Sometimes even the most seasoned school bus technician can use a brush up on routine maintenance service.
John Whelan of School District #73 in Kamloops, British Columbia, located about 150 miles northeast of Vancouver, has used his aptly-named blog “School Bus Mechanic” to share wisdom from his school bus garage on a variety of topics, many of which are quite complex. But today’s edition takes a step back to look at more mundane activities that can prove to be just as challenging.
“When you read them you may think they’re too simple, but you would be surprised how the mind thinks sometimes when you’re faced with a breakdown,” he says.
Whelan’s “Top 3 Tips for Mechanic Troubleshooting” promote the best possible results in whatever job technicians are working on. The first thing mechanics should do is set the exact sequence of events. This means getting the whole story and finding a starting point, then working through it logically.
“If you undertake it wrong by not listening or using your common sense then you could have problems going down the right path from the beginning,” Whelan adds.
Next, you need to check the source of the problem. Skip this step and you’re headed for embarrassment, expense and complications. Last but not least, use your resources. School bus technicians know full there is a manual for everything, and know the tools you will need.
How does your shop diagnose and work through a maintenance issue?
