The Breakdown Thread

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

7 hours ago, jajuan said:

1767, the lone 40-footer on the 147, suffered a breakdown northbound at the Sheridan/Loyola bus stop shortly after 3 pm. The operator tried a restart per procedure but the cut engine light popped on as he explained it to us. He said he had a feeling the bus motor was going to give out soon from the way he could hear the fan from the outside start blowing much too high for today's lower and mid 70s temps outside. 

1767 ran fine yesterday when I saw it on 50, maybe something happened while the bus was going on the highway.

[jajuan]

10 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

1767 ran fine yesterday when I saw it on 50, maybe something happened while the bus was going on the highway.

Possible. If so, it may have happened during an earlier trip because when I boarded the bus at State and Adams, the A/C and ventilation system has this odd low whirring sound to it that clicked in and out as the bus moved.

[YoungBusLover]

2 hours ago, jajuan said:

Possible. If so, it may have happened during an earlier trip because when I boarded the bus at State and Adams, the A/C and ventilation system has this odd low whirring sound to it that clicked in and out as the bus moved.

That sounds like a battery gone bad to sum things up. #1223 had similar issues you described and I just about called it in because the a/c completely shutdown and the fans were just cutting on and off. The bus ran faster without the a/c on though. However, the bus itself was abnormally warmer than usual. Luckily it was cooler the day I had it.

[artthouwill]

1 hour ago, YoungBusLover said:

That sounds like a battery gone bad to sum things up. #1223 had similar issues you described and I just about called it in because the a/c completely shutdown and the fans were just cutting on and off. The bus ran faster without the a/c on though. However, the bus itself was abnormally warmer than usual. Luckily it was cooler the day I had it.

Weak batteries can make the engine work harder for sure.  But the alternator going bad can contribute to this.  If the belt comes loose or comes off, it's only a matter of time before the battery drain as they become the sole source of power.   

[TGP01]

I had an unexpected encounter with 1606 earlier today on foster at i90, the bus clearly has some problems just based on how it sounds. There was a supervisor vehicle behind it, and the bus seemed to be getting escorted back to the garage.

[TGP01]

Just now, TGP01 said:

I had an unexpected encounter with 1606 earlier today on foster at i90, the bus clearly has some problems just based on how it sounds. There was a supervisor vehicle behind it, and the bus seemed to be getting escorted back to the garage.

MVI_2265.MOV

For anybody who doesn't trust the download, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA62onu5srE

[jajuan]

12 minutes ago, TGP01 said:

For anybody who doesn't trust the download, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA62onu5srE

Sounds like the belt is worn or about to come loose. That's if the belt hadn't already come loose because that sound is like something inside the motor flapping against something, and the only thing I can think of that would come loose and make a flapping sound is the engine belt. I almost said sounds like it carried the problem over from before the move out of Kedzie until I remembered that 1606 was one of those that moved from K to FG earlier in the summer, if not earlier, and wasn't one of those 1600s that was swapped in a couple of weekends ago. 

[Shannoncvpi]

19 minutes ago, jajuan said:

Sounds like the belt is worn or about to come loose. That's if the belt hadn't already come loose because that sound is like something inside the motor flapping against something, and the only thing I can think of that would come loose and make a flapping sound is the engine belt. I almost said sounds like it carried the problem over from before the move out of Kedzie until I remembered that 1606 was one of those that moved from K to FG earlier in the summer, if not earlier, and wasn't one of those 1600s that was swapped in a couple of weekends ago. 

I had a bus like that about 6 months ago that bus needed a full tune up 

[jajuan]

25 minutes ago, Shannoncvpi said:

I had a bus like that about 6 months ago that bus needed a full tune up 

That one was sounding so bad in the video, I'm a little surprised it actually went out into service today. 

[Shannoncvpi]

3 hours ago, jajuan said:

That one was sounding so bad in the video, I'm a little surprised it actually went out into service today. 

That's cause whoever took it out this morning didn't do the pre trip inspection tbh bro not many of us do it just I admit if I pull a bus out I just be making sure the ac or heat works the wipers works & I roll some drivers don't even do that they just start up & go

[TGP01]

14 hours ago, jajuan said:

That one was sounding so bad in the video, I'm a little surprised it actually went out into service today. 

I believe the problems arose while it was on the route and not before it left the garage. When I took that video it was out of service (although still displaying 78), I filmed that on foster not Montrose and it was being closely followed by a supervisor vehicle.

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

On 8/13/2023 at 6:13 PM, jajuan said:

Sounds like the belt is worn or about to come loose. That's if the belt hadn't already come loose because that sound is like something inside the motor flapping against something, and the only thing I can think of that would come loose and make a flapping sound is the engine belt. I almost said sounds like it carried the problem over from before the move out of Kedzie until I remembered that 1606 was one of those that moved from K to FG earlier in the summer, if not earlier, and wasn't one of those 1600s that was swapped in a couple of weekends ago. 

1603-1617 group moved to Forest Glen during the New Years era, so they been there for 8 months now (along with 1050-1064

[TGP01]

4144 broke down Stockton/LaSalle

[YoungBusLover]

Just saw the tow truck speeding passed with another dead Nova along 79th.

[YoungBusLover]

Today must be a bad day for a bus with 40 numbered in it. #1440 is about to be towed off Pulaski, I saw #210 towing #4141 at 79th and Halsted going EB late this afternoon and then to add insult to injury #7941 broke down as well. 

[Shannoncvpi]

22 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Today must be a bad day for a bus with 40 numbered in it. #1440 is about to be towed off Pulaski, I saw #210 towing #4141 at 79th and Halsted going EB late this afternoon and then to add insult to injury #7941 broke down as well. 

??

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

4019 and 4177 were both broken down this morning and had service cars behind them.

4177 was first spotted around 7:30 AM, broken down at Columbus & 11th, was spotted still there at 9:00 AM, had a engine problem and was diagnosed by lifting up the rear seats

4019 was first spotted around 7:45 AM, bus was already gone from the breakdown location (Jeffery & 71st) by 8:45 AM

Both buses are Fanduel wrapped.

[pudgym29]

When heading to the Green Line to photograph the CTA Holiday Train, I detected #8349 broken down @ Harlem & Belmont.

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

8398 was down yesterday morning at Montrose & Narragansett

bus was on N81 by the evening

[Shannoncvpi]

1221 broke down on the 3 at 55th

[YoungBusLover]

22 minutes ago, Shannoncvpi said:

1221 broke down on the 3 at 55th

Yeah that bus has been sitting there sinc 8:45 this morning, there is only 1 tow truck available and there has been at least 10 - 14 buses awaiting a tow truck today. 

[Shannoncvpi]

13 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Yeah that bus has been sitting there sinc 8:45 this morning, there is only 1 tow truck available and there has been at least 10 - 14 buses awaiting a tow truck today. 

Yea we had alot of breakdowns today also so wait its only one tow truck for the entire system or just for 7 but dam that's a long ass time 

[YoungBusLover]

1 minute ago, Shannoncvpi said:

Yea we had alot of breakdowns today also so wait its only one tow truck for the entire system or just for 7 but dam that's a long ass time 

Yeah it was only one tow truck available for the entire system yesterday unfortunately.

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

Buses that broke down yesterday like 1432 and 1550 are back out in the mega cold.

[Shannoncvpi]

2 hours ago, YoungBusLover said:

Yeah it was only one tow truck available for the entire system yesterday unfortunately.

Dam no wonder the few buses that I seen broke down on the 54 72 73 66 74 20 & 12 was still sitting there whe I went to get off while they was there when I started also hopefully none of those others that broke down ran to keep the heat going