Hi all, as a Newbie still improving their skills, I’m “trying” to use the exhaust brake on my truck as much as possible, possibly too much.
And that’s basically my question. Should I be trying to use it as my primary brake every time, or just in certain situations like long hills?
Sorry but this sort of stuff isn’t covered in training and test, which I sure will be contentious in itself with some! 
Evil8Beezle:
Hi all, as a Newbie still improving their skills, I’m “trying” to use the exhaust brake on my truck as much as possible, possibly too much.
And that’s basically my question. Should I be trying to use it as my primary brake every time, or just in certain situations like long hills?Sorry but this sort of stuff isn’t covered in training and test, which I sure will be contentious in itself with some!
Use it as much as possible. Every time you use it you are saving the service brakes wearing a bit, hence saving maintenance money.
On a Scania it is impossible to get a good “Scania Driver Score” unless you use the exhaust break often.
Generally speaking I will blip the exhaust brake 2-5 seconds before I use the service brakes, its great for getting you in the habit of planning your braking early, and not just the kind of chump that is constantly jumping on the middle pedal at the last second.
My instructor advised us to only use the retarder on steep downhills only and not to overuse it or rely on it. But that might just be the instructor getting me to get used to the braking system
I’m sure ul get a better response soon though
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I’ve taken the exhaust brakes off both my lorries ,they’re like chocolate fire guards ,both have the jacobs engine brake instead on all 6 cylinders .
Leave it on and use the brakes when you have to.
Exhaust brakes and retarders are different on every lorry so it’s a case of getting used to the vehicle your in.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Motorway driving, d/c and s/c the only brake I use is the exhaust brake. Has to be a complete emergency for me to use the footbrake or a serious hill that mode 3 can’t even handle. It doesn’t use any diesel despite what your ears tell you.
Round towns and cities I still use it but not the same extent as its good to show brake lights on approach to junctions.
Only time I’d never use my exhaust brake is coming though villages at night, past horse riders and dog walkers and pram walkers.
I know experienced guys 10+ years who never use it!
We get instructed to use the exhaust brake as much as possible and get ‘brownie points’ when we do (all gets logged by the system). On the Volvos and Renaults the exhaust brake is extremely good and, with a bit of foresight, can be used the majority of the time.
Coo, this’ll give some different answers Evil.
I use it all the time as my primary brake, gears in manual mode so maximising the revs but within safe engine limits, for max ■■■■■■.
Unless i get caught by a sudden light change or unusual incident i use the brakes only to bring the vehicle to final rest, if everything works out it should be possible to travel many miles without touching the brakes.
A reversal if you like of what they now teach, currently the mantra is brakes to slow gears to go…old school version is gears to slow brakes to stop.
I disagree entirely with the modern version and would venture lorry makers do too, seeing as they go to great lengths to provide auxilliary braking.
Yes brakes are better now than they ever were, of that there is now doubt, so up to a point the above is unecessary so long as you are happy to drive the modern way pointing steering and footbraking when you want to.
It does have a safety aspect too and even those who don’t usually bother should learn it, in order to make steep downhills safer, by keeping in the appropriate gear and using the exhauster alone that leaves the brakes cool and ready for maximum effort should an emergency arise.
To me its part of what makes a lorry driver instead of a wheel attendant, but be interesting to see what the majority view is here.
I don’t like to see wheels caked in brake dust either, but a quick look round a yardful of lorries will show the vast majority of steering wheels especially the stuff will be heavily baked on.
Use it to control downhill speeds and use it when coming up to junctions, lights, traffic queues etc using the footbrake to give any additional stopping power when required. You’ll find you lift off the throttle earlier and start planning your braking better and as a result use a lot less fuel as well. The higher the revs the better it works - auto boxes should change down gear if needed and don’t worry if when they do you end up a 100 RPM from the redline, just keep touching the foot brake to keep you below it.
The DAF CFs we have each spend usually at least once a night doing a good 3-4 miles downhill in a single go descending from Shap, Windy Hill or Stainmore just a couple of hundred RPM below the redline on the exhaust brake with the downhill descent speed control system. They’re now at 250-300,000km each and no issues as a result.
Cheers for the responses people, as it sounds like I’m doing the right thing. I don’t race up to junctions anyway, but I’m also mindful or not dawdling towards a junctions either and holding others up too much. I do a lot of urban driving and trying to get into the habit of automatically using it, but wanted to check I’m doing the right thing. I asked as the last DAF I drove was hopeless with regard to exhaust braking in comparison to the Renault’s I normally drive, and sort of wondered if it wasn’t that important anymore due to better brakes.
I think I have the answer, which is use it no matter how weak it appears…
What I like about the 2013 Renault Premium was the ability to make it kick down a gear and increase the effect.
Maybe I’m using it wrong in the 2014 DAF CF! 
Juddian:
Coo, this’ll give some different answers Evil.I use it all the time as my primary brake, gears in manual mode so maximising the revs but within safe engine limits, for max ■■■■■■.
Unless i get caught by a sudden light change or unusual incident i use the brakes only to bring the vehicle to final rest, if everything works out it should be possible to travel many miles without touching the brakes.A reversal if you like of what they now teach, currently the mantra is brakes to slow gears to go…old school version is gears to slow brakes to stop.
I disagree entirely with the modern version and would venture lorry makers do too, seeing as they go to great lengths to provide auxilliary braking.Yes brakes are better now than they ever were, of that there is now doubt, so up to a point the above is unecessary so long as you are happy to drive the modern way pointing steering and footbraking when you want to.
It does have a safety aspect too and even those who don’t usually bother should learn it, in order to make steep downhills safer, by keeping in the appropriate gear and using the exhauster alone that leaves the brakes cool and ready for maximum effort should an emergency arise.To me its part of what makes a lorry driver instead of a wheel attendant, but be interesting to see what the majority view is here.
I don’t like to see wheels caked in brake dust either, but a quick look round a yardful of lorries will show the vast majority of steering wheels especially the stuff will be heavily baked on.
Best answer and also what I do, I like seeing how far I can go without touching the footbrake…
merc0447:
I still use it but not the same extent as its good to show brake lights on approach to junctions.
I’ve always wondered this, so the Exhust brake will actually turn the lights on without touching the pedal?
Punchy Dan:
I’ve taken the exhaust brakes off both my lorries ,they’re like chocolate fire guards ,both have the jacobs engine brake instead on all 6 cylinders .
You don’t half know how to rub it in Punchy Dan… 
I’d give me bloody eye teeth for a proper lorry with a ■■■■■■■ and Jacob doing the bis… 
All 6 pots too, have you ever changed a brake lining on either?
I used to use it all the time (RR 265L1 engine) but several of our drivers obviously didn’t as the button was always buried in ■■■■ on their cab floors and you daren’t press it incase it would stick on! 
We had to disconnect them from our ■■■■■■■ engined Fodens as the engine warranty was void with an exhaust brake fitted, even though the Foden factory fitted them from new!
Pete.
i use it as much as i can
and a great post by Juddian
Mine is permanently switched off.
M.A.N.
I like to use mine on approach. Its useless if I’m at max weight but its good for scrubbing some speed off when you get close to roundabouts or corners.
windrush:
I used to use it all the time (RR 265L1 engine) but several of our drivers obviously didn’t as the button was always buried in [zb] on their cab floors and you daren’t press it incase it would stick on!Pete.
mine had the foden fitted exhaust brake and the pillocks fitted it on top of the pipe so that any fault in the system caused it to drop down and kill all power . the fitters turned it 45% and solved the problem . dave
Juddian:
Punchy Dan:
I’ve taken the exhaust brakes off both my lorries ,they’re like chocolate fire guards ,both have the jacobs engine brake instead on all 6 cylinders .You don’t half know how to rub it in Punchy Dan…
I’d give me bloody eye teeth for a proper lorry with a ■■■■■■■ and Jacob doing the bis…All 6 pots too, have you ever changed a brake lining on either?
Not since 1967 apparently 
Juddian:
Punchy Dan:
I’ve taken the exhaust brakes off both my lorries ,they’re like chocolate fire guards ,both have the jacobs engine brake instead on all 6 cylinders .You don’t half know how to rub it in Punchy Dan…
I’d give me bloody eye teeth for a proper lorry with a ■■■■■■■ and Jacob doing the bis…All 6 pots too, have you ever changed a brake lining on either?
Not on my Foden but it’s early days with that ,the m11 jake is no where near the 14 litre one ,on my dads E14 we only ever took the drums off before mot to rough the shoes up ,although towards the end ( he ran it 10 yrs ) we had valve head problems .