Hi All,
I just brought a 2014 TGS 18.440 with 940,000kms on the clock, will only do 5,000km max a year so wasn’t fussed how many it had.
But it’s going to the mechanic during the week who mainly just does Volvo and Scania, is there anything that fails commonly on these to get him to check?
Got full service history and drives perfectly but don’t want it to let me down for something that could be prevented.
Cheers,
Nick
I’m not an operator but drove one of several 440’s (EGR) for its 5 year lease period, and as no one else has answered i’ll offer what little i know.
Cooling issues are the biggie, so keep the coolant in good condition and make sure the radiators are all cleaned thoroughly outside as well as inside, but cover the belt pulleys and idlers as best you can, i’ve known high pressure radiator cleaning to drive the lube out of pulleys leading to quick resulting failure, but not sure which ones are prone.
Mine needed a new high pressure intercooler around 400k.
One of the petrol companies who had their tractors serviced at the same main dealer reduced the oil change mileage, so take from that what you will…personally i think some of the modern ideas of vehicle oil servicing on cars as well as lorries are bloody stupid, last time i looked you could buy a lot of well bought engine oil for the cost and downtime of an engine worn out long before it needs to be.
On your mileage oil consumption shouldn’t be an issue, my lorry used day and night on heavy work used 3 litres a month all its life, if oil consumption rapidly increases something very serious is wrong, do not leave this they can spilt blocks destroy pistons and throw con rods out the side when they fail.
Apparently a used engine for one of these can still fetch £12k, and in short supply.
The only electrical issue mine suffered was a broken low tension wire on the starter motor…its a sod to get to sitting directly behind the chassis so get that checked when easy its would be a sod on the side of a busy road, no harm in getting a second wire attached in case the one fitted corrodes through.
Exhaust brake can go off the boil after a while so needs the odd clean up and re-adjust to keep it hunky dory.
No problems with either turbo but always allowed to warm up and cool down whilst in my charge.
If you find really bad clutch judder on maneuvering it can point to thrust bearing, when they fail it will be without warning and you will be immobile, though they usually go around the 500k mark on heavy work so chances are its already had another clutch.
My steering got quite bad for wandering, they’re hardly super direct at the best of times, a new drag link was fitted which improved matters greatly, so keep an eye on the steering joints, also king pins can run dry so keep them well greased.
The main troubles the sister lorries suffered were electrical mainly ECUs, it is possible to refit the main engine ECU back to front with the heat sink facing the wrong way, this was done by a mechanic who came out to a non runner, that caused untold expense for the maker/dealers to sort out.
They get bad rep here, but if looked after i’ve found them a decent enough lorry.
Brakes were trouble free as was the suspension and drive train apart for the aforesaid thrust bearing issue.
Awesome thanks for all that, great info in there.
I dont think they have a bad reputation in Australia they are just not well known and very few of them around.
We are a dealer selling used trucks and have sold a few and never had an issue with them, this one is to pull my trailer to deliver trucks.
it has a big delay between pressing the pedal and taking off but i read somewhere that was normal?
Ive done the shackle pins and bushes and everything else seems good. It had a new computer at 800,000km
The truck was doing a 2,600km highway trip each way, so it may have not had a clutch done yet.
The exhaust brake is a bit interesting it doesnt come on automatically until you press the brake pedal heavily, unless you pull the left hand stalk. I feel like it should come on as soon as you touch the brake.
Cheers,
Nick
bowers340:
I dont think they have a bad reputation in Australia they are just not well known and very few of them around.it has a big delay between pressing the pedal and taking off but i read somewhere that was normal?
The exhaust brake is a bit interesting it doesnt come on automatically until you press the brake pedal heavily, unless you pull the left hand stalk. I feel like it should come on as soon as you touch the brake.
Cheers,
Nick
Well Nick.
I understand the UK versions had the really troublesome EGR engine, so its entirely possible the engine used in Oz is different again, i wonder if the 440 you have is a downrated version of the 480, an engine apparently trouble free, good news about the new computer, that set someone back a pretty penny 
Assuming its Arsetronic auto then the delay you describe is entirely normal, you get used to it but i drove mine entirely in manual and it makes the vehicle much better to drive all round, which also helps with the exhaust brake as under manual control you decide the revs its going to run at.
Must have different controls in our versions (though mine was a 2012 model) because the exhaust brake was operated by pressing in the switch on the end of the steering column mounted lever on the RH side, the lever you would use for manual gearchanging.
There is a switch on the main two row bank to switch auto exhaust braking (with normal braking) on/off.
Good luck with it, i have a soft spot for MAN’s, and have driven them right back to column change F8’s, always been reliable for me, just need a bit of looking after cos the modern ones aint as tough or driver proof as the old stuff, but then nothing is 
Burst intercoolers.Make a lovely job of twisting con rods and cracking liners.
There is two on these “gems” one under the engine and one on the o/side of the block at the rear.
Just for good measure two radiators as well.
The “intercoolers” are water to air and are a disaster just waiting to happen.
The two radiators run at different temperatures and love to collect muck between them so the rear core over heats.Usually remove them every 250 thousand clicks and give them a wash but NOT with a steam cleaner.The fins are like paper,they bend and block any air flow.
Good luck !
(parts prices will make you weep)