If the autobox in a CF is bad the manual is worse. It will not let you pull off in any gear higher than second. the evil crate just cuts the power and flashes up a sarcastic message on the dash telling me to pull off in a lower gear. I was always told to pull off in 3rd when I was learning and I am finding this to be a problem making good progress at roundabouts etc. The engine isn’t tourqey enough to go from 2nd to 5th so i am forced to use two gears in the lower range before I can get up to at least 5th or 6th. quite how an examiner would view this driving style remains to be seen. Reversing is no better, I get the same message when trying to reverse in high range! Does anyone ever start a reversing manoever in reverse low and then change to reverse high? It makes no allowances whether the truck is laden or on a gradient.
How new is that DAF? I do some driving now and again in an 07 plate XF105 with a manual box and it will quite happily let me pull off in any gear.
Paul
been driving a 75 cf and can pull off in 3 rd or 4th. drove a 65 today and that kept popping out of gear
That’s not a DAF thing, that’s your company thats had that installed.
Its an 05 plate and it looks like a standard daf feature by the way the message is displayed on the “telly” between the speedo and the rev counter.
I’ve driven several newer than that and, touch wood, never come across that rubbish before. thankfully.
sounds simlaer to some of the new renualts all the flasshing lights on dash bleep bleep bleep 
saying that though if you open door does same , sometimes ith the renualt if you spit the box then straight back up it confuses it and lets you do so .
I run a CF75 and pull away in 4th empty and anything between 2nd and 4th loaded. 5th downhill. Never heard of what you’ve got. An examiner is looking for the correct use of gears. If your vehicle has restrictions built into it, an examiner would have to live with it. I have several Ivecos on training. It’s normal to use 5th or even 6th for a downhill start. But the latest new one lets off an horrific sound if you engage high range below about 10km per hr. So we use 4th and it’s never been commented on.
Good luck. You’ll find all sorts of “interesting” stuff out there! 
Peter Smythe:
I run a CF75 and pull away in 4th empty and anything between 2nd and 4th loaded. 5th downhill. Never heard of what you’ve got. An examiner is looking for the correct use of gears. If your vehicle has restrictions built into it, an examiner would have to live with it. I have several Ivecos on training. It’s normal to use 5th or even 6th for a downhill start. But the latest new one lets off an horrific sound if you engage high range below about 10km per hr. So we use 4th and it’s never been commented on.Good luck. You’ll find all sorts of “interesting” stuff out there!
Mine is a CF75. Might have a word with the boss tomorrow as to weather this is a special order feature.
Is it something about new trucks, so as not to overload the clutch ?
All the trucks, rigid and units, at the Co-op RDC in Thurrock have a sticker in the door window, stating that you MUST pull away in first gear (they run Dafs, Volvos, Scanias and Renaults there).
They also sent round a memo regarding costs of clutch repairs over the past years, stating that they were too high, asking drivers to ensure they pull away in first.
On the Daf’s that they’ve got, it’s a yellow sticker that came with the truck, saying you must pull away in first, so supposedly put on there by the dealer.
I’ve driven a lot of trucks that state you should pull away in either 1st or 2nd gear to protect the clutch but I’ve yet to come across one which has something in the engine management to actually force you to do so. It sounds to me like some kind of option fitted to the truck to try and protect the clutch, as it certainly isn’t a standard thing on a DAF of that age.
Paul
i think its a company installed thing, toscos have them in their manual trucks aswell, pain in the rear end.
Its company installed, Lincolnshire has them intalled in their manual box gritters due to excessive clutch damage, unless you are rolling, 1st gear pull offs.
I run 12 trucks and what daf are forcing you to do is use the gearbox correctly because it would seem the driver can’t be trusted to drive correctly. Sure, empty you should easily be able to set off in 4th in a daf because they are often quite low geared. But surely you wouldn’t set off in 3rd or 4th if your loaded? 2nd to 4th is always how I treat my gearbox when loaded, anything higher will no doubt cause excess wear.
If you think that this is causing you problems at making progress at roundabouts I suggest you look at trying to keep the vehicle moving, avoid stopping completely or choose a more suitable gap. Don’t drive how you were taught by a driving instructor on an empty vehicle, your in he real world now mate!
Hope you don’t offence to this, but so many new drivers are only taught to pass the test, in the real world when your loaded you unfortunately may be slower to make progress at times but it’s down to you the driver to assess the road conditions/situation and as a professional driver choose a good gap at a roundabout, this may mean causing traffic to slow slightly but if done safely and with consideration a good driver won’t be causing a nuisense to other road users.
Tockwith Training:
Hope you don’t offence to this, but so many new drivers are only taught to pass the test, in the real world when your loaded you unfortunately may be slower to make progress at times but it’s down to you the driver to assess the road conditions/situation and as a professional driver choose a good gap at a roundabout, this may mean causing traffic to slow slightly but if done safely and with consideration a good driver won’t be causing a nuisense to other road users.
do you think there should be compulsory post test training with a loaded truck in the catagory that the trainee passed in 
ROG:
Tockwith Training:
Hope you don’t offence to this, but so many new drivers are only taught to pass the test, in the real world when your loaded you unfortunately may be slower to make progress at times but it’s down to you the driver to assess the road conditions/situation and as a professional driver choose a good gap at a roundabout, this may mean causing traffic to slow slightly but if done safely and with consideration a good driver won’t be causing a nuisense to other road users.do you think there should be compulsory post test training with a loaded truck in the catagory that the trainee passed in
NO! It should be compulsory to learn in a LADEN vehicle.
As for making good progress it is not always possible to roll towards every junction “just in time” particually in heavy traffic as many of our local roundabouts have traffic lights on them. I just don’t want to hinder any other traffic and having to use two low range gears and then waiting for the solenoid to click before getting 5th or 6th can cause some delays to other road users.
I wouldn’t worry about the cars behind, it’s part of the pleasure of driving a truck, holding up all those go-karts! By the way, it’s not a solenoid that operates the range change device but an electrically operated air valve. Pretty simple device, as the valve ages it will get more lazy/slower then you can complain! I’ve driven scanias that take 3 seconds to swap cogs after flicking thy switch.
Oh and another pointer, don’t rush the gear in either because if you do the air assistance won’t be doing the hard work of engaging the gear. That small hiss of air you hear when changing gear is to make it lighter but if you rush the gear in you will have to push the gear in harder, also syncromesh likes time to line up the speed of the cogs too, wear that out faster too if you rush. I always find the 5th gear is the first one to need replacing because it gets rushed/abused.
Tockwith Training:
I wouldn’t worry about the cars behind, it’s part of the pleasure of driving a truck, holding up all those go-karts! By the way, it’s not a solenoid that operates the range change device but an electrically operated air valve. Pretty simple device, as the valve ages it will get more lazy/slower then you can complain! I’ve driven scanias that take 3 seconds to swap cogs after flicking thy switch.Oh and another pointer, don’t rush the gear in either because if you do the air assistance won’t be doing the hard work of engaging the gear. That small hiss of air you hear when changing gear is to make it lighter but if you rush the gear in you will have to push the gear in harder, also syncromesh likes time to line up the speed of the cogs too, wear that out faster too if you rush. I always find the 5th gear is the first one to need replacing because it gets rushed/abused.
I must admit I have never used a RC box that liked a quick change from 8th to 3rd.
Warren T. Claim:
I must admit I have never used a RC box that liked a quick change from 8th to 3rd.
I have - all of them
Just needs the switch to be changed at least 2 seconds before executing the gear change - assuming that the truck has been properly slowed to 3rd gear speed of course.
ROG:
Warren T. Claim:
I must admit I have never used a RC box that liked a quick change from 8th to 3rd.I have - all of them
Just needs the switch to be changed at least 2 seconds before executing the gear change - assuming that the truck has been properly slowed to 3rd gear speed of course.
I bow to your superior knowledge ROG! I will try this tomorrow.
As the saying goes:
"You’ve done more miles reversing out of wrong turnings…) 