jeffrey ellener:
the Scanias are a lot more controllable when reversing onto docks ect than the press and go boxes.
Rubbish. I find a straight auto box works much better at controlled low speed motions.
Totally agree, the auto with clutch is a real pain when pulling away on a hill with a heavy load. A case in point was a few months back in Bristol at Cabots Circus, where coming up the incline the light remained red and she just would not pull away thereafter, due to the weight. Know many drivers who complain about this and the roll/back effect…
Can’t get my head round this ‘incline/wouldn’t pull away due to the weight’ stuff! It’s no different to having a manual gearbox…low gear/find the bite of the clutch/handbrake off/power on/buggar off!! But a good driver would have made allowances for the red light and slowed before hand in anticipation of the light changing to green…a good driver doesn’t stop!!
We have them at our place, they are horrible to drive as the peddle doesn’t feel like its connected to anything. It seems to be electronic because I can hardly feel any bite with it.
m_attt:
be good if it only worked for slow speed manouvre’s then worked as full auto after.
It Does - you only need the clutch for pulling away & stopping at the lights,
Once moving it’s full auto unless you want to change manually,
I have been with a few drivers who have forgotten the clutch when they have tried to stop - now that is funny !!
Thats what i meant, just use it for around the yard or backing onto bays, once out on the road you can set it so dont have to keep using it, like in traffic and at lights.
Our P series 18 tonners have the automatic with the clutch pedal and I find them fine to drive. The clutch makes it easy to manoeuvre at low speed and pulling away on hills (in forward or reverse) is just the same as with a manual gearbox.
I’ve not driven many other auto trucks, but we had a ten year old Atego which shuddered when trying to manoeuvre slowly and changed up too late so the engine would be screaming at high revs when accelerating.
At my place we have 6x2 Scania R440’s with 3 pedal auto and the newer R450’s which are 2 pedal auto. The ones with the clutch pedal are much easier when reversing, the 2 pedal autos seem to jerk loads at low speed when engaging/disengaging the clutch (only in reverse for some reason).
We also have 4x2 Scania G400’s with a manual 4 over 4 and one G410 with 2 pedal auto. This seems to suffer the same judder in reverse as the R450’s but I think is the pick of the bunch. The 12 speed auto is much better suited to the truck than the 4 over 4 and being. 4x2 has better traction. I drove this recently in the bad snow to Macclesfield. I really thought I was going to get stuck but it didn’t falter. Had to use diff lock and switch traction off and switch to manual to get up a hill on the way back but other than than…
jeffrey ellener:
the Scanias are a lot more controllable when reversing onto docks ect than the press and go boxes.
Rubbish. I find a straight auto box works much better at controlled low speed motions.
Totally agree, the auto with clutch is a real pain when pulling away on a hill with a heavy load. A case in point was a few months back in Bristol at Cabots Circus, where coming up the incline the light remained red and she just would not pull away thereafter, due to the weight. Know many drivers who complain about this and the roll/back effect…
Yup. The traffic lights at the top of the A54 where it meets the A34 in Congleton used to be demon of mine when I was at Wisemans driving their Scania rigids. Stalled several times. Used to have to put it in 1st gear in manual P mode, pull off and hope for the best that it reacts quick enough when you change up to 2nd. If it didn’t you just came to a dead stop in the middle of the junction.
F-reds:
It’s not electronic Radar. Take your clog off and put your flip flop on, and you will feel it
I’ve driven a lot of things with my clogs and in all but that Scania could I feel the bite point. I really do question Scania’s logic with this autotragic box. Why even bother with it? If you want a clutch, bring along a full manual gearbox.
Surely the Scania box is only a pain if you don’t have the correct setting on the stalk?
This ‘pulling away on a hill’ (etc) is pish: choose full auto - and the pedal becomes redundant!
We have several in the yard and we always maintain that the only reason peeps complain is because they don’t know how to use the blessed things properly!!
On the subject of which: A driver with (he claims!) ■■ years experiance is sitting in the cab of a Merc (with a pre-selector gbox) and revving the nuts off the engine;
Q. “Why won’t it move?”
A. “Er, have you tried pressing the clutch?”
Win-Stone:
Surely the Scania box is only a pain if you don’t have the correct setting on the stalk?
This ‘pulling away on a hill’ (etc) is pish: choose full auto - and the pedal becomes redundant!
I think it depends what version it is as to what modes are available.
Ours are just D or H on the stalk with the button to switch between auto and manual, there is no option which removes the need to use the clutch pedal.
Win-Stone:
On the subject of which: A driver with (he claims!) ■■ years experiance is sitting in the cab of a Merc (with a pre-selector gbox) and revving the nuts off the engine;
Q. “Why won’t it move?”
A. “Er, have you tried pressing the clutch?”
This isn’t a one off either. Had this happen at our place several times.
Win-Stone:
On the subject of which: A driver with (he claims!) ■■ years experiance is sitting in the cab of a Merc (with a pre-selector gbox) and revving the nuts off the engine;
Q. “Why won’t it move?”
A. “Er, have you tried pressing the clutch?”
