Preparing Your Buses for Winter
Ken Swanson, Region7

Summer is coming to an end and in a couple of months we need to start winterizing our
buses. In Region 7, we have diesel-powered buses, which require more work to
prepare for winter than do gasoline-powered buses. In order to prevent forgetting an item, we use a Winterization Check-Off Sheet we also record all electrical reading on the check-off sheet.

We start by locating the winter front that we put away last spring and place it in the
bus for application in November. The fuel tank is drained of any moisture, as is the water
separator, and the fuel filter changed. Checking the operation of engine block
heater and make sure the glow plug timing is properly set can save you
a service call on a cold morning. We make sure all tires have sufficient tread depth and
the engine coolant strength is approximately -35 degrees. The air conditioning
condenser and the condenser fans are covered; this process can save you money on
replacing fans in the spring. We make sure the rear heater valve is in the "On" position
so on that first cold day we're not getting a call that the heater isn't working only to find out the valve was not in the "On" position.

We check the electrical components; drive belts are checked for cracks and tension, cable
connections are checked for tightness and corrosion. The starting motor is check for
amperage draw, alternator is checked for output; batteries are checked for condition and
state of charge, voltage regulator for output and diodes are also tested. Any component
that is marginal is repaired or replaced. We believe the cost of road failures is better spent on preventive maintenance.