Hi
I’ve just started driving a 61 plate Volvo FH 500 and i don’t know how to use the exhaust brake. I know there is a stalk on the right hand side with A 1 2 3 on it and a switch on the side with A at the top and B on the bottom. Are these the controls for the exhaust brake and if so how do I use them?
Cheers
Move that lever and it tells you on dash what stage you have it on mind you that’s on an 2008 model
Chewyboy:
Move that lever and it tells you on dash what stage you have it on mind you that’s on an 2008 model
Higher the number harsher the breaking,when you take your foot off the gas it will kick in ,dont use it on 3 when your bobtail,infact dont use it at all when bobtail 
Does it not have a switch like the reno for the auto exhaust brake?
An exhaust brake was meant to hold the vehicle back when going down steep hills, the idea was to put it into a very low gear ( 2nd ) and dont use the foot brake, the vehicle will hold you albeit very slowly, and if your a speed merchant you will get very impatient, but will arrive at the bottom without your drums/discs smoking or brake fade.
In all honesty, theres no need for them in normal circumstances, other than drivers who love to hear the sound it makes when coming to a stop, but theyre just the idiots who dont understand how they work or what theyre for, and in my opinion a retarder or jake brake is a much safer option, but quite expensive as an extra.
I use it to slow down where I can, I don’t get a lecture for ‘using my brakes too much’ that way.
Besides I was taught to use it in the assessment for the company so I just go with it.
If you pull it into 3, pull it down some more (not too hard) and it should change to B and it’ll drop to the lowest gear it can.
Best retarder bar none put it on 3 when your loaded if your max weight it won’t hold you on the hills you need to use your left foot for a change 
If in auto you can knock it down a gear too manually if the arrows pop up on the display and that too will also slow you down.
When empty put it on 1.
Like others have said it stops you hitting the brakes all the time when you take your foot off the gas as it automatically kicks in.
If you put it on one click and use the rocker switch on the top
of the stalk you can adjust the speed at which it kicks in…
so say you set your CC at 85 kph and the overun at +3 kph
it will kick in and slow you down.
Because +3 is it’s lowest setting if Im at the top of a hill doing 85 kph
I knock the CC back 3 clicks and it kicks in at 85 then.
When you get back on the flat just increase your CC 3 clicks and your
back to 85 kph.
Note. If you want the eco roll to work setting it on +3 stops it
from working,not sure what speed it needs to be at for the eco roll
to work as I don’t like or use it.
Hope this makes sense.
I use it when ever possible as it saves you using the brakes and surely this must be a more economical way of driving. The amount of times I bring the truck speed down on the exhaust brake when approaching a roundabout on a dual carriage and have numerous amounts of artics overtaking me then breaking at the last minute baffles me, how can that style of driving be better. Depending on weight and decline of the road depends at which stage I set it. When on cruise control I set it on E+ then set it at which speed I want it to come in on I.E the unit I drive is set at 83k so if driving on a motorway fully loaded I set it at around 8k higher if empty I set it at around 11k higher. if on a single carriage way I set it at about 3k higher. I personally think its a great addition to the truck. Best thing to do is play with it you will soon make up your own mind how you want to use it
truckyboy:
In all honesty, theres no need for them in normal circumstances, other than drivers who love to hear the sound it makes when coming to a stop, but theyre just the idiots who dont understand how they work or what theyre for, and in my opinion a retarder or jake brake is a much safer option, but quite expensive as an extra.
Ya see, ^^^^ this is the sort of arrogance from “old hands” that makes the younger generation shy away from taking advice from seasoned drivers! I have no problem with your retarder or jake brake statement, but how the bloody hell can you say that there’s no need for them in normal circumstances? Any system that reduces the need for the use of service brakes on long downhill sections is there for a reason and should be used when appropriate.
Well said maoster. It’s there for a reason I have my auto brake on all the time reduces wear on the service brake. Don’t use the stick much like tho I have started to
By the Sounds of it, you’ve got the VEB+ system, which operates through both the exhaust and valve train, according to the Volvo Blurb on it.
The world’s most powerful engine brake, VEB+, relies on interaction
between the Exhaust Pressure Governor and Volvo’s patented
compression brake, which is built into the valve system.
veb+
What makes an engine equipped with VEB+ so unique is that it has four rocker arms per
cylinder. The special camshaft, which features an extra cam, also promotes advanced control
of valve timing. The fourth rocker arm is utilised during the braking phase, making it possible to
increase the pressure on the exhaust valves. Increased pressure means higher braking effect.
The result is the world’s most powerful engine brake — VEB+ — which on the D16E produces a
massive 578 hp of braking effect!
Basic operation.
Automatic mode (A) where VEB+ helps the driver maintain
speed. VEB+ is also activated when you want to lock the
current road speed — Brake Cruise. When the brake pedal is
pressed, the auxiliary brake starts operating together with
the wheel brakes — Brake Blending.
Settings 1-3 give fixed braking outputs. VEB+ is activated
when the accelerator pedal is released.
On trucks with a
manual gearbox, there is only setting 1, which provides full
braking effect.
A braking program (B) is available for I-Shift/Powertronic,
giving faster down-changes during brake application
Another thing can be done with it is you can manually change gears when using it, without changing the Ishift selector to manual. this mean if you’re rolling down a hill and want a bit more braking, you can drop a gear, or alternately go up a gear if it’s to much. The system will only let you change into a gear the engine will take and this can be seen by the arrows on the dashboard display.
Maoster, i think you need to use a dictionary to define the word Arrogance…what is arrogant about telling others my view on using an exhauster. I wonder how us old hands managed years ago, we didnt have them in a Atkinson, or Seddon, or Transcon, i believe we only got them when the swedes came over, what we did have was a dead mans handle, which was often used when or if we got into a skid as they worked only on the trailer brakes, so if we were jacknifing, we would pull on the brake and accelerate, which controlled the situation, that was in the days of the 3 airlines, blue, red. yellow. I have driven a lot of modern vehicles and still never use the exhaust brake unless necessary, and not as an every minute occurence. The way you talk it seems that we are just old hands with no experience of the modern trucking world, we still have a lot to give and no one needs to take anyones advice, when you look at other posts, there are new hands, modern hands, and a lot of them give false information, so is that the way forward then, throughout my life i have looked towards my peers and learned a great deal, and i am still learning.
I’m afraid I agree with Maoster, and would view the drivers not using them as the idiots.
Also, leave it switched off until the engine warms up. It can make a very loud bang if you use it when the engine is cold but this was on an older model, not sure if it’s the same on newer ones.
Another tip is not to accidentally move the stalk too far down if your truck has iShift, if you do you’ll drop a few gears and rev the bollards off.
Eco-roll is used at the first click of the stalk or (A). When you take your foot off the accelerator the revs will drop to idle speed and the gearbox will go into neutral. It’s supposed to save fuel but some would argue it makes no difference. I like it on hilly terrain as the momentum takes you up the next hill then you can click down on the stalk to slow down for corners. It’s a bit scary at first when everything goes quiet and the ‘N’ appears on the dash. I feel that if I leave it in position 3 on hilly/windy roads it’s so effective at slowing you down that you end up using the gas more often to maintain a steady speed.
(A) position in conjunction with Cruise Control will attempt to maintain your set speed when going downhill but I find the truck wants to race away too much on steeper hills so I click 1, 2 or 3 on the stalk myself. This is where you have to be careful not to take it past 3.
Truckyboy I don’t need to look up the word arrogance, I reckon that you calling people who use an exhaust brake idiots sums up the word perfectly.
the maoster:
Truckyboy I don’t need to look up the word arrogance, I reckon that you calling people who use an exhaust brake idiots sums up the word perfectly.
I would call you arrogant on publicly denouncing people’s ability on spelling on a truck drivers forum!
chester:
the maoster:
Truckyboy I don’t need to look up the word arrogance, I reckon that you calling people who use an exhaust brake idiots sums up the word perfectly.I would call you arrogant on publicly denouncing people’s ability on spelling on a truck drivers forum!
Ah “talks with ■■■■■■■■” squeeks up from the back once again. I admire your persistence little man; you continually post some quite frankly childlike jibe, I come along, make everyone laugh at you, yet you once again stick your head over the parapet.
So I’ll reiterate once more for you talks with ■■■■■■■■ as you obviously are a tad hard of thinking; you, yes you, are the only person I pull for grammar and that’s merely because I don’t like you. Happy?
the maoster:
you continually post some quite frankly childlike jibe
As opposed to your personal attacks which are not allowed on this forum, when you have clearly lost the argument you go for the grammar!
(at you and not with you obviously)