states of Colorado, Nevada, and Wyoming offers an amazing full-service repair center for you to take advantage of, as well as an expert team of mechanics ready to help get your school bus back in great condition.