iShifts are ok, better piece of kit than the Scania OptiCruise IMHO. At least Volvo give you a “manual” option, the up/down paddle in the Scania is an ok compromise but out of the 2 I’d personally rather have the iShift.
ShropsBri:
Just to be absolutely crystal, for any cyclists who may come across this thread, the above (previous entries) are just truckers’ humour.Don’t worry,no cyclists will see that and if do…well they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
No they are all on a cycling forum working out the best way to adjust a Sturmey Archer gearbox
howatsi:
Make sure you switch on the “hill hold” switch on the dash, this holds on the brakes on after you release the foorbrake and switch to the accelerator, stops it rolling backwards on hills and you don’t have to keep pulling the handbrake on.
Hill Hold was an option on VOLVO. It may be standard fitment now, but wasn’t fitted to every lorry.
volvotrucks.com/DEALERS-VTC/ … gtips.aspx
AndyH71:
iShifts are ok, better piece of kit than the Scania OptiCruise IMHO. At least Volvo give you a “manual” option, the up/down paddle in the Scania is an ok compromise but out of the 2 I’d personally rather have the iShift.
In my previous job i’d had a new auto Volvo for 2 years then got a 6 month old auto 3 pedal Scania for 3 years, i rarely drove the Volvo in manual, simply no need, an excellent box, and if the tag axled Volvo had been as stable on the road as the twin steer Scanny then i’d rather have kept it, wardrobe door mirrors excepted… 
The Scania was, well, an auto Scania, which meant it hadn’t got a clue what to do on junctions roundabouts or hills, so within days of getting it i started to drive it in manual override…the thing previously stalled out on me several times when it decided to change gear in auto on steep hill turns, rubbish what were they thinking.
Manually turned out to be by far the best way to drive it and decent progess could be made, especially traffic/junctions etc and better fuel than the rest of the fleet driven slower in auto.
I often drive the later 2 pedal Scanias and they too lend themselves to manual override, be careful following one of your mates driving in full auto though, easy to hit him up the arse whilst he’s waiting the statutory 15 seconds for the auto change from first/second to third/fourth.
Incidentally for anyone wanting to experiment with driving auto Scanias properly…
, the gears change faster in MH than normal M, the gearchange switch responds perfectly to however many flicks you give it for block changing.
ShropsBri:
Just to be absolutely crystal, for any cyclists who may come across this thread, the above (previous entries) are just truckers’ humour.
Don’t worry,no cyclists will see that and if do…well they shouldn’t have been there in the first place.
[/quote]
“No cyclists were harmed in the making of this forum topic” 
I recently drove one of our auto scanias and I wanted to know if you can teach the lorry not to pull away in 2nd when empty 3rd is better when pulling out onto a roundabout. Also when in auto mode why does it rev the knackers out of its self (well into the blue) in the lower gears?
billybigrig:
and it won’t start unless it’s in the N position
I refuse to say anything … 
claretmatt:
I found out a fascinating fact about iShift when I was reading the book…You’ve probably noticed you can flick between N1 and N2 in neutral. Well N2 allows 30% more revs on each gear, yarr!
Thanks for that, it saves me using my left hand to keep pressing the e/p button to get extra revs.
Now what can I do to keep my left hand busy■■?
joedwyer1:
I recently drove one of our auto scanias and I wanted to know if you can teach the lorry not to pull away in 2nd when empty 3rd is better when pulling out onto a roundabout. Also when in auto mode why does it rev the knackers out of its self (well into the blue) in the lower gears?
Yes you can program the start gear in, on the three pedal model i opted for 3rd, and knocked it down manually if needed when loaded.
Can’t remember the precise sequence, something like engine started don’t touch clutch engage gear in HA manually select new start gear and re-engage neutral, if its worked it will beep at you and tell you which start gear is now selected.
If you’ve got the handbook its all in there, hopefully if not someone who CAN remember will post the right way.
Run maximum weight now and the later 2 pedal motors seem to need 1st when fully loaded.
Incidentally i’ve reprogrammed the three pedal motors many times, but haven’t tried it with the two pedal trucks, so don’t know if that’s still possible.
peirre:
billybigrig:
and it won’t start unless it’s in the N positionI refuse to say anything …
Me neither 
and I’m not apologising to everyone on the Bilbao ferry who couldn’t get off because the clown parked on the doors didn’t realise he’d knocked it in gear either
Juddian:
joedwyer1:
I recently drove one of our auto scanias and I wanted to know if you can teach the lorry not to pull away in 2nd when empty 3rd is better when pulling out onto a roundabout. Also when in auto mode why does it rev the knackers out of its self (well into the blue) in the lower gears?Yes you can program the start gear in, on the three pedal model i opted for 3rd, and knocked it down manually if needed when loaded.
Can’t remember the precise sequence, something like engine started don’t touch clutch engage gear in HA manually select new start gear and re-engage neutral, if its worked it will beep at you and tell you which start gear is now selected.
If you’ve got the handbook its all in there, hopefully if not someone who CAN remember will post the right way.Run maximum weight now and the later 2 pedal motors seem to need 1st when fully loaded.
Incidentally i’ve reprogrammed the three pedal motors many times, but haven’t tried it with the two pedal trucks, so don’t know if that’s still possible.
Can you program the start gear with ishift?
dave75:
Juddian:
joedwyer1:
I recently drove one of our auto scanias and I wanted to know if you can teach the lorry not to pull away in 2nd when empty 3rd is better when pulling out onto a roundabout. Also when in auto mode why does it rev the knackers out of its self (well into the blue) in the lower gears?Can you program the start gear with ishift?
Honestly the Volvo is so well programmed that i can only recall needing to override or lock the auto a handful of times, others may know the better though.
ShropsBri:
Just to be absolutely crystal, for any cyclists who may come across this thread, the above (previous entries) are just truckers’ humour.
Won’t someone think of the cyclists?
You can reprogramme the start gear in 3 pedal opticruise, just ask the garage how to do it or read the manual, i’ve been shown how to do it but keep forgetting, the previous chap who explained it sounds about right. Not sure if it’s the same procedure for 2 pedal opticruise. You want 3rd gear then you can knock it down to 2nd if you’re max weight and/or on a slope.
Sometimes mine will want to pull away in 5th when loaded, just drop it into 2nd manually. Dont forget to set cruise control, retarder stalk back 1 click to E+, set the overspeed using the rocker switch on the end of the retarder stalk, then it will drop into neutral when it goes down hill until you reach the overspeed that you have set it to. 15 kph is the max overspeed apparently 
I have a 07 plate FH480, it seems to hang on to revs a lot longer than it should in my opinion, when empty, revs out of green band most of time, sometimes I’ll drive it manual, just to keep revs in green, when I approached Volvo about it they they just shrugged their shoulders, does anyone else have this with theirs… I’ ve heard that sometimes the software needs reprogramming, maybe that’s the problem…
perkibre:
I have a 07 plate FH480, it seems to hang on to revs a lot longer than it should in my opinion, when empty, revs out of green band most of time, sometimes I’ll drive it manual, just to keep revs in green, when I approached Volvo about it they they just shrugged their shoulders, does anyone else have this with theirs… I’ ve heard that sometimes the software needs reprogramming, maybe that’s the problem…
I had the software in our 2007 Fh updated, it was done as they were trying to sort out a cruise control problem. It made the gear changes far smoother. I was told like all software there are constant improvements, but they do charge for up dates.
You might have to try and talk to somebody who really understands the software systems of the truck. I think they have a regional technical person who’d have a far better idea than the fitters or service desk.
The cruise control problem ended up with the technical guys at Warwick, who would come down to my local dealer plug the truck in the laptop and mess about with it. Except for the down time which would probably be a problem for a haulier, I’ve got to say the service I got from the dealer we bought it from and Paul the Volvo Technical guy was top notch and it was all FOC as it was warranty work.
Autos are just utter ■■■■■■ such a shame there the norm now. I spose its probably best that way though, i mean having to ask how to use one speaks volumes.
Saaamon:
Autos are just utter [zb], such a shame there the norm now. I spose its probably best that way though, i mean having to ask how to use one speaks volumes.
Nobody on here has ever asked how to use a 4 over 4 a slap over or an Eaton twin splitter, I know I’d rather ask than ■■■■ up someone elses truck, believe it or not I’ve actually learnt something from this thread and I’ve never driven an Opticruise or Ishift, but I might.
muckles:
perkibre:
I have a 07 plate FH480, it seems to hang on to revs a lot longer than it should in my opinion, when empty, revs out of green band most of time, sometimes I’ll drive it manual, just to keep revs in green, when I approached Volvo about it they they just shrugged their shoulders, does anyone else have this with theirs… I’ ve heard that sometimes the software needs reprogramming, maybe that’s the problem…I had the software in our 2007 Fh updated, it was done as they were trying to sort out a cruise control problem. It made the gear changes far smoother. I was told like all software there are constant improvements, but they do charge for up dates.
You might have to try and talk to somebody who really understands the software systems of the truck. I think they have a regional technical person who’d have a far better idea than the fitters or
The cruise control problem ended up with the technical guys at Warwick, who would come down to my local dealer plug the truck in the laptop and mess about with it. Except for the down time which would probably be a problem for a haulier, I’ve got to say the service I got from the dealer we bought it from and Paul the Volvo Technical guy was top notch and it was all FOC as it was warranty work.
Thanks for that Muckles, I’ll look into that…