Hi everyone,another day and I have sorted another interview for next thursday.It’s with a company who use the Mercedes Actros as their fleet unit.I have never driven one,but I being an inexperienced trucker,I didn’t want to put him off,so I blagged it that I have driven one.The oldest units they have are on an 02 plate.Please can any of you good people give me some advice on how to use the semi-auto gearbox.Do you block change,and what gear do you pull away in? Wheres reverse and neutral on them etc.I have to have an assessment drive first and foremost.
I know I shouldn’t pretend to know things,when I don’t but I don’t want to mess up my chances of a job.The pay is good,the motors are good.There is a good bit of variety,and I like the days I will have to work.I appreciate all your advice.Many Thanks,
The last Actros semi auto I drove had a t bar gear lever and a clutch pedal all the lever does is go forward to change up and back to change down and there are three switches on it the one on the front is to change up or down half a gear the one on the right if I remember correctly is to manually move up or down one gear instead of the gearbox thinking for itself ie., you hold the switch in and shift the lever forwards or backwards the one on the left gives you neutral
This box is semi intelligent ie
to set off unladen on the level push gear lever forwards twice and in the display you will see 2+ depress the clutch fully and you will hear a loud click this means you are in gear if you hear a load of clicks its because you didn’t press clutch in enough just bottom it every time let clutch out and off you go whilst you are moving push lever forwards again and display will change to 3+ or maybe 4- or even 4+ this is because the system is monitoring road speed and engine load and will block change for you as soon as and only when you dip the clutch if it isn’t selecting what you think or know you want as it cant see up the road you can override and drop half a gear with the paddle switch on the front of t bar dip the clutch and keep rolling changing down is the same pull lever back and slow down with brakes you will see the display changing as your road speed decreases when you depress the clutch it will give you the gear it was displaying at the time
To get reverse you must be stopped and in neutral N in display hold right switch in and pull back lever R in display
If you are at a road junction stopped and in gear it will drop back to neutral after a minute I think or maybe two just keep an eye on it before you try and set off in neutral
Exhaust brake right hand side if column two positions it will stay on if you forget and then the gearbox will only go up or down in half steps just knock it off and everythings ok again
Its been a while since I drove one but once you get used to it its great I like it much better than volvos or ivecos autos
Understand that? I only just did and I have driven one before!
It sounds harder than it is.
As Tony says, push the lever forward to go up a gear, or pull it back to come down a gear.
Pre-select your gear then press the clutch to the floor to make the change. ie. when you are rolling along in 4+ (as indicated on the electronic dash) press the gear shifter forward (dashboard will change to appropriate gear), then press the clutch and the gear will be engaged.
When you stop, press both the buttons on either side of the gear shift to engage neutral. Press the left hand button and pull back to get reverse.
The paddle on the front of the shifter is for changing up or down a half gear ie. on a steep hill when changing up a whole gear is gonna lose momentum, pull the paddle up once and press the clutch to change up a half gear. If you have changed a whole gear and you find you’ve got no power, push the paddle down once, then press the clutch to change down a gear to give you more power.
Hint: when accelarating quickly, pull the paddle up three times (thus changing a gear and a half) then press the clutch. This will mean less gear changes when you’re going from slow to faster speeds (don’t dop it on a hill or when heavily laden though cos you’ll lose accelaration).
Lostpup:
Hint: when accelarating quickly, pull the paddle up three times (thus changing a gear and a half) then press the clutch. This will mean less gear changes when you’re going from slow to faster speeds
Yeah, a regular “formula” used on my 480 megaspace when I was in a boy-racer mood It’s great watching the cars trying to keep up with you He-heeeee
As taught by my previous employers (Geopost) from the Merc training programme. (plus little modification from me after 9 months on them)
If you’re doing the assessment for a job at Geopost (Interlink/Parceline) then this is the way THEY teach you to drive them.
The gearstick…
Left button is for Neutral.
Right button does two things:
a) When in Neutral, holding in the right button and pulling the lever back selects reverse.
b) When in a gear, holding in the right button and moving gearstick forwards/backwards changes a full gear up/down.
Paddle does half-gears.
GOING UP GEARS.
From neutral push the lever forward which will select 2nd High.
Set off in 2nd. Don’t use the accelerator until the clutch is fully released.
Flick paddle up 4 times to put you in 4th high.
Flick 3 times to put you then into 6th low.
Hold right button in and move gearstick forward to do a full gearchange to 7th low.
Once you get above 30, change to 7th high, then 8th low at 40MPH and 8th High at 50MPH.
Going down gears, I hold the right button in and pull lever backwards, doing one gearchange at a time.
APPROACHING ROUNDABOUTS AND JUNCTIONS.
Slow down using brakes/retarder. When the rev counter gets to the bottom of the green, pull the gearlever backwards. It’ll find its own gear. Don’t worry if it appears to be revving high - its supposed to to aid the retarder.
USING RETARDER TO CONTROL SPEED ON HILLS.
Try and keep the engine revs around 2000-2300RPM. It’ll give you quite a bit of braking assistance. It sounds like it is screaming its nuts off but according to Merc, this is how it is supposed to be used.
POINTS TO NOTE.
A little about the power range of the engine. The most torque/power is from 1000RPM-1800RPM. Anything either side of this is just turning diesel to smoke. Revving its nuts off acheives nothing; these engines are luggers. When going up hills, don’t bother to change down unless the engine isn’t capable of holding 1100RPM.
6th gear is good from 10 to 30 MPH so is the ideal one for junctions/roundabouts etc.
When you start the engine and the air pressure is low, sometimes you’ll not get “N” lit up on the gear indicator. It’ll eventually show a GS22 fault. Simply let it run a few seconds then turn it fully off. Let the driver info display flick off then you can turn it on again and all will be well.
OK so you now have the info you need. What is wrong with telling these people that you have not driven one before? Then tell them how much you admire their choice of vehicle and how your ambition is to drive one and how good your driving record is(which is what should really matter)
I am an Actros fan, and wish you all the best. Probably find they switch to Axors to save money, and that has a manual box.
Best of luck with the assessment
Hi ,and thanks again for the sound advice on how to use a Merc Actros.I have just read the replies and think I have got it straight on how to use the box.Much obliged chaps,Thanks again.I will let you know how I get on.
and it must be the right button and back for reverse on the iveco auto
