Jusr got given a new 62 plate TGX to drive. First time I’ve had a new motor all to myself so I’m quite chuffed. I was quite happy with my old 4 series Topliner and having driven some older TXGs and found them quite horrible I wasn’t keen when the boss offered it to me but seeing as the Scania was going for export and the only other choice was a Renault Premium (nice to drive but too little room in the cab) I decided to give it a chance.
I was quite surprised to find it actually drives quite well and gives a much better ride than expected. The older ones I’d driven were XL cabs while this new one is a XXL so I don’t know whether they have better cab suspension of if the latest models are just better that way overall.
The biggest problem I’ve found is with the gearbox. It won’t let me select manual gears unless I’m off the gas or stationary and even then it reverts back to auto mode soon after, or depending on the situation as soon as I get back on the gas. This is a real pain when pulling heavy loads along hilly routes. You’ll be lugging 27 tonnes up a hill in 12th and can see the motor’s going to pull it ok, just about to get over the crest and then it decides it wants to go down two gears so rather than getting to the top and gently rolling off the gas as the speed begins to increase before dropping down the other side you end up losing 5mph through the last minute downchange and using more fuel. With the older models I could select manual gears while climbing to make it hold the higher gear and crest the hill with the motor running at the bottom of the green band. It was stuck in 11th all the way from Tebay to Shap although it was sitting quite happily on the 90kmh limiter and wouldn’t let me change up. There are other situations where some manual control would enable smoother more economical driving, roundabouts, junctions, going down a dip into an uphill gradient etc.
After putting on my anorak I had a look through the operators handbook and it says manual can only be selected when coasting or stationary so the trucks are obviously meant to be this way and I’m wondering if they can be switched to allow full manual operation. I’ve had older models that can be used in full manual mode and others where manual mode has been disabled by the firm, presumably to stop numpty drivers revving the nuts off them and using too much diesel so I’d guess it’s possible to have them switched the other way too.
Anyone else driving these new models had theirs adjusted this way?
One of our regular posters gave a link to an article about this very subject.
MAN to remove almost all the manual selction from their fitment of satans auto box due to…‘‘poor quality UK drivers’’…their words not mine so don’t shoot the messenger.
Looks like you’ve got one of the first with manual deprogrammed, whether you can get it put on i haven’t a clue.
Does flicking the gear lever ‘encourage’ a suitable change in auto mode at all?
Juddian:
One of our regular posters gave a link to an article about this very subject.
MAN to remove almost all the manual selction from their fitment of satans auto box due to…‘‘poor quality UK drivers’’…their words not mine so don’t shoot the messenger.
Hmm by whose judgement? Considering my boss always seems pretty impressed with my fuel usage I must be doing something ‘wrong’ by someone I’ll have to go and look for that link, sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for that.
Juddian:
Does flicking the gear lever ‘encourage’ a suitable change in auto mode at all?
As long as I’m not on the gas I can change up or down by moving the lever. This gets the truck into manual gearchange mode but as soon as I get back on the gas it reverts to auto of its own accord. This is obviously no good at all if I want it to hold a gear when climbing hills. If I change manually the indicator on the dash changes to manual but as soon as the truck thinks it’s time to change again it reverts to auto and unless I’m accelerating will bang down another 2 gears, usually just as I’m about to pull out onto a roundabout. Perhaps this is how they drive in Germany but being a poor quality UK driver I prefer a smoother ride.
kr79:
I’d imagine it would have to go in to the dealerstohave the software looked at.
Yes, I was telling the boss how it is and he looked quite worried. He knows I know how to use a gearbox to get good MPG and running it the way it is now isn’t going to help me do that. I’m going to pester him to get on to the local dealers and get it sorted. The truck’s on a 2 year lease and our firms fitters are not allowed anywhere near it.
its got the fleet gearbox mode which stops you reving the nuts off it,its ment to reduce mpg when lots of different drivers use it,only the MAN dealer can change it
I have an 11 reg XLX 440, if I change just by knocking the gear lever up or down it will change then revert to auto after about 15 seconds, give or take a bit. Which is what it is meant to do. But if I change it into manual it stays in manual until I switch it back. It is also fitted with kickdown witch comes in handy but does nothing good to the fuel comsumption.
I had an older one which I could switch between manual and auto. My experience was that it was often in a higher gear than I would have chosen and when I drove up Birdlip with 24 tonnes on the back, I just let the computer do its job.
We also collected plastic sheet from Hereford and I did find that on the A4103 to Worcester I would switch to manual sometimes to stop it making too many changes. The problem for the auto is that it can’t anticipate. My advice is to learn how to get the best out of it - properly driven it works well and will give good fuel figures. You can’t drive it like a manual.
Juddian:
One of our regular posters gave a link to an article about this very subject.
MAN to remove almost all the manual selction from their fitment of satans auto box due to…‘‘poor quality UK drivers’’…their words not mine so don’t shoot the messenger.
Looks like you’ve got one of the first with manual deprogrammed, whether you can get it put on i haven’t a clue.
I managed to track down that link. Very helpful. From the video it pointed to I now know its just the software they put on them that’s the problem. ■■■ seems the gearboxes are all the same so it should be possible to get that changed so we can drive them properly, assuming that’s allowed under the terms of the lease. I’ll speak to the boss and get him to speak to the dealers. He’s not one of those types who’ve done a management degree and learned how to put on a tie and so think they know everything about driving a truck. He has a licence and has done plenty of driving so he’ll understand the situation.
Santa:
properly driven it works well and will give good fuel figures.
The point is that having it stuck in auto means you can’t drive it properly. You’re right to say that computer can’t anticipate or see what’s approaching. That’s the drivers job, to see and respond accordingly so you’re in the right gear as you approach whatever situation you’re faced with. I can’t do that if I’m not allowed to change/hold the gears as required, the ability to do that part of my job has been taken away from me. That’s how I end up going from Tebay to Shap on the limiter in 11th gear, changing down 2 gears as I approach the crest of a hill with 27 tonnes on the trailer, changing up into 12th as I start to accelerate at the bottom of a dip and then have it change down to 10th half way up the other side when 11th would have pulled it 5mph faster and used less fuel to do it.
Santa:
You can’t drive it like a manual.
Well, I could if it was set up to allow manual changes.
Truckulent:
My view is - if the boss bought it I drive it. If the auto box is auto…I let it get on with it…if he wants to change it great. If not, no problem.
Not your fault if the technology isn’t up to par. Blame the truck manufacturer!
Fair comment. It’s not me paying for the extra fuel.
Fair comment. It’s not me paying for the extra fuel.
Yes it is fair comment but it goes against the grain for drivers used to doing the job properly (taking a pride) being unable to take over when the machine blatantly isn’t up to the job.
Confess i hate that bloody gearbox whatever chassis its been ill fitted to, removing manual override just puts the icing on the sour cake.
Glad you found the link i mentioned earlier re poor UK drivers , i looked but buggered if i could find it again.
strongbowpeter:
its got the fleet gearbox mode which stops you reving the nuts off it,its ment to reduce mpg when lots of different drivers use it,only the MAN dealer can change it
Is the correct answer, will say fleet around drive\reverse switch. Our newer ones have the ‘profi’ box which has a full manual option.
It does indeed have ‘Fleet’ written next to the gear selector switch. I’m hoping the boss will be able to get the local dealers to change the software to the profi version. That seems to be the only difference, the software controlling the gearbox. Shouldn’t be difficult.
I’ll have to go and look for that link, sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for that.
, i looked but buggered if i could find it again.