Own Account Driver:
I’m afraid I agree with Maoster, and would view the drivers not using them as the idiots.
bet you wouldn’t use it once the snow and ice is about! 
Fatboy slimslow:
Own Account Driver:
I’m afraid I agree with Maoster, and would view the drivers not using them as the idiots.bet you wouldn’t use it once the snow and ice is about!
I use the retarder year around, brakes with 1100hp + exhaust brake 200hp. Just like everything in the winter you just need to use the head. Without it we would need new breaks every third month were I drive. Now instead they last 600 000 to a million kilometers
I use brakes only for emergency stops
truckyboy:
and in my opinion a retarder or jake brake is a much safer option, but quite expensive as an extra.
A Jake Brake is a compression release brake. Pretty much what the Volvo VEB+ is. I think some drivers get confused when it comes to engine brakes and mistakenly call them exhaust brakes or retarders.
Most trucks come with engine brakes as standard although retarders such as the Voith Oil or Water Retarders can be, as you said, an expensive option. But, will probably work out cheaper than replacing your brakes all the time, especially on heavy haulage.
We just run standard engine brakes on our Actros’s and I use it as much as I can. In fact, if you don’t use it and your Telematics score goes in the red you’re in the office and I’m afraid having 30 years experience won’t wash with companies these days.
Maoster, i make no excuses for my statement, which is a my personal view, and yet you chose to say the very thing that i said in my post :
Quote: 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.
01andr1d:
HiI’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
Is that not part of the CPC Training?
Truckyboy, without wanting to stir it, I drove the old Atki’s, Fodens, Leylands etc way back when and none of them had exhaust brakes, engine brakes or retarders, but they did have 3 airlines. Times move on though and I’d sooner keep the friction brakes cool by using one of the above. Anyone that owned his own rig would be mad not to use them when it’s him that’s paying for linings and drums/ rotors and pads.
points noted…just booked myself in for the 2nd part of the CDPC 
muckles:
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 applicationAnother 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.
Well done muckles, the most coherent response to this post, I’ve been driving the FH for 10yrs now and even I forgot what all the functions were, granted the fh4 has better functionality with the retarder, its untouchable, I’ve recently started driving the actros and the blurp is it uses a compression brake ie a Jake brake which is the most powerful engine brake method, but frankly its ■■■■■ on the merc. To be fair I didn’t realise Volvo used both compression and exhaust, which now explains why your pushing back.on the steering wheel when engaged lol.
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
Jason, am I reading this right ■■ You’ve just resurrected a post from :::
2014 
Are you for real 
pierrot 14:
Jason, am I reading this right ■■ You’ve just resurrected a post from :::2014
Are you for real
Personally I think he was totally justified in resurrecting this post.
Just for the following comment.
jason25130558:
Well done muckles,
jason25130558:
I’ve recently started driving the actros and the blurp is it uses a compression brake ie a Jake brake which is the most powerful engine brake method, but frankly its [zb] on the merc.
I’ve been driving a Merc, but it has a Voith Retarder, which is pretty effective, hardly ever use the higher settings.
pierrot 14:
Jason, am I reading this right ■■ You’ve just resurrected a post from :::2014
Are you for real
It’s for real [emoji23]. As they say “it’s good to talk”
Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk
muckles:
pierrot 14:
Jason, am I reading this right ■■ You’ve just resurrected a post from :::2014
Are you for real
Personally I think he was totally justified in resurrecting this post.
Just for the following comment.jason25130558:
Well done muckles,jason25130558:
I’ve recently started driving the actros and the blurp is it uses a compression brake ie a Jake brake which is the most powerful engine brake method, but frankly its [zb] on the merc.I’ve been driving a Merc, but it has a Voith Retarder, which is pretty effective, hardly ever use the higher settings.
Muckles, stop creaming it !!
Can’t belive how many don’t know an engine brake from an exhaust brake
Punchy Dan:
Can’t belive how many don’t know an engine brake from an exhaust brake
It’s easy on a DAF. You’ve either got the “engine brake” or the “exhaust not-a-brake”.
Or a retarder…from a retarded… 
Punchy Dan:
Can’t belive how many don’t know an engine brake from an exhaust brake
Or an exhaust brake from an exhauster.
Or that the longest serving and therefore it seems, most knowledgeable poster on here thinks that a dead man only worked on trailer brakes, and who also seems to think that the excellent engine brakes and retarders available on modern trucks are no more than frippery. Aye, back in the day lad zzzzzzzzz
pierrot 14:
muckles:
pierrot 14:
Jason, am I reading this right ■■ You’ve just resurrected a post from :::2014
Are you for real
Personally I think he was totally justified in resurrecting this post.
Just for the following comment. [emoji38]jason25130558:
Well done muckles,jason25130558:
I’ve recently started driving the actros and the blurp is it uses a compression brake ie a Jake brake which is the most powerful engine brake method, but frankly its [zb] on the merc.I’ve been driving a Merc, but it has a Voith Retarder, which is pretty effective, hardly ever use the higher settings.
Muckles, stop creaming it !! [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38]
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