Is it just me that finds it irritating when digital tachos default to rest mode when the engine is turned off? Have had 2 hired trucks in the last month which do this, a Merc and a MAN. The fleet DAFs Volvo’s and Renaults default to other work which, IMHO, is the logical thing to do. Maybe it a german thing because the Tacho heads are all Siemens units. 
Would different EU states have variations in the programming of the same units? Seems like madness to me.
i had a daf that defaulted to other work. then the man that i’m driving now defaults to rest which i prefer. i just put it to other work a couple of times a day to make it look right.
Ironic you should say that as I drive a 57 plate MAN with a Siemens digi unit which reverts to other work when not driving. Personally I’d prefer it if my unit reverted to rest, keeps the WTD down.
We have a couple of Mercs and Dafs that default to rest, it can be a nuisance if you forget to change when you are paid by the tacho.
The standard default is other work, but ADR vehicles default to rest for some reason. That is according to the Siemens manual.
As I understand all new digi revert to rest when ign switched off, summat to do with the French, you can get them reprogrammed, nice chap at Pelican did mine properly.
What’s the definition of new?
I drove a 59 reg DAF 3 weeks that was built in January 2008.
waddy640:
What’s the definition of new?I drove a 59 reg DAF 3 weeks that was built in January 2008.
Registered after September 2007
Pain in the backside on mercs.Turn ignition off,everything goes dark up there,have to remember to push mode switch twice straight away for other work.Press wrong button and starts the card eject system. 
Drove an Axor today,the digi kept defaulting to rest,a couple of times it wouldn’t start as on the dash it was flashing between auto and manual 
had to turn the ignition off for about 10 seconds for it to right itself.
And the horn ? 
I’ve heard louder ■■■■■.
most digi tachos come with the default memory programmed to go to rest on shut off , This can be changed when the tacho is calibrated at the dealer from new and some cusomers do ask for this . It can also be done by a tacho agent by means of a full calibration which is a set £46 as per vosa . If the two yearly is imminent then good time to ask for it to be done .
truckmec:
most digi tachos come with the default memory programmed to go to rest on shut off , This can be changed when the tacho is calibrated at the dealer from new and some cusomers do ask for this . It can also be done by a tacho agent by means of a full calibration which is a set £46 as per vosa . If the two yearly is imminent then good time to ask for it to be done .
Hi truckmec !! don’t mean to be hard on your first post as you are only advising how it is. However, the ‘default’ on any tacho should be the mode which the driver last selected, i.e it should only record driving automatically. It should not ‘default’ to work or break/rest at all. I’m guessing here but 'defaulting to ‘other work’ would most likeley be preferable to ‘defaulting’ to rest/break as its not a fair assumption that when the ignition is off the driver is resting. Indeed, its recommended everywhere to switch your engine off whilst waiting in preference to sitting with your engine idling. That leaves the driver with a big problem, the lights on the tacho go off with the ignition and you can’t see what its displaying. The ‘tacho experts’ in Road Range Mercedes told me its a safetey feature, and they actually kept a straight face when they told me this.
Its also a lottery which tahcos do this as we have 08 and 58 plate mercs and some do and some don’t do it. I think some people make things up as they go along.
Drove an Actros yesterday,set off for Wellingboro,when all of a sudden the digi tach started flashing 
( Internal Fault )I just carried on and it just seemed to right itself,after a while.
Also had trouble whne it came to staring the truck,it would start OK,but wouldn’t let me select a gear and came up with " fault gs 22 26 " had to keep turning it off,waiting for 20 seconds or so and trying again.
Load of ■■■■■ !
About 8 months ago i got a brand new o8 daf cf. The tacho went to break when the ignition was switched off so i complained to managment & it was changed to switch to other work instead. Anyway i went to america for 3 wks recently & on my return i was caught out because it was going to break again. Went in for regular service & when i got it back it had been changed back to other work. My truck was set to 52mph but now its set dead on 56…only problem is i can be driving on the limiter at 56 on a flat bit of motorway & the tacho keeps flashing up overspeed   . Dont understand why though, digi tachos are crap!!! First few times it flashed up overspeed i pressed ok to reset it but after a while i gave up as the tacho is above my head & its too dangerous to keep looking up!!
Both the Volvos and Dafs that I drive have space on the dashboard to fit the tacho., so why are they fitted above normal sized drivers line of sight?
waddy640:
Both the Volvos and Dafs that I drive have space on the dashboard to fit the tacho., so why are they fitted above normal sized drivers line of sight?
stops distracting me when that overspeed keeps flashing all the time, still a distraction in the dark as i always seem to look up at it when it does it. never OK it though until your 4.5hrs are up, it only records the last “infringement” then.