Fleet Maintenance Question

"Alexander LaRocca" (alexjlarocca)
03/17/2016 at 12:20 • Filed to: None

I’m calling upon the great knowledge of the mighty Oppo community. (I need help)

I work for my school’s on-campus bus system and they look to me for guidance on maintenance issues. I was wondering if you guys could help me out with some things to look out for or about preventative maintenance.

Here are the specific details of the fleet:

-5 vehicles: 1 2015 F550 shuttle bus, 3 E450 shuttle buses (2013 and 2014) and 1 2015 Transit (all gas motors)

-all vehicle except the Transit have handicap lifts

-The E450s have about 40K on the clock, the Transit and the F550 have about 10K

-buses go in and out of park hundreds of times a day

-our drivers are constantly popping curbs

A couple specific questions I have:

What’s the recommended oil change interval on these? Do the larger commercial trucks have longer intervals?

What kind of preventative maintenance can I do for these over-worked transmissions? ...what problems should I look out for?

Thanks Oppo!

DISCUSSION (10)

Steve in Manhattan > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 12:27

As Tom & Ray say, unless there’s serious strain put on the engines, every 5K is more than often enough. Switch them to a synthetic oil, and you could probably bump that to every 10K.

However, if the vehicles do less than 5K in a year, I’d change the oil every year. Also, the hours on the engine count, as well as the mileage. If you just sit with them idling a lot, like a cop car near a donut shop, the estimate changes.

As for the transmissions, I know less, but it’s likely the linkage that will fail. The parts between the column shift and wherever the transmission gets its orders are easily replaced, as far as I know.

crowmolly > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 12:29

Biggest thing you can do is keep an eye on transmission fluid condition.

Gone > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 12:30

Ford has a useful online tool for this that may provide some help.

https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/…

Slant6 > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 12:32

I did some fleet work for my dad. He runs about 15 assorted OTR trucks.

I’d make up a PM schedule. I’d say oil every 5k, and have a good tech have a good long inspection of everything twice a week. Since they are subject to all kinds of abuse everyday the inspections are important.

Transmissions really won’t be that overworked. Linkages could probably be reinforced. Maybe look into a larger Trans cooler or look into a fluid that is better for stop and go.

Most importantly hold the drivers accountable for their actions. Have them treat the equipment as its their own. Careful drivers are the best PM.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 12:38

Like most are saying, you’re probably okay at 5k for a synthetic oil, even with a bunch of idling. As to the trans, some of the previous Ford truck transmissions (notably the E4OD) were prone to failure for arcane reasons, so an occasional fluid swap wouldn’t be a bad idea even if the current one (whose name escapes me) is a much better trans. Not a flush, just a fluid and filter swap. Maybe every 4th-5th oil change at most frequent. You can probably find what big fleets have run into on that account with a search, but as Crowmolly indicates, watching the fluid like a hawk for burning and friction material breakdown beats all other methods for being able to catch a problem you don’t expect.

jariten1781 > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 12:41

There has to be a manufacturer published maintenance schedule. Select your operating conditions and go with that unless you have specific experience or information that leads you elsewhere.

jimz > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
03/17/2016 at 13:12

Econoline uses the 5R110W, Transit uses the 6R80.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > jimz
03/17/2016 at 13:28

Yeah, that remark was meant primarily to cover the Econolines, since there is some history of stank in that family of transmissions. I think I’m given to understand they’re much better now, but still. I knew the 4R100 was a “fixed” E4OD, but I’m not sure how much commonality still carries through to the 5R110 - probably not that much, but the case castings are nearly identical.

shop-teacher > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 13:34

The manual should have a “egular maintenance schedule and a heavy use maintenance schedule. I’d just follow the heavy use one, and they should be fine.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Alexander LaRocca
03/17/2016 at 13:53

RTFM. You can find them here. https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/…

There should be a maintenance schedule in the manual, if not contact the local dealer or Ford to get a copy of it.