CL 100

DAIMLER CHRYSLER COMMERCIAL BUSES NA Download PDF Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Daimler Chrysler Commercial Buses NA submitted a model CL 100, diesel-

fueled, 21 seat/25-foot bus, for a 7yr/200,000 mile STURAA test, the odometer reading

at the time of delivery was 2,125 miles.  Testing started on December 10, 2001 and

was completed on March 8, 2002.  The Check-In section of the report provides a

description of the bus and specifies its major components.

           The primary part of the test program is the Structural Durability Test, which also

provides the information for the Maintainability and Reliability results. The Structural

Durability Test was started on January 2, 2002 and was completed on February 21,

2002.

The interior of the bus is configured with seating for 21 passengers including the

driver.  Free floor space will accommodate 16 standing passengers resulting in a

potential capacity of 37 persons.  At 150 lbs per person, this load results in a calculated

gross vehicle weight of 15,930 lbs.  In order to avoid exceeding the GAWR (9850 lbs)

of the rear axle, ballast was removed for thirteen standing passengers.  This reduction

in passenger weight resulted in an adjusted GVW of 14,150 lbs.  The middle segment

was performed at a seated load weight of 13,610 lbs and the final segment was

performed at a curb weight of 10,500 lbs.  Durability driving resulted in unscheduled

maintenance and failures that involved a variety of subsystems. A description of

failures, and a complete and detailed listing of scheduled and unscheduled

maintenance is provided in the Maintainability section of this report.

           Accessibility, in general, was adequate, components covered in Section 1.3

(Repair and/or Replacement of Selected Subsystems), along with all other components

encountered during testing, were found to be readily accessible and no restrictions

were noted.

           The Reliability section compiles failures that occurred during Structural Durability

Testing.  Breakdowns are classified according to subsystems.  The data in this section

are arranged so that those subsystems with more frequent problems are apparent.  The

problems are also listed by class as defined in Section 2.  The test bus encountered no

Class 1 or Class 2 failures.  Of the nine reported failures, three were Class 3 and six

were Class 4.

The Safety Test, (a double-lane change, obstacle avoidance test) was safely performed in both right-hand and left-hand directions up to a maximum test speed of 45 mph.  The performance of the bus is illustrated by a speed vs. time plot.  Acceleration

and gradeability test data are provided in Section 4, Performance.  The average time to obtain 50 mph was 19.05 seconds.

The Shakedown Test produced a maximum final loaded deflection of 0.179

 inches with a permanent set ranging between -0.000 to 0.005 inches under a

distributed static load of 13,875 lbs.  The Distortion Test was completed with all

subsystems, doors and escape mechanisms operating properly.  Water leakage was

observed throughout the test at the top of the rear door.  All subsystems operated

properly.

The Static Towing Test was performed using a target load (towing force) of

12,600 lbs.  The rear test was terminated during the 20° downward pull at

approximately 9,500 lbs of force when the tow hooks and supporting structure

deformed downward. The test bus was not equipped with front tow eyes or tow hooks, therefore, a front test was not performed.  The Dynamic Towing Test was performed by

means of a front-lift tow.  The towing interface was accomplished using a hydraulic-lift

wrecker.  The bus was towed without incident and no damage resulted from the test.

The Jacking and Hoisting Tests were also performed without incident.  The bus was

found to be stable on the test jack stands, and the minimum jacking clearance observed

with a tire deflated was 7.8 inches.

A Fuel Economy Test was run on simulated central business district, arterial, and commuter courses.  The results were 6.51 mpg, 6.48 mpg, and 11.74 mpg respectively; with an overall average of 7.40 mpg.

A series of Interior and Exterior Noise Tests was performed.  These data are listed in Section 7.1 and 7.2 respectively.