Child Check-Mate

[Danjo-SKO]

Hi,

The bus that I just bought has a system called Child Check-Mate. It’s designed to ensure bus drivers check the bus for sleeping kids before parking it.

Does anyone have information on deinstalling this thing?

 

[Danjo-SKO]

Hi, I found this on the Internet. This describes installation, so if anyone finds themselves needing to remove it, just watch it in reverse.

 

[A_Bus_Called_Quest]

Hi,

The bus that I just bought has a system called Child Check-Mate. It’s designed to ensure bus drivers check the bus for sleeping kids before parking it.

Does anyone have information on deinstalling this thing?

I know this is an old post - but did you have any problems deleting the Child Check-Mate system? Going to tackle this week, but 2% worried there may be adverse effect.

 

[Danjo-SKO]

I know this is an old post - but did you have any problems deleting the Child Check-Mate system? Going to tackle this week, but 2% worried there may be adverse effect.

I’m sorry, I honestly don’t remember. I think I just unplugged the little white box and that was that

 

[Biscuitsjam]

The child checkmate is tied to the ignition. If you have a sensor or wire disconnected anywhere in the system, it will disable your ability to start your bus.

Fortunately, it's a 2-minute fix to disable. I followed a YouTube video and moved where one wire was connected. Problem solved.

 

[cadillackid]

if you have an IH bus I learned that you can disable the starter inhibit system with Servicemaxx..


I workjed with someone recently who was told by 2 mechanics that their starter was bad.. I turned the start inhibit feature off in the computer and the truck fired right up.. (T-444E)

 

[Danjo-SKO]

My bus thankfully came with vandlock removed. My child checkmate appeared to be active and had a buzzer that would scream if I tried to park the bus and remove the key or open the door - I’m sorry I never really understood the trigger. But my electrical modification was very minimal. I unplugged the seven-way flasher, removed the stop sign, capping the wires, remove the arm on the front and unplugged the child checkmate. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. Check the video I posted though. It seemed authoritative. Mark your wires and connections. Be prepared to put it back the way it was if you have problems.

 

[musigenesis]

I keep reading this title and assuming it's somebody that had to give up their skoolie dream because they had a kid.

 

[A_Bus_Called_Quest]

I keep reading this title and assuming it's somebody that had to give up their skoolie dream because they had a kid.

thank you for the laugh on that one [emoji1787]

Update on the Child Check-Mate System - fully removed in our 1995 Bluebird/ International Nd all is well.
All alarms, sensors, checkmate system removed - she starts right up, goes into gear no problem.

I kept her running as I disconnected everything to be sure nothing triggered a kill-switch. I think I got lucky because of the year, it looks like it was all installed "after market" so everything came out easy.
-fun side note: I found the original bill of sale from the manufacturer to the AZ bus sales burried inside the dash - dated 5/15/1995

I'm thinking about disconnecting the yellow "bus bar" that the red/amber flashers are all connected to - right now they aren't doing anything anyway. (I want to connect the rear red flashers to the brake lights for added visibility.)

 

[Woodams]

Sounds like a number of people have had success removing it, but I don’t see anyone mentioning what they actually did to remove it safely. Is it just removing the white box in the front? Do I need to remove all the wires too?..

I don’t want to start removing things like the RVT in the back only to one day accidentally trigger this system with no way to disable it

 

[A_Bus_Called_Quest]

Sounds like a number of people have had success removing it, but I don’t see anyone mentioning what they actually did to remove it safely. Is it just removing the white box in the front? Do I need to remove all the wires too?..



I don’t want to start removing things like the RVT in the back only to one day accidentally trigger this system with no way to disable it

What model / year do you have? With our '95 International, nothing was affected by Child Check Mate system removal. Our bus is almost all mechanical, so the CCM system was probably the most advanced electric equipment in the bus and most likely installed after-market, so removing it was as easy as cutting out all of the wires.
I kept a multi meter on-hand as I was cutting (just on hand, not in use haha), and kept the engine running while doing so, that way if I hit a kill-wire I would know.
At the end of removal I double checked the bus would start, and it did..
Maybe dumb luck, but I was pretty confident in removing. I could see all of the CCM wires were just spliced off of existing wires in my dash rat's nest.

 

[Woodams]

What model / year do you have? With our '95 International, nothing was affected by Child Check Mate system removal. Our bus is almost all mechanical, so the CCM system was probably the most advanced electric equipment in the bus and most likely installed after-market, so removing it was as easy as cutting out all of the wires.
I kept a multi meter on-hand as I was cutting (just on hand, not in use haha), and kept the engine running while doing so, that way if I hit a kill-wire I would know.
At the end of removal I double checked the bus would start, and it did..
Maybe dumb luck, but I was pretty confident in removing. I could see all of the CCM wires were just spliced off of existing wires in my dash rat's nest.

I have a 2007 Chevy cutaway, Collins body.
I agree, it looks like it’s all just tacked on top and not integral. I’ve already removed the emergency door wires and thought that would be what throws the alarm system, but haven’t had any issues there.
However I’ve once tripped the system (horn and alarms after shutoff) but Idk what I did, and also a mechanic tripped it but didn’t know what he did either

After watching the video, seems like it must be the red flashers that activate the child check. I walked through and saw my bus is wired exactly the same way.

There’s a lot of beeping turning ignition to AC and then again after start up. I thought it was the system activating but maybe it’s something else? There’s some sort of small “lift interlock” panel added on under the ignition with 3 red lights, maybe that’s what’s causing the beeps. It detects the lift (removed) parking brake, and something else. I think it prevents ignition with the parking brake engaged

Michael from Navigation Nowhere has same style of bus and ended up removing that entire electrical panel…so I think I’m good to just remove it and go at it one wire at a time.
Think I’m just overly nervous about killing the bus or making it blast the horns with no way to disable it

 

[A_Bus_Called_Quest]

I have a 2007 Chevy cutaway, Collins body.

I agree, it looks like it’s all just tacked on top and not integral. I’ve already removed the emergency door wires and thought that would be what throws the alarm system, but haven’t had any issues there.

However I’ve once tripped the system (horn and alarms after shutoff) but Idk what I did, and also a mechanic tripped it but didn’t know what he did either [emoji23]



After watching the video, seems like it must be the red flashers that activate the child check. I walked through and saw my bus is wired exactly the same way.



There’s a lot of beeping turning ignition to AC and then again after start up. I thought it was the system activating but maybe it’s something else? There’s some sort of small “lift interlock” panel added on under the ignition with 3 red lights, maybe that’s what’s causing the beeps. It detects the lift (removed) parking brake, and something else. I think it prevents ignition with the parking brake engaged



Michael from Navigation Nowhere has same style of bus and ended up removing that entire electrical panel…so I think I’m good to just remove it and go at it one wire at a time.

Think I’m just overly nervous about killing the bus or making it blast the horns with no way to disable it

Maybe not the best for the bus... but maybe turn it off and back on after each cut wire? Then you know which one is the trigger wire (if any) and can re-connect before you get too far?

 

[Danjo-SKO]

Maybe not the best for the bus... but maybe turn it off and back on after each cut wire? Then you know which one is the trigger wire (if any) and can re-connect before you get too far?

I figure that the way to do it is just as you describe. I’d expand on that a little if you’re going to be doing extensive de-wiring to formalize the testing process to include all the systems to test after each wire cut.

Absolutely tedious, but you’d be far less likely to be coming on the forum asking for schematics.

 

[Woodams]

Yeah that’s my plan. Maybe 2 wires at a time just for sanity sake.
I know with the Child Check Mate the green wire connects to the ignition switch (as per the video). But something tells me that’s non functioning.

I appreciate the help, I’ll report back with my results when I get to it for future googlers like myself. Might be a week or two, standby

 

[Woodams]

Howdy, I’m back with an update.

Removing wires and Checkmate was so simple I accidentally got started on it. Was waiting for Bondo to dry, started looking at wires…noticed a few that weren’t connected, and then a few more, and then those ones went to lights I didn’t need…etc etc and boom! Done!

Ok but for real here’s a few useful notes for anyone else with a Collins short bus circa 2007.

1. Check Mate system is as the others said, totally supplemental and you shouldn’t face any issues just pulling it out. If you want to be safe, there’s a wiring harness connected to a white box in the upper fuse panel area: you can just unplug that and see what happens. That box makes all the noises on startup and alarm sounds.

2. I found 99.8% of the Collins wiring (stuff above the driver) is A-OK to just rip out without consequences. Collins tends to use red/yellow/white 16awg wires, Chevy stuff is 18awg or thinner.
Exceptions below.

2.a Clearance lights (red/orange lights on four corners and triple lights front center and front back) have their common wires (white) tied in with the Collins stuff. Common (negative side of battery) is connected to the bus, so just reconnect the white wires to anywhere metal on the bus. I’m sure you can find somewhere metal to do that :biggrin:

2.b Cabin fan’s power cable is intercepted by Collins wiring, so when I ripped out everything, my fans/AC stopped working. I didn’t notice this until a day or two after ripping it out, but I think it’s intercepted to a relay for the “Noise Suppression” toggle switch to control it. In any case, you’ll need to remove the front dash cover, and right under the fan control dial thingy-majig you’ll find 3 Collin’s wires hanging out in there.
2 Reds, 1 Yellow. They’re VERY long and run under the driver seat to get back here.
In my case 1 Yellow was disconnected, and 1 Red was disconnected. The other red was spliced into an 18awg purple wire leading to the back of the fan/AC unit, and another curiously cut purple wire just chilling out. Cut the red, reconnect the purple to purple. Fixed :biggrin: (see second picture attached)

3. A super smart thing to do before just ripping everything out would be to go into the engine bay, passenger side, there’s a uniquely open chunk of space in an otherwise PACKED engine bay. It kinda looks like a battery, but I think it’s just a bus (the electrical kind).
There’s a thick red wire (covered in black wire housing) that runs up and across the engine bay to the driver side, then runs under the driver seat. You can easily tell if it’s the correct wire by squeezing it. It’s thick braided copper, maybe 6 or 8 awg.
This wire provides power to the entire wiring panel above the driver’s head, which is all the “bus” stuff.
If you disconnect this red wire source, you’ve killed everything “bus” related. You can now try starting your bus, check blinkers, horn, clearance lights, etc etc etc and just see what goes wrong.
If everything works, then you’ve got the all-clear to just rip away.

4. Final note…anyone know what these wires do?? (First attachment) I found 3 18awg wires that ran up to the wiring panel, originating from under the steering wheel, and running under driver’s seat. They seem to be original from Chevy, not Collins. No idea what they do, I’ve noticed no adverse effects from disconnecting them. One wire sparked when cutting. 2 read no voltage, the other reads inconsistent 4v
Black one just kinda goes to the wall…so maybe common? That black box thing is the bottom of the seatbelt. The other two wires I have no idea. Tried connecting them and nothing happened.

 

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

maybe power for a heated seat?
my 2004 collins/chevy has the connection as well but no connector coming out of the seat.
but it is definitely chevy wiring