ing with warranty items,” said Steve Neill, transportation supervisor for Plano (Tex- as) Independent School District. One such company is POLARIS Labo-
ratories, with branches in Indianapolis, Houston, Salt Lake City and north of the border in Edmonton, Alberta. “Fluid analysis is a diagnostic, preven-
tative maintenance tool that is used by many to monitor and evaluate the con- dition of their school bus fleets,” said Jacque Powers,
director of marketing
and communications for POLARIS. “To- day’s economy is requiring government agencies to look for ways to reduce main- tenance costs, and fluid analysis allows them to do just that.”
❝ It’s like a blood test. ❞
— Walter Prothro, Temple (Texas) Independent School District
Te cost is relatively low at approxi-
mately $8-$12 per sample to provide the necessary testing for school bus fleets to extend drain intervals and monitor wear and contamination. Tis might seem more exorbitant for larger fleets, but when comparing it to the cost of re- placing an engine, transmission, or other components of a school bus, the cost of a fluid analysis program is no comparison, according to Powers. “Fluid analysis can save valuable time
and money and ultimately, reduce pres- sure on tight operating maintenance budgets,” added Powers.
EARLY DETECTION SAVES THE DAY, AND A LOT OF MONEY Like an early diagnosis of any number of
diseases, detecting a problem in your en- gine or transmission can save you time and a considerable amount of money. Voigt’s Mo- torcoach Travel, which provides both school and charter transportation, has saved $15,000 in transmission repairs alone by showing proof that there was a problem prior to a ve- hicle’s warranty coverage expiration date. “We find that it is an early detection
of failing parts that keeps your bus from sitting on the side of the road,” said Troy Voigt, vice president of operations for the St. Cloud, Minn., contractor. At Crook County School District, in
Prineville, Ore., mechanic Ken Cook has had similar luck. Not only has he been able to save money on oil, filters and labor,
he has extended his oil change intervals from 4,000 to 6,000 miles to 30,000 miles on Cummins and International engines and 15,000 to 20,000 on Ford, Caterpillar and GM engines. “Some analyses tell us to [go] even far-
ther, but we are happy with where we are,” added Cook. ■
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www.webasto.us www.stnonline.com 29 Scholcholastic Heater stic Hea
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