I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.
I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Real stupid question but can you adjust them from the cab
cooper1203:
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Real stupid question but can you adjust them from the cab
No.
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Think i’d be inclined to put a pencil gauge on those drive axle tyres Stu, isn’t checking tyre pressures part of the 6 weekly inspections, i’m slightly baffled why the tyres on axles 1 and 2 are either spot on or within a whisker but the drive axle varies by so much, did the nsr outer have a puncture repaired or a new tyre fitted by an irregular fitter? just that from those readings i’d have guessed set pressure for that axle would be 100/105psi.
md1987:
cooper1203:
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Real stupid question but can you adjust them from the cab
No.
The technology exists to do that, but is mostly found on off-road vehicles.
safe-t-tyre.com.au/?utm_source= … F8QAvD_BwE
An aftermarket version of what manufacturers can fit as standard.
cooper1203:
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Real stupid question but can you adjust them from the cab
Too easy! [emoji23]
There is a take off point from the air tank under the fifth wheel if you have a hose and tyre valve attachment.
stevieboy308:
Read the book on how to work the midlift, on the Volvo I drive I know it’ll fully lift it so long as I’m below 20mph, talking to a mate from my last job and one of the lads new to artics couldn’t get up a big hill by us, in a Volvo, turns out he was pressing the button at the traffic lights at the bottom, but you then get to over 20mph before the hill starts, so it was dropping back down, he didn’t realise so didn’t lift it again once below 20mph.As said, if it’s possible load it heavy at the front. Anything behind the trailer middle axle is trying to lift the trailer at the front, but obviously you need to be within axle limits.
Where is your 5th wheel position? the further forward the it’ll move weight off your drive (and midlift when it’s down) to the steer.
Higher gear low revs works if momentum can get you over a hill, if momentum won’t take you over you need lower gears, higher revs, but with a part throttle position, usually just 1 gear lower than what truck could go up in, you need to be able to play with it, so as soon as it spins you need to ease off, then start gently building the revs up again, if you’re in a high gear low revs, you have nowhere to go with the revs and not enough power to ease off. If you have a turbo boost gauge, bring that up so you can see you’re not putting full boost into it. Making sure you’re in manual so the truck doesn’t decide to change at the wrong point.
If you have difflock don’t wait till you’re stuck to use it, use it so that you don’t get stuck on the hill, you can engage on the move so long as you don’t have wheel spin, so your wheels will be turning at the same speed, it’s not ideal for cornering as it’ll want to push straight and it increases the stress on the difflock, but you have to make a judgement call if theres corners on the hill.
Turn traction control off, as sometimes you know with the bit of spin it’s going to make it over the top, then TC cuts in dropping the power and you come to a stop, again read the book, I know on a Volvo it’s a 2 stage thing to completely turn it off.
If you get stuck drop the air out of the trailer suspension, raise the unit suspension, on a fully, uniformly loaded trailer it’ll transfer around 2t to the drive axle, more weight = more grip and if you’re turning it’ll also take away the scrub from the trailer axles.
This.
stu675:
cooper1203:
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Real stupid question but can you adjust them from the cab
Too easy! [emoji23]
There is a take off point from the air tank under the fifth wheel if you have a hose and tyre valve attachment.
Told ya it was a stupid question but that symbol/icon to the left of your picture confused me ( it dont take a lot with this new fangled tech im 45 you know)
I agree with Stevieboys post, however just to qualify the trailer dumping unit raising advantage, Stevieboy told us about this trick some time ago, wasn’t something i knew of before and once again thanks are due, could easily make the difference between getting home or being stuck out.
Anyway when i had some spare time i tested this out on a handy weighbridge, 6 axle outfit @ 43 tons gross, drive axle typically runs 10 tons give or take a few hunded kgs for normal running, i try to get the drive axle over 10 tons if possible for stability/control on the road.
Dumped trailer air, dumped mid lift air (mid lifts fully off the ground on some vehicles, mine did) and raised tractor unit suspension…result drive axle imposed weight over 15 tons, that makes a big difference if you’re stuck somewhere in a slippery hill…note the rear trailer axle was also up around the 15 ton mark so much of the weight of the two front trailer axles had been shared between the two heavy axles.
So far haven’t needed to use this method in anger because, as noted, between turning off TC/ASR and transferring weight off the mid lift the increased traction doing those simple in cab things have always been enough, where i use these two methods successfully every time i would not use the diff lock unless snow on the ground because it’s an uphill jack knife reverse so more danger of damage with the diff locked.
Also note with the diff locked if the drive axle does spin up the unit will most likely crab sideways, there will be times when its better to let the one wheel slip and dig down to grippier surface with the non spinning wheel preventing the unit sliding sideways,
Absolutely spot on about manual mode, and on that subject learn to drive your vehicle in manual mode now, it’s too late to start learning when you are in a bad situation, knowing the precise point to make a 3 gear bloack change ona rapidly steepening hill can be the difference between going up in one or coming to a shuddering stall out stop and having to reverse back down to start again if you can’t get grip.
One other thing to add, if you have a nasty slope or slippery maneuver to make, if possible make sure you have a full head of air pressure before you start, especially important in tight slippery maneuvers.
Juddian:
Absolutely spot on about manual mode, and on that subject learn to drive your vehicle in manual mode now, it’s too late to start learning when you are in a bad situation,
stevieboy308:
Read the book
Yes X 2
Find out about your vehicle now. They do vary between make and model.
Reading a manual is rarely a waste of time.
cooper1203:
[ but that symbol/icon to the left of your picture confused me ( )
It’s just reinforcing that you’re on pressure display as opposed to temperature or batteries in the sensors. (Bottom middle)
Juddian:
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Think i’d be inclined to put a pencil gauge on those drive axle tyres Stu, isn’t checking tyre pressures part of the 6 weekly inspections, i’m slightly baffled why the tyres on axles 1 and 2 are either spot on or within a whisker but the drive axle varies by so much, did the nsr outer have a puncture repaired or a new tyre fitted by an irregular fitter? just that from those readings i’d have guessed set pressure for that axle would be 100/105psi.
Majority of places tyre pressure checks were overlooked on 6 weeklys I found. I used to get ripped by the old boys for checking them. I think they’re important and can easily cause issues like this.
Can’t speak for other manufacturers but Dafs came from the factory with every tyre at 120-130 psi lol
Personally I set 120 front and lifts and 90 on drive axle.
md1987:
Juddian:
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Think i’d be inclined to put a pencil gauge on those drive axle tyres Stu, isn’t checking tyre pressures part of the 6 weekly inspections, i’m slightly baffled why the tyres on axles 1 and 2 are either spot on or within a whisker but the drive axle varies by so much, did the nsr outer have a puncture repaired or a new tyre fitted by an irregular fitter? just that from those readings i’d have guessed set pressure for that axle would be 100/105psi.
Majority of places tyre pressure checks were overlooked on 6 weeklys I found. I used to get ripped by the old boys for checking them. I think they’re important and can easily cause issues like this.
Can’t speak for other manufacturers but Dafs came from the factory with every tyre at 120-130 psi lol
Personally I set 120 front and lifts and 90 on drive axle.
Right on all counts, my unit was skittish when i first got it new, sure enough some 120 in the drive, dropping them to sensible levels not only made it safer to drive it also took the edge off the ride harshness.
Agree with your pressures, pretty well what i run but still happy enough if i find the drive at 100psi which the service lads seem to have settled on (ours get checked at every inspection), if we carried lighter loads i’d take the trouble to drop them to 90 same as you.
As for getting ripped by the old boys, are you sure they were genuine old school real lorry drivers because those i know who one might term professionals of the old ways would be impressed that someone actually owned a pressure gauge and knew how to use it and why 
Juddian:
md1987:
Juddian:
stu675:
I believe it’s just like modern cars with pressure sensors inside the wheels, I believe they are separate from the valves. There’s also a setting on the dash to tell you the temperature of each tyre.I’ve never adjusted any of the pressures as I’ve never known what the ideal pressure is, but maybe I’ll try now that you’ve given a recommendation.
Think i’d be inclined to put a pencil gauge on those drive axle tyres Stu, isn’t checking tyre pressures part of the 6 weekly inspections, i’m slightly baffled why the tyres on axles 1 and 2 are either spot on or within a whisker but the drive axle varies by so much, did the nsr outer have a puncture repaired or a new tyre fitted by an irregular fitter? just that from those readings i’d have guessed set pressure for that axle would be 100/105psi.
Majority of places tyre pressure checks were overlooked on 6 weeklys I found. I used to get ripped by the old boys for checking them. I think they’re important and can easily cause issues like this.
Can’t speak for other manufacturers but Dafs came from the factory with every tyre at 120-130 psi lol
Personally I set 120 front and lifts and 90 on drive axle.Right on all counts, my unit was skittish when i first got it new, sure enough some 120 in the drive, dropping them to sensible levels not only made it safer to drive it also took the edge off the ride harshness.
Agree with your pressures, pretty well what i run but still happy enough if i find the drive at 100psi which the service lads seem to have settled on (ours get checked at every inspection), if we carried lighter loads i’d take the trouble to drop them to 90 same as you.
As for getting ripped by the old boys, are you sure they were genuine old school real lorry drivers because those i know who one might term professionals of the old ways would be impressed that someone actually owned a pressure gauge and knew how to use it and why
Was the old boy fitters I was referring to lol, usually stood drinking tea chuckling! Can see why they were overlooked sometimes if the garage was busy, couod be a very time consuming job correcting all pressures on a tractor & trailer. I used to list it as a defect so additional time was allocated on the job, nowt they could say. Super singles took am age to get to 120/130 quicker to jack them up and inflate.
Slightly off topic but I bought one of those cheap little digital gauges recently to keep in the car. Handy to keep an eye on pressures if your car has rubber band tyres like mine. Accurate enough to know when you have an issue.
How boring am I 
Despite all the good intentions from the replies here there is nothing you can do. Mercs are famous for being ■■■■■ at setting off in wet or slippery conditions and that silly anti skid system just makes it worse.
I always used to hit the ASR button and dump the mid lift just before setting off, wheels span a treat but at least the system didn’t throw the brakes on to the offending wheel.
Goldentanks:
Despite all the good intentions from the replies here there is nothing you can do. Mercs are famous for being [zb] at setting off in wet or slippery conditions and that silly anti skid system just makes it worse.
I always used to hit the ASR button and dump the mid lift just before setting off, wheels span a treat but at least the system didn’t throw the brakes on to the offending wheel.
Correct. Switch off all you want in a Merc but it’s never really off.