I’ve just had a day driving a rather nice Merc 17 tonner as an agency driver. It had one of these new fangled tachos which look like a CD Rom! The thing is, that I was told to just put the chart in and close it and it would be fine. However, every time I turned the engine off and restarted it lot up driver 2. There were a load of buttons on the dash which I didn’t touch, but should I have done?
Any one understand these things?? Everyone I have asked has just said to leave it alone! 
Fill your tacho in as normal you need the ignition on to get the milage then press the center button and the lights under driver 1 and 2 should light up in sequence until all three under each driver light up simultaniously, press the center button again and you can open it. Put your tacho in and close it then if you press the button over each driver you will light up rest, other work, ect, stop pressing it when you have lit up the one you want and put driver 2 on rest. Leave the ignition on while you do this. I hope this helps. 
Oh and welcome to Trucknet 
Thankyou M’am! That’s a great help. Trouble is that when you are trying to get out on the road things as obvious as that don’t spring to mind!
Thanks again for your help
Quite often the light for driver 2 will come on because there is a clear plastic disc in driver 2 slot to protect the head of the tachograph machine and it thinks there is a disc in, as long as it is set for driver 2 on break it is fine.
I take it you figured out how to change the modes between break and on-duty etc,
The buttons on the dash in ther mercs are for using the engine diagnostics computer. You can use it to check your oil and levels - there is no dipstick. But they are not too easy to use. Pain in the ■■■■ if you ask me. Whats wrong with checking levels and lights etc the traditional way. 
I know just what you mean and I had to play trial and error when I first come across them.
ma’m, I like that! WE’VE GOT ONE WITH MANNERS GIRLS!
Also when you first put the tacho in it automatically defaults to break not other work. I got caught out a few times when I first had one in my Atego.
Dave
I know just what you mean and I had to play trial and error when I first come across them.
ma’m, I like that! WE’VE GOT ONE WITH MANNERS GIRLS!Just bein’ polite
I think I drove all through my break and slept while I was driving, assuming, that is, that I was driver 2. Driver 1 never turned up
The other type you may come across has blue rubber buttons and all the info is on the LCD display. The buttons are:
…{LCD–>} [Date:…Time]…(+)…(-)
…[driver 1 mode: mileage: driver 2 mode]
eject(^)…driver (1)…driver (2)…mode(M)
To use:
- press eject button to open tray - display goes blank and then shows a progression of blocks (4 I think) before the tray opens.
- pull out tray fully until it tilts downward, insert chart making sure that the top left of the chart (as you look at it) goes under the clear plastic tag - you’ll know what I mean when you see one.
- lift tray to the level position and push home until it clicks (locks)
- the display will then show the details above. use the left hand driver button (1) to set the mode which cycles through rest, duty, hammers. you will see the mode icon (e.g. bed) a number 1 and a circle telling you a chart is in. if necessary use the right hand driver button (2) to set driver 2 to rest.
- at the end of the day press the eject button and wait for the tray to open, open tray fully and remove chart, close tray.
If the clock is wrong (on the tacho and the dash display) it can only be adjusted with no chart fitted. To adjust the clock:
- make sure no chart is fitted and the tray is closed
- press the mode button (M) until the hours or minutes flash (as required)
- adjust using the (+) and (-) buttons
- press the mode switch again until it stops flashing
Anything else, check the book.
Most common problems with both types are (a) not putting chart under tag at top left so it curls up and jams and (b) not waiting until it goes through its internal procedure when ejecting and pressing the buttons again - it does take a while so be patient, you’ll only confuse it otherwise.
I’ve seen both types fitted to Renaults and Mercs but only this type in Ivecos and Dafs - but then again I don’t go around checking the tacho type in every wagon I see (I’m not quite that sad…yet )
hope this helps
Jules
I thought driving the things was bad enough. It seems the tachos are even more complicated. Up to today I’ve only seen the old clockwork ones
Then there’s the type that’s just a slot & doesn’t open up at all. You just offer the card to the slot (like putting your cash card in an ATM machine) & it will take over & take the card off you. Press a button to eject.
On the casette type as above, make sure the card goes UNDER the 2 little tags at the top…there’s a pic. on a sticker in there somewhere to show you.
I had a problem recently when the driver 2 plastic disk fell out. I must not have put it back in the right place:
When booting up, the dash display told me “Error reading driver 2 card…no trace” or similar.
When closing the casette tray it showed “Err” on the readout on the tacho. Presumably for “error”?
It did mark my card, but also made a dirty mess of it.
Important question: Do you guys/girls open the tacho at the first available opportunity to check it is marking?
Driveroneuk:
Important question: Do you guys/girls open the tacho at the first available opportunity to check it is marking?
Only if it’s showing up a fault if I’ve got a speedo I get on with it and if there has been a problem I record the shift by hand on the back.
Dont worry about that in the Merc ,s they flash a BIG red warning at you to say its not recording!!!, its bloody annoying so you will fix it.
DAF’s also whinge like crazy if you drive with no tacho in.
Driveroneuk:
Important question: Do you guys/girls open the tacho at the first available opportunity to check it is marking?
Be careful. If you get pulled over by VOSA or Plod for a spot-check or any other reason they can think of and they see you have opened your tacho drawer they will often want a good reason for doing so to make sure you haven’t been tampering with your disc.
As others have said, you will probably get an error message on the display if something is wrong.
lol I HATE those new tacho’s. The first day I had one I drove ALL day with it on rest. Got the hang of it now, but I really don’t see why they bothered changing them.
Lostpup:
Driveroneuk:
Important question: Do you guys/girls open the tacho at the first available opportunity to check it is marking?Be careful. If you get pulled over by VOSA or Plod for a spot-check or any other reason they can think of and they see you have opened your tacho drawer they will often want a good reason for doing so to make sure you haven’t been tampering with your disc.
As others have said, you will probably get an error message on the display if something is wrong.
I have read somewhere Lostpup where the practise i mention is recommended, that is why i have never worried about doing it. I’ll try to find it if/when i have the time.
Same as removing the card when on break is quite legal if vehicle is likely to be shunted by someone else.
My original question applies to all tacho types, not just these new fangled gadget s with error displays.
Dapper Scavenger:
lol I HATE those new tacho’s. The first day I had one I drove ALL day with it on rest. Got the hang of it now, but I really don’t see why they bothered changing them.
These cassette type tacho heads are, I think, the intermediate stage between the clockwork and the digital ones. I would imagine that when the digital ones eventually come in, all they have to do is unplug the disk type and plug in the digital one. The older wagons with the clockwork tacho heads will take a bit more work.
Did it show rest when you were driving, Dapper? If it did you must have had it in the driver 2 slot 
But, I thought they automaticaly record ‘other work’ when the wagon is moving.
In the ‘new style’ heads in the Volvos one point to mention is they say to not use a blank plastic disc in the number two slot when a chart is not being used and to just leave it empty. For example these new ones adjust the clock automatically in the spring and autumn but only when there are no discs in and by having a blank plastic one in it couldn’t do this.
The biggest worry I have is that I’ve put the disc in upside down, and it doesn’t record anything. I haven’t got it wrong yet, but that’s usually because I have to ask the guy showing me to the truck (I do agency work, so it’s a different truck (and often a different employer) every day).
Driveroneuk:
Lostpup:
Driveroneuk:
Important question: Do you guys/girls open the tacho at the first available opportunity to check it is marking?Be careful. If you get pulled over by VOSA or Plod for a spot-check or any other reason they can think of and they see you have opened your tacho drawer they will often want a good reason for doing so to make sure you haven’t been tampering with your disc.
I have read somewhere Lostpup where the practise i mention is recommended, that is why i have never worried about doing it. I’ll try to find it if/when i have the time.
Same as removing the card when on break is quite legal if vehicle is likely to be shunted by someone else.
I was pulled over by a plod a few years back he had a young WPC with him quite tasty too. 
I think he was trying to show off and asked to see my tacho, and commenced to explain the ‘in and outs’ to his partner.
On seeing that I had opened the head and there was a two minute break with no trace, he tried to explain that I was not allowed to do it and asked the reason for it.
I explained that I was allowed to do it, - to check the chart, driving time etc.
He was adamant that I was wrong, and may have been running with the head open.
I then pulled out my trusty little tacho manual and proved him wrong.
Also explaining to him that the chances of getting the distance trace to match up exactly, after running with the head open, would be virtually impossible. Suggested that he hadn’t been doing the job long and should go on a tacho course himself, - showing him up in front of his rookie partner. 
He walked round the vehicle, found nothing wrong, then gave me one of those request to produce documents at a police station of my choice slips. 
(zb)
Next time I’ll keep my mouth shut