Disturbing ride on the QM5 tonight

[QM1to6Ave]

I had a very unusual experience on the manhattan-bound QM5 this evening. As the bus approaches my stop, it gets caught at a red light. I notice that the bus seems to turn off entirely and turn back on while sitting at the light, which was already a bad sign. The B/O barely even stops to let me on, and I know something is very wrong. 

 

 

Every time we hit a red light or stop-and-go traffic and come to a complete stop, the engine cuts out entirely. The B/O needs to turn off the bus and re-start it each time, which does temporarily solve the problem...until we come to another full stop, when the same thing keeps happening. It was quite unnerving to feel the big MCI completely die over and over, especially since the power steering seemed to cut out and we would jerk around a bit each time. Some of the alarms also kept going off, but the B/O wanted to try to get us to the city.

 

 

Finally, when we get to Parsons Blvd., the B/O gives up, pulls over, turns off the bus and radios in for help...except he can't raise the command center on the radio. He ends up having to call on his own cell phone and say "hey, I can't get anyone to answer me over the radio", which totally defeats the purpose of a bus radio. Even more disturbing was that the command center had no idea when the next QM5/6 was coming, and the B/O didn't know, either. 

 

 

Overall, this was not exactly the most pleasant ride I've ever had. Even the B/O was shocked at how the bus just kept stalling and dying. He said he can't even remember the last time he's had a bus break down so badly.   

[Grand Concourse]

Was this an older or newer bus? Closest to a situation like that I had was years ago a Q35 (when they still had the gl buses) the RTS's front door popped out when the bus hit like a pothole or something on the road and we were stranded just near the toys r'us store till the next bus came to pick us all up. I don't think we had to wait long since the schedule then wasn't as rigid, now it'd be 15min till the next bus comes.

 

As for the power thing, (also some years back) an RTS I was on had to restart the engine 3 times while at the junction (I think the b/o just finished loading a wc rider on board). I was certain that the 3rd time (if it still didn't work) we would've had to get off. A different time another RTS was stalled on the road with the wc lift stuck. The 9600s are pretty bad regarding the lifts (well based on the rides I've had so far).

[MHV9218]

Sounds like a real disaster, just glad that you were able to safely pull over and everybody was okay. I was on an M2 a couple years ago on a then-relatively new O7 Hybrid (675x bus) which lost all power while we were in motion, driver had to work from the middle of 5th Ave to the side of the street with no power brakes and no power steering. He restarted the bus, we made it about 40 more feet and then the same thing happened again and he realized it wasn't safe to be driving the thing. The radio thing is a real problem, totally unacceptable for an op to be out there without a functioning radio.

[46Dover]

If you ever been to New Jersey westbound on Route 3, I had a bus go out on me when I went up the hill towards the Route 21 interchange in Rutherford just before crossing Passaic River and had the bus completely shut off on me (this was an MCI model btw). Bit of a scary experience right there (and in the middle of traffic no less)

[aemoreira81]

Possible engine expiration or spark plug issue? The computer likely shut down the engine because it felt that something was going wrong with the engine. When Spring Creek had hybrids, I once had a hybrid suddenly cut out after the alarm had been going for a while...the bus was able to coast into the Canarsie Road stop on the B103.

 

As for the radio not working---when the new radio system is installed, I would hope that those new radios have their own auxiliary power source in the event something like this happens.

[trainfan22]

When I saw the thread title I thought the OP was gonna about some passengers acting crazy on the bus or something.

 

When I actually read the OP, it reminded me of when I rode a old C40 that randomly shut off along its route, however it only did it once.

 

Also happened on an X10 I rode before, it was Manhattan bound and it shut off at some random bus stop in SI.

[QM1to6Ave]

Was this an older or newer bus? Closest to a situation like that I had was years ago a Q35 (when they still had the gl buses) the RTS's front door popped out when the bus hit like a pothole or something on the road and we were stranded just near the toys r'us store till the next bus came to pick us all up. I don't think we had to wait long since the schedule then wasn't as rigid, now it'd be 15min till the next bus comes.

 

As for the power thing, (also some years back) an RTS I was on had to restart the engine 3 times while at the junction (I think the b/o just finished loading a wc rider on board). I was certain that the 3rd time (if it still didn't work) we would've had to get off. A different time another RTS was stalled on the road with the wc lift stuck. The 9600s are pretty bad regarding the lifts (well based on the rides I've had so far).

It was bus 3042 if I remember correctly, so it is relatively new. I've been on other MCI's of the same age that would get stuck at a stop when the brake wouldn't release, but this was really unusual. There was also a lot of frost or liquid build up on the windshield, which was really odd since it was 50 degrees at the time. I don't know what was going on.

 

Those stories are pretty nuts

If you ever been to New Jersey westbound on Route 3, I had a bus go out on me when I went up the hill towards the Route 21 interchange in Rutherford just before crossing Passaic River and had the bus completely shut off on me (this was an MCI model btw). Bit of a scary experience right there (and in the middle of traffic no less)

Sounds like a similar situation--definitely weird to think those huge buses can go out like that

Possible engine expiration or spark plug issue? The computer likely shut down the engine because it felt that something was going wrong with the engine. When Spring Creek had hybrids, I once had a hybrid suddenly cut out after the alarm had been going for a while...the bus was able to coast into the Canarsie Road stop on the B103.

 

As for the radio not working---when the new radio system is installed, I would hope that those new radios have their own auxiliary power source in the event something like this happens.

The radio thing was weird--we could hear the dispatcher on the other end but he couldn't hear us at all.

[yardlet6]

I was on MCIs when they conked out but not the RTS or hybrids. Are the Prevosts any better?

[SevenEleven]

Maybe something was shorting in the engine bay, causing the bus to shut off. The only other instances that I can think of are hot engine or the fire alarm going off.

[aemoreira81]

It was bus 3042 if I remember correctly, so it is relatively new. I've been on other MCI's of the same age that would get stuck at a stop when the brake wouldn't release, but this was really unusual. There was also a lot of frost or liquid build up on the windshield, which was really odd since it was 50 degrees at the time. I don't know what was going on.

 

Those stories are pretty nuts

 

Sounds like a similar situation--definitely weird to think those huge buses can go out like that

 

The radio thing was weird--we could hear the dispatcher on the other end but he couldn't hear us at all.

 

On the radio (since that was a response to my post)...I would hope that the MTA changes the pre-trip procedure requiring that before a driver pulls out a bus, or upon relieving a driver mid-route, the radio's condition is verified?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

It was bus 3042 if I remember correctly, so it is relatively new. I've been on other MCI's of the same age that would get stuck at a stop when the brake wouldn't release, but this was really unusual. There was also a lot of frost or liquid build up on the windshield, which was really odd since it was 50 degrees at the time. I don't know what was going on.

 

I don't know if this is still the case but I was told that CP sends its buses up to Yonkers for maintenance.  How often that happens I don't know but it seems as if the maintenance there at CP can't handle their own buses which is pretty pathetic if that's the case.

[Turbo19]

Considering most controls on the MCI's are electronic it could have even been something as minor as a wire short or something.

 

Can't blame the operator for not completing the trip though. Once your power steering and air brakes go out shit, it's a whole different vehicle.

[QM1to6Ave]

On the radio (since that was a response to my post)...I would hope that the MTA changes the pre-trip procedure requiring that before a driver pulls out a bus, or upon relieving a driver mid-route, the radio's condition is verified?

That would be good. I had a young B/O last week on the QM6 who also couldn't get the dispatcher to hear him when he called in on the radio. I don't know if it was a similar problem or just an inexperienced B/O

I don't know if this is still the case but I was told that CP sends its buses up to Yonkers for maintenance.  How often that happens I don't know but it seems as if the maintenance there at CP can't handle their own buses which is pretty pathetic if that's the case.

A year or two ago, one of the B/O's on the QM5 was having some minor electrical problems and complained that all the CP mechanics had been sent to Brooklyn so the buses were breaking down. He also said he liked the old buses where the wiring was exposed so you could fix problems yourself lol. 

Considering most controls on the MCI's are electronic it could have even been something as minor as a wire short or something.

 

Can't blame the operator for not completing the trip though. Once your power steering and air brakes go out shit, it's a whole different vehicle.

I think the B/O handled the situation really well. He tried to keep us going as long as he could until he got to a safe spot, and he made sure to get us onto the next bus. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

A year or two ago, one of the B/O's on the QM5 was having some minor electrical problems and complained that all the CP mechanics had been sent to Brooklyn so the buses were breaking down. He also said he liked the old buses where the wiring was exposed so you could fix problems yourself lol. 

Something is up because while their fleet isn't as bad as Yukon's fleet, it isn't much better... LMAO@ part in bold...

[FamousNYLover]

I have been on NICE Bus n20 week after Sandy on weekdays when Con Edision was fixing up power line on Northern Blvd, so B/O got bus with broken lady and called dispatcher for direction because he thought Rocky Hill Rd was no commercial vehicle, but bus does use it.