Can buses be driven smoothly?
Discussion
I don't use buses very often, but every time I've ever been on one, the thing had been driven like a kangaroo - truly terrible driving.
The connecting bus I got from Barcelona airport recently was every bit as bad. I'm absolutely convinced I could jump into one and drive it more smoothly.
Am I talking rubbish?
The connecting bus I got from Barcelona airport recently was every bit as bad. I'm absolutely convinced I could jump into one and drive it more smoothly.
Am I talking rubbish?
apexJimi said:
I don't use buses very often, but every time I've ever been on one, the thing had been driven like a kangaroo - truly terrible driving.
A lex said:
anything more than 12 months old will be COMPLETELY shagged.
I wonder if we are witnessing cause and effect here?I suspect they could almost double fuel economy on a bus if they could fit some type of acceleration limiter.
The problem usually is the Air brakes.
The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
ExPat2B said:
The problem usually is the Air brakes.
The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
Get out of here with your crazy common sense talk. More bus driver abuse please!The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
hornetrider said:
ExPat2B said:
The problem usually is the Air brakes.
The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
Get out of here with your crazy common sense talk. More bus driver abuse please!The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
ExPat2B said:
The problem usually is the Air brakes.
The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
Ah, thanks for that - certainly makes a lot of sense The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
ExPat2B said:
The problem usually is the Air brakes.
The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
I didn't think you need pressure to stop, you need pressure to hold the brakes off - they fail safe (i.e without any pressure) don't they?The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
The issue would be not having enough pressure to release the brakes in order to move off again.
ExPat2B said:
The problem usually is the Air brakes.
The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
And there was me thinking that they would operate in the same way as a truck. The air pressure is used to 'release' the brakes, not apply them. They fail safe to brakes ON, not OFF.The correct way to stop a veichle with air brakes is to step on the brake pedal and don't release until it stops completely.
If you are coming off and on the brakes, air pressure is released when you come off the brake pedal, and needs to be replaced from the compressor. If the compressor has died, it won't be replaced and you will have less pressure when you get back on the brakes. This can lead to a safety issue where you don't have enough pressure to stop if you are off and on the brakes all the time when stopping.
So once you know you have pressure and the bus is stopping, you should therefore keep the pressure on the pedal untill it stops, rather then smoothly releasing the pressure like you would on a car. Also if you tried to smoothly release the pressure, you wouldnt be able too, as the pressure is dumped via a solenoid valve and this is cannot be modulated in the same way a hydraulic system can be.
Beyond Rational said:
I didn't think you need pressure to stop, you need pressure to hold the brakes off - they fail safe (i.e without any pressure) don't they?
The issue would be not having enough pressure to release the brakes in order to move off again.
It's been a while since someone ran me through it, but IIRC on lorries the parking brakes require air to be disengaged, but the foundation brakes need air to be engaged.The issue would be not having enough pressure to release the brakes in order to move off again.
That way if air pressure is lost then the lorry grids to a halt on the parking brake ETA or it carries on and the brakes catch fire
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