N.J. Admin. Code § 13:20-50A.8 - Electrical system

(a) School buses shall be equipped with a battery or batteries as specified by the chassis manufacturer.

1. The storage battery shall have a minimum cold cranking capacity rating equal to the cranking current required for 30 seconds at 0 degrees Fahrenheit and a minimum reserve capacity rating of 120 minutes at 25 amperes.

2. Battery cables shall have sufficient length to allow some slack.

(b) School buses shall be equipped with an alternator.

1. A Type A school bus shall have an alternator with a minimum output rating of 100 amperes per hour. A Type A school bus equipped with an electrical power lift and a Type B school bus shall have an alternator with a minimum output rating of 130 amperes per hour.

2. A Type C and D school bus shall have an alternator with a minimum output rating of 160 amperes per hour capable of producing a minimum of 50 percent of its maximum rated output at the engine manufacturer's recommended engine idle speed.

3. A school bus may be equipped with a direct-drive alternator in lieu of a belt-drive alternator. A belt-drive alternator shall be capable of handling the rated output capacity of the alternator with no detrimental affect on any other electrically-powered components or accessories.

(c) All wiring shall be of a standard color and number coding and shall conform to SAE Recommended Practice J1292 (October 1981), incorporated herein by reference, as amended and supplemented. Multiplex wiring may be used.

1. The chassis shall be delivered to the school bus operator with a wiring diagram that coincides with the wiring of the chassis.

2. The chassis manufacturer shall install a readily accessible terminal strip or plug on the body side of the cowl, or in an accessible location in the engine compartment of school buses designed without a cowl. The terminal strip or plug shall contain the following terminals for the body connections:

i. Main 100 amperes body circuit;

ii. Taillamps;

iii. Right turn signal;

iv. Left turn signal;

v. Stoplamps;

vi. Back-up lamps; and

vii. Instrument panel lights that are rheostat-controlled by the headlamp switch.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:20-50A.8