Whoever DAF use for the auto boxes in the XFs should be fired/shot.
The AStronic auto box is quite simply THE WORST AUTO BOX EVER !
I challenge anyone to honestly say otherwise after you’ve used one to do shunting with.
You put it in drive, press the pedal and nothing happens, other than it rolling backwards alarmingly, so you press it more and after about 5 seconds and having the pedal nearly to the floor it finally wakes up and catapaults you forward at warp factor 9. Even in tortoise modes for drive and reverse it’s just as bad.
I’d dropped a trailer off on a hill, pulled the pin and went to pull out. I’d just cleared the pin and then eased off to give the suspension time to drop, with the intention of pulling out afterwards, but oh no, the truck has other ideas. It can’t recognise that I’m only just feathering the pedal to creep out slowly and thinks I’m not doing anything at all, so of course rolls back… and reconnects the pin . I get out and do it again, but the same thing happens, but this time the suspension had dropped far enough so when the unit rolled back, this time I had my foot ready on the pedal and pressed it to make it go forward, but because of the 5 second delay before it wakes up the unit had rolled back, over the top of the pin and the trailer contacted the back of the cab . I was absolutely [zb] furious . I got out and looked at the damage and fortunately there wasn’t any except a tiny scuff.
They’re a real [zb] nightmare.
Even driving down the road normally, when you pull away from a junction it leaves you in no-mans land about twice as long as the Idle Shift does (and THAT’S far too long in itself). People start thinking you’ve broken down as you’re just coasting along and start overtaking you.
The Idle Shift is a dream to drive in comparison, and that’s coming from someone who hates the Idle Shift with a passion. Anyway, needless to say it got defected for poor response/gearbox problem and I’ll keep doing it until they make them drive properly or give me a proper truck with a proper gear box, not an idiots gear box for people who hold 44 tonne on 1:4 hills on the clutch.
David Miller:
Can we take it that you don’t like it then, Rob K■■
Used to drive a manual XF480 in my early days of tramping and they’re a great truck to drive, very quiet and very comfy, just a pity that they don’t come with an exhaust brake. The autos on the other hand…
As they haven’t been around that long then just how long have you been on the road?
After all, most of us “mugs” and “incredibly stupid” people have been around for several years. 20 ish in my case.
As for the auto box, we had troubles with the autoshifter Roadrangers. Slow pick up and changing or shaking your teeth out when you hook up. They have ironed them out on the computers now, and gave us a video to watch on correct operation. I still think they rev the C15 too high so I usually leave it in manual.
Do you mean they didn’t give you adequate training on the gearbox?
bobthedog:
You drove an XF480 when you started tramping■■?
As they haven’t been around that long then just how long have you been on the road?
After all, most of us “mugs” and “incredibly stupid” people have been around for several years. 20 ish in my case.
Well for 20 “ish” years you don’t know a right lot do you? The XF480 has been around for at least 10 years. Additonally, where did I say that I started tramping when I first started driving? READ the posts properly before replying, otherwise you end up looking a complete [zb], see . Better still, keep quiet.
Do you mean they didn’t give you adequate training on the gearbox?
I don’t need training on any gear box. If there’s something I don’t know I ask someone and if they’re not available, a couple of trips round the yard soon has the problem figured out.
I know plenty enough thanks. 20 ish years driving heavy trucks because I have been around the industry for my entire life. I was talking tongue in cheek but you have, as is your usual way, ranted. You say that you tell it as is, but you loathe people who do the same.
10 years? Funny how they were 380s and 430s when they first started out with the XF. And they aren’t exactly old now. Or are you talking about the original Enasa cabbed Daf?
A couple of trips around the yard?? A piece of equipment that they have spent years and millions of whatever currency to design and perfect and you have it figured out in a couple of trips around the yard?? Man, you must be the greatest driver ever! I think it would be best if you quit driving for a living and went to the manufacturers to work. You can tell them where they are obviously going wrong and make everyones life that bit easier.
I guess they just released this gearbox on an unsuspecting public in the hope that no one would notice the flaws. Ever heard of using the brake pedal to hold the truck? Some of these gearboxes require it. I know the RR does because I watched the video and got shown how it works. I even know how to reset the thing so it starts out in the original settings.
Asking the security guard on the gate if he knows how it works, or the wash attendant will not get you into a position which saves a brand new truck from getting clouted by someone who is sure he/she knows more than the people who built the damned thing do.
Don’t know about anyone else, but the trucks I drove when I started on local work were vastly different to those I started tramping with. Guess you were just really lucky.
bobthedog:
I know plenty enough thanks. 20 ish years driving heavy trucks because I have been around the industry for my entire life. I was talking tongue in cheek
Well that will be a first for you. All one has to do is look at your previous replies to any of my posts and I am sure that others would agree that your replies are far from being “tongue in cheek”.
10 years? Funny how they were 380s and 430s when they first started out with the XF. And they aren’t exactly old now. Or are you talking about the original Enasa cabbed Daf?
8 years actually, it was an S-reg.
A couple of trips around the yard?? A piece of equipment that they have spent years and millions of whatever currency to design and perfect and you have it figured out in a couple of trips around the yard?? Man, you must be the greatest driver ever! I think it would be best if you quit driving for a living and went to the manufacturers to work. You can tell them where they are obviously going wrong and make everyones life that bit easier.
OK so I may confess that not all I say is tongue-in-cheek. You are known to be more abrasive than honest but you dislike it being returned.
S-reg, eh? Whoopy Doo, so it was 8 years ago. And I have been tramping for 17 years. Again- whoopy doo! Who cares? Do you want to see who can pee furthur next?
You can hardly say much about my posts, Rob, when yours tend to be vitriolic in the extreme. I have checked and can get the quotes of yours pertaining to my move over here so the other posters can see them if you would like. In bygone times you have called my integrity (still very much intact) into question and even my very sanity, yet you appear to complain about my posts here.
Remember what you said to Cattlemans wife last year? I do.
What amuses you so much about the last quote you took? The greatest driver bit or the working for the manufacturers? How many other drivers have defected this truck? All of them? None of them? If it’s the latter then I would imagine you should look closer to home for the root of the trouble.
In all honesty, the fitters in the yard only know what the videos tell them. They don’t know any more until they have been hands on which is unlikely to happen for some time. The Daf folk will have spent time and money to create a piece of equipment they expect to give years of service.
And you should remember that you were the one who said about a couple of trips around the yard sorting the problem. I recall people doing the same when the twin splitter first came out because they were too proud to ask the right people. The noise still reverberates in my teeth. I very much doubt there is a problem with the truck. Daf really started to get their act together with the 95. They are hardly likely to start going backwards.
FFS give it a [zb] rest. You are once again quoting quotes that I’ve never said and yet again bringing up the broken record of you moving to Canada. I don’t [zb] CARE! You brought into question my comments on the XF480 and how long it had been in production, I replied to it but still you weren’t happy, then you start questioning my driving abilities and once again start wittering on about Canada. I DON’T CARE AND DOUBT ANYONE ELSE DOES. Go to truck.net, they’ve got Canadian forums.
Now if you’ve finished picking holes in everything I say and I do, DO YOU THINK YOU’D BE ABLE TO WRAP UP SO THE THREAD CAN GET BACK ON TOPIC, PLEASE? OR IS THAT ASKING TOO MUCH? IF SO PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I’LL GO AND POST ELSEWHERE WHERE I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FINDING MY SCREEN FILLED WITH YOUR CANADIAN WAFFLE.
Rob K:
You put it in drive, press the pedal and nothing happens, other than it rolling backwards alarmingly, so you press it more and after about 5 seconds and having the pedal nearly to the floor it finally wakes up and catapaults you forward at warp factor 9. Even in tortoise modes for drive and reverse it’s just as bad.
Now funny you should say that. I’ve driven lots of vehicles with auto boxes, and owned one or two, now prior to driving this I-shift Volvo i only drove a couple of Auto trucks and it was a good while ago, anyway…now i mention this because i think it might be similar to the Volvo i-shift. The gearbox is atually a manual gearbox, i know it looks and feels similar to what we know as as auto box but it is manual in that it has positive seperate gear ratios as opposed to gear drums/bands/valves and has a “normal” clutch in stead of a torque converter (thats why they can roll back if you don’t do a handbrake start). These new generation auto boxes are only “auto shift”, once i got me head round that i was a lot better with them.
i had one for about 3 weeks, and i agree, it was the worst thing i have ever had for reversing! im a daf man through and through, but i was well gutted with the auto box, its ok going forwards, there is no point trying to hurry it as it doesnt respont quickly which can be a bit of a nightmare at roundabouts when you see a gap, put the throttle down and nothing happens, then all of a sudden your off but the gap has vanished
i have to admit, i have never had anthing else with an autobox, but did hear the volvo one is simular for reversing, a nightmare (but i cant pass judgement cos i have not had one)
Ive used a DAF auto on a dragon and wag,and it was ■■■■■■■ lethal,so much so that if i went for a job and the gaffer turned round and said “we like to look after our drivers by giving them auto boxs” id say well if thats what you call looking after a driver you can keep your job, what i cant decide on though is which box is worse,DAF or RENAULT,now the first time i backed under a trailer with the renault i ended up with whiplash,these things are dangerous, now I used an idiot shift for about 6 months and to be fair the first few days took a little getting used to as far as coupling up goes,but after that i thought it was a dream to drive and coupling up was never a problem,and mike c is right,they are actually manual boxs with a bit of wizardry bolted to the top
Yeah Ican’t stand the bloody things either especially in close quarter work …what with my divers boot syndrome it can be a bit embarrasing…I once tried to make a loading bay a bit wider with one in Bristol
Rob K:
The XF480 has been around for at least 10 years.
.
I didnt think that the XF’s came out til about late 97, not quite 10 years
Prior to that it was a Space cab, or available for about 2 years Super Space cab, on the 95 cab. Though i’m a Twingo man so maybe i’d
Better still, keep quiet.
Do you mean they didn’t give you adequate training on the gearbox?
I don’t need training on any gear box. If there’s something I don’t know I ask someone and if they’re not available, a couple of trips round the yard soon has the problem figured out
Rob, did you not have training to obtain your “bendy licence” about 5 or 6 years ago, so whats the difference with having training on an unfamiliar gearbox,. I’ve had my class 1 nearly 20 years, but if someone wants throw money at me in the form of training, greatfully will it be receaved, though all the people i’ve worked for seem to have had the same narrow minded attitude as you
Though on the subject of Auto shift boxes, i’ve never drove one, and personaly i’m quite happy with a bogstandard manual
Rob K:
FFS give it a [zb] rest. You are once again quoting quotes that I’ve never said
I don’t [zb] CARE! You brought into question my comments on the XF480 and how long it had been in production, I replied to it but still you weren’t happy, then you start questioning my driving abilities and once again start wittering on about Canada. I DON’T CARE AND DOUBT ANYONE ELSE DOES. Go to truck.net, they’ve got Canadian forums.
Now if you’ve finished picking holes in everything I say and I do, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I’LL GO AND POST ELSEWHERE WHERE I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FINDING MY SCREEN FILLED WITH YOUR CANADIAN WAFFLE.
Yes you did say those things, and you pour scorn on anyone you can. I did not call your comments into question, and I wouldn’t as I have never had an XF480.
I most certainly don’t witter on about Canada but I am not sorry about coming out here away from all the nonsense. I am not Canadian, I am Cornish and, as such, will always have ties to the UK.
I only pick holes when I see something I disagree with and make my views known as is the point of forums. Now if the suggestion that you may go posting elsewhere is a promise…
. I get out and do it again, but the same thing happens, but this time the suspension had dropped far enough so when the unit rolled back, this time I had my foot ready on the pedal and pressed it to make it go forward, but because of the 5 second delay before it wakes up the unit had rolled back, over the top of the pin and the trailer contacted the back of the cab 
Additonally, where did I say that I started tramping when I first started driving? READ the posts properly before replying, otherwise you end up looking a complete [zb], see 
. Better still, keep quiet.
